This time of year really is a slow time in the world of sports. College football has yet to even start practice. SEC Media Days does, however, provide those of us that feel football deprived a little something to chat about. NFL players have yet to report to training camp. Though, there's plenty of "hooplah" surrounding Big Ben, OchoCinco, and T.O. to keep NFL junkies busy. The only thing going on is Major League Baseball. So, on this slow Thursday in the sports world I turned all of my attention to the Day Games on TV.
I watched my Atlanta Braves blow a game against Barry Zito and the Giants. A game that could have and should have been won if not for little league mistakes by a certain few players. The Braves had been hot. Heck, they still can be considered hot as it was just their 2nd loss since the All-Star break. Still, every loss hurts when the Phillies are on fire. Not to mention the Phils are on the brink of maybe landing Roy Halladay for the rest of the season.
To get to my point. On what I thought would be a very boring Thursday laying on my couch, watching the Braves, and recovering from meltdown mode after hearing about the recent transfer rumors surrounding our football team, something amazing happened. I keep up with the Rays quite well because they are my 2nd MLB team. While keeping track of them on MLB.com, I noticed that through 5 innings they had no hits, no runs, no walks, and had reached on no errors. The boys from the South Side of Chicago were up 5 to 0 and one Mark Buehrle had a perfect game going. It really isn't that rare to see a guy working perfect to 3 or 4 or maybe 5 innings every now and then. But I kept watching and the Rays went down 1, 2, 3 in the sixth, too. Again in the 7th. Finally, with the Braves seemingly out of the game, I switched the channel over to ESPN who had live coverage of the White Sox/Rays when Buehrle was pitching. With two outs in the top of the eighth Pat Burrell lined a frozen rope that landed just an inch or two foul down the 3rd base line. Causing me and the 30,000 plus watching at U.S. Cellular Field to gasp for air. Burrell then lined out to end the inning, securing the perfect game through 8. After an uneventful bottom of the eighth, Buehrle threw a 2-2 fastball to Gabe Kapler. I thought it was over. That is until ChiSox CF Dewayne Wise went way up over the centerfield wall and brought it back to preserve the shutout, no-no, and perfect game. The catch was miraculous. Everyone in the stadium thought it was gone, including Buehrle himself. Wise bobbled the ball while falling to the warning track before he finally secured it in his left throwing hand. I jumped off the couch cheering for what was, is, and will be one of the greatest catches of all time. The feat wasn't complete yet. Buehrle battled back from a 3-1 count to strike out Michel Hernandez. Then, on the verge of history, got Jason Bartlett to ground into a 6-3 putout that had to be nerve-racking for White Sox shortstop Alexi Ramirez.
Watching Buehrle and his teammates dog pile on the mound provided a aesthetic experience for me. You can't help but cheer for a guy on verge of such an achievement. The last 2 perfect games I witnessed live on television. Both times against one of my teams. Both times I cheered for the opposing pitcher. When Randy Johnson threw his perfecto against the Braves in 2004 I was standing in my living room cheering as he struck out Eddie Perez to secure his place in pitching immortality. Today, I cheered for Mark Buehrle as he set down my Rays in order. 27 up, 27 down. I feel that I more or less cheer for the game of baseball, rather than cheering against my team.
These storybook moments live in baseball history forever. These moments are the reasons that baseball is and forever will be America's Past-time. "Heroes will be remembered. But legends never die." The legends of past generations will never pass. The Cy Youngs, Honus Wagners, Christy Mathewsons, Ty Cobbs, Joe Jacksons, Babe Ruths, Lou Gehrigs. Those names will never be forgotten. Baseball has always been here. Baseball will always be here. On the long days of summer when seemingly nothing else is going on in the world of sports, there's always that day game. One of those day games just provided my generation with a legend that will be remembered decades from now. I mean, think about it. In 130+ years of professional baseball there have been a total of 18 perfect games thrown. Eighteen. The rarity of that accomplishment is what makes baseball America's game.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
It's July, and I'm still not in football mode,
What is wrong with me? Usually, at this point of summer I'm begging for the start of football season. I am usually arguing with my Mississippi buddies on how we will get them in the Egg Bowl this year. Usually talking about which top recruits are going to make an impact this season. I ponder on which game will be our big upset. I'm working with numbers in my head to figure out which combination of wins and losses will get us to bowl eligibility. I am usually wondering how bad LSU will beat us this year. None of that is going through my head this July. Honestly, I'm just ready for November. Not for the Egg Bowl, not for Bowl eligibility, not for a big upset over the Tide. Simply put, I'm ready for basketball.
Not that I'm totally against the start of football season. I do hold hope like most fans. Something I wouldn't have if we had the same man pacing the sidelines as we did last year. Coach Mullen does give me a little optimism for years to come. Just not this year. Not with this schedule. Not with this offensive line. Not with the same ole 5 and a half foot quarterback. I'm a realist folks. I know that we simply don't have the talent to match up week in and week out in a conference the Detroit Lions would struggle with week in and week out.
I do think that we will see vast improvement in all three phases of the game. Offensively we should put up more yards and points. We should have more entertaining games than the 3-2 shootouts of our last coaching regime. The spread offense CDM has put in will help our weak offensive line. It will keep the defense on its toes. And, hopefully, we will be able to put a good enough product on the field to let Mr. Russell redshirt, saving him for some good years down the road. Defensively we should have a much improved in pass rush and better core group of linebackers. Our secondary definitely took a hit with the loss of Pegues, Fitz, Glanton, O'Quinn, etc. Our defensive line will surprise some folks, though. We will have to rely on that to help our inexperienced secondary out against the more pass heavy teams. On special teams we will see the most improvement. (Poor Croom just had no idea here. All fingers point to the Keith Andrews/Adam Carlson debacle here. Along with the 4th and 4 from the Georgia 27 with 2 minutes to go and down 3 points, "let's punt".) We finally have a consistent place kicker and an all-american punter. Hell, if we had had that last year we would have gone bowling.
