tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90334664555722171392024-03-14T02:20:57.843-05:00Ramblings From The RaftersYour source for everything team executives do not want you to know.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-28400597124106245352009-09-08T09:54:00.000-05:002009-09-12T18:00:01.689-05:00College Football Week 1 Notebook<strong>South Carolina-N.C. State:</strong> South Carolina’s Stephen Garcia was able to put his disastrous Outback Bowl performance behind him, playing steady and riding the wave of an energetic and talented youthful Gamecocks defense as Steve Spurrier continued his opening game dominance. Linebacker Eric Norwood is the leader of a defense that, while young, could be Spurrier’s best in his Carolina tenure. N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson displayed his cannon arm and elusiveness at times, but the sophomore was unable to get his offense untracked for a second consecutive contest against the Gamecocks. N.C. State lacked energy and execution for this first three quarters before showing any sign of line whatsoever.<br /><br /><strong>Oregon-Boise State:</strong> There’s no question that the first of two major stories evolving from Week One was the LeGarrette Blount punch heard ‘round the world. But putting that instance aside—and the absurd suspension thereafter—the most shocking aspect of this game was the inability of Blount to get anything going on the ground and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli’s failure to move the ball in the air for the Ducks. Chip Kelly’s offense could never get untracked, and Boise State dominated the entire game—save for a late but failed rally by the Ducks in the fourth. Hats off to the Broncos again, who beat Oregon for the second consecutive season and are poised to make a dent in the BCS rankings at the end of the year.<br /><br /><strong>BYU-Oklahoma:</strong> Obviously the injury to reigning Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford was the biggest story that came out of this Top 20 matchup. However, the determined play of quarterback Max Hall and the stellar play of its defense might have been the two biggest reasons why BYU was able to pull the upset. Hall didn’t play his best in the Cougars’ biggest games against TCU and Utah last season, but he stepped up on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium. While he did throw two picks, he was able to lead the 16-play, 78-yard drive that culminated in the game-winning TD on fourth-and-4 with 3:03 left to propel BYU to victory. On the other side of the ball, the Cougars’ defense showed it was not intimidated by the Sooners, and the unit took full advantage of an inexperienced and nervous OU offensive line. The tough, quick and gritty defense not only kept the team in the game after a turnover-filled first half from its offense, but it also disguised blitzes nicely in harassing Sam Bradford and eventually laid the hit that knocked the quarterback out of the game. Moving forward for the Sooners, the offense should feature a healthy dose of DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown if Bradford is to miss a significant amount of time. And while I was disappointed in the play of cornerback Dominique Franks, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is definitely as good as advertised for the Sooners.<br /><br /><strong>Alabama-Virginia Tech:</strong> Alabama successfully began its national championship push in Atlanta for the second straight year as running backs Roy Upchurch and Mark Ingram helped Greg McElroy survive a beating in his first game as Alabama’s starting quarterback. Despite substantially outgaining the Hokies in total yards, Alabama played sloppy on special teams and had numerous penalties and miscues that saw it having to come back in the fourth quarter before putting Virginia Tech away. Tyrod Taylor again showed that he will continue to struggle throwing the ball consistently, so Frank Beamer will be leaning on freshman running backs all season to help carry the offensive load. Alabama’s confusing looks on defense caused Taylor problems, and the Tide’s linebackers showed that they may be the most complete unit in college football. Wideout Julio Jones, by the way, is absolutely scary looking—more so than last year. Alabama looks for real if they could eliminate dumb penalties.<br /><br /><strong>Missouri-Illinois:</strong> Illinois never looked prepared for this game, and the team looked as if it wanted to head for the bus at halftime. This poor effort falls right on head coach Ron Zook. No matter how good of a talent Arrelious Benn is, the Illini had more than enough talent—including Jarred Fayson—to make up for his loss in a game against a good, but not great, Missouri squad. While the defensive line showed aggressiveness early, the Illini’s secondary looked lost and undisciplined. I was impressed with Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert’s demeanor in his first game as Chase Daniel’s replacement, especially as the game progressed. He looked comfortable sitting in the pocket and taking off and running when necessary. Danario Alexander looks to be healthy again and—while he may not be as dynamic and explosive as Jeremy Maclin—he will score plenty of points in Columbia this season.<br /><br /><strong>Nevada-Notre Dame:</strong> So maybe the performance of Jimmy Clausen and the Notre Dame offense against Hawaii to close out the 2008 season wasn’t such a fluke after all. Wideout Michael Floyd picked up right where he left off as a freshman—and looks even more ridiculous as a sophomore. Tight end Kyle Rudolph will certainly benefit from the presence of Floyd and Golden Tate, and running back Armando Allen seemed to have an extra jump in his step. The ND offensive line looks tougher, but it’s the Irish defense that really made a lasting impression. Linebacker Brian Smith may be the most talented player on that side of the ball, leading a unit that looked hungry in its pursuit of Colin Kaepernick and the Wolf Pack running backs.