Back To Footabll

Hey All,

I know, I know, it's been too long since my last post. Well, I'm back and getting ready for a brand new NFL season.

As I'm sure all of you are excited about the new season, as am I. There are a few things that I want to talk about for the coming season. Obviously I'm not going to talk about Brady getting suspended. Quite frankly, I'm over it. We all know where that one is going to go.

The few things I will be going over are the rookie starting QB's, how the Sophomore QB's will fair, and how I think the season will go for a select few teams.

First thing I'm going to talk about is rookie QB's. There's two that are big right now, Jamies Winston and Marcus Maroita. They were both named to be there teams week 1 starter. This is not a huge surprise to some, but for others it's a bit of a shock. The one that surprises most is Winston. With all of his off the field issues that he had in college, nobody really expected him to be named the starter this early. Winston was asked about this Saturday and he said he's "matured" since his days at Florida State. "I've matured since I was an 18-year-old kid, just getting into mischievous things," said Winston, 21. "But now I love this opportunity that I've been given. It's a blessing. The best thing about it is my dream always was to be a professional quarterback, and I've achieved that dream."

I'm very interested in how this season will go for Tampa Bay. As a fan, I really am expecting them to do better then the 2-14 record they had last year. I don't know, however, that Winston is the complete answer, but he might be a good start. The one interesting thing is that they are also starting 2 other rookies, who just so happen to be on the left side of the line. I know he is a mobile quarterback and all, but I think this will test just how mobile he will be with the speed of the NFL players. There is a upside for Winston, and that is he has two 6'5" wide receivers. Evans and Jackson are 2 of the best. Jackson being the seasoned vet, and Evans being the stud younger receiver who came on last year with a less talented QB. It's going to be interesting and I can't wait to see what happens with the Bucs.

 The next big named rookie who was named to be the starter of his team is Marcus Maroita. This one is a little more interesting to me. Like the Bucs, the Titans were 2-14 and have a upside. Though it's not as big as the Bucs, but it's still a upside. The Titans are a very young team and have a lot of growing to do as a team.

Maroita, in my opinion, will have a better career with the team he's on now. The only reason that I say this, is that the coaches told Maroita that he needed work on his placement after taking a snap from under center. He kept running into the running backs and stumbling over each other. This happened during summer workouts. After he was told this and got back for training camp, the coaches say it's like he has been doing this for years, with his placement. He learned what he was doing wrong, made the adjustments, and now looks like he's been doing this for years. This is a mark of a great QB, or player in general.

Maroita, though on a young team, will have a better career. If he can learn something that should have taken him months to master, in a few weeks of working and studying by himself, he will be able to take what the coaches give him and run with it.

As for the Sophomores, I think there's more upsides then down. The only real downside would be Johnny Manziel. Johnny has to win back the locker room, which is going to be the hardest thing for him to do. I think now that he got his life in check and cleaned up some personal issues he's had, he'll be in a lot better of a situation. The coaches are even on record saying that "the team hasn't given up on Johnny Manziel." The only problem is that the coaches can't be the ones to have him win back the locker room.

Blake Bortles and Derek Carr I like way more than I like Johnny.  Though Jacksonville and Oakland aren't the sexiest of teams, they are rebuilding and the quarterback position is one of the main pieces to the puzzle. They both finally have that piece. Bortles has great receivers and they made some moves in the draft to hopefully keep him protected. That'll be the biggest thing for the Jags. If they can keep Bortles clean and off of his back, then they will have a fighting chance.

As for Carr, I've always like him as a QB. He has the right name, for those who care about that, he has great arm strength, and the QB IQ that you want to see out of your starter. Especially one as young as Carr.

After the long off season, the Coaches say that "Carr is eager to lead the way". He is a natural born leader, and wants to show to everyone that he is the right man for the job. Which I believe that he is the right man for Oakland. They need some positive vibes coming their way, and Carr can be the good vibes that the team needs to get back on the right track. The nice thing about Carr, is that he's really digging his new role with the team. “It’s kind of nice knowing that, because now I can really be myself, whereas when it was Schaub’s team, there are certain things,” Carr said. “You can’t step on his toes. You don’t want to get in the way. You want to let him do his thing.”

I think with less pressure on "Stepping on the toes of the starter" Carr will be way more relaxed in the pocket, on the practice field, and in the locker room. He can be himself and lead this team in the right direction.

The teams I think will have a better season then they did last year are; Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Oakland, and Tennessee. As for the ones I think will struggle a bit that would be; New England, St. Louis, and Cleveland.

I already explained why I think the teams that are going to have a better season in my above statements. As for the ones that will struggle, I have some thoughts. New England for obvious reasons with all the distractions that they are going through now with the whole Brady situation. And no I'm still not talking about that. I just think this is going to weigh on the team for the first 4 games. Even if he's there because of court rulings, he's still not going to win in court. He will miss 4 games this year, as for when, that's really his call at this point in time.