Even with some positives, we have to look at the whole big picture. Yes, we will be better because we now have a coach with a higher football IQ than my girlfriend. But, everyone else around us will be better, too. Our schedule is not easy. Arkansas will be better, LSU will find a QB, Auburn has plenty of talent, we go to a strong Vandy team, we go travel to Commonwealth to play a decent UK team. Who does that leave? Oh yeah, 3 home games. Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. Well, there's some good news. More on that in a minute.
To the games I think we should win. Jackson State- We should win this game by 5 or more touchdowns. Anything less than that is a loss. For no reason should a Div. 1AA SWAC school come in and beat us. Especially one just 2 years removed from a loss to Delta State. Houston- I don't care that they beat us by 70 points once. I don't care that they beat us every time we've played them this decade. They're still a C-USA team and if we're ever going to compete on a national level we have to beat these teams on a consistent basis. While I think we should win this game, I don't know that we will. That's what the Croom years did to my confidence. More of the same goes for the game at Middle Tennessee State. Do not even get me started on why we are traveling up to Murphreesboro for a football game. Some of Larry Templeton's dumbass moves are still haunting us. This is a trap game. We did not totally dominate them last year. We will be the biggest home game in the history of their football program, much like La Tech last year. The Blue Raiders will be up for this one. Still though, we should win. However, like I previously stated, I don't have any confidence when I say that. We might lose.
That leaves Georgia Tech as the only opponent not mentioned thus far. I expect them to come to Scott Field and totally dominate us much like they did last year. They have one of the best coaches in college football with Paul Johnson. They use a run-heavy offense that torched us for nearly 500 rushing yards last year. Mark it down. We won't even be in this game at half-time. Be ready for an early exit to the Junction for some happy times with Jack, Jim, and Crown.
I expect us to win 4 games this year. Too much newness and not enough talent to break through like the rebels did last year. I expect a year much like Arkansas had last season. Lots of ups and downs, maybe an upset win over a big opponent. In fact, that is my prediction. 4-8 with wins over J-State, Middle Tennessee, Kentucky, and.... wait for it.... LSU. We will finally get over the hump and beat the Bayou Bengals for the first time since our magical 1999 campaign.
While this seems very pessimistic, I'll admit that it is. That's the way I am about football right now. Glass half empty. I can't be any other way. All of that centers around my hatred for Mississippi. I can't get up for our football season because I know how good theirs is going to be. The rebels are gonna be good folks, really good. This is their year. All the stars have aligned for them. I am drinking the red and blue kool-aid much like all the national sports media. They have the quarterback. They have the coach. They have the schedule. They need only win 2 tough home games against LSU and Bama and they're packed for Atlanta. At which point their run should end against Tebow and the Gators, but who knows? Strange things happen in championship games. Nonetheless, this is the year of the rebel. The year they have been waiting for since 1963. Mark this down too. The rebels will win the West and go to Atlanta. I don't know what will happen from there. I expect the rebels to play in the Sugar Bowl, no less. With some luck in early December, they might play for it all. I hope and pray that I eat my words for this, but I just don't see it happening. I'll elaborate more on that later.
When I get around to it I'll go through my full predictions for each game this season. Hopefully, I'll be more optimistic by then, probably not though seeing as how good TSUN is going to be this year.
Not that I'm totally against the start of football season. I do hold hope like most fans. Something I wouldn't have if we had the same man pacing the sidelines as we did last year. Coach Mullen does give me a little optimism for years to come. Just not this year. Not with this schedule. Not with this offensive line. Not with the same ole 5 and a half foot quarterback. I'm a realist folks. I know that we simply don't have the talent to match up week in and week out in a conference the Detroit Lions would struggle with week in and week out.
I do think that we will see vast improvement in all three phases of the game. Offensively we should put up more yards and points. We should have more entertaining games than the 3-2 shootouts of our last coaching regime. The spread offense CDM has put in will help our weak offensive line. It will keep the defense on its toes. And, hopefully, we will be able to put a good enough product on the field to let Mr. Russell redshirt, saving him for some good years down the road. Defensively we should have a much improved in pass rush and better core group of linebackers. Our secondary definitely took a hit with the loss of Pegues, Fitz, Glanton, O'Quinn, etc. Our defensive line will surprise some folks, though. We will have to rely on that to help our inexperienced secondary out against the more pass heavy teams. On special teams we will see the most improvement. (Poor Croom just had no idea here. All fingers point to the Keith Andrews/Adam Carlson debacle here. Along with the 4th and 4 from the Georgia 27 with 2 minutes to go and down 3 points, "let's punt".) We finally have a consistent place kicker and an all-american punter. Hell, if we had had that last year we would have gone bowling.
Even with some positives, we have to look at the whole big picture. Yes, we will be better because we now have a coach with a higher football IQ than my girlfriend. But, everyone else around us will be better, too. Our schedule is not easy. Arkansas will be better, LSU will find a QB, Auburn has plenty of talent, we go to a strong Vandy team, we go travel to Commonwealth to play a decent UK team. Who does that leave? Oh yeah, 3 home games. Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. Well, there's some good news. More on that in a minute.
To the games I think we should win. Jackson State- We should win this game by 5 or more touchdowns. Anything less than that is a loss. For no reason should a Div. 1AA SWAC school come in and beat us. Especially one just 2 years removed from a loss to Delta State. Houston- I don't care that they beat us by 70 points once. I don't care that they beat us every time we've played them this decade. They're still a C-USA team and if we're ever going to compete on a national level we have to beat these teams on a consistent basis. While I think we should win this game, I don't know that we will. That's what the Croom years did to my confidence. More of the same goes for the game at Middle Tennessee State. Do not even get me started on why we are traveling up to Murphreesboro for a football game. Some of Larry Templeton's dumbass moves are still haunting us. This is a trap game. We did not totally dominate them last year. We will be the biggest home game in the history of their football program, much like La Tech last year. The Blue Raiders will be up for this one. Still though, we should win. However, like I previously stated, I don't have any confidence when I say that. We might lose.