<br /><br /><strong>LSU-Washington:</strong> It was great to see such a revived, raucous crowd at Husky Stadium on Saturday night. I expect Steve Sarkisian to do wonderful things in Seattle and bring the Huskies back to Pac-10 and eventual national prominence. Jake Locker, Chris Polk and James Johnson give the Huskies some firepower to work with in Sarkisian’s new offense. But it was LSU who was able to grab the road win as Jordan Jefferson certainly didn’t play like the youngest quarterback in the SEC, tossing three touchdowns in the victory—including two to Terrance Toliver. The Tigers didn’t play great, but they escaped a tough environment. The defense was aggressive and looked as athletic as ever, but I still worry about this unit as it struggled with giving up the big plays it allowed last year. It’ll be interesting to see if new coordinator John Chavis’s scheme could eliminate some of holes in the defense and allow the unit to get more rest, as it was on the field for a significant longer amount of time than its counterpart.<br /><br /><strong>Miami-Florida State:</strong> It was nice to see both Jacory Harris and Christian Ponder answer their critics early in this game. Miami coach Randy Shannon showed faith in his offense by going for it on fourth down in the first quarter, and Harris rewarded him with an easy 38-yard touchdown toss on the next play. Ponder, meanwhile, showed that he could be just as effective throwing as running in converting two critical third downs on the Seminoles’ opening drive, including a closing touchdown. The opening possessions for both teams were a sign of things to come, as both signal callers took turns playing hero in an old-fashioned shootout. Ponder didn’t have a great second half and ultimately came up short on the game’s last play, but he gave Seminoles fans a glimpse of what certainly will be an exciting season. Harris flat out played beyond his years, and it’ll be interesting to see what they could do against an Oklahoma team that is expected to be without Sam Bradford.<br /><br /><strong>Other notes:</strong> I’ll hold off on bashing the Big Ten (and believe me, I’m a lifelong Chicagoan so I’ll always be partial to the conference), but the league did not have its greatest showing this opening weekend. Ohio State’s struggles with Navy could be attributed to being out of sync defensively against the option attack, but I would worry more about its O-line if I were an Ohio State fan. Iowa should never have allowed Northern Iowa to be in any position whatsoever to win the game, while I expected a lot more from Adam Weber and Minnesota against the Greg Paulus-led Syracuse squad. I will say, however, that the Gophers’ Eric Decker might be the most unheralded receiver in the nation. Michigan has speed on both sides of the ball, and the defense that I expected to help the offense out last year has finally showed up under new coordinator Greg Robinson.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-23624853021712811592009-08-12T09:03:00.004-05:002009-08-12T14:04:30.576-05:00Va. Tech's Evans Tears ACL, Will Miss Season<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_beEEbKL_7D0/SoLNeswXqhI/AAAAAAAAACY/itV6eCeLrds/s1600-h/Darren+Evans_action1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369079633072859666" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 278px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_beEEbKL_7D0/SoLNeswXqhI/AAAAAAAAACY/itV6eCeLrds/s320/Darren+Evans_action1.jpg" border="0" /></a>Virginia Tech, the favorite to win the ACC and a popular pick for a darkhorse national champion this season, suffered a devestating blow during practice on Tuesday when running back Darren Evans tore his left ACL. Evans, who set several school rushing records as a freshman, will miss the entire season.<br /><br /><div>Evans, the MVP of last season's Orange Bowl, rushed for 1,265 yards last year and set a Virginia Tech single-game record for rushing with 253 yards against Maryland. His 11 touchdowns also set school freshman records for rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns.<br /></div><br /><div>While the Hokies certainly have depth at running back, none of the backs are as accomplished as Evans. Redshirt freshman Ryan Williams, following an impressive spring showing, and Josh Oglesby, a redshirt sophomore who saw some playing time last year, are expected to carry the load this fall. Highly touted true freshman David Wilson should also receive plenty of carries as the season progresses. But the loss of Evans puts even more pressure on mobile quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who will have to play steadily in his first full season as a starter in order for the Hokies to play up to many people's expectations.</div><br /><div></div><div>Meanwhile, USC quarterback Aaron Corp sat out practice on Tuesday after bruising his left knee when a lineman rolled into him on Monday. Corp will undergo an MRI on Wednesday to determine whether the injury is more serious than a bruise. This is bad news for Corp as freshman Matt Barkley has garnered a lot of attention and praise on campus. The Trojans, who have won seven straight Pac-10 titles, open the season against San Jose State and can very well use that matchup to let Barkley get his feet wet. It's stunning that Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain cannot even generate buzz anymore playing on a campus so close to L.A. But I guess that's life when you're playing on a team with so much talent.</div><br /><div></div><div>A couple of notes from the Phillies-Cubs game in Chicago last night...</div><br /><div>Brad Lidge blew the seventh save of his injury-shortened season and is clearly not the same player who was automatic last year during the Phillies' World Series run. Although he came into the game 8-for-8 during save situations in the second half, his pitches have not been as crisp and he is still struggling with location.</div><br /><div>The Cubs are not without their own relief woes, however. While some may consider the injuries to Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly to be the most detrimental, I still believe Carlos Marmol's inability to consistently throw strikes will ultimately lead to the Cubs' demise this season.</div>Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-84238654491507296842009-08-11T09:56:00.005-05:002009-08-12T17:09:28.661-05:00Ricciardi Blunders Again, But What Else is New?