Despite paying little or no attention to college football in my blog this year, in the spirit of the recently-concluded "rivalry weekend" (or I guess I could say week now, as there were games on Thursday and Friday), I'm going to force you to choose whether or not to be subjected to my musings. (But the answer is yes).
-First of all, hats off to Michigan for beating the Buckeyes for the first time in seven years. Granted it was a very close win at home against a far inferior opponent, but still- a win is a win. A lot has changed at Michigan since the last time they beat the team from the south. Michigan has been doing the Hoke-y Pokey this season, which seems to have turned themselves around (which is really what it's all about). Jim Tressel (the anti-John Cooper) is busy rocking his sweater-vest as a consultant for worst NFL team in the world (for once, not the Detroit Lions). Terrelle Pryor, highly esteemed four year OSU starting QB, graduated and....wait, you mean Pryor didn't graduate? He was forced to leave school early because of a scandal? Oh. Never mind*.
- Urban Meyer, former Florida Gators coach and current ESPN talky guy, created quite a stir this weekend by denying reports that Ohio State had offered him its head coaching position, but then asking to be taken off of the broadcast team for the OSU-U-M game. Meyer has admitted that if the Buckeyes make an offer, he'd have "a decision to make" (which shows that Meyer has come a long way from middle school, when girls would ask him to dance and he'd just sort of stand there until they either gave up or just grabbed his arms and dragged him to the dance floor).
I mean, if he does decide to return to coaching, he's not going to get much of a better offer than OSU. Top notch school, great tradition and history, able to pick from the best players every year- with a great offensive mind like Meyer has, OSU would be back on top in, like, two seasons. Tops.
And I hate that we're even talking about this. Not just because it's OSU, either.
What pisses me off is that he "retired" last December (which is, according to my calendar, less than a year ago) to "spend some time with his family". I used the ".." because I think it's probably B.S. And I'm not just hating on Meyer. I know other coaches have done this as well, and and retiring to spend time with his family, only to quickly return to some other lucrative coaching opportunity.
At least Meyer did take some time off. Yeah, he took off about a month and a half before he was hired by ESPN in January of 2011 to be a college football analyst. This probably means one of three things:
1) He realized that he really doesn't like his family that much.
2) He does like his family, but in that month and a half he was able to spend so much time with them that there was literally nothing else that they could do as a family.
3) Urban is really, really bad with money and just needed to get a job.
Of course, a fourth reason is probably that he realized Tim Tebow had graduated and that a string of 4-5+ loss seasons was looking him square in the face. That's enough to send any coach to the hospital with chest pains. I think coaches leave for this reason or that reason, and the "spend time with family" one is supposed to somehow dumb things down- like they're trying to convince us that they really are humans (just like us) and not simply overly-competitive workaholic megalomaniacs.
I wonder if his kids got really excited when they found out he was quitting the job that meant he was never, ever home (and probably distant/stressed out when he was home)- and what their feelings were when, less than two months later, he was going back to another job that meant lots of hours, phone calls on birthdays and 'hurry up and open your damn Christmas presents, I have to be at practice at 6 a.m. today' holidays.
Note to future Urban Meyer players: If Urban Meyer ever refers to your team as 'family', then abandon ship- you know that you are about to be thrown under the bus.
-Speaking of throwing under the bus, Montee Ball from U-W decided that, in his quest to break Barry Sanders' single-season record for TDs (and by the way, when I read that, I realized how strongly I still feel about Barry Sanders because it sort of made me mad that someone was approaching his record), he would give his O-line the Marq-tran Heave-ho. After the Badgers win against Penn State, he said (in terms of the record), "Whatever the offensive line wants. If they want me to get there, then I'll get there".
Alright, so I guess it's not really throwing them under the bus, it's more like a well-time hip check just as the bus is coming by.
Still, I couldn't believe it when I read that. You're putting the onus on your O-line to get you this mark? That whether or not you achieve your record is dependent on their level of desire? Never mind which plays the coaches call, down/distance, game situations, defensive game planning, what have you. The latent statement here is "If I don't get it, it's because my O-line is a bunch of selfish slackers". Which isn't really a message you want to send to the guys protecting you from the 250+ pound Ball-seeking missiles.