That leaves Georgia Tech as the only opponent not mentioned thus far. I expect them to come to Scott Field and totally dominate us much like they did last year. They have one of the best coaches in college football with Paul Johnson. They use a run-heavy offense that torched us for nearly 500 rushing yards last year. Mark it down. We won't even be in this game at half-time. Be ready for an early exit to the Junction for some happy times with Jack, Jim, and Crown.
I expect us to win 4 games this year. Too much newness and not enough talent to break through like the rebels did last year. I expect a year much like Arkansas had last season. Lots of ups and downs, maybe an upset win over a big opponent. In fact, that is my prediction. 4-8 with wins over J-State, Middle Tennessee, Kentucky, and.... wait for it.... LSU. We will finally get over the hump and beat the Bayou Bengals for the first time since our magical 1999 campaign.
While this seems very pessimistic, I'll admit that it is. That's the way I am about football right now. Glass half empty. I can't be any other way. All of that centers around my hatred for Mississippi. I can't get up for our football season because I know how good theirs is going to be. The rebels are gonna be good folks, really good. This is their year. All the stars have aligned for them. I am drinking the red and blue kool-aid much like all the national sports media. They have the quarterback. They have the coach. They have the schedule. They need only win 2 tough home games against LSU and Bama and they're packed for Atlanta. At which point their run should end against Tebow and the Gators, but who knows? Strange things happen in championship games. Nonetheless, this is the year of the rebel. The year they have been waiting for since 1963. Mark this down too. The rebels will win the West and go to Atlanta. I don't know what will happen from there. I expect the rebels to play in the Sugar Bowl, no less. With some luck in early December, they might play for it all. I hope and pray that I eat my words for this, but I just don't see it happening. I'll elaborate more on that later.
When I get around to it I'll go through my full predictions for each game this season. Hopefully, I'll be more optimistic by then, probably not though seeing as how good TSUN is going to be this year.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Passing the time, getting ready for football season...
I was laying around the house the other day and I realized how I've neglected my blog for quite a while. Well, I figure with football season approaching fast, I need to get off my lazy ass and actually write something. I'll get in to football talk soon. As for now, how bout a little something to pass the time. An entry on my favorite sports teams. Sound boring? OK... I don't really give a rat's ass. Read something else.
MLS- Chicago Fire
English Premier- Manchester United
FCSpanish Premera- FC Barcelona
Serie Italiano- AC Milan
Ok, so I couldn't give two ***** about soccer unless the USA is playing or the MSU Ladies are playing.
As for the REAL sports. Gotta love my Atlanta Braves. Most underachieving franchise in the history of the game. Honestly. 14 straight playoff appearances and only ONE World Series ring. Grew up watching them on WTBS. True beauty watching Maddux carve up the opposition on the corners, Glavine use a power/finesse approach, and Smoltzy and Wholers blow guys away. Not to mention home grown guys through the Atlanta farm system like Javy Lopez, Ryan Klesko, Chipper Jones, Mark Lemke, Andruw Jones, Rafael Furcal, etc. More recently, when I was coming into manhood, my dad gave both me and my brother hats of the two new expansion teams. My brother got an Arizona Diamondbacks hat, and me, well let's just say I got screwed. Up until last year that is. I have cheered for the Rays since 1998. Enduring 10 consecutive losing seasons only to see the magic that happened last year. They did it the right way too. Building from the bottom up. No one year wonder teams like the Marlins and Dbacks did. They built a franchise. One that now, will be competing with the Yanks and Sox for quite a while.
NFL- Grew up a huge 49er fan. Mom was in love with Joe Montana, so naturally, I sided with her. Lived a great decade with Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, even Terrell Owens leading the 9ers to the playoffs, year after year. I liked the Saints a little bit bc of Pops. But once Aaron Brooks was crowned the Savior of the Franchise, I hated them. Haslett was an idiot. After the front office got smart, I decided to come back to the Saints. Moreso because of the hard times that have hit San Fran. But watching that magical run the year after Katrina was special for this whole part of the country.
NBA- Not that I care too much, but I like the Dallas Mavericks. Dampier is a major reason why. Plus I think Mark Cuban is a genius. And they are the only regional team worth a dang. I love to watch the Cavs though. No player in the League today even compares to King James. Not even Kobe. I'm sorry, no contest.
NHL- Who cares? Really? When it does come time to decide the winner of Lord Stanley's Cup, I always check to see if the Ducks are playing. I guess thats because I grew up watching Gordon Bombay take a bunch of misfits, put a Duck jersey on them, and suddenly they were winners. Therefore, making me a follower of the Anaheim Ducks at Los Angeles. I also enjoy watching Sid the Kid and the Pittsburgh Penguins. I still consider the Miracle on Ice the single greatest moment in the history of sports. It gives me chills just thinking about what our countrymen did on that frozen pond in Lake Placid that February. And that upset wasn't even for the Gold Medal.
Tennis- The only non-team sport where I dont cheer for individuals just on their nationality. I cheer for the women based on sexuality, or rather how good they look on the court. Always cheer for Miss Maria Sharapova because the more she wins, the more I get to watch her. As for the men's side, A Rod and James Blake are can't misses nowadays. The only decent American players with a shot at winning any of the Grand Slams. I do, however, respect Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Those two are so far ahead of the rest of the field. Rarely does anyone ever come close to beating these guys. No one beats Nadal on clay and Federer was ranked #1 for what? 5 straight years?
Golf- Love Tiger. He's, plain and simple, the best. No one compares. He works harder than anyone ever has. He has more mental toughness than I could ever dream of having. I can't hit a drive straight if a bird is tweeting in the background, much less with $2 million on the line. Plus, I want to see the best of my generation beat the best of my father's generation. And when Tiger gets number 19, I will call my dad and say "sorry, time for Jack to step aside". Other than Tiger, I love watching Lefty. Great guy. Fan favorite. Family man. When he finally broke through and won that elusive major at Augusta National, I jumped up and down, much like the entire gallery on the 18th that day. One of the greatest moments I have witnessed in golf.