<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_beEEbKL_7D0/SoM8-yf_I7I/AAAAAAAAAC4/Y9JcVf2-gg0/s1600-h/Alex_Rios_action1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369202230161253298" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 252px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_beEEbKL_7D0/SoM8-yf_I7I/AAAAAAAAAC4/Y9JcVf2-gg0/s320/Alex_Rios_action1.jpg" border="0" /></a>I think it may be time for J.P. Ricciardi to take his commemorative copy of Moneyball home with him and let real baseball executives play General Manager for a change. The same GM who let his star pitcher Roy Halladay hang out to dry has made yet another boneheaded decision, letting outfielder Alex Rios walk away for free to the Chicago White Sox without getting anything in return. Sure, the Jays are saving money by unloading Rios' huge contract to another team, but Rios is a player who is simply having a down year and whose best baseball is in his immediate future.<br /><div></div><br /><div>Sure, $62 million remaining on a contract of a guy who has underachieved this year is tough for a Canadian baseball team in a rough economy to endure. And ESPN's Jayson Stark had an interesting take on Rios this morning on <em>Mike & Mike in the Morning</em>. Stark rattled off the following Alex Rios statistics in regards to his major league rankings since he signed his big deal:</div><br /><div></div><div>-110th in slugging</div><div>-99th in home runs</div><div>-105th in batting average</div><div>-169th in on-base percentage</div><br /><div></div><div>So Ricciardi did the right thing by dumping Rios, right? Absolutely not. No one in baseball could tell me that acquiring even lower level prospects was impossible in exchange for taking on a big contract. Ricciardi stated that the White Sox wanted the Jays to include money for Rios' contract in the deal if they were to give up any players. <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090810&content_id=6354958&vkey=news_cws&fext=.jsp&c_id=cws">According to Ricciardi</a>, he didn't see the worth in that because he apparently wouldn't be able to address other team needs. "For us to eat money and not get players that we thought we wanted," Ricciardi said, "I think it would've been counterproductive. We weren't able to get some of the players that we would've liked. From that standpoint, we just said the best thing in this case is to get the financial flexibility from every dollar."</div><br /><div></div><div>Financial flexibility to do what? Sign B.J. Ryan again? Give big money to an Alex Rios-type who supposedly is not worth the time after one down year? Was keeping the contract on the books in the hopes that Rios bounces back next year too simple of a solution for a sabermetrically obsessed GM? He did, after all, hit .297 with 24 home runs and 85 RBIs just two years ago.</div><br /><div></div><div>The main problem I have in acquiring zero prospects in return is the fact that Ricciardi was unable to move Lyle Overbay, Scott Downs and a host of other veterans who could have netted cheaper bodies at the trade deadline. I mean, money was what this was all about, right J.P.?</div><br /><div></div><div>From the White Sox standpoint, the club was able to acquire a versatile power-speed combo who can play all three outfield positions but will likely settle into center field for the long-term. With the exception of one solid season from Aaron Rowand, the White Sox haven't had a decent center field option since Lance Johnson. And despite his disappointing .264-14-64 line this year thus far, Rios' numbers will be helped by playing in hitter-friendly U.S. Cellular Field.</div><br /><div></div><div>Combined with new acquisition Jake Peavy, the pair will make more than $115 while on the White Sox payroll--a stunning development for a club led by a very <em>very</em> financially conservative owner. It'll take a few years to see if the Rios acquisition ends up paying dividends for the White Sox. But two things are clear: First, this isn't your older brother's tight-spending White Sox club. Second, J.P. Ricciardi has to go.</div>Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-10309839111022055042009-08-10T09:13:00.013-05:002009-08-12T14:12:46.551-05:00Yanks Dispose of Sox, Extend AL East Lead<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_beEEbKL_7D0/SoL4-L1wvDI/AAAAAAAAACw/znSBVaDCEjs/s1600-h/David_Ortiz_action1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369127452992912434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 316px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_beEEbKL_7D0/SoL4-L1wvDI/AAAAAAAAACw/znSBVaDCEjs/s320/David_Ortiz_action1.jpg" border="0" /></a>Jon Lester did everything he could on Sunday night to prevent a four-game sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees, but Daniel Bard surrendered back-to-back two-out homers as the Bronx Bombers took all four games at Yankee Stadium this weekend to give the club a 6 1/2 game lead over the Red Sox in the AL East. Boston is now tied with Texas for the lead in the AL wild-card race, while Tampa Bay sits just a game and a half behind. The Red Sox led the AL East by five games on June 24.<br /><br /><div></div><div>Boston carries a season-high six-game losing streak as it heads home to welcome the Detroit Tigers into town.</div><br /><div>Clearly, the Red Sox are struggling mightily offensively, and ESPN's Buster Olney made a great comparison over the weekend, noting that the Sox look very similar to some Yankees teams from a couple of years ago: overloaded with older, defensively challenged corner infield/DH types. I didn't want to believe it this past winter when the Yanks snagged Mark Teixeira, but he just may have been the tipping point in the battle for AL East supremacy. The Red Sox have had to deal with nagging injuries to Mike Lowell, a terrible season from David Ortiz (despite his coming around a little bit the last few months) and an average season from J.D. Drew. These factors forced the club to deal for Adam LaRoche--who was later dealt for Casey Kotchman--and Victor Martinez, who is a solid all-around player but is not the frontline pitcher that the club probably could have acquired at the deadline to pair with Josh Beckett if not for its offensive woes.</div><br /><div>Now the club will have to stare history straight in the eye, as Boston has never overcome a defecit of 5 1/2 games or more to the Yankees in either the American League or AL East.