Tuesday, February 27, 2007

2/27/07

Well, as bubble teams across the country fought for their tournament lives last weekend, we were all "treated" to a match-up of "number 1 vs. number 2". Of course, the "Big" "Ten" gave us a similar "1 vs. 2" match-up last November in football, and we all know how that turned out - neither team deserved to be called number 1 or number 2. Or numbers 3, 4, or 5. But anyway, the final score was Ohio State 49, Wisconsin 48, and if that score doesn't say "top two teams in the country" to you - well, don't worry, it doesn't say that to anyone else either.

Meanwhile, in the actual best conference in basketball, things were much more entertaining. The games...

Virginia Tech 73, Miami 57 - The Hokies finally got their 10th conference win, and in dominating fashion. It's all about seeding now for the Hokies, who certainly won't have to sweat out a NCAA bid with 10 wins in the best conference in the land.

Florida State 78, North Carolina State 52 - Well, if the Seminoles wanted to make a statement that they deserved consideration despite a best possible ACC record of 7-9 before the tourney, a 26 point win will do it. But they have one more regular season win to go and then they probably will have to do some damage in the conference tourney.

Boston College 59, Clemson 54 - It seemed like BC just couldn't get over the 9 win hump, but they finally managed it. This win will put their recent struggles behind them and bump them into the tourney. How high they can go remains to be seen - they still are in the midst of a prolonged funk, with not much opportunity to prove to the Selection comittee that they should be a higher seeded team. As for Clemson, they appear to be just about finished, unless they can conjure up a mirculous finish. The fact that 3 of their last 4 losses have come by a combined 12 points does not change the fact that they have lost 4 in a row, 7 of their last 8, and 9 of their last 11. The comitte wants to see a team playing well down the stretch, and Clemson is doing just the opposite. A loss in either of their final 2 regular season games, which includes a road date with the Hokies, would shut the dorr completely on the Tigers.

Virginia 75, Georgia Tech 69 - The Cavaliers, like the Eagles and Hokies, finally got their 10th conference win and sealed their spot in the NCAA tourney. The Yellow Jackets, on the other hand, have real reason for concern. They stand at 6-8 in conference, and while their last two games are at home, they are coming against North Carolina and Boston College - sweeping those two will be a chore. They can still play their way into the tournament, but they sure have their work cut out for them. That loss at Wake Forest earlier this season has to be keeping the Tech players and coaches up at night.

Maryland 89, North Carolina 87 - I told you that this would be the weekend's most entertaining game (ok, so I actually said that it "could" be the "most intriguing", but let's not let facts get in the way of a little self-horn-tooting), and it damn sure was. I feel sorry for anyone who sat through the Big Ten boreathon when this thing was playing, but not on national television. Maryland took a great leap forward, and rather than waiting for the season finale against NC State to get their 8th ACC win and do a little sweating on Selection Sunday, the Terps aggressively grabbed the 8th win, as well as the NCAA tourney bid, by beating the conference's best squad at home. UNC took a small misstep, but anyone who has been paying any attention to how well the Terps have been playing the last couple of weeks knows that this was not a bad loss (Skip Bayless, you are an idiot, as always). They should still win the conference, probably win the conference tourney, and get their #1 seed.

Ok, so what does the conference have in store for this week?

2/28, 7:30 - Miami (11-17, 4-10) @ Clemson (19-9, 5-9) - The Tigers' tourney hopes, if not completely dashed, are hanging by the slimmest of threads. A home game against Miami is just what a team in Clemson's position needs right now, but the pressure will be on them to win, and win big. This is the only scheduled match-up between these two teams.

9:00 (ESPN) - Maryland (22-7, 8-6) @ Duke (22-7, 8-6) - These are the ACC's two hottest teams, with win streaks of 5 and 4 games, respectively. In fact, neither team has lost since the Terrapins beat the Blue Devils 72-60 at College Park. Now they come in sporting identical records, both in conference play and overall. While neither one is fighting to get into the tournament - they have both punched their tickets already - this game is all about seeding in both the ACC and NCAA tournaments. Also, there is a lot of bad blood between these two teams, and both squads want this one very badly.