Montee, you've had a phenomenal season, even if you don't break the TD record (and I'm hoping you don't. Just saying). But could it be that maybe you got your sports cliches mixed up? That is, you recognize that the O-line is a huge part of your success and you know that every player is an important part of the team but you had to answer a question about an individual record and there was some sort of short circuit in your brain...maybe?
It'll be interesting to see if the Badger O-line takes it personal (and I'm hoping they do. Just saying).
-After a topsy turvey seasons end, the BCS is finally shaping up a little bit...unfortunately it looks like it's going to be an SEC title game in the NCAA title game. As a football fan and SEC ambivalist, I'm not really looking forward to this.
I don't want to take away anything from the LSU Tigers- they were pretty much dominant in every game this season (only one win was by less than 2 TD- technically. 13 point win against Mississippi State) and they look like the best team in the country. I'm still holding out hope that Georgia pulls the upset in the SEC title game but I'm not holding my breath. And even if I were holding my breath, I'd wait until much, much closer to the actual game itself because I would surely pass out several times if I started now.
But after seeing Michigan lose out on a shot at a rematch against OSU a few years ago (when they met late in the season as #1 vs. #2) , I'm not overly keen on seeing LSU-Alabama II for all the marbles. Yes, they're ranked #1 and #2- but my personal feelings are that those rankings are (maybe) more indicative of where they started the season ranked. At seasons beginning, LSU was ranked #4 and Alabama was #2. Now, they did each have an early season test (which they both passed)- but there was a lot of fluff to be had on those schedules as well. And overall, the SEC had what I would call a down year.
I've already written about the inherent flaw in the ranking system, so I won't get into that again. In fact, I'm not even going to hyperlink to it. If you want to read it, then by golly get up off your lazy butt and find it! Sorry, I was just channeling my inner-Montee Ball there for a second.
As someone who likes to see underdogs succeed, it's very frustrating that teams like Oklahoma State (who admittedly had a really, really bad hiccup), Boise State (who lost a much more defensible close game at home versus a very good TCU team), and even Stanford (with only one loss, which came against a top-10 team) are going to be left on the sidelines while Alabama gets the second chance that Michigan didn't get five years ago.
- If Mark Ingram won the Heisman back in 2009 (which he did, according to my sources), then Trent Richardson deserves to win it in 2011. I would vote for Richardson on principle, but he's had superior numbers to Ingram and ended his regular season with a monster game in the Iron Bowl against Auburn (unlike Ingram, who limped to the finish and pretty much won the Heisman because he had a captive audience the weekend the votes were cast). There are plenty of worthy candidates- but Richardson has been a beast all year playing for the #2 ranked team. He was held under 100 yards rushing 3 times- against Kent State (37 yards, probably only played like a quarter, did have 3 TDs), Tennessee (77 yards, had 2 TDs), and LSU (89 yards, with 80 yards receiving). So even when he was "sub-par", he was still pretty "sup-er". Did you see what I did there? Impressive, no?
So that's my football thoughts for now. In the meantime, Go Snow Flurries!!!
*Obviously I knew about the scandal. Even though I no longer consider myself a die-hard Michigan fan, this disdain for OSU has died hard, and I couldn't resist a little elbow-to-the-ribs of the Buckeye nation. Nothing like a rivalry win to make me feel a little Internet bravery, eh?
Showing posts with label Detroit Lions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Detroit Lions. Show all posts
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Shame on Suh
In case you didn't watch the Packers-Lions turkey day tilt this afternoon (and if you're reading this blog, there is really no reason why you shouldn't have), then you missed the time when Ndamukong Suh morphed into the WWF version of the Incredible Hulk.
Much has been made this season about the Detroit Lions being a dirty team and Suh being named the dirtiest player in the league (in a recent poll done by the Sporting News. I guess). For the most part, I don't have a huge problem with, as Brian Urlacher put it, the Lions playing to 'the echo of the whistle'. This is about changing a losing culture, and if they have to go a little too far the other way- well, that's fine. People just need to know that they can't mess with the Detroit Lions.