</div><br /><div>The Cleveland Browns held a scrimmage on Sunday, and ESPN's Chris Mortensen told <em>Mike & Mike in the Morning</em> that neither Brady Quinn nor Derek Andersen was great...or terrible. Quinn registered a 51-yard TD pass while Andersen produced a long drive that was stalled when D'Qwell Jackson picked off a pass near the goal line. The one thing that remains clear is that head coach Eric Mangini will not be swayed by public opinion in deciding who will line up under center in Week One.</div><br /><div>Tiger Woods came from three shots behind Padraig Harrington on Sunday to win the Bridgestone Invitational for the seventh time and will now try to win the season's last major at Hazeltine. Finishing with a 5-under 65, Woods won back-to-back tour events and became the first golfer in history to win on one course seven times.</div><br /><div></div><div>Down one shot to Harrington and in the trees on the par-5 16th, Woods used an 8-iron to deliver a shot that landed a foot from the hole, and his subsequent birdie started an incredible turn for the worse for Harrington. A winner of two majors last year, Harrington carded a shocking triple bogey on the same hole that led to Woods winning for the 70th time in his career.<br /><br />It's ashame, however, that the event was seemingly marred by the pairing being put on a clock on the 16th tee after apparently falling behind schedule. Woods even admitted that he was probably aided by the fact that Harrington rushed his shots on the disastrous 16th, where Harrington entered with a one-shot lead. Both men hit errant tee shots, but Tiger was able to escape disaster with his beautiful iron play--and he escaped the 16th with a three-shot lead. Was the victory tainted, or was it just Tiger being Tiger?</div>Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-65809668302548255942009-07-01T13:37:00.009-05:002009-07-22T13:56:36.678-05:00Blackhawks Make Splash Again, Sign Hossa<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_beEEbKL_7D0/SlElFdm6_ZI/AAAAAAAAACQ/e9osnnzrvNY/s1600-h/Hossa_action1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355102207697681810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_beEEbKL_7D0/SlElFdm6_ZI/AAAAAAAAACQ/e9osnnzrvNY/s320/Hossa_action1.jpg" border="0" /></a>Last offseason, coming off a campaign full of renewed energy and optimism, Chicago Blackhawks management decided to break the bank in an all-out effort to compete for the team's first Stanley Cup championship since 1961. With the blessing of chairman Rocky Wirtz, general manager Dale Tallon promptly went out and signed the best defenseman available, Brian Campbell, to an eight-year, 56.8 million dollar contract and goaltender Cristobal Huet for four years at a combined 22.5 million dollars on the very first day of free agency. After an incredibly quick turnaround this past season, one in which saw the Hawks advance to the Western Conference finals, management is intent on reiterating just how serious the franchise is about reclaiming its past glory.<br /><br /><div>With unrestricted free agents Martin Havlat and Nikolai Khabibulin expected to be of main concern, general manager Dale Tallon shocked the league and hockey fans in Chicago by announcing the <a href="http://blackhawks.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=432996">signing of four-time All-Star</a> right wing Marian Hossa to a 12-year, 62.8 million dollar contract. The 30-year-old Hossa skated for Detroit last season after signing a one-year deal with the Red Wings in hopes of winning a Stanley Cup. He'll have plenty of chances--12 to be exact--to try to win one with his hungry new teammates on the Hawks.</div><br /><div>The Slovakian, a first-round pick of Ottawa in the 1997 Entry Draft, led the Red Wings in goals with 40 last year while also contributing 31 assists. In 23 playoff games, he tallied 15 points (6-9) as the Wings fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins--his former team--in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. In 11 NHL seasons with four teams, Hossa has amassed 719 points (339-380) in 775 regular season games and has 76 points (31-45) in 98 playoff contests.</div><br /><div>Hossa had been on the receiving end of mocking--particularly from Penguins fans--for bypassing opportunities to sign a mega deal last offseason, instead choosing to sign a one-year deal with the Wings, the team he thought had the best chance to win the Cup. With the main objective winning his first championship since hoisting the Memorial Cup 11 years ago with Portland of the Western Hockey League, Hossa believes the rejuvenated Blackhawks offer him the best chance to win the highly desired Cup.</div><br /><div>With the signing of Hossa, Martin Havlat will be signing elsewhere after finally staying healthy for an entire season and arguably being the Hawks' best forward throughout last season. Havlat announced his desire to stay in Chicago on <a href="http://twitter.com/martinhavlat">his Twitter page</a>, but has clearly been replaced by the more experienced and stronger Hossa. It also looks as if Nikolai Khabibulin will have a new home, as the Hawks seem to be positioned to have Corey Crawford or Antti Niemi back up Huet next season.</div><br /><div>The Hawks also announced the signing of fourth-line center Tomas Kopecky to a two-year contract on Wednesday afternoon. Kopecky, 27, was a teammate of Hossa's last season in Detroit, and he finished second on the team with 109 hits while tallying career highs in goals (6), assists (13) and points (19) in 79 regular season games. In four seasons with the Wings, Kopecky appeared in 183 regular season games.</div>Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-28604079615652252972009-06-22T08:01:00.001-05:002009-06-22T10:42:14.658-05:00Can Barnes Hold Off Field For Open Championship?<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_beEEbKL_7D0/Sj-mOqBACdI/AAAAAAAAACI/2vnfEczCFyE/s1600-h/Barnes_USOpen.