3/1, 7:00 (ESPN) - Virginia Tech (20-8, 10-4) @ Virginia (19-8, 10-4) - The battle for the Commonwealth continues as the Cavaliers host the Hokies. Anytime two schools from the same state cmoe together, it is a big deal, and when they are both in the upper echelons of their league - and esecially when that league is the premeir league in the country - it becomes monumental. Like the Duke/Maryland game, neither of these teams will be sweating out Selection Sunday, but seeding for both the NCAA and ACC tournaments is at stake, and, also like Maryland/Duke, the rivalry is what really makes this game intriguing. The Hokies stomped the Cavaliers in Balcksburg, 84-57 (ouch...I had to double-check that...).

9:00 (ESPN) - North Carolina (24-5, 10-4) @ Georgia Tech (18-10, 6-8) - By far the team with the most at stake this week is the Yellow Jackets, who still have the opportunity to finish up their ACC season at an even 8-8 and pretty much guarantee themselves a spot in the NCAAs. But in order to do so, they have to first beat the University of North Carolina, always a tough proposition, but even more so considering the Tar Heels had their pride stung after blowing 13 (1st half) and 12 (2nd half) point leads at College Park on Sunday and losing the game in the final minutes. They'll be looking to make a Statement by winning this game Big. Not only do the Yellow Jackets have to avoid getting blown out of their own building, but they have to find a way to do what the Terrapins did and come out victorious. The Tar Heels won the first match-up in Chapel Hill, 77-61.

Florida State (18-11, 6-9) and Boston College (19-9, 10-5) have off until the weekend. NC State (14-13, 4-10) hosts Wake Forest (13-14, 4-10) Wednesday night in a game mostly about trying to stay out of the ACC basement and eligible for the NIT.

Finally, I want to note that today we officially kick off March Madness, as the first of conference tournaments begin this week. Those conferences getting the early start are:

Atlantic Sun - Tournament runs Thursday through Saturday.
Big South - First round play starts today, next round on Thursday, final on Saturday.
Horizon - First round today, then games on Friday and Saturday, final on March 6.
Missouri Valley - Tournament runs Thursday through Sunday.
Northeast - Quarterfinals on Thursday, semifinals on Sunday, final on March 7.
Ohio Valley - First round today, then semifinals and final on Friday and Saturday.
Patriot - First round tomorrow, semifinals on Sunday, final on March 7.
Southern - Tournament runs tomorrow through Saturday.
Sun Belt - First round tomorrow, tournament resumes Sunday and runs through March 6.

Several other tournments start play this weekend, I'll get to those on Friday's post. Tomorrow, it's politics. Till then...

Friday, February 23, 2007

2/23/07

Well, the week's early ACC action gave us some pretty intriguing results. Let's jump right in:

Georgia Tech 75, Wake Forest 61 - The second time around, the Yellow Jackets trounced the Demon Deacons to keep their NCAA hopes alive. This game was crucial for Tech, and they played like it. The problem is, the reason this one was so important is because the next three are going to be very difficult. But for now, Tech is still hanging on.

Virginia Tech 79, Boston College 62 - Three games ago BC was 9-2 and in first place in the ACC. Now, it seems like they are doing everything they can to play themselves out of the tournament. Fortunately for them, it seems like they'll get in no matter what, but this isn't helping their seeding at all. Tech should also have the deal sealed, especially after this win. The losses to NC State aren't pretty, but they are forgivable when the Hokies' performances against higher tier competition is considered.

Miami 68, Virginia 60 - Whoa, this wasn't supposed to happen. The Cavaliers have to be smarting from this one. Once again, we're talking about a team that has probably already secured their spot in the tournament, but they'll want to make everyone forget about this loss as soon as possible.