Nascar- Again, who cares? I was into it once upon a time. But since then, have found much better things to do on Sundays than watch cars go around in circles for 3 or 4 hours. Always was and Earnhardt fan though. Now cheer for Little E because I'm loyal and follow bloodlines. Still, don't really care, though.
I'll try to keep this thing up a little more often. Don't hold me to that though. I have much more important things on my mind. Like my own golf game. Or the new lady in my life. Or getting ready for the 12 credit hours I'll be taking this fall. Sounds like a lot right?
MLS- Chicago Fire
English Premier- Manchester United
FCSpanish Premera- FC Barcelona
Serie Italiano- AC Milan
Ok, so I couldn't give two ***** about soccer unless the USA is playing or the MSU Ladies are playing.
As for the REAL sports. Gotta love my Atlanta Braves. Most underachieving franchise in the history of the game. Honestly. 14 straight playoff appearances and only ONE World Series ring. Grew up watching them on WTBS. True beauty watching Maddux carve up the opposition on the corners, Glavine use a power/finesse approach, and Smoltzy and Wholers blow guys away. Not to mention home grown guys through the Atlanta farm system like Javy Lopez, Ryan Klesko, Chipper Jones, Mark Lemke, Andruw Jones, Rafael Furcal, etc. More recently, when I was coming into manhood, my dad gave both me and my brother hats of the two new expansion teams. My brother got an Arizona Diamondbacks hat, and me, well let's just say I got screwed. Up until last year that is. I have cheered for the Rays since 1998. Enduring 10 consecutive losing seasons only to see the magic that happened last year. They did it the right way too. Building from the bottom up. No one year wonder teams like the Marlins and Dbacks did. They built a franchise. One that now, will be competing with the Yanks and Sox for quite a while.
NFL- Grew up a huge 49er fan. Mom was in love with Joe Montana, so naturally, I sided with her. Lived a great decade with Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, even Terrell Owens leading the 9ers to the playoffs, year after year. I liked the Saints a little bit bc of Pops. But once Aaron Brooks was crowned the Savior of the Franchise, I hated them. Haslett was an idiot. After the front office got smart, I decided to come back to the Saints. Moreso because of the hard times that have hit San Fran. But watching that magical run the year after Katrina was special for this whole part of the country.
NBA- Not that I care too much, but I like the Dallas Mavericks. Dampier is a major reason why. Plus I think Mark Cuban is a genius. And they are the only regional team worth a dang. I love to watch the Cavs though. No player in the League today even compares to King James. Not even Kobe. I'm sorry, no contest.
NHL- Who cares? Really? When it does come time to decide the winner of Lord Stanley's Cup, I always check to see if the Ducks are playing. I guess thats because I grew up watching Gordon Bombay take a bunch of misfits, put a Duck jersey on them, and suddenly they were winners. Therefore, making me a follower of the Anaheim Ducks at Los Angeles. I also enjoy watching Sid the Kid and the Pittsburgh Penguins. I still consider the Miracle on Ice the single greatest moment in the history of sports. It gives me chills just thinking about what our countrymen did on that frozen pond in Lake Placid that February. And that upset wasn't even for the Gold Medal.
Tennis- The only non-team sport where I dont cheer for individuals just on their nationality. I cheer for the women based on sexuality, or rather how good they look on the court. Always cheer for Miss Maria Sharapova because the more she wins, the more I get to watch her. As for the men's side, A Rod and James Blake are can't misses nowadays. The only decent American players with a shot at winning any of the Grand Slams. I do, however, respect Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Those two are so far ahead of the rest of the field. Rarely does anyone ever come close to beating these guys. No one beats Nadal on clay and Federer was ranked #1 for what? 5 straight years?
Golf- Love Tiger. He's, plain and simple, the best. No one compares. He works harder than anyone ever has. He has more mental toughness than I could ever dream of having. I can't hit a drive straight if a bird is tweeting in the background, much less with $2 million on the line. Plus, I want to see the best of my generation beat the best of my father's generation. And when Tiger gets number 19, I will call my dad and say "sorry, time for Jack to step aside". Other than Tiger, I love watching Lefty. Great guy. Fan favorite. Family man. When he finally broke through and won that elusive major at Augusta National, I jumped up and down, much like the entire gallery on the 18th that day. One of the greatest moments I have witnessed in golf.
Nascar- Again, who cares? I was into it once upon a time. But since then, have found much better things to do on Sundays than watch cars go around in circles for 3 or 4 hours. Always was and Earnhardt fan though. Now cheer for Little E because I'm loyal and follow bloodlines. Still, don't really care, though.
I'll try to keep this thing up a little more often. Don't hold me to that though. I have much more important things on my mind. Like my own golf game. Or the new lady in my life. Or getting ready for the 12 credit hours I'll be taking this fall. Sounds like a lot right?
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Renardo Sidney
This kid is sensational. I rarely put much stock in the hype of a senior in high school, but as I have stated before, this kid is the piece we were missing last year. A true "Diaper Dandy". Now I know nothing is official yet, but being a State fan, we get worked up over this stuff. Dare I say Pat Patterson? Anyway, this kid has it all. Watch his highlight tape. A 6'10" power forward with weight and muscle. A guy that can shoot the 3. A guy that can put the ball on the floor. A guy that has moves down low. It's no wonder he was rated the top player in his class when he was just a fledgling 8th grader in Jackson, Mississippi. What a roller coaster he has been through since then. An eligibility battle with the Mississippi High School Activities Association. A dad that wanted his son out of Mississippi so he could get noticed. A move to Los Angeles. A New York Times article regarding his secrets, i.e. sucking his thumb and a blanket he takes everywhere. Scouts saying he's lazy and that he might never reach his true potential. A whirlwind recruiting saga between the likes of USC, UCLA, and yes, Mississippi State.