St. Louis is a weird one for me. I like the talent they have with their WR's and RB's, however the QB situation there is out of control. I have no idea why they thought getting rid of Bradford was the best option. I really don't think they have a plan for that positions on their club. He was a good starter, even though he is injury prone, he was still a guy you could have in there until you find a better option. I think with this going on they will struggle until they find their guy.

Cleveland had a okay season, for their standards, last year but there is one big distractions in their club house. His name is Johnny. Yes he has his "life in check" but he still needs to win back the locker room. I don't think he'll be able to do this in training camps. It's going to take a few weeks for this to happen. I think Johnny will come around and be a good QB for this team, but he has some growing to do with his team, and within himself. Once this happens the Browns will be in better shape then they are currently.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.  

Deflategate

Hey all,

This will be my only post on this, because I simply don't care. Yes, it's about Tom Brady and deflategate.

I feel that he got what was coming to him. He broke the rule, he hid that he did so, and got a aproate punishment. Everyone in New England can piss and moan, and whine and complain, but facts are facts. Had he just went along with everything and told the truth, he'd would have been fine. Yet he did not do that.

Here are some others takes on this matter from our friends at CBS.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25183504/elway-supports-goodell-100-percent-favre-aikman-bradshaw-weigh-in 

Week 2 in The NFL

Hey All,

This week in the NFL was crazy to say the least. We had major upsets, games go down to the wire, and more on the issues with players and not knowing how to act in the NFL this week. The week started out on a tough note with another player being charged with a crime. Adrian Peterson was charged with beating his 4 year old son. So yet another case of abuse with a player in the NFL. Now I have some mix feelings on this one, like I did with Ray Rice.

Peterson says he was not trying to harm his son in that way, rather discipline him. Now this is where I have mixed feelings. I'm all for disciplining your children, however its a gray area here. Yes kids need discipline, yes it's okay to do so, but no it's not okay to leave the marks that he did on his son. Now I get his point and I get the NFL's point in deactivating him for this weeks game. AP may have took it too far, but does that mean he shouldn't be charged? I think I'll let the NFL handle this one and see where the investigation goes.

Now to get to some football. This weeks games started off on Thursday with the Divisional rivals taken on one another. The Pittsburgh Steelers went to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. Now this game should have been a lot closer then it was. The Ravens beat the Steelers 26-6 and the Steelers didn't even look like they knew there was a game going on. Now I am a Steelers fan, as they are my home town team, but I can admit that we no longer have a defense that is worth talking about. I get that they are younger now, but that doesn't mean that they should look this bad. It was bad enough that they let Cleveland come back and take them down to the wire, after going up 24-0 is outrageous to me. They got lit up and now need to get ready for next week and hope they can pull off a win.

Well that got the ball rolling for an exciting week of football. Now not all the games were as bad as the Thursday nighter in Baltimore, as there were some games that went down to the wire. Take the Bucs and Rams for example, a game that shouldn't have been as close as it was, because Tampa's D is revamped and the Rams are down their starting QB for the year. This game ended on a questionable note for the Bucs, as Rookie Wide Receiver Mike Evans got hurt after catching a pass that put the Bucs in field goal rang to win the game. But since he was hurt, and the training staff came onto the field, and they didn't have any time outs left, by rule a 10 second run off of the clock had to happen. This ended the game and the Rams went on to win 19-17.

The Sunday Night game was a flag fest to say the least. San Francisco had 11 team penalties in the first half, by themselves. It made the game very hard to watch. It seemed like there was a flag every other play, and it slowed the game down way too much. Now I feel if there is a penalty, call it, but when it's getting as bad as the 49ers-Bears game got, it's too much. I hate this new enforcement of the rule that you cannot touch a WR after 5 yards. They've always been lacks on this rule, and I get it you need to enforce the rule, but com'on man this is ridiculous. Let them play and let them do their jobs. This rule, so that everybody knows, was put in place because of Seahawk's defense. They basically cheated their way to the Super Bowl. They did so by grabbing receivers down the field, past 5 yards, so they couldn't get open. So the league took a look at this and now we get to deal with all the flags that are being thrown by the refs.

The week would conclude with an exciting match up, on paper, on Monday Night between the Colts and Eagles. Now this game was suppose to be more Eagles and less Colts because the Colts D is beat up. To top it off not a lot of teams can keep up with the up tempo offense of Philly. They run a play every 21 seconds. Very hard to prepare for and you can't make the proper substitutions. Plus it forces you to run 1 or 2 defenses, which QB's in the NFL live for. Any of them can eat up a D doing that. That wasn't the case in this game. Indy came out and was ready to play and yes they gave up some big pass plays to the Eagles, but they stopped them when it mattered. They didn't allow them to score a single touchdown in the first half. Stuffing them in the red zone. They were able to manage 2 field goals to put some points on the board.