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350177653066303954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 156px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_beEEbKL_7D0/Sj-mOqBACdI/AAAAAAAAACI/2vnfEczCFyE/s200/Barnes_USOpen.jpg" border="0" /></a>The U.S. Open Championship concludes today--hopefully--as Ricky Barnes tries to put a disastrous third-round behind him and hold off co-leader Lucas Glover in the conclusion of the final round at Bethpage Black. Barnes held a six-shot lead at one time on Sunday during the third round, but slipped to a tie for the lead at 7-under-par when play was halted due to darkness. Barnes and Glover enter the day with a five-shot lead, but both are rookies when it comes to dealing with the immense pressure of contending in a major.<br /><br /><div><div>Among the notables chasing the leaders are Phil Mickelson, who sits five shots back after making a couple of long birdies to close the third round. David Duval, winless since 2001, also sits five behind and has played steadily throughout the tournament. What a great story it would be if the one-time British Open champ could make a run on Monday. Tiger Woods, who at one time was 15 strokes behind the leader, sits at even par with 11 holes to play after a frustrating Sunday with the putter.</div><br /><div>The Open is undoubtedly my favorite golf tournament of the year--with the British coming in a close second. But for whatever reason--most likely because of the inclement weather--it's been hard for me to really be intrigued by this year's edition. Let's hope that this year's Monday play is as exciting as last year's when Tiger outlasted Rocco Mediate in an epic 19-hole playoff.</div><br /><div>You can follow the leaderboard throughout the day <a href="http://www.usopen.com/en_US/index.html">here</a> for your comprehensive hole-by-hole coverage.</div><br /><div>On the tennis circuit, the Championships at Wimbledon is underway as Roger Federer, James Blake and Maria Sharapova, among others, take the court today at the All-England Club. Federer looks to coast to another Wimbledon title with ailing number-one seed Rafael Nadal missing this year's tournament with a bum knee.</div><br /><div>Follow match-by-match results <a href="http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/index.html">here</a> all day long.</div></div>Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-21373840725088893162008-12-23T10:23:00.011-06:002009-05-07T13:38:25.904-05:00Favre, Pennington Cross Paths on SundayHow great is it that the playoff hopes of the New York Jets hinge on their juicy matchup Sunday in the Meadowlands against the Miami Dolphins, who are led by the man run out of New York when the Jets acquired Brett Favre. Chad Pennington has a chance not only to ruin the Jets' once-flourishing season but also the New England Patriots', as well.<br /><br />Just four weeks ago, the Jets sat at 8-3 following back-to-back wins on the road against the Pats and unbeaten Tennessee Titans. But bad losses to Denver at home as well as San Francisco and Seattle on the road have left the Jets in a precarious situation. However, if they can beat the Dolphins on Sunday and have either New England or Baltimore lose, they will find themselves with a playoff berth and renewed life. The Pats travel to Buffalo to play the Bills, while the Ravens will host the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, the Jets must take care of business against a Dolphins team led by the castoff QB with the second-highest passer rating in the NFL. Pennington has helped lead the Dolphins' incredible transformation from a 1-15 team to a sound 10-5 group that is playing with the utmost confidence in coach Tony Sparano's first season at the helm. What many considered to be the one team with no chance of competing in the AFC East this season now stands as the team that controls its own destiny.<br /><br />For the Jets, Favre has struggled mightily just when the team has needed him the most. He leads the NFL in interceptions with 19 and has looked, quite frankly, like a 39-year-old quarterback. His arm strength seems to have waned, and he is back to throwing the rock up for grabs. The key Sunday for the Jets is to employ a healthy dose of Thomas Jones and to utilize Dustin Keller and their wideouts in shorter passing routes. Third-and-long situations could bring out the worst in Favre and pave the way for--what at the beginning of the season looked like--a Dolphins victory and the ultimate vindication.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-6682240162501127562008-12-22T10:15:00.004-06:002009-05-07T13:39:17.202-05:00How 'Bout Them Cowboys?Really, how 'bout them Dallas Cowboys? After pulling to within two points twice on Saturday night in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens, Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain ripped off two incredibly easy, long runs up the middle to take the life out of the Texas Stadium crowd and stun the Cowboys 33-24. The loss crippled Dallas' playoff hopes while providing the Ravens with a banner win in coach John Harbaugh's first season. Unable to pick up the Ravens blitz throughout the game, the Dallas offensive line looked sluggish, lost and old. Tony Romo threw two desperation fly balls to Ed Reed that had no business being tossed. And now, the Cowboys find themselves needing help to sneak into the NFC playoffs.<br /><br />By the way, how tough is Derrick Mason? Certainly a nice contrast to the main wideout on the opposing sideline, as Mason played through a dislocated left shoulder and caught the lone Joe Flacco touchdown.<br /><br />Another NFC East team flopped big-time this weekend, as the Philadelphia Eagles played a clunker of a contest in a 10-3 loss to the Washington Redskins. The Eagles blew a chance to move ahead of both Dallas and Tampa Bay in the race for the final NFC wild-card spot with a game to play and now need a victory over Dallas--and help--to get in. The loss also snapped the Eagles' three-game winning streak, as a seemingly resurgent offense during the streak went suddenly inept on Sunday.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants remained the class of the NFC East--and of the entire conference--with a 34-28 overtime victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night. The victory, fueled by Derrick Ward's career-high 215 rushing yards and Brandon Jacobs' three touchdowns, earned the Giants the NFC's top seed for the playoffs. The Panthers wasted a terrific effort by DeAngelo Williams, who rushed for four touchdowns en route to setting Carolina's single-season rushing touchdown mark.