I don't really care. This kid can flat out play ball. He will make our team better. If he is interested, we must find a scholarship for him. He is the "missing piece". A 4-guard line up isn't gonna be taking us to any Final 4's unless talents like MJ and Kobe arrive. A rotating line up consisting of 5 shooters and 4 big men will win us a national championship. Think about it. Swat, Sidney, Ravern, Randy, Dee. With guys like Kodi, Ro', Phil and Shaunessey coming off the bench. No one could stop it. Scoring power like the '96 team. Defensive presence like the '04 team. All into one. Calipari and Kentucky wouldn't know what hit 'em.
Not only would it surely make us a contender. We would immediately been thrown into the national spotlight. That's what these 1 and done's do nowadays. Take Michael Beasley and Kevin Durant. One year with a program, yet their programs are still feeling the effects of their short presence. The media attention would be astronomical. Expectations would be higher than ever. Exposure would be nationwide for recruits everywhere to see. The after-effects of Sidney would surely help to bring in that Fab 5 class from Mississippi for the class of 2011. We deserve for this to happen, what with the pain the NBA draft has inflicted on us over the past decade. Monta and Outlaw would surely have provided us with a National Title. I promise. Still though, I'll be satisfied the the Varnado-Renardo connection. Nice ring to it wouldn't you say?
I'm jumping the gun here. I'm in a dreamworld. Afterall, the kid is still committed to Southern Cal. But the proverbial "what ifs" are overwhelming. I did the same thing about 4 years ago with Ryan Perrilloux. Only to be disappointed. Still, it's fun ain't it?
I don't really care. This kid can flat out play ball. He will make our team better. If he is interested, we must find a scholarship for him. He is the "missing piece". A 4-guard line up isn't gonna be taking us to any Final 4's unless talents like MJ and Kobe arrive. A rotating line up consisting of 5 shooters and 4 big men will win us a national championship. Think about it. Swat, Sidney, Ravern, Randy, Dee. With guys like Kodi, Ro', Phil and Shaunessey coming off the bench. No one could stop it. Scoring power like the '96 team. Defensive presence like the '04 team. All into one. Calipari and Kentucky wouldn't know what hit 'em.
Not only would it surely make us a contender. We would immediately been thrown into the national spotlight. That's what these 1 and done's do nowadays. Take Michael Beasley and Kevin Durant. One year with a program, yet their programs are still feeling the effects of their short presence. The media attention would be astronomical. Expectations would be higher than ever. Exposure would be nationwide for recruits everywhere to see. The after-effects of Sidney would surely help to bring in that Fab 5 class from Mississippi for the class of 2011. We deserve for this to happen, what with the pain the NBA draft has inflicted on us over the past decade. Monta and Outlaw would surely have provided us with a National Title. I promise. Still though, I'll be satisfied the the Varnado-Renardo connection. Nice ring to it wouldn't you say?
I'm jumping the gun here. I'm in a dreamworld. Afterall, the kid is still committed to Southern Cal. But the proverbial "what ifs" are overwhelming. I did the same thing about 4 years ago with Ryan Perrilloux. Only to be disappointed. Still, it's fun ain't it?
Monday, February 16, 2009
My Baseball Preview
I've been waiting on this for a while. The John Cohen era is about to begin and I am anxious to see the product we put on the diamond this year. Last year was rough. Our worst season in 30 something years? However, much of that was due to injuries. We had some expectations coming off that CWS run, but, the loss of a Ed Easley, a Mitch Moreland, a Jeffrey Rea, and a Brian LaNinfa can do that to you. This year, we will be much improved. I have been to every scrimmage since fall practice, call me obsessed, but I can tell that this team is hungry. They won't let a repeat of last year happen, too competitive, too good. Yes, too good. Injuries killed us last year. With most of those guys fully healed, we now have depth virtually everywhere on the field. So without anymore waiting, here is my 2009 baseball preview that some have looked forward to.
The Outfield: This is probably our strongest group top to bottom. It's a given, that if Grant Hogue is healthy he will start. He will be ready to go soon and will more than likely lead the league in stolen bases. He batted over .300 last year and looks good to improve on that this year. He is our centerfielder and an ex-walk on at that. He can bunt for a hit pretty much at will and will certainly wreak havoc on the basepaths. Other than that, everything else out there consists of guys fighting for their place. I would feel comfortable with any of them playing at any given moment. I do think, however, that it will depend on the matchup against the other team's pitcher. I'll just name the guys and their strengths. Experience may play a factor in this and Nick Hardy has that. He has a good arm, hits well, and runs above average. Very quality player that is a senior and leader on this team. Jason Nappi absolutely raked early in the year last year. The guy has a big bat and a powerful right handed swing. He will be one of our power hitters, but I believe he won some bunting contest in the fall. Judging by Cohen's style, that may play a factor in playing time. Luke Adkins just hits the baseball. He is a pure hitter in the way that he can hit to all fields from the left side of the plate. Something about Nettleton products I guess but this USM transfer will get some big hits for us this year. Ryan Collins batted over .300 last year as a Freshman in SEC play. He has a very strong arm and gets good reads on fly balls. He stepped up last year and helped as a freshman and should only improve throughout his sophomore campaign. Mark GoForth played a role in getting us to Omaha a few years ago after transferring from Birmingham Southern. He is a great defensive outfielder. Makes diving plays on a regular basis during BP. With his experience, he will get some playing time, especially against RHPs. Brent Brownlee is a diamond in the rough type. He is a speed demon and may be the only guy on the team that rivals Grant's speed. Brownlee played great in the fall and fits perfectly into Cohen's aggressive style of play. This redshirt freshman will see the field plenty this year and will be great before his days at Dudy Noble are over.