Maryland 73, Florida State 55 - The Terps have picked the right time to go on a roll, although, since they have two freshman point guards, this probably isn't coincidence. At various points in the ACC season, Maryland has been 0-2, 1-4, 2-5, and 3-6, but a 4 game winning streak has put them over .500 for the first time all season. They need one more win to secure a .500 season, but at this point you pretty much have to consider the Terps, if not a lock for the tournament, certainly as close as they can be. FSU, on the other hand, is in big trouble. A 5 game losing streak is not something you want to suffer this late in the season. However, if they can pull out the last two against NC State and Miami - two of the wekest teams in the conference this year - and score a first round voctory in the ACC tournament, they would be right at 20 wins, which is the unofficial Magic Number when you're talking about ACC teams. The selectors, however, might be hesitant to put a team that went 7-9 in the ACC regular season in the brackets, however, unless they did serious damage in the conference tourney - that is, 2 or 3 wins, as opposed to just one. One thing is certain, though - they need to start winning now.

North Carolina 83, North Carolina State 64 - The Tar Heels made up for the earlier loss to the Wolfpack in a big way. UNC continues to be on track for an NCAA one seed, as two of the teams ranked ahead of them - Ohio State and Wisconsin - still have at least one and possibly 2 match-ups between them left. If they continue to play like this, they'll get that 1 seed, no problem.

Duke 71, Clemson 66 - Duke's 8th conference win locks up a spot in the NCAAs for the Blue Devils. The only question left for them is what seed can they take. With games against Maryland and Carolina upcoming, and then the ACC tournament, there is plenty of opportunity for them to make some upward movement.

Ok, this weekend there will be 5 intraconference ACC games (Duke will be playing St. John's out of conference and Wake Forest will have the weekend off). Starting on Saturday...

2/24, Noon - Miami (11-16, 4-9) @ Virginia Tech (19-8, 9-4) - The Hokies probably locked up a spot in the tournament with their win over BC, if they didn't have the spot locked up already. But the Hokies have been wildly inconsistent this season, beating teams like Carolina (twice!), but losing to teams like NC State (twice!). The last thing they want to do is put any doubts back into people's heads by losing to the Hurricanes. The Hokies won in Miami earlier this season, 92-85.

1:00 - North Carolina State (14-12, 4-9) @ Florida State (17-11, 5-9) - The Seminoles may have sealed their fate by losing to the Terps Wednesday night, but it's not quite throw-in-the-towel time in Talahassee. The Noles could benefit from a very weak bubble and a very strong RPI rating for the ACC and sneak in despite a regular season conference record that can be no better than 7-9. But any chance - ANY chance - they might have at an NCAA bid absolutely hinges on their being able to close out the regular season with victories over the Wolfpack and the Hurricanes. If they lose this game, they can start planning their NIT strategy. This is the only meeting between these two teams in the regular season.

Clemson (19-8, 5-8) @ Boston College (18-9, 9-5) - Like FSU, Clemson finds itself in a very precarious position heading into this weekend. Unlike the Seminoles, the Tigers should control their own destiny - if they win out, they'll have a 22-8, 8-8 record heading into the conference tournament that should be good enough to secure a berth. BC is already guaranteed a conference record of 9-7, but they seem to be stumbling at the wrong time. I would be shocked if they finished over .500 in ACC play and didn't make the tournament, but the smart thing to do would be to win here and remove all doubts. This is probably the game that has the most at stake for both teams involved. Clemson pounded BC at Littlejohn, 74-54.

3:30 - Georgia Tech (18-9, 6-7) @ Virginia (18-8, 9-4) - If the previous game isn't the one with the most at stake for both teams, then this one is. The Yellow Jackets find themselves still alive for a tourney bid, but all three of their final remaining games are doozies, and the need to win two fo them to get to 8-8 on the season. UVA, on the other hand, is coming off an embarassing loss at Miami, and needs to get that taste out of everyone's mouth in a hurry. These two games should be a heck of a lot of fun. This is the only scheduled match-up between these teams.