<br /><br />The New York Jets wasted no terrific efforts in their pathetic showing in a loss to Seattle. The Jets continued their losing ways on the West Coast, falling to 0-4 in games three time zones away from home as Brett Favre failed to throw a touchdown for the third time in four games. He now has just one touchdown and six picks in that period as the Jets' playoff hopes are now on life support.<br /><br />The Arizona Cardinals certainly looked playoff-ready in their 47-7 loss to the New England Patriots, as quarterback Kurt Warner went just 6-of-18 for 30 yards in his worst performance of the season. Just as the Jets can't win out West, the Cards can't win out East. The past two weeks have seen the Cards down at least 28-0 at the half, the first time a team has trailed by at least four touchdowns at the half in back-to-back games since the '61 Raiders.<br /><br />Is there any reason at all to mention the AFC West "battle" taking place between Denver and San Diego? Good luck to both teams next week as the two collide in a battle of mediocrity on Sunday Night Football.<br /><br />Finally, the Atlanta Falcons clinched an incredibly unlikely playoff berth with a 24-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome. The Falcons forced four Minnesota turnovers and Matt Ryan was steady again under center, as Atlanta prevented the Vikings from clinching the NFC North division title. They now must hope the Bears lose at home tonight to Green Bay or at Houston next week, or the Vikes must beat the New York Giants at the Metrodome next Sunday.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-76208221281813982312008-12-19T10:14:00.005-06:002008-12-25T12:34:56.410-06:00Manning On Cruise Control in Colts WinPeyton Manning completed his first 17 passes of the game, threw for 364 yards and tossed three touchdowns in leading the Indianapolis Colts to their eighth consecutive win by defeating Jacksonville 31-24 last night. Despite trailing 14-0 and 24-14, Manning was calm, cool and effective as the savvy vet led the Colts comeback despite playing without Joseph Addai and Marvin Harrison. The Jaguars, meanwhile, fell to 5-10 and are undoubtedly one of the biggest disappointments in the league this year.<br /><br />One of the biggest questions remaining is whether the Dallas Cowboys came together last week in midst of team turmoil and used their game against the New York Giants as a springboard to bigger and better things. We will find out on Saturday night as the 'Boys host the Baltimore Ravens in the final regular season game at storied Texas Stadium.<br /><br />The Giants, meanwhile, play another big Sunday night game this week against the Carolina Panthers. Back-to-back poor performances against the Eagles and Cowboys have Giants fans wondering if this team can indeed win without Plaxico Burress. The bigger key, indeed, is the health of Brandon Jacobs, as his presence and productivity allows Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw to be bigger factors.<br /><br />Mike Holmgren will be coaching his last home game as head honcho of the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday fittingly against Brett Favre and the New York Jets. While Holmgren will be stepping away from Seattle at the end of the year, I would be shocked if he was not back in the league after a year away from the game to re-energize. I wouldn't even be shocked if he contemplated coaching somewhere else next season, as he surely will be wooed by another team this offseason and has already admitted to St. Louis media that he has had second thoughts about his decision. This game for the Jets, meanwhile, will make or break their season, as the team is winless on the West Coast this year.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-22397284161612648972008-12-18T11:04:00.005-06:002008-12-25T12:35:42.938-06:00Paterno Inks Extension With Penn StateKudos to Penn State for giving head football coach Joe Paterno a three-year extension, a deal that quiets any talk of dissension between Paterno and university administration. The soon-to-be 82-year-old clearly showed this season that he can still coach after guiding his Nittany Lions to an 11-1 campaign, a season that potentially could have culminated in a berth in the BCS title game if not for a slip-up at Kinnick Stadium against Iowa. The winningest coach in major college football history has his Nittany Lions instead in the Rose Bowl against Southern Cal on New Year's Day in what should be a vintage college football January 1st game.<br /><br />The best part of this deal is the fact that Paterno most likely won't stay on as coach through 2011. This extension is merely a way for the university to show its appreciation for the coach who did more for the school than any other figure over the past 50-plus years. By extending his contract, it eliminates the year-to-year wrangling from both sides and allows Paterno the comfortability and peace of mind that he deserves after having to put up with his critics for the last decade.<br /><br />It's just amazing that Paterno's salary is nowhere close to some other big-name coaches who have accomplished far less in shorter careers. But then again, Paterno has always been underappreciated for his efforts both on and off the football field.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-6148960769245299582008-12-17T11:03:00.007-06:002008-12-23T23:25:11.979-06:00Giants Need Offense to Rush Back to ConsistencyMuch has been made of the struggles of the New York Giants' offense without star wideout Plaxico Burress. And while it's true that the lack of Plax's presence and production has hindered the effectiveness of the offense, the real culprit has been the lack of a ground game in recent weeks. The absence of Brandon Jacobs to injury has clearly affected the performance of Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw. Both backs have been effective in this offense because of their change-of-pace nature when contrasted against Jacobs. With both being thrust into more prominent roles, defenses have been able to force a lot of unmanageable third downs. Thus, Eli Manning has looked uncomfortable in the pocket and has been forced to scramble because defensive linemen are pinning their ears back and rushing the O-Line with authority in evident passing situations. The return of Jacobs to good health is vital for the offense to have any chance to move on without Plax.