The Infield: Depth is also a good thing here. Connor Powers and Russ Snead provide great experience on the corners. C. Powers will hit his fair share of dingers this year. He is a great hitter and pretty dang good with the glove too. Snead is coming off that nagging hip injury that sidelined him all fall but has impressed me so far this spring. He had some big hits in that Omaha run and has a great athletic frame. JuCo transfer Jarrod Parks provides that will surely be needed through the wear and tear of SEC play. He has some pop in his bat and can play both corner positions also. Freshman Nick Ray has potential. He is a first baseman and also provides depth should someone go down. He hits well. JuCo transfer Justin Bussey and true freshman Frankie Rawdow have really been impressive all fall and spring. They will push returning lettermen Jet Butler and Ryan Powers for playing time in those important middle infield positions. Bussey is an all around player. He fields, hits, runs, throws, and yes, bunts. Rawdow is similar. Both guys are very athletic. Jet has experience and is a leader. He too played a major role in that CWS run as a true freshman. He has a very strong arm and most importantly is a switch hitter. Powers has probably the best glove and has hit well throughout the spring scrimmages. Should be interesting to see how the middle infield plays out.
The Catchers: 5 quality guys behind the plate. All have different strengths. Ryan Duffy is big and can hit for power. He moves around great for a big guy behind the plate. Johnny Allen is a ballplayer. The guy works hard and isn't afraid to get dirty. He has probably the better arm of the group and is big and strong and can hit the ball long and far. Brooks Lewis works hard. He too can hit and has done well in scrimmages. Scott DeLoach may be the best defensive catcher. He blocks well and moves well on bunts and such. He has really hit well this spring. Cody Freeman is probably the best hitter in the group. His bat will be in the lineup somewhere whether he's behind the plate, at 1st base, or DHing. He hits the long ball, too. Played very well as a true frosh last year. We have depth here too, should someone go down.
The Pitching: Really, this may be the only question mark. Ricky Bowen is the ace and will get us deep into ball games. He pitched well in the Cape last summer and of course has done well all fall and spring. Look for him to be the Friday guy. Lefty Forrest Moore will more than likely be the Saturday guy. He has been unhittable at times and gained loads of experience as a freshman last year. Extremely competitive. The Sunday guy, I have no idea. Could be a number of guys. Chad Crosswhite would be the obvious choice given his experience. I don't know if he wants to go 6 or 7 innings though. I could see him as our SEC relief guy that comes in when a starter has trouble. It's imperitive he be healthy for us to have that guy with experience that you trust with the game on the line. He, too, has been unhittable at times. Greg Houston has really impressed me this spring. With some added velocity and his will to compete he will get some outs for us and helps us with some of that SEC relief question. Justin Bussey pitches, too. He's a guy that could come in late in ball games and shut the door. He throws hard and gets outs. Michael Busby can't be touched when he's on. He can reach the low to mid-90s when he wants. If he's throwing strikes and hitting spots then no one can touch him and he will be a weapon in SEC play. We have a strong group of freshman pitchers that have pitched extremely well at times and not as good at times. That all comes with getting comfortable and settling in. Devin Jones and Tyler Johnson showed flashes of being great RHPs for us in the fall. I was impressed with both of them and I believe we will seem them making some starts for us this season. Nick Routt threw great the other day and will definitely see the mound some because of our shortage on LHPs. Caleb Reed has done well in his shorter outings and I think he will be a key piece to our mid-week puzzle. David Hayes has also done well at times and will be player for us down the road. Getting away from the freshmen, Jared Wesson will be key for us too. When he is on, he is very tough to hit. I think he will be a lefty that we call on to get some outs in the 7th and 8th innings. Lee Swindle is a senior that will also have to come in and get us some outs. Especially on weekends when the bullpen is being worked, which will happen at some point. Tyler Whitney has done well at times and I think he is the only man on Earth to win a Governor's cup. He will could play a key role in mid-week and SEC games. Jared Koon and Drew Hollinghead have both dropped down to side arm. I believe that's because the coaches wanted some guys to be able to come in and give different looks to hitters. They both pitched well Sunday and will also be important to this staff. Redshirt freshman Paxton Pace is a guy that could help us if he is healthy. I haven't seen much in the way of him pitching but watched him in high school. If he gets back to that level when he is fully healthy then he may be a diamond in the rough in this group. He may play a key role especially if someone goes down with an injury. We need him healthy to provide just that little extra depth to come in and eat some innings for us. Overall, this is the place where we can't afford too many lengthy injuries, if any. We need these guys to be healthy because of the inexperience of some and talent of others. This is what will make the difference in us being a decent NCAA Tournament team and us being a contender to go further.
Guys, we are going to surprise some people this year. We have a coaching staff that won't settle for anything less than the best. We have depth in the field and will do anything it takes to score runs. We will steal bases, bunt them over, and depend on the middle guys to drive them in. We will be really aggressive. I think we will win more than 30 games, make the SEC Tournamentwith a .500 or better league record, and get a bid to a regional somewhere. If we get hot, and remain healthy, we could make a lot more noise than that. Only time will tell. Best thing to do is to get yourselves out to Dudy Noble and support this team in Coach Cohen's inaugural season. Be there Friday night as we open up against Northern Illinois.
The Outfield: This is probably our strongest group top to bottom. It's a given, that if Grant Hogue is healthy he will start. He will be ready to go soon and will more than likely lead the league in stolen bases. He batted over .300 last year and looks good to improve on that this year. He is our centerfielder and an ex-walk on at that. He can bunt for a hit pretty much at will and will certainly wreak havoc on the basepaths. Other than that, everything else out there consists of guys fighting for their place. I would feel comfortable with any of them playing at any given moment. I do think, however, that it will depend on the matchup against the other team's pitcher. I'll just name the guys and their strengths. Experience may play a factor in this and Nick Hardy has that. He has a good arm, hits well, and runs above average. Very quality player that is a senior and leader on this team. Jason Nappi absolutely raked early in the year last year. The guy has a big bat and a powerful right handed swing. He will be one of our power hitters, but I believe he won some bunting contest in the fall. Judging by Cohen's style, that may play a factor in playing time. Luke Adkins just hits the baseball. He is a pure hitter in the way that he can hit to all fields from the left side of the plate. Something about Nettleton products I guess but this USM transfer will get some big hits for us this year. Ryan Collins batted over .300 last year as a Freshman in SEC play. He has a very strong arm and gets good reads on fly balls. He stepped up last year and helped as a freshman and should only improve throughout his sophomore campaign. Mark GoForth played a role in getting us to Omaha a few years ago after transferring from Birmingham Southern. He is a great defensive outfielder. Makes diving plays on a regular basis during BP. With his experience, he will get some playing time, especially against RHPs. Brent Brownlee is a diamond in the rough type. He is a speed demon and may be the only guy on the team that rivals Grant's speed. Brownlee played great in the fall and fits perfectly into Cohen's aggressive style of play. This redshirt freshman will see the field plenty this year and will be great before his days at Dudy Noble are over.