2/25, 5:30 - North Carolina (24-4, 10-3) @ Maryland (21-7, 7-6) - This might be the most intriguing match-up of the weekend. UNC is, with little doubt, the class of the ACC this year, but Maryland is arguably playing the best ball in the conference right now. During the 4 game winning streak, Maryland has outscored their opponents by 12, 15, 16, and 18 points. So, not only are they winning by a lot, but they are winning by increasingly large margins. But UNC is coming off an 19-point win of their own. Are the Terps, with their young guards, ready for prime time, and ready to lock up their NCAA bid? Is Carolina ready to move closer to locking up that #1 seed? We'll find out Sunday.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

2/20/07

Before I get into this past weekend's ACC hoops action, I wanted to say something quick about San Diego's new coach, Norv Turner. The rest of the NFL should be breathing a deep sigh of relief now that the league's most talented team has thrown away its Super Bowl chances by hiring the new worst head coach in the NFL. The thought process here baffles me. I mean, I understand that this guy knows the offense, and I see that he has experience as an NFL head coach - but it's dreadful, shitty experience. In 9 years at the helm he has only been to the postseason one time. At least Marty could GET to the playoffs. The Chargers are a team that is ready to win now, and they picked the guy out there least likely to take them to the promised land.

But whatever - football season is a long way away, and right now we should be focused on a more current sport. The one I'm most into at the moment - until Antawn Jamison comes back, anyway - is ACC hoops. This past weekend was a big one in the nation's premiere conference. Let's take a look back...

Virginia 73, Florida State 70 - The Seminoles made a valiant effort on the road against a very good opponent (following the win, Virginia is now ranked in both polls), but ultimately the selection comittee remembers wins, not good losses. FSU have their backs against the wall now with a 5-8 conference record and a trip to College Park coming up. As for Virginia, they move to 9-3 in conference play and have almost certainly locked themselves up a spot in the tournament barring a complete collapse to end the season.

North Carolina 77, Boston College 72 - Well, BC had their chance to put the final piece on their tournament resume and take control of the ACC regular season title, but they failed to do either by losing at home, albeit in a close game. However, their 9-4 ACC record is almost certainly good enough, again, barring a complete collapse to close out the season, to secure them a tourney berth. UNC is in, even if they don't win another game between now and Selection Sunday. The only question about the Heels is whether they can play their way back into the top 4 and get themselves a 1 seed. Wrapping up the ACC regular season title and winning the tournament would caertainly accomplish that goal.

Duke 71, Georgia Tech 62 - Duke's win gives them the magic number - 20 - which usually gets ACC teams into the tournament. The 7-6 conference record leaves something to be desired, but they will almost certainly win at least one of their final 3 regular season games, which would guarantee them an 8-8 finish which, again, is usually good enough to secure a berth. Tech is now in trouble. Their conference record slides to 5-7, and while their next game should be a win over Wake Forest at home, their final three opponents are Virginia, North Carolina, and BC. It looks like the Yellow Jackets are headed for the NIT, unless they play some miraculous ball down the stretch.

North Carolina State 81, Virginia Tech 56 - Anyone care to explain what the hell is going on with the Hokies, who swept the Tar Heels but got swept by the Wolfpack (I mistakenly wrote, on the other post, that VaTech won the previous encounter between the two teams, when in fact they were on the losing end of that contest)? Virginia Tech should have all but sealed up an NCAA berth, but instead they have everyone scratching their heads, again. However, they have an 8-4 conference record, and if they can put away two of BC, Miami, Virginia, Clemson, and their first round opponent in the ACC tourney, they'll get to 20 wins on the year, so things still look good for them. They can't keep playing like they played on Sunday, though. As for the Wolfpack, well, they sealed their fate long ago, although sweeping Virginia Tech will probably get them a decent seed in the NIT.

Maryland 82, Clemson 66 - In the game that probably meant the most to both teams playing, Maryland got an impressive road win. It wasn't as lopsided as the final score indicated, but Maryland had the lead through the entire second half. The win gave the Terps 20 on the season, but finishing at 8-8 in conference will be a tough task. Will they get into the tournament based on what they have accomplished thusfar? Probably. Would they do well to look impressive from here on out to be safe? Damn right. As for Clemson, they are now in a bind. Although they have 19 wins, the 19-7 record doesn't look so hot when you realize that at one point they were 17-0. How you play down the stretch matters a lot to the selection comittee, and Clemson has been awful. They need to impress big time against the heavyweights left on their schedule, and a loss to Miami on the 28th would seal their fate.