They went into the half down 17-6 because Indy's offense, and Andrew Luck, was just too much to handle. They went old school on Philly. Straight pounded the ball down their throats, by running both backs equally. Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw, two very powerful backs who can also make you miss. They continued to do so in the second half, but the Philly D was ready for it this time. Stopping them a few more times then they did in the first half, but it wasn't good enough. 

The Colts came out and were worse then how they looked in the first half. They didn't make any half time adjustments. They were flat, tried to run the same plays as in the first half, and didn't look ready for the adjustments that the Eagles made. 

The Eagles on the other hand came out and was ready for the Colts D. They looked like a team they were on paper. They were flying around and were very hard to tackle. They came back from 14 points down in the 3rd quarter to beat the Colts 30-27 on a late field goal and some questionable calls by the refs. 

And that's how the game would end. Just how we all thought, though maybe not that close, with the Eagles winning. Even thought this is the first time Andrew Luck hasn't lost 2 games in a row in the NFL. 

That's how week 2 ended, and with all the injuries this week, I can't wait to see how next week.goes. 

Until next time,

You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up-to-date with everything sports 

Ray Rice

Hey All,

Now I told myself that I wouldn't do this, but in light of everything that is going on I have to give y'all my take on Ray Rice. Even though everything that is going on makes me sick, and I hate what he did. I am a firm believer that you should never hit a women, EVER! I hate people that do, and think they deserve the most stern and strict punishment. Ray Rice got just that.

Everyone has seen the video, so there's no need for me to go on about talking about it. What he did was the worst act I've seen out of a man in a long time. What gets me the most is that she still married him. That part just blows my mind. There is only one thing that I can think of, for why she married him. I think she is in it for his money. Now I know everyone is going to get on me about it, but I do not care. What women in her right mind would marry a man, who does that to her? Unless that man has Oh I don't know $28 Million. I think everyone can put the pieces together on why she is staying with him, and sticking up for him.

Now onto the fact that everyone is saying that Rodger Goodell had the video back in April. Now if that is true I believe that he would have gave him WAY more then just a 2 game suspension. Goodell is the one person who hands down punishments as they are needed. He is the commissioner of the league for a reason. Now given I thought the 2 game suspension was weak even before the video inside the elevator got released to the media. I thought he should have gotten at least 6 games, but I digress.

This new punishment is right, a indefinite suspension at this point in time is the right thing for the crime at hand. I don't think he will ever play in the NFL again. I think he will appeal the suspension at the end of this year, and or after the investigation is over. I think no matter what he is going to have some tough times ahead of him. I do wish him the best and hope everything works out for him, but that doesn't mean that I agree with what he did by any means. I just hope due process will be given and it will be the fairest trial/investigation that it can be.

I hope this post doesn't offend anyone, but I had to. I know I don't post as much as I would like to, or as much as you would like me to. But when it comes to this case I had to put something out there. Everyone who has stuck up for Ray Rice has there opinions just like I do, and I think they should be left out of it. I get it people make mistakes, and Ray Rice made the biggest one he could ever have for his career.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Try to Control Johnny Football

Hey All,

Today the Browns said no to the media being at the first practice the team held. They did this to keep the hype down from Johnny Manziel and him being drafted to the team.

All I can say to the Browns is good luck.

To read more check out the link from my good friends at ESPN at the bottom of the page.

Johnny Manziel on field with Browns http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10946080/johnny-manziel-field-cleveland-browns-first-being-drafted?ex_cid=null -via SportsCenter http://bit.ly/zzSpRY

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports

Tomlin Gets Fined 100K

Hey All,

Today there was a bit of breaking news, and that was Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was fined $100,000 for his sideline "interference" on thanksgiving night. Now I would have to say that this fine is a bit obsessive. I get fining him, I get that what he did, wheater it was intentional or not, was wrong, but what I don't get is the price of the fine. It's a bit much if you ask me. There is no way that this infraction is worth 100K. 

The big argument in this is that he interfered with the Ravens return man. Now I've watched this from every angle possible, and no matter if Tomlin was in the way or not, Jones was getting caught. It's not like he was 5 yards ahead of the coverage team and could have walked into the end zone. There was a defender right on his heals, and closing pretty quick. 

What blows my mine about this is that there was a ref right there, and he called nothing, NOTHING! If the ref does his job and throws the flag, we wouldn't be talking about this right now. We would be finding something else to be decusing. But no, here we are talking about a ridiculous fine to an already struggling team. 

Another thing that could be added later on is that the NFL is thinking of taking away a draft pick. This would infuriate everyone in Pittsburgh and anyone who is a fan of Pittsburgh. The team needs help, and taking away a draft pick over this, is wrong on so many levels. This would just be showing how much of bullies the NFL can be. A fine is punishment enough. There is no need to punish the organization for a mistake that the coach made. Now I know that some would say that he is the face of the organization, being the coach but he wasn't doing the on purpose. He said so in his press conference after the fine was given. 

Yes, I know everyone will say that how didn't he know? Well in the heat of a game, and Tomlin watching the big screen, I can see where it could be easy to lose where you're at on the field. Now that's a stretch I know, but still 100K and a draft pick, way to kick a team when they're down. 