The Infield: Depth is also a good thing here. Connor Powers and Russ Snead provide great experience on the corners. C. Powers will hit his fair share of dingers this year. He is a great hitter and pretty dang good with the glove too. Snead is coming off that nagging hip injury that sidelined him all fall but has impressed me so far this spring. He had some big hits in that Omaha run and has a great athletic frame. JuCo transfer Jarrod Parks provides that will surely be needed through the wear and tear of SEC play. He has some pop in his bat and can play both corner positions also. Freshman Nick Ray has potential. He is a first baseman and also provides depth should someone go down. He hits well. JuCo transfer Justin Bussey and true freshman Frankie Rawdow have really been impressive all fall and spring. They will push returning lettermen Jet Butler and Ryan Powers for playing time in those important middle infield positions. Bussey is an all around player. He fields, hits, runs, throws, and yes, bunts. Rawdow is similar. Both guys are very athletic. Jet has experience and is a leader. He too played a major role in that CWS run as a true freshman. He has a very strong arm and most importantly is a switch hitter. Powers has probably the best glove and has hit well throughout the spring scrimmages. Should be interesting to see how the middle infield plays out.
The Catchers: 5 quality guys behind the plate. All have different strengths. Ryan Duffy is big and can hit for power. He moves around great for a big guy behind the plate. Johnny Allen is a ballplayer. The guy works hard and isn't afraid to get dirty. He has probably the better arm of the group and is big and strong and can hit the ball long and far. Brooks Lewis works hard. He too can hit and has done well in scrimmages. Scott DeLoach may be the best defensive catcher. He blocks well and moves well on bunts and such. He has really hit well this spring. Cody Freeman is probably the best hitter in the group. His bat will be in the lineup somewhere whether he's behind the plate, at 1st base, or DHing. He hits the long ball, too. Played very well as a true frosh last year. We have depth here too, should someone go down.
The Pitching: Really, this may be the only question mark. Ricky Bowen is the ace and will get us deep into ball games. He pitched well in the Cape last summer and of course has done well all fall and spring. Look for him to be the Friday guy. Lefty Forrest Moore will more than likely be the Saturday guy. He has been unhittable at times and gained loads of experience as a freshman last year. Extremely competitive. The Sunday guy, I have no idea. Could be a number of guys. Chad Crosswhite would be the obvious choice given his experience. I don't know if he wants to go 6 or 7 innings though. I could see him as our SEC relief guy that comes in when a starter has trouble. It's imperitive he be healthy for us to have that guy with experience that you trust with the game on the line. He, too, has been unhittable at times. Greg Houston has really impressed me this spring. With some added velocity and his will to compete he will get some outs for us and helps us with some of that SEC relief question. Justin Bussey pitches, too. He's a guy that could come in late in ball games and shut the door. He throws hard and gets outs. Michael Busby can't be touched when he's on. He can reach the low to mid-90s when he wants. If he's throwing strikes and hitting spots then no one can touch him and he will be a weapon in SEC play. We have a strong group of freshman pitchers that have pitched extremely well at times and not as good at times. That all comes with getting comfortable and settling in. Devin Jones and Tyler Johnson showed flashes of being great RHPs for us in the fall. I was impressed with both of them and I believe we will seem them making some starts for us this season. Nick Routt threw great the other day and will definitely see the mound some because of our shortage on LHPs. Caleb Reed has done well in his shorter outings and I think he will be a key piece to our mid-week puzzle. David Hayes has also done well at times and will be player for us down the road. Getting away from the freshmen, Jared Wesson will be key for us too. When he is on, he is very tough to hit. I think he will be a lefty that we call on to get some outs in the 7th and 8th innings. Lee Swindle is a senior that will also have to come in and get us some outs. Especially on weekends when the bullpen is being worked, which will happen at some point. Tyler Whitney has done well at times and I think he is the only man on Earth to win a Governor's cup. He will could play a key role in mid-week and SEC games. Jared Koon and Drew Hollinghead have both dropped down to side arm. I believe that's because the coaches wanted some guys to be able to come in and give different looks to hitters. They both pitched well Sunday and will also be important to this staff. Redshirt freshman Paxton Pace is a guy that could help us if he is healthy. I haven't seen much in the way of him pitching but watched him in high school. If he gets back to that level when he is fully healthy then he may be a diamond in the rough in this group. He may play a key role especially if someone goes down with an injury. We need him healthy to provide just that little extra depth to come in and eat some innings for us. Overall, this is the place where we can't afford too many lengthy injuries, if any. We need these guys to be healthy because of the inexperience of some and talent of others. This is what will make the difference in us being a decent NCAA Tournament team and us being a contender to go further.
Guys, we are going to surprise some people this year. We have a coaching staff that won't settle for anything less than the best. We have depth in the field and will do anything it takes to score runs. We will steal bases, bunt them over, and depend on the middle guys to drive them in. We will be really aggressive. I think we will win more than 30 games, make the SEC Tournamentwith a .500 or better league record, and get a bid to a regional somewhere. If we get hot, and remain healthy, we could make a lot more noise than that. Only time will tell. Best thing to do is to get yourselves out to Dudy Noble and support this team in Coach Cohen's inaugural season. Be there Friday night as we open up against Northern Illinois.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Big Game Tonight!!!
Get your asses to the Hump tonight!!
This is one of the biggest basketball games we have played in since our last SEC regular season championship of 2004. There is no excuse not to have every single seat filled tonight. Saturday's attendance was pathetic. Maybe 7,000 for a key SEC matchup was embarrassing. There needs to be at least 10,500 people packed in there tonight. #1 in the SEC vs #2.