Ok, now that we've looked behind, let's look ahead to this week's action. All 12 teams will be in action again, 5 games on Wednesday and one on Thursday, and every game features at least one team either trying to play their way into the tournament or trying to improve their seeding. Starting on Wednesday, we have...

2/21, 7:00 - Wake Forest (13-13, 4-9) @ Georgia Tech (17-9, 5-7) - The Yellow Jackets have got to win this game to have any chance of making the NCAA tournament, plain and simple (barring a miracle run in the ACC tourney, of course). Not only is Wake Forest a team that tournament-caliber teams should be beating, especially at home, but the remainder of their schedule is brutal. Not to mention, Wake won the initial match-up at Wake, 85-75, and Tech doesn't want "got swept by the 11th place team in the conference" on its resume.

Boston College (18-8, 9-4) @ Virginia Tech (18-8, 8-4) - These two teams have probably already played themselves into the tournament, but a win here would make it all but official for either team. Neither team is exactly facing murderer's row to finish out the season, either, so a loss here isn't going to be too big of an obstacle for whichever team isn't fortunate enough to come out with a victory. That said, however, the Hokies would do well to do everything in their power to try and make everyone forget about their troubles with the NC State Wolfpack. BC trounced the Hokies in Boston, 80-59.

7:30 - Virginia (18-7, 9-3) @ Miami (10-16, 4-9) - The Cavaliers have pretty much secured their spot in the tournament, unless they collapse at the end of the season. However, a loss to a team like Miami could trigger just that sort of catastrophe. The Hoos should win here, but if they don't, people will take notice. The Cavs win in Virginia, 81-70.

9:00 - Florida State (17-10, 5-8) @ Maryland (20-7, 6-6) - Once again, the Terps are involved in the game which probably has the most at stake for both teams involved. The Seminoles need to win this game if they want to even their conference record by the tournament - which is a definite possibility if they do, as NC State and Miami are the other tow teams on their schedule. 19 wins and a 7-9 conference record has been just good enough to keep Maryland out of the NCAAs the last two seasons, so the Seminoles have to believe that this is a must-win for them. For Maryland, too, the game is very important. Two of their remaining three opponents after this game are North Carolina (home) and Duke (away), so they'll want to get the games they should be winning in order to make finishing at .500 easier. The Seminoles won in Tallahassee, 96-79.

North Carolina State (14-11, 4-8) @ North Carolina (23-4, 9-3) - This game is a big one for the Tar Heels, who need to win this game not only for in-state pride, which can only be partially restored after the Wolfpack won the initial meeting in Raleigh, 83-79, but also because the Tar Heels find themselves ranked #5 in both polls, and they need to win out to secure themselves a #1 seed in the tournament. Now, the Wolfpack are not technically out of the NCAA picture, but they are hanging by a thread. IF they managed to win out, they would finish the season with an 8-8 conference record, and Carolina is certainly the toughest opponent left on their schedule, although trips to Florida State and Maryland won't be picnics, either. If they're going to make a mircale run, though, it needs to go through Chapel Hill. Good luck with that.

2/22, 9:00 - Duke (20-7, 7-6) @ Clemson (19-7, 5-7) - The Tigers find themselves spiraling out of control, and are now 2-7 after starting the season off 17-0. It's not too late for them, however, and they have an excellent opportunity to turn their season around again with the Blue Devils coming into town. Speaking of turning their season around, it wasn't too long ago that the Blue Devils had lost 4 in a row and people were starting to whisper "NIT". Well, it may not have been too long ago, but it seems that way, as back-to-back impressive wins against BC and Georgia Tech have put them back on the map. They can't afford to get too comfortable, though, as their last two opponents of the season are Maryland and UNC, two teams which have beaten them already this season. Duke would so well to win here to secure at least an 8-8 conference record. The Blue Devils won the first match-up between these teams in Durham, 68-66.

Tomorrow, I'll be on my politics blog. Till then...