In that regard, I love what Suh brings to the table. He is a physical freak- with python-like arms, a non-stop motor, and running back athleticism. He has an impossible to pronounce/spell first name mixed with a phonetically pleasing last name which helps him to appeal to...well, whatever demographic that sort of thing appeals to. His arrival in Detroit has coincided with the Renaissance that has been Detroit football the last couple years. It's like a breath of fresh air, which is no trivial thing when you're living in a cesspool like Detroit.
Of course, you have to take the bad with the good, and in this case, our dominant defensive lineman/philanthropist is also apparently a delusional homicidal maniac. During the past two seasons, he has almost ripped the heads off of two QBs. He also did a pretty fair 'Hulk Smash' impression on Jay Cutler's back last year. The worst part of this is that he doesn't seem to realize this- or he does realize and just doesn't care.
Today's incident seriously upped the rhetoric from the 'Suh/dirty player' camps, and as much as it pains me to say this- the pundits just might be right about this one. I think what puts elevates this incident over the others in terms of 'Okay, maybe Suh is a little bit of an angry douche-bag' was when he unsuccessfully tried to tell the world that he was the victim here.
Before watching Suh wade through probably the worst apology/defense since Tiger Woods tried to tell us his golf clubs had attacked him, his shenanigans reminded me of the Bad Boys. Sure, they played rough, and they may or may not have broken some rules (as well as basic laws of human decency), but they were our team and it actually made us feel closer to them. People were backing us into the same corner, and as long as that corner wasn't anywhere near Bill Laimbeer, we were just fine to bunkerize ourselves with them.
It's been the same thing for Donkey-Kong Suh. With each incident, each act of competitive violence, it was just justified in the context of being a 'competitor'. Yeah he tried to rip his head off- but it's Jake Delhomme. He'd have done the Browns a favor! And so what that he tried to forearm shiver Jay Cutler into a greasy paste? He was just trying to make a play! Besides, sometimes I just think your hands end up really close to someones head in football and you just have to violently tear them away. Completely natural.
But today was somehow different. And I really think the difference lies in the level of self-deceit apparent in the post game comments about the incident.
Understand that football can be a violent game and with all that adrenaline and testosterone and pressure, it makes sense that dudes would get pissed off once in awhile. I'm not begrudging Suh that. Sure, his stunt gave the Packers a first down inside the 5 after we had just stopped them on a third-and-goal, which was exactly what our team needed after the Packers apparently performed some sort of ritual exorcism at halftime and rid them of the first half sucktitude. The fact that he got ejected was just icing on the 'We're screwed' cake. Okay, so maybe I'm a little bit begrudging.
But if he just would have came out afterwards and been like 'Man, I don't know what happened- I was just really really hungry and I didn't think I could wait until after the game, and I just kept thinking about turkey, and I was pissed that I couldn't eat until after the game and- well, I let my hunger get the best of me and I behaved in a way that was detrimental to my team, the fans, and this great organization. I'm sorry, and I'll accept whatever punishment that comes my way'. I would have accepted that. Lots of dudes get angry and do stupid stuff. Especially when turkey is involved.
That's not what he did though. He came out and basically blamed the refs for throwing him out for just trying to get up. He appealed to his 'true fans' and God (I'm assuming God. He said 'the man upstairs'. Which, given his apparent assessment of reality, could be some guy that he actually thinks lives 'upstairs') and basically accused anyone who tries to spin this into the 'Suh=dirtiest NFL player' narrative of being some sort of self-serving jerk-nalist. He tried to justify the kicking action by saying he was 'trying to gain his balance'.
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| HULK...TRYING TO...MAINTAIN....EQUILIBRIUM... |
And seriously, I think a suspension would do him good, if for no other reason than to hopefully get him to acknowledge that 'Hey, I can still be a tough guy who stretches the rules just as long as I don't obviously break them'. We were joking about Suh before the game, and the ripping off of other players heads (figuratively speaking) and in that moment I sort of pictured that very thing literally happening- and it didn't surprise me at all. And it makes sense. Suh is not the first guy with that kind of strength and that built up passive rage (while seeming to lack the ability to comprehend his actions from a second-person perspective) that we've come across...