There is no telecast so there's no reason to sit at home. This game plays a huge role in our hopes to still be playing in mid-March. LSU swacked us in Baton Rouge a few weeks ago. It's only fitting that we return the favor. I'll be back with a full recap in a couple of hours. Right now I'm off to the baseball scrimmage because I have nothing else to do.
This is one of the biggest basketball games we have played in since our last SEC regular season championship of 2004. There is no excuse not to have every single seat filled tonight. Saturday's attendance was pathetic. Maybe 7,000 for a key SEC matchup was embarrassing. There needs to be at least 10,500 people packed in there tonight. #1 in the SEC vs #2.
There is no telecast so there's no reason to sit at home. This game plays a huge role in our hopes to still be playing in mid-March. LSU swacked us in Baton Rouge a few weeks ago. It's only fitting that we return the favor. I'll be back with a full recap in a couple of hours. Right now I'm off to the baseball scrimmage because I have nothing else to do.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Impressive Comeback..
So I was sitting in the Hump at half-time just thinking of all the things I had to talk about on here regarding our effort in the first half. It was pathetic. We were being outplayed, outhustled, and most importantly outshot. The pigs shot a blistering 62% in the first half along with making 8 of 12 treys. We weren't too shabby ourselves. We shot over 40% before intermission and made 7 long balls ourselves, but still weren't close on the scoreboard, trailing 51-36. I wasn't happy. Yet again we were pissing away a home game. But, of course, just as I start to doubt, we shoot lights out in the 2nd half and end up winning by 9, going away.
Ravern had a tough outing. All players do. However, his teammates picked up the slack. Dee finished with a career high 25 and Randy had 22 or so. Don't forget the 3 huge baskets that Benock hit for us. Brian Johnson played hard. Jarvis blocked, scored, and rebounded. Phil single handedly kept us within striking distance with the 16 points he had in the first half. Yes, it was a team effort. All of that combined is good, but like most teams that are on fire in one half, the hogs went cold in the second half. Arkansas' first half performance reminded me of our game against Xavier in the 2nd round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament. They were hitting everything. Not a team in the country was going to beat Xavier that day and not a team in the country would have outscored the Razorbacks in the first half today. Sometimes, teams have those days, or rather halves. Just like Ravern had his worst game of the year, the Hogs had their best half of the year followed by one that could make a statement for one of their worst of the year. But, I must give credit where credit is due and our Bullies played a great 2nd half of basketball. The Hogs shooting famine was in part due to the great defense we played. The defense fueled the offense in the 2nd half, which in turn fueled the crowd (which was a major disappointment to me), which helped keep the defense going. It all came full circle.
I am thoroughly impressed by the ability of this team to keep its poise when times were tough this week. In that hostile environment at Rupp, we pulled through. Even as the 'Cats made their run and cut our once monstrous lead down to 3, we stayed the course and shot lights out to slam the door. After trailing by 15 at half-time today, we kept our heads and our freshman point guard led the way to the huge come-from-behind victory.
Maybe this happened because of the speech Mr. Bailey Howell gave at half-time, or maybe we came back because this team decided it was their home floor and no pigs were going to come in here and take home a W. Either way, this win was huge. It proves that this team can stay calm and not panic. It proves that we can come from way down to get a tough fought victory. Most importantly, it also keeps us in the race for the West. And possibly the overall SEC title. LSU is the team to beat and we do have them at home. We have to continue to be Road Warriors and take a few more Ws from other teams' home courts. Along with protecting our house the rest of the way. I really think that we are coming into our own. We are starting to play our best basketball and we did it today without a bucket from the leading 3-point shooter in the country. Overall, I must give these young 'Dogs an A for their performances this week. Just keep it up and we will find ourselves dancing in March
Ravern had a tough outing. All players do. However, his teammates picked up the slack. Dee finished with a career high 25 and Randy had 22 or so. Don't forget the 3 huge baskets that Benock hit for us. Brian Johnson played hard. Jarvis blocked, scored, and rebounded. Phil single handedly kept us within striking distance with the 16 points he had in the first half. Yes, it was a team effort. All of that combined is good, but like most teams that are on fire in one half, the hogs went cold in the second half. Arkansas' first half performance reminded me of our game against Xavier in the 2nd round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament. They were hitting everything. Not a team in the country was going to beat Xavier that day and not a team in the country would have outscored the Razorbacks in the first half today. Sometimes, teams have those days, or rather halves. Just like Ravern had his worst game of the year, the Hogs had their best half of the year followed by one that could make a statement for one of their worst of the year. But, I must give credit where credit is due and our Bullies played a great 2nd half of basketball. The Hogs shooting famine was in part due to the great defense we played. The defense fueled the offense in the 2nd half, which in turn fueled the crowd (which was a major disappointment to me), which helped keep the defense going. It all came full circle.
I am thoroughly impressed by the ability of this team to keep its poise when times were tough this week. In that hostile environment at Rupp, we pulled through. Even as the 'Cats made their run and cut our once monstrous lead down to 3, we stayed the course and shot lights out to slam the door. After trailing by 15 at half-time today, we kept our heads and our freshman point guard led the way to the huge come-from-behind victory.
Maybe this happened because of the speech Mr. Bailey Howell gave at half-time, or maybe we came back because this team decided it was their home floor and no pigs were going to come in here and take home a W. Either way, this win was huge. It proves that this team can stay calm and not panic. It proves that we can come from way down to get a tough fought victory. Most importantly, it also keeps us in the race for the West. And possibly the overall SEC title. LSU is the team to beat and we do have them at home. We have to continue to be Road Warriors and take a few more Ws from other teams' home courts. Along with protecting our house the rest of the way. I really think that we are coming into our own. We are starting to play our best basketball and we did it today without a bucket from the leading 3-point shooter in the country. Overall, I must give these young 'Dogs an A for their performances this week. Just keep it up and we will find ourselves dancing in March
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