Friday, February 16, 2007

2/16/07

The 2006-07 academic year is looking like a banner one for the top conferences in the two big money sports. In football, the SEC had a dominant season, capped off by huge wins for LSU in the Sugar Bowl and Florida in the BCS title game. In basketball, the power conference is the ACC, and with March Madness fast approaching, the ACC looks like it will dominate the 65 team NCAA tournament field.

In my last post, I wrote that Maryland's 12 point win over Duke would probably lead to a very good stretch for Maryland, who always seem to carry over their performances against the Blue Devils through their next stretch of games. And indeed, it looked that way as the Terps cruised to a 15 point win at NC State Wednesday night. Duke also looked good Wednesday night, dominating Boston College in Boston and playing themselves right back into the tourney (as if the selection committee would ever skip over an even somewhat deserving Duke team, come on...). The ACC now has 9 teams knocking at the door of a 20-win season. UNC already has 22, Duke, Clemson, and Maryland all have 19, BC and Virginia Tech have 18, and Virginia, Gerogia Tech, and Florida State have 17 apiece. How many wins guarantees a spot in the field of 65 is uncertain, but they'll have a hard time passing on any 20-win squad coming out of this conference, even if that means 8 or even 9 berths.

This weekend all 12 ACC teams will be involved in intraconference action, with 5 of the 6 match-ups having possible NCAA ramifications. On Saturday afternoon, Florida State (17-9, 5-7) will head to Virginia (17-7, 8-3) in a game full of implications for both teams, especially the Noles, who would do well to even that conference record up by the time the tourney starts. Later that night, the weekend's marquee match-up will feature Boston College (18-7, 9-3) hosting North Carolina (22-4, 8-3); both of these two teams are tourney locks at this point, but they are fighting for high position in both the ACC and NCAA tournaments. It will be very difficult for the loser of this game to secure the ACC season title. Sunday afternoon will kickoff at 1:00 with Georgia Tech (17-8, 5-6) traveling to Cameron Indoor to take on the Duke Blue Devils (19-7, 6-6) and their notorious crowd; this is the second match-up between these two teams - the Yellow Jackets won the game in Atlanta 74-63. At 4:00, the remaining two games will tip off. Maryland (19-7, 5-6) will travel to Clemson (19-6, 5-6) for a game each team would like to have to move closer to securing their tournament berth. Maryland won the first match-up at College Park, defeating the then undefeated Tigers 92-87. Also, Virginia Tech (18-7, 8-3) will be traveling to NC State (13-11, 3-8). The Hokies are still in the running for the ACC season title, and a road win would be huge for them; the Wolfpack are playing for an NIT berth rather than a NCAA berth, but don't underestimate them - they beat UNC in Raleigh on February 3rd. The Hokies won the first match-up at Blacksburg, 70-59 (the other ACC game - the one without tournament implications - has Miami (10-15, 3-8) going to Wake Forest (12-13, 3-9) at 1:00 on Saturday).

So, this should be a big weekend for ACC basketball. I suggest you grab a couch.

Current events blog tomorrow. See ya.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

2/13/07

Well, I wasn't sure what I was going to post about today, but I come back from work to find out that the Chargers have fired Marty Schottenheimer. The move will be universally ripped, but I think it is the right one. The Chargers are ready to win NOW, and it was obvious after their season-ending loss to New England that Schottenheimer did not give them the best chance to win. They played dumber than any high school team I have ever seen. It was obvious which team was begin coached by Schottenheimer, and which was being coached by Bellichick. But they have to make the right hire. Word round the campfire is they are thinking Pete Carroll. But I don't like Carroll, whi has a bad track record in the NFL and seems to be made for college. On the other hand, Carroll's old assistant Norm Chow is still available, and I've maintained that he has been the best candidate on the market the whole time.

Also, the Giants released LaVar Arrington. LaVar's career has really spun out of control lately, being released by two teams in the last two years. I hope he can get his career back together. I think the best thing for him to do would be to escape the NFC East.

Maryland beat Duke on Sunday, which knocked the Devils out of the coaches' poll. Winning against Duke has been a very good sign for Maryland, when it happens. It usually signals the beginning of a good stretch of basketball. Hopefully it can jettison this team to the school's first tourney berth in 3 seasons.