I really hope that the NFL thinks before they act on the draft pick. That wouldn't be right and make them look really bad. I think that the right thing will be done, no matter what the outcome. I just hope they think about this in fairness. 

Until next time,

You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports 

No One Can Talk To Hernandez?

Hey All,

As I'm sure most of you know, former Tight end for the New England Patriots Aaron Hernandez, was arrested Thursday with first degree murder and 5 different gun charges. Now the League and Roger Goodell is stepping in.

Goodell is making it very clear to all the teams around the League, that no one is to talk with Hernandez until the Verdict is given. Also, if any team does talk to Hernandez, "before charges against him are resolved won't be approved without a hearing by Commissioner Roger Goodell." So no team will probably be talking to Hernandez until a verdict is given.

More bad news for Hernandez is that several endorsers have ended relations with him, and in my opinion he won't be getting any back once a verdict is given, provided he is found not guilty.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20130627/teams-cant-sign-hernandez-without-hearing.ap/#ixzz2XTTjJwbB

If you ask me I don't think any teams will be talking to him regardless of the decision of the court. Most teams around the Leagues are trying to stray away from characters like that on their team, to keep away any unnecessary distractions to the team.

If, and only if, a team was willing to take a risk on Hernandez it would be the Oakland Raiders. the Raiders are known for having the "bad boys" on their team.

Everyone knows that there has been many players who have been arrested and let back into the league. Such players as Mike Vick and Plaxico Burress who were convicted and allowed back to play again, and still on NFL rosters. Vick with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Burress with the Pittsburgh Steelers. So there has been players to come back after a "bad time" in their lives.

This is a story I will be following very closely to see what does happen as far as Hernandez's conviction, to if he will be allowed to play again on an NFL team. I will be keeping you up to date as soon as I hear any information from any of my sources.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Barber Calls It Quits

Hey All,

Today is a sad day in Buccaneer land, as 16 year veteran Ronde Barber is hanging up the cleats. After 16 years, Ronde never missed a game and never wore any other uniform but a Tampa Bay Jersey, and he wanted to finish that way.

"Ronde is synonymous with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, establishing himself as one of our franchise's iconic players over a 16-year, Hall of Fame- worthy career," said Buccaneers Co-Chairman Joel Glazer. "When anyone thinks of Ronde, they think of a true professional and leader. He approached every day the same, giving everything he had to make himself and his teammates the best they could be. We will miss him."

I don't think it could be said any better than what Glazer said. Ronde was loved in Tampa, and he is going to be missed there. Lets take a look at what he did in those 16 years with the club.

He has recorded 47 interceptions and 28 sacks in his career. This makes him the only player in NFL history with at least 40 picks and 25 sacks. Along with this he has more sacks than any other cornerback in league history, and he is 16th most in interception return yards. Ronde also made 200 of his 232 career starts consecutively at cornerback, the longest streak by any cornerback in NFL history. With all those starts happening Barber became the only defensive back since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to start each one of his team's games for 12 consecutive seasons. He's also scored a remarkable 14 non-offensive touchdowns (you can make it 15 if you count the playoffs), this is fourth-best total in NFL history behind only that of Deion Sanders, Devin Hester, and Rod Woodson.

With stats like these Barber earned himself five trips to the Pro Bowl and five Associated Press All-Pro selections, three first-team and two second-team. Barber also was named to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2000s. Barber has won nine NFC Player of the Week Awards (plus one more in the postseason), the most in Tampa Bay Buccaneers team franchise history. He was a key part of 11 top-10 defenses and three number one-ranked pass defenses. And last but not least, Ronde helped lead the 2002 Buccaneers to the first Super Bowl Championship in franchise history.

With all the awards, and numbers that he put up, it's just a waiting game now to see when (not if) he gets into the Hall of Fame. My personal opinion, he will be a first ballet Hall of Famer. You can try and argue that he wont, but then I will just have to tell you to look at his numbers, because numbers never lie. Barber is in the top of every category there is to have for his position, so it really makes sense for him to retire. There's really nothing else to accomplish, except another Championship, but I don't see that happening in the near future. I really hope I'm wrong on that last statement, because I am a huge Buccaneers fan.

Yes I am sad to see Ronde Barber go, but I understand it. He will be greatly missed, and the team will not be the same without his leadership out there.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports. 

2013 Draft QB's

Hey All,

Tomorrow is the NFL Draft, and there are a few things I want to talk about with the QB's that are entering this years draft. There has been talk that this is a very "weak" draft, there's "no talent" in this draft, and that the QB's are "not impressive". Well I'm here to tell you it's simply not true.

This draft has a lot of good talent, especially at the QB position. There are several prospects that are going under the radar this year, because we all were so spoiled from last years draft. Now Luck, RGIII, Wilson, and the rest of the rookie QB's from last year were a special breed of QB, and I don't think that any one can match their talent.