<br /><br />Brett Favre on the AFC Pro Bowl roster and not Chad Pennington? Believe me, the Favre New York story is great, but Pennington--even Philip Rivers, Matt Cassel and Kerry Collins--deserved to go over Favre.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Tennessee's Albert Haynesworth actually made a lot more money with his Pro Bowl invite, as a clause in his contract allows him to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end with his selection to the game. Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch, however, must be able to return from injuries if the Titans are to fulfill their Super Bowl aspirations. Having a first-round bye will give the the defensive standouts an extra week to heal.<br /><br />In the NBA, the Boston Celtics put their 15-game winning streak on the line tonight against the Atlanta Hawks, the team that took the C's to seven games in their first-round playoff series last year. The game is in Atlanta, where the Hawks took all three home games in last year's series and have only one defeat there this season. After stopping the Cleveland Cavaliers' seven-game winning streak on Saturday, can the Hawks do the same to Celts? The streak has to end sometime. Not to make too much of a regular-season NBA game in December, but this is a statement game for the Atlanta Hawks franchise.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-17237982324834846002008-12-16T11:35:00.004-06:002008-12-17T21:04:33.425-06:00Eagles Win Third Straight, But Questions RemainThe Philadelphia Eagles beat the Cleveland Browns 30-10 last night in yet another subpar Monday Night Football game. I keep hearing about how good the Eagles defense looked after giving up less than 200 total yards--and they did look good--but can we keep in mind that they were playing the Browns...with Ken Dorsey at quarterback? Sorry, but every time the Eagles are brought into NFC playoff conversation I instantly think of two things: 1. Terrible play calling in short-yardage situations; and 2. Donovan McNabb not winning a big game. Perhaps giving up 36 points to Baltimore and rookie QB Joe Flacco three weeks ago was indeed the wakeup call this team needed, but keep in mind that they played a fading Kurt Warner-led Cardinals team the next week followed by a Giants team re-adjusting to life without Plax prior to Monday night's game against lowly Cleveland. Sorry to temper the enthusiasm Eagles fans, but your season will ultimately be defined in the next two weeks against the 'Skins and 'Boys. It's playoffs or bust for Andy Reid's squad.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-68021444078595364082008-12-15T10:54:00.009-06:002008-12-17T19:41:31.746-06:00'Boys Notch Huge Win Behind Witten, Not T.O.Oh, sorry for that headline T.O. I didn't mean to pull an Ed Werder on you.<br /><br />Seriously, maybe the best thing I've seen in the NFL this season was the dropped pass by T.O. on third down in the opening series of the Cowboys' 20-8 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday night. The second-best thing I've seen had to be Jason Witten picking up the first down on third-and-9 to prevent the G-Men from getting the ball back and mounting a comeback. Hopefully--for the Cowboys' sake--all is now quiet on the Southwestern front...until T.O. has another three-catch performance...<br /><br />By the way, was Tim Hightower on the field at all yesterday for Arizona in its terrible loss to Minnesota? The Cardinals proved once again that they don't match up favorably with a team with a winning record, while the Vikings may have just wrapped up the NFC North. One Vikings win or a Chicago Bears loss gives them the division crown.<br /><br />Pittsburgh out-Baltimored the Ravens yesterday and now look like the team to beat for sure in the AFC. How quickly I forget about the Titans, right? Truth be told, I'm a little worried about Kerry Collins matching up against a Dick LeBeau-led defense. I'm also worried about Albert Haynesworth potentially being out for an extended period of time with that left knee injury sustained in Sunday's loss to Houston. You just cannot replace the likely NFL Defensive Player of the Year. As for the Colts, they did not impress me on Sunday against the Lions. Take away a few Dallas Clark catches and the Lions have their first win. New England? They played the Raiders, who while being more competitive than I thought this year, are still owned by Al Davis.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-46454947338369634562008-12-12T15:21:00.001-06:002008-12-16T15:44:20.419-06:00Harrell's Heisman Snub a TravestyLet me preface this piece by stating that I really could care less about the Heisman Trophy because the award does not go to the best player in college football each year; it goes to the best player on the best team. So I really much prefer to watch the games being played on the field rather than the political campaigning that occurs off it. But this particular year actually piqued my interest because of the crazy talent and sick numbers we saw every Saturday.<br /><br />For Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell not to be invited to New York City on Saturday evening for the awards ceremony is an absolute crime and a joke. If you are going to invite last year's winner--and potential Archie Griffin two-timer--Tim Tebow, sophomore gunslinger Sam Bradford and cowboy Colt McCoy--all quarterbacks--it is an absolute no-brainer to invite the guy who made throwing the football look like taking a stroll on the beach. Forty-one touchdown passes and just seven interceptions and not even an invite? Wow. Travesties like this make me embarassed to say that I'm a college football fan. Harrell's touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree to beat then-No. 1 Texas in Lubbock may have been the signature play of the year in college football, yet once again the lords of college football find a way to mess up a great story.<br /><br />Meanwhile, on the NFL beat, congratulations to Devin Hester for being the best pass-interference drawer ever. And to Bears fans who hate Rex Grossman: Kyle Orton now has thrown six picks in the last three ballgames.