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| HULK SHOW YOU ROUGHING PASSER!!!!! |
PIC-
Hulk 1- http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/4835814723_cce53fd3c3.jpg
Hulk 2- http://www.riverglassdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/hulk-smash1.jpg
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Draft thoughts
In addition to being my birthday today, it is also the first day of the NFL draft. Nobody will be blogging about my birthday, although it was tremendous. Everyone and their brother is blogging about the NFL draft. Since I fall into both categories (I am part of everyone, and I am also a brother), I will blog about the NFL draft- specifically about the picks my team, the Detroit Lions, made.
Quick aside- does anyone else miss the days of surprises? As in, when you would watch the draft and not know who was going to be taken first? Or major awards (like the MVP or even the Heisman) would be given away on a certain day, instead of like weeks before that? Seriously, the speed at which the hype machine drives our sports culture is sickening to me. I am tired of hearing about how great so-and-so is, or how this guy is the favorite for the Heisman because he racked up record numbers against a FCS school in August.
You want to know why I don't like Lebron James? Or Tiger Woods? Or Michael Jordan? It's because they are all that we hear/heard about in their respective sports! I'm tired of hearing about how great these guys are- blech! Let's move on!
Actually, this ties in very nicely to the draft. The draft is the perfect demonstration of the mismanagement of hype versus substance, because people start talking about this thing right after the college season is done, and who is the likely top pick, and who is too fat, too slow, too tight-hipped, too many slow-twitch muscle fibers, and anointing Hall of Famers during Pro-day workouts instead of on the field- it's enough to make your head spin and then vomit.
Take the top of the 2006 draft. Everybody was drinking the Reggie Bush kool-aid, and thought that the Houston Texans needed to take Reggie Bush or else they would be making the biggest mistake since the Portland Trailblazers passed on Michael Jordan and drafted Sam Bowie.
The Texans defied conventional logic, and selected Mario Williams, a defensive end from North Carolina State. You couldn't find anyone who defended the pick. Everybody was grilling the Texans for making the stupidest decision in the history of stupid decisions, and everyone was so sure that it was going to come back and bite them square in the ass.
The verdict?
Well, to be fair, three years is not really a fair amount of time to determine whether or not a draft choice is successful or not. However, it is a heck of a lot more fair than trying to determine that same choice on the day that you made it. Our sports culture wants results, wants those results now, and doesn't really care how we get them. I mean, people grade the draft picks for crying out loud. Would you want to work at a job that administered performance reviews on the day you got hired? Didn't think so.
So how does Super Mario compare to Reggie Bush? Well, Bush had arguably a better rookie season- he helped lead the Saints to the NFC championship game, accumulating over 1,500 all-purpose yards and scoring 9 total touchdowns (although I don't believe he scored any touchdowns until week 10- I could be wrong though). Williams managed a meager 4.5 sacks. Slam dunk, right?
Well, I would say a resounding no! Let me just throw some numbers out there- the last two seasons, Williams has totaled 26 sacks and six forced fumbles. He has appeared in the last two Pro Bowls. He was part of a Texans team that went from 6-10 his rookie season to 8-8 the last couple (including 2007, when all the other teams in their division had at least ten wins and made the playoffs). Bush? He has had flashed of brilliance (3 punt return touchdowns last year for example), but has not come close to duplicating those rookie numbers. Teamwise, the Saints went from 10-6 to 7-9 to 8-8.
Now the thing to keep in mind is that people thought Bush was going to be the next Michael Jordan...and he hasn't been terrible. But his numbers? Not worthy of a number 2 pick- the guy has never averaged over 4 yards per carry! This is why I hate hype.
So with that extremely long/yet not really random and actually totally tied-in aside, here are my thoughts on the Detroit Lions draft- at least the first two rounds.
1st round, 1st pick- Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia.