There are 5 total QB's in this draft that I feel are "underrated" and I'm not holding my tongue anymore. If you want to find out my thought and how I actually feel about these certain guys, visit my video blog at the link located below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42jQUnE5DGU

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports. 

Revis To The Bucs

Hey All,

Today is the day when Darrelle Revis leaves the New York Jets, as a trade was finalized with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers gave up two draft picks, including the 13th overall pick in Thursdays Draft. The other pick that the Bucs gave up would be a conditional pick in the fourth-round of the 2014 draft. If Revis makes it to the third day of the 2014 league year, the Jets would receive a third-round pick.

Revis' deal is for 6 years $96 Million which would make Revis Island the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history, but according to some sources, Revis will receive no guaranteed money. With this money and new contract, Revis is happy to be in Tampa Bay. Plus, Florida has no state income tax, so Revis will pay less then $528,200 he would have had to pay on is $6 million salary in New Jersey this season.

For more on the Revis trade, visit my YouTube page at mbonaventura83

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports. 

NFL Draft

Hey All,

As I'm sure most of you know, the NFL Draft is next week and I can't wait to see who will be drafted in the first round. I know that everyone was spoiled from last years draft with all the QB talent that was there. There were 5 Rookie QB's that were starters in the NFL last season.

I think this draft will be the year of the Offensive Lineman. There are a lot of good prospects coming from the Left Tackle position. For more information see the attached video at the top of the blog, or visit my YouTube page and subscribe to my Channel (Mbonaventura83). 

Geno Smith

Hey All,

Today I was shocked to hear that there were negative comments made about one Geno Smith, QB from WVU. Now I was critical of Geno when he was at WVU, but that's me, and that doesn't mean that he is a bad QB. For Nolan Nawrocki to say all of these negative things about him is ridiculous.

Nawrocki should be ashamed of himself to say what he said about Geno. He could have possibly ruined this kids life, and career as a football player. Here is a kid who is my eyes has been the best QB at WVU. Now, I know everyone will come out and say I'm wrong, but here are some facts for you. Just last year alone, Geno completed over 70% of his passes, had an average of 8.1 yards per pass, with 42 touchdowns to just 6 interceptions, and last but not least he threw for 4205 yards. To make matters even better he had a QB rating of 163.9, are you kidding me? Those stats speak for themselves. 

Nawrocki went on record saying that Geno has "questionable football IQ, a marginal work ethic and an inability to inspire teammates"  among other negative comments. These comments are just wrong, they even got ESPN show host Stephen A Smith up in arms, and rightfully so. I couldn't agree more with him. 

If you don't believe, not only me but Stephen A Smith, here's one more person who agrees with both of us. WVU quarterback coach Jake Spavital had this to say "I was laughing with Geno about it Monday night and I said, 'Welcome to the business,'" Spavital told USA Today. He's also gone on record in saying that Geno is a NFL teams "dream come true" and even went as far as compairing him to NFL rookie Brandon Weeden. He says that Geno could come into a team and start from day one, and he didn't think that about Weeden. He's also said that Geno is "competitive and passionate" and that he has an "awesome" personality. 

Now these comments were coming for someone who's worked with Geno for 4 years while he was at WVU, and if he doesn't know about him, I don't know anyone else who would. I can't stress enough that Geno will do well in the NFL. Again he was the best "Quarterback" that WVU has had in a long time. Pat White was the best athlete that WVU has had, but not the best QB. Marc Bulger, in my eyes, comes in at a very close second. 

All in all this man, Nawrocki, shouldn't have said what he said about Geno. I think he will have a wave of angry West Virginians coming for him, and nobody wants that. I'll say it again, Geno will be a first round pick, he will do well in the NFL, and I'm sure he will earn a starting job on an NFL team, and you can take that to the bank.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports

Matt Barkley

Hey All,


Everyone knows that soon approaching is the NFL draft, and everyone is talking about two quarterbacks. Those two are Geno Smith and Matt Barkley. The one that I really want to talk about is Barkley.

Everyone questioned his decision to stay for his fourth year as a starter at USC. I, at first, had no problem with his decision, and actually thought that it was a good idea. Now on the other hand, it was the worst decision that he could have made for his career. Barkley would have been a first round draft pick had he entered the draft after his Junior year.

Now, he is probably going to fall to the second or even the third round. This is coming because of his injury that ended his collegiate career early, and because of his mechanics when he throws the ball. Also, due to his injury, he was unable to throw at the NFL combine, which hurt high draft stock.

Another thing is Barkley is a very flat footed passer, and doesn't have that strong of an arm. So he will need to work on that a lot in the off-season. He needs to work on his drop backs as well. Barkley tends to trail off for the center, when he's under center. He also steps up into the pressure more often then not. That also hurts his draft stock.