Finally, the Pro Bowl was Saturday evening. Now, even the slightest semblance of football season is behind us. Oh, sure, we have the draft and free agency to look forward to, but no games until August, and no real games until September. Oh well.

The biggest NBA game anybody would want to watch between now and Firday would be the Spurs and Pistons Wednesday night, a potential NBA Finals preview, but that game isn't going to be on a network anybody has (it will be on "NBA TV", whatever that is), and the second biggest, LeBron vs. Kobe on Thursday, will be on TNT, but it won't start until 10:30. Bummer.

Well, that's all I got for this morning. Tomorrow I'll be in the politics/current events blog. Till then...

Friday, February 09, 2007

2/9/07

The Cowboys have decided on a new coach - old San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Wade is the second Chargers assistant to leave for a head coaching vacancy this offseason, the redundantly named offensive coordinator Cam Cameron went to Miami to take over for Nick Saban. This is a great hire for Dallas - if you are a Redskins fan. While Phillips is not quite as incompetent as Norv Turner, his previous head coaching stints - and he's had a few - have resulted in plenty of mediocrity and not much winning. Why NFL teams continue to hire failed retreads when there are great young assistants - like Norm Chow - out there to be hired escapes me. But, as long as it's Dallas, I'm happy. If Chow is still around when coach Gibbs decides to hang 'em up, I'd be happy as hell if the Redskins got him.

In other news, the Wizards took quite the hit recently when they lost Antawn Jamison for 3-6 weeks with a sprained knee. In fact, they have lost 3 of 4 since then. Hopefully, thy'll still be in contention for home court throughout when he is able to come back.

Ok, this weekend we have the Pro Bowl, which is famous for its complete irrelevance. The NBA match-ups are rather pedestrian, although the Kobe/LeBron showdown on Sunday afternoon could be somewhat watchable. All in all, a good weekend for going outside - if it weren't so goddam miserable out. Take in a movie, kids.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Manning's Redemption

Well, I hope this finally puts an end to all of the stupid "who is the best quarterback in football" discussion. Of course, it won't up here, because everyone here will defend Brady's superiority to the death, but the fact of the matter is Peyton Manning proved to everyone how great a quarterback he was this postseason.

Already, I can hear the protests. "But his numbers weren't good this postseason". This from the very same people who used to say we should ignore Manning's statistics and focus on the RESULTS - i.e., who won the Super Bowl. I say, on what standard are you basing Manning's supposed sub-par performance?

In the first game, Manning went 30-38 for 268 yards and a score. He also threw three picks, which brought down his passer efficiency rating, but two of those three appeared to be the result of miscommunications. Oh, yeah, and his team won the game 23-8.

On the second game, Manning was only 15-30 for 170 yards with two picks - his only really bad game as a passer. But the Ravens' defense was the best in the League, and he led his team on several extended scoring drives (albeit all field goals).

In the third game, Manning was magical. 27-47 for 349 yards, one pick and one TD. But the real story of the game was when he took over with 2 minutes and change remaining and down by 3, and lead the Colts all the way down the field for the winning score. It was exactly the kind of drive Manning supposedly couldn't lead - especially not against that team.

In the Super Bowl, Manning was 25-38 for 247 yards, a TD and a pick. Unspectacular numbers once again, but it was the confidence with which he drove his team down the field time and time again, controlling the clock for 38 minutes, that made the difference.

It must be remembered that Manning is more than just the QB - he is the de facto offensive coordinator, calling the plays based on what he sees. His vision and knowledge of the game is what is responsible for ANY success the Colts offense has, passing or rushing. In this postseason, opposing defenses wanted the Colts running game to beat them. Manning oblidged by handing the ball off again and again - the Colts rushed more often than they threw in three of their four postseason games, with the large comeback against New England being the only exception. In all four games, they outrushed their opponents.

Manning is not only the greatest QB in the League, he is the greatest player in the League, and by the time he is finished, he will be the greatest in League history.