I'm not completely sold on this guy- plus, he's going to get thrown to the wolves, because the same offensive line that could not protect the quarterback and open holes for the running game that we had last year is basically in tact for 2009. Throwing a rookie QB in that situation is a good way to ruin their confidence and their careers, a la David Carr in Houston. Also, what about Drew Stanton? Did he even get a shot? Why didn't he play last year, when it was obvious that we were terrible? That would have been a perfect opportunity to find out whether or not he was any good. By drafting Stafford, we basically threw away a second round pick from a couple years ago (not that all those first round picks on wide receivers weren't thrown away) without even giving him a chance to show his stuff.
To me, Stafford is a sexy choice for the fans. Think about it- we're coming off of an 0-16 year, Detroit's economy is in the shitter, and fans aren't going to line up to buy tickets if we draft a tackle or a linebacker- even if those are areas that we seriously need to address. In my opinion, all this Stafford pick does is buy the Lions a couple seasons of grace from the fans while selling enough tickets to keep the team financially feasible.
1st round, 20th pick- Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
I have mixed feelings about this pick. There is part of me that thinks that a TE is even more of a wasted pick than the QB at number one. A TE? Really? What, there weren't any good punters available? I mean, of all the needs that we have, was TE really one of them? No, seriously, I'm asking- I have no idea if we needed a TE or not.
But there is part of me that thinks that the Lions were trying to send me a birthday present. The TE position basically happened when the football position a mommy WR and a daddy OL got together and had babies. So it's like the Lions were like, 'Jason we hear your cries for help, and we are acknowledging them. See, our TE is half offensive lineman. But we also realize that you have a sense of humor. So he is half wide receiver as well'. I'm a little disconcerted that I hold that much sway in the Lions draft war room- but I appreciate the gesture!
2nd round, 1st pick (33rd overall)- Louis Delmas, S, Western Michigan
What The F-bomb? Seriously? With James the Animal and Rey the Hair still available, we choose a safety? From the MAC? I take it all the elite towel boys were already drafted? This is the point where I officially gave up on the Detroit Lions season and the Schwartz regime. Hopefully day two is more productive.
Hey. Hey you! Draft my son from The Ohio State University, or I will shove my spiked shoulder pad through your face! Or, I will lick your face to death with my large tongue!
I officially declare man-love on Rey Malnutrition..Malcontent...Maladapted....what's his last name again?
Pics
Rey- http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcons-blog/files/2009/03/rey-maualuga.jpg
Legion of Doom- http://z.hubpages.com/u/324578_f260.jpg
Quick aside- does anyone else miss the days of surprises? As in, when you would watch the draft and not know who was going to be taken first? Or major awards (like the MVP or even the Heisman) would be given away on a certain day, instead of like weeks before that? Seriously, the speed at which the hype machine drives our sports culture is sickening to me. I am tired of hearing about how great so-and-so is, or how this guy is the favorite for the Heisman because he racked up record numbers against a FCS school in August.
You want to know why I don't like Lebron James? Or Tiger Woods? Or Michael Jordan? It's because they are all that we hear/heard about in their respective sports! I'm tired of hearing about how great these guys are- blech! Let's move on!
Actually, this ties in very nicely to the draft. The draft is the perfect demonstration of the mismanagement of hype versus substance, because people start talking about this thing right after the college season is done, and who is the likely top pick, and who is too fat, too slow, too tight-hipped, too many slow-twitch muscle fibers, and anointing Hall of Famers during Pro-day workouts instead of on the field- it's enough to make your head spin and then vomit.
Take the top of the 2006 draft. Everybody was drinking the Reggie Bush kool-aid, and thought that the Houston Texans needed to take Reggie Bush or else they would be making the biggest mistake since the Portland Trailblazers passed on Michael Jordan and drafted Sam Bowie.
The Texans defied conventional logic, and selected Mario Williams, a defensive end from North Carolina State. You couldn't find anyone who defended the pick. Everybody was grilling the Texans for making the stupidest decision in the history of stupid decisions, and everyone was so sure that it was going to come back and bite them square in the ass.
The verdict?