The last and final thing that I think hurts Barkley's stock is that he's coming out of USC. In the NFL the best thing that came out of USC is Pete Carol. No quarterback that has came from USC to the NFL, has flopped. They all have been a bust. The only exception is Carson Palmer. Until his injury he was a very good quarterback, but that's it. No one else has been a success in the NFL, they are all backups.

It will be interesting to see what team takes a gamble on him and where he ends up.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Manti Te'o

Hey All,

Now I've been putting off writing about this for a long time now, and that's all this hype about Manti Te'o. His combine wasn't the best for all the LB that were on hand, but it wasn't the worst. He ran a 4.82 40 yard dash, which is real slow for LB now a days.

To say that Manti Te'os draft stock is plummeting is ridiculous. The kid can ball, and if I'm a coach that is all I care about. Look at the tape. Does he really look like a 4.8 40 guy? The answer to that question is no. The kid has football speed, good play recognition, and has the ability to blow up plays in the back field.

Let us all not forget that Te'o finished second in the hisman running, and now because he may or may not have made up a fake girlfriend, he's no longer a first round pick. Now I'm not saying that he is the first overall pick, but to say that he will fall to the second round because of his "off the field issues" and his 40 time blows my mind.

The only other thing I'm going to say on this topic is this; look at the tape on Te'o to see what he can do on the field. He had 212 solo tackles, 225 assisted tackles, that's 437 tackles, 35 for loss and 8 sacks. That's just his ability to blow up plays. Taking it to the pass defense he averaged 8 interceptions in his four year tender at Notre Dame. Looking at those stats, I dare you to tell me he's a second round pick.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports

Battle In Philly

Hey All,

Today things just got a little more interesting in Philly. Dennis Dixon has been signed to the Eagles, and there will be a real battle for the starting QB position.

Dennis Dixon has agreed to a two year deal with the Eagles, which is one more then counter part Vick. Everyone is saying the Dixon won't make it as a starter in the NFL, but I think they are all wrong.

Dixon is very comfortable running the offense that Chip Kelly runs, because he's ran it before and knows it, whereas Vick doesn't. I think that Dixon won't be named the starter off the bat, but after the preseason, he will be named the starter. Vick is too injury prone, and I think he has lost a step since he's played last.

Vick may have the numbers, but Dixon has the knowledge of Chip Kelly and his offense. The two go back until his college days and it won't be long until Dixon is taking point in Philly.

Vick Is Still An Eagle

Hey All,

The Eagles head coach, Chip Kelly, has agreed to a one year deal with QB Michael Vick worth $10 million. Now this is a little but of a pay cut from the $15 million he would have gotten in 2013, but seeing how Vick didn't produce last year, I don't see any problem with this deal.

Vick can be a 1000 yard rusher under Kelly's offense, but he will need to stay healthy, which is a problem for running QB's. To make matters worse, Kelly has told Vick that he's not even guaranteed to be the starter. He's going to have to win the position from backup Nick Folks, who came in late last season to replace the injured Vick, and won the starting job under Andy Reid.

I personally don't think that the Eagles should have kept Vick to run Kelly's offense, but that's just me. I think the Eagles should have cut Vick and pursued other options like Dennis Dixon. Dixon has played for and ran Chip Kelly's offense at Oregon. I don't see the problem with signing him to the team instead of Vick. Dixon is taller, already knows the offense, and in my opinion has a better arm than Vick.

I liked Dixon when he was backing up Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, and know he is more than capable to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. You get him with the right coach, like Kelly, and he can be a very dangerous QB.

I am not saying that Vick is a bad QB, I'm just saying he's not right for Chip Kelly's offense. Vick is a good football player, he's just not the guy who should be taking the rains for Chip Kelly. Dennis Dixon on the other hand, is very comparable to Michael Vick, but better.

Vick is a 56.3% passer, averaging 7.02 yards, with 123 touchdowns and 82 interceptions, and has 20,274 over his career. Running on the other hand, Vick averages 7 yards per carry, pretty good, but he's ran the ball 791 times, and as a quarterback your body can't take that kind of beating.

Dixon, although he hasn't started but 4 games, is a 59.3% passer, averages 6.81 yards, has 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions, and has 402 yards over his career. When Dixon is on the run he averages 5.6 yards per carry, that's not bad for a QB.

Vick has played in 121 games, and I'm not sure how much longer his body will hold up. I'm interested to see how this "one year try out" goes for Vick. I don't think he will last long in the high power, high flying, high speed offense of Chip Kelly. He's too injury prone and I don't think he will be the starter long.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you yo to date with everything sports.

Super Bowl 47

Hey All,

As we all know, yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday, and boy was it one for the ages. The San Francisco 49ers took on the Baltimore Ravens, and both teams put on a good show.

The game got started a bit slow for San Francisco, and it may have took them out of the game early. The Ravens took full advantage of the 9ers misfortune, in the first half, and went up big.

San Francisco looked like they didn't know they were playing in the Super Bowl. They came out and were flat for the entire first half. They found themselves down 22 point before they know that the game had started.

At the end of the first half, the 9ers were down 21-6, and everyone thought that this game was over. But not me, I knew that San Francisco were not going to go down without a fight.

After all the halftime festivity's, it was time for some more football. The Baltimore Ravens took the electricity right out of the stadium, literally. After a record tying 108 yard kick return by Ravens return-man, Jones, they power went out in the Superdome.

Half the lights went out in the stadium, as well as the scoreboard. This caused a 34 min delay in the game, and couldn't have helped the 9ers more. During the delay, it gave Kaepernick time to collect himself, and get his mind back into the game. At this point in time, San Francisco was down 28-6, and it didn't look pretty for San Fran. 

Once the game got back underway the 9ers had to punt the ball back to the Ravens, and were able to get them to go 3 and out. The next possession for San Fran was a good one, as they were able to drive down the field and put up a touchdown, making the score 34-13. After the kick the 9ers Defense was able to force RB Ray Rice to fumble, and get the ball back in great field position. They were able to capitalize with yet another touchdown on a run by Frank Gore making your score 28-20. San Francisco after forcing another 3 and out were able to put another score on the board off the leg of David Akers, with a 34 yard field goal. Now this was a little troubling, because he was roughed, which should have been a 15 yard penalty, but they only got the 5 yard verity (running into the kicker). If they would have got the roughing call, it would have gave them 4 more downs, and I think they would have put another touchdown on the board, but what are ya going to do. 

The 4th quarter was the most exciting  quarter of the game. Baltimore's rookie kicker Justin Tucker was able to put 3 more points on the board. San Francisco was able to put up some more points on a Kaepernick rush from 15 out, which was the longest rushing touchdown by a quarterback in Super Bowl history. The 9ers failed on the 2 point conversion, making the score 31-29. The 9ers weren't done yet, they were able to drive down the field and get back into scoring position, but on a couple of bad play calls the Ravens were able to get a goal-line stand, and win the game. The game finished on a Sam Koch intentional safety making the score 34-31 in favor of the Ravens. This would be the final score, and the Ravens are your Super Bowl Champions. 

Now everyone is going to say that the last play ran by the 49ers on the goal-line should have been a penalty. Well guess what, it wasn't so get over it. There were a lot of missed calls, and if they would have made that call at the end of the game, then it just wouldn't have been right. The Refs were letting the receivers and corners battle a little bit more than usual, so that "no call" was the right call. Even if nobody agrees with it. 

It was a great game, the Ravens were able to hold off the 49ers late in the game, and nobody can take that away from them. All in all I'm just glad it was a good game, and wasn't a blow out like it looked like it would be early. The 9ers will be a good team for a long time now. They have a great team, and a lot of talent on it. I'm interested in what they will do in the off-season, because everyone knows how Jim Harbaugh is. He will make moves that everyone will think is the wrong one, and somehow it seems to work. I think that the 49ers will make it back to the dance next year, and with a more experienced Collin Kaepernick under center, I think they will take it to win their 6th Super Bowl.

Until next time,

You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports. 

Battle Of Brothers

Hey All,

Today, Sunday January 20th, was an exciting day for football fans everywhere, as the AFC and NFC Championship games were played. 

These games not only made history, but are starting to write it as well. Both John and Jim Harbaugh are both playing in Super Bowl XLVII. 

This is the first time in Super Bowl history that two brothers will face each other, as coaches, in a Super Bowl. No one ever thought that this could happen, until now. I had a feeling that the 49ers would be one of the teams that would make it this far. The 9ers have one of the most talented teams in the NFL, and at this point in the season, I don't think that anyone can beat them. 

In the NFC Championship game, the 49ers were down early in this game 17-0, and a lot of people thought it was over. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't one of those people, but I was wrong. San Francisco fought back and never gave up. This team has fought all season long, and never quit on their coaches and staff. They battled through injuries, and a QB switch late in the season. That's one thing that I want to talk most about, Colin Kaepernick, a second year QB, who saw no playing time but in the per-season last year, comes in late in the season because of an injury to Alex Smith. Kaepernick has carried this team on his back, and legs, for the past 9 starts. Yes, that's right, this kid has only 9 starts under his belt, and he has shown up big in all of them. 

When Harbaugh decided to keep Colin Kaepernick as the starter instead of Alex Smith, I thought that it was going to be the end of their season. Smith is a proven veteran QB, who knows the offense, has ran the offense since he was drafted, and has been the best QB in San Francisco for a long time. Kaepernick has proven himself to the team as well, and showed that he was the right draft pick a year ago and looks like he's going to be around for a long time. 

On the AFC side of things, you had a rematch of last year's AFC Championship game as the Ravens took on the Patriots for the AFC title. The Ravens proved that it is was very hard to beat a team twice in big games. This is another one of those teams who had a very tough season, with injuries like the 9ers. Now when the season started and the Ravens were without Suggs, I thought that their season was going to be over. But it wasn't, they found a way to win games, and win big. Not only did they have to play without Suggs, but mid season Ray Lewis went down with a triceps injury. When this happened I said stick a fork in them, they are done. They have proven themselves time and time again. This is a team that can play through anything and find a way to win. 