Well, to be fair, three years is not really a fair amount of time to determine whether or not a draft choice is successful or not. However, it is a heck of a lot more fair than trying to determine that same choice on the day that you made it. Our sports culture wants results, wants those results now, and doesn't really care how we get them. I mean, people grade the draft picks for crying out loud. Would you want to work at a job that administered performance reviews on the day you got hired? Didn't think so.
So how does Super Mario compare to Reggie Bush? Well, Bush had arguably a better rookie season- he helped lead the Saints to the NFC championship game, accumulating over 1,500 all-purpose yards and scoring 9 total touchdowns (although I don't believe he scored any touchdowns until week 10- I could be wrong though). Williams managed a meager 4.5 sacks. Slam dunk, right?
Well, I would say a resounding no! Let me just throw some numbers out there- the last two seasons, Williams has totaled 26 sacks and six forced fumbles. He has appeared in the last two Pro Bowls. He was part of a Texans team that went from 6-10 his rookie season to 8-8 the last couple (including 2007, when all the other teams in their division had at least ten wins and made the playoffs). Bush? He has had flashed of brilliance (3 punt return touchdowns last year for example), but has not come close to duplicating those rookie numbers. Teamwise, the Saints went from 10-6 to 7-9 to 8-8.
Now the thing to keep in mind is that people thought Bush was going to be the next Michael Jordan...and he hasn't been terrible. But his numbers? Not worthy of a number 2 pick- the guy has never averaged over 4 yards per carry! This is why I hate hype.
So with that extremely long/yet not really random and actually totally tied-in aside, here are my thoughts on the Detroit Lions draft- at least the first two rounds.
1st round, 1st pick- Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia.
I'm not completely sold on this guy- plus, he's going to get thrown to the wolves, because the same offensive line that could not protect the quarterback and open holes for the running game that we had last year is basically in tact for 2009. Throwing a rookie QB in that situation is a good way to ruin their confidence and their careers, a la David Carr in Houston. Also, what about Drew Stanton? Did he even get a shot? Why didn't he play last year, when it was obvious that we were terrible? That would have been a perfect opportunity to find out whether or not he was any good. By drafting Stafford, we basically threw away a second round pick from a couple years ago (not that all those first round picks on wide receivers weren't thrown away) without even giving him a chance to show his stuff.
To me, Stafford is a sexy choice for the fans. Think about it- we're coming off of an 0-16 year, Detroit's economy is in the shitter, and fans aren't going to line up to buy tickets if we draft a tackle or a linebacker- even if those are areas that we seriously need to address. In my opinion, all this Stafford pick does is buy the Lions a couple seasons of grace from the fans while selling enough tickets to keep the team financially feasible.
1st round, 20th pick- Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
I have mixed feelings about this pick. There is part of me that thinks that a TE is even more of a wasted pick than the QB at number one. A TE? Really? What, there weren't any good punters available? I mean, of all the needs that we have, was TE really one of them? No, seriously, I'm asking- I have no idea if we needed a TE or not.
But there is part of me that thinks that the Lions were trying to send me a birthday present. The TE position basically happened when the football position a mommy WR and a daddy OL got together and had babies. So it's like the Lions were like, 'Jason we hear your cries for help, and we are acknowledging them. See, our TE is half offensive lineman. But we also realize that you have a sense of humor. So he is half wide receiver as well'. I'm a little disconcerted that I hold that much sway in the Lions draft war room- but I appreciate the gesture!
2nd round, 1st pick (33rd overall)- Louis Delmas, S, Western Michigan
What The F-bomb? Seriously? With James the Animal and Rey the Hair still available, we choose a safety? From the MAC? I take it all the elite towel boys were already drafted? This is the point where I officially gave up on the Detroit Lions season and the Schwartz regime. Hopefully day two is more productive.
Hey. Hey you! Draft my son from The Ohio State University, or I will shove my spiked shoulder pad through your face! Or, I will lick your face to death with my large tongue!
I officially declare man-love on Rey Malnutrition..Malcontent...Maladapted....what's his last name again?
Pics
Rey- http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcons-blog/files/2009/03/rey-maualuga.jpg
Legion of Doom- http://z.hubpages.com/u/324578_f260.jpg
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