I can't wait till it's Super Bowl time to see how the brothers act towards one another in the biggest game of the year. Like I said earlier, no brothers have ever played against one another, as coaches, in Super Bowl history. This makes this game, very, very interesting. I know the media is going to eat this up and that's all we are going to hear about for the next 2 weeks. To be honest, I don't care! These coaches deserve it, and it's a big deal. IT IS THE SUPER BOWL! That's all everyone would have been talking about anyways. This just gives it that extra twist that the world and the fans can get into. It's brother versus brother and John being the older brother, everyone would expect him to win, but not me. My prediction, 9ers win in a very close game. Younger brother Jim has too good of a team, and it's been since 1994 that San Fran has been to the dance, and that's enough motivation to win. 

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Kelly to The Eagles

Hey All,

As I'm sure you all know, Chip Kelly has made his announcement to join the NFL, with the Eagles. This is stunning news that has been trending, but I know we all have seen his offense.

Non of this should come as a shock to anyone. Take a look at the six coaches that were hired in the NFL. What we have seen for the up and coming year is that one thing has become clear: Teams are looking for coaches who are the guy who can boost their offensive production. This can't come as a shock to anyone as the league has turned into a offense-is-most-important league for the past several years.

If you take a look at the group of coaches that were hired they all have a clear-cut offensive background, and that's part of the direction that the NFL is heading. The main coach in this group of coaches, in my opinion, is Chip Kelly.

Kelly was one of, if not the, most coveted coaches in college football. All the credit for this has to be given to his dynamic offensive principles, which dominated the college football world for the past couple of years now. Kelly took his Oregon Ducks to four consecutive BCS bowls during his tenure there.

I think that if Kelly gets the right team around him, he can turn things around in Philly. The problem is, trying to keep Mike Vick around to have a mobile quarterback that can run Kelly's style of offense. There was too much talk of Vick leaving Philly to move on to a new team, that it may be hard to convince him to stick around to see if Kelly can build the proper team around him.

We all know that Kelly is a winner, hell that's all the man did while at Oregon, but he's in good company. The team that hired these offensive "gurus" are: the Bears, Browns, Chargers, Chiefs, Bills and of course the Eagles. But these teams all have one major thing in common, they sucked last year. The numbers don't lie people: Chicago was 16th in points scored per game in 2012 and 24th in Football Outsiders weighted offensive rank, despite the talented core of Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, and Matt Forte. Cleveland (24th, 27th) had a lot of young talent on offense in 2012 and it showed. San Diego (20th, 23rd) was once a superpower on the offensive side of the ball, and looked like a broken engine for most of the 2012 season. Kansas City (32nd, 31st) were practically dead last, and looked like a total train wreck in 2012. The Bills (21st, 18th) couldn't capitalize on the skills of guys like C.J. Spiller and Stevie Johnson despite Chan Gailey's genius. and last but not least the Eagles (29th, 22nd) were arguably the biggest disappointment in the NFL.

There are still two teams that haven't hired a coach yet, and they were on the lower part of the rankings in the NFL. The two teams still looking to hire a coach are the Jaguars (30th in points per game, and 28th at FO) were a disaster, and the Cardinals (31st, 31st) were even worse.

Now that you have the facts of the teams that were looking for new coaches, and the teams who found a new coach, I challenge you to tell me otherwise that these offensive minded coaches wont turn them around. Facts are facts, these teams have no where to go but up from here. If they can keep their QB off their backs, and put together a solid offense, which we know they can do because of their track records. Then these teams should improve and bring new life to some great programs.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports

Lewis To Retire

Hey All,

Today, Middle Linbacker for the Baltimore Ravens, Ray Lewis said this would be his last season in the NFL. Lewis told his teammates on Wednesday that "this would be my last ride."

This means that this Sunday's wild-card game could very well be his last home game in Baltimore. The Ravens would need some help in order to have another playoff game at home this season. They are the 4th seed in the AFC, and Lewis doesn't expect this game to be his last one. "Whenever it ends it ends," Lewis said. "But I didn't come back to be eliminated in the first round."

The Ravens drew the Colts in the wild-card game this Sunday. The Colts, who are riding an inspirational come back in their coach Chuck Pagano, are a team who is playing very inspired football since Pagano returned to the team. Pagano just so happens to be the former Defensive Coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, and I know he knows how Uncle Ray Ray likes to play D. "He'll probably introduce the defense and probably be the last one out and he'll ignite and incite a riot so to speak," Pagano said. "And there will be a ton of energy on that football team and on that sideline and in that stadium. He's their leader and any time you get your leader back it's an added spark."

It's no surprise that Ray Lewis is hanging up the cleats. He's had a great career, and the only thing left for him to do, is make another run at a Super Bowl. Until next time, You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.