<br /><br />Finally, I absolutely refuse to believe this Terrell Owens story. I mean, you cannot script this juicy of a controversy. First it was San Francisco, then it was Philly. T.O., baby, you were always my guy, but this has now become absolutely ridiculous and absurd. Upset with Tony Romo for supposedly scripting secret plays behind your back? If I had Jason Witten as my tight end, I'd throw to him more than you, too. Shut up and try to get your team back into the playoffs.<br /><br />Alright I lied. One more finally: Manny Ramirez apparently is threatening retirement because of a lack of suitable free agent offers. Wow, just when we thought Manny Could Not Be As Manny as he was last season. Amazing.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-64232456792029999392008-12-11T09:39:00.005-06:002008-12-16T16:49:02.489-06:00Falling Suns Look to Rise AgainFirst, in an attempt to prepare for the rigors of half-court NBA playoff basketball, he landed the Diesel. Then, when prolonged philosophical differences between himself and coach Mike D'Antoni led to D'Antonio's fleeing to the Big Apple, he found a more defensive-minded coach in Terry Porter who was intent on toning down the high-powered offense. Now, is Phoenix general manager Steve Kerr having second thoughts about his redeveloped low-octane offense?<br /><br />The Suns continued their roster makeover on Wednesday, acquiring high-scoring guard Jason Richardson from the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Boris Diaw and Raja Bell, easily the team's two best defenders.<br /><br />While point guard Steve Nash may be unhappy about losing good friend Raja Bell and forcing the Suns to rebuild team chemistry, the trade hints at the rearrival of a more uptempo pace of basketball, something Nash surely was craving as he adjusted to the change in pace implemented by Porter.<br /><br />What this trade does is make the Suns a little more fun to watch again--but at what cost? How long can Porter coach a team that has been rebuilt into a product that he surely cannot have success molding into an image of his own?<br /><br />So much for the committment to defense and the failed emulation of the San Antonio Spurs...<br /><br />How about Carmelo Anthony notching 33 of his 45 points in the third quarter last night. Not 33 points in a game, not 33 in a half--but 33 in a single quarter. Anthony tied George Gervin's NBA record for most points in a single quarter with the feat, and I'm really interested to see how the Nuggets fare the rest of the way with Chauncey Billups at the point. Thus far, I've been impressed with the results and I've never been the biggest Carmelo guy either.<br /><br />A huge game takes place tonight at Soldier Field in Chicago, as the Bears will host the New Orleans Saints in a battle of 7-6 teams fighting for a playoff spot in the NFC. The game is big for the Saints because they have no chance to win their division and must stay afloat for a wild card berth, but it's big for the Bears because they can't make the playoffs without winning their division and they currently sit a game behind the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-33724635289373578992008-12-05T09:36:00.007-06:002008-12-16T14:58:10.678-06:00Gators, Crimson Tide Ready to RollFlorida and Alabama will battle for the SEC Championship on Saturday afternoon at Atlanta's Georgia Dome with the winner earning a trip to the BCS Championship Game. Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban will need his defense--led by safety Rashad Johnson and defensive tackle Terrance Cody--to not allow the Gators to score early and often. For Alabama to have a chance against the high-octane Gators, the Tide must stay within seven points to efficiently utilize its power running game led by Glenn Coffee. If Tim Tebow and the freshman backs get Florida out to an early lead, it will be interesting to see if John Parker Wilson will be forced to make plays in the passing game. But does Florida have a chance to score big points without Percy Harvin? Will he be able to play with his bum ankle? We shall soon find out...<br /><br />For all of the bad press he received as head coach of the Cincinnati Begals, I think it's time that Dick LeBeau gets a steady stream of praise showered on him for designing a pretty incredible--and still underrated--Pittsburgh Steelers defense. The master of the 3-4 zone blitz scheme, LeBeau manages to get his unit to play not only with intensity every week but with a central focus, as well. The Cowboys-Steelers game on Sunday should be fun to watch. Can Tony Romo get off quick passes against the Steelers' blitz scheme? Is Marion Barber going to be available?Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-49991431721874244902008-12-04T10:32:00.004-06:002008-12-05T00:31:35.161-06:00Tuberville, Auburn Part WaysTommy Tuberville stepped down as head football coach at Auburn on Wednesday after 10 seasons on the sideline at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers completed a 5-7 season last week after a blowout 36-0 loss to rival and top-ranked Alabama, a team Tuberville beat seven out of ten tries in his career. Tuberville compiled an 85-40 record with the Tigers, including a perfect 2004 season when they went 13-0 but finished second in the country. I don't think there's any doubt that athletic director Jay Jacobs started nudging Tuberville out the door immediately after the loss to Alabama. Heck, he probably even wanted him to follow his poor spread offense guru out the door in mid-October. This is the same school--depite being under a different president and athletic director--that tried to hire Bobby Petrino away from Louisville in the middle of the night five years ago, only for Tuberville to record an undefeated season the next year. Tuberville hasn't forgotten how to coach. Rather, a new sheriff is in town in the state of Alabama, and he's residing in Tuscaloosa, which made the Auburn administration a little uncomfortable. Another Tommy coaching at Clemson? I would venture to say that he'd be on the short list.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-15406891510212325702008-12-03T17:26:00.000-06:002008-12-03T18:11:00.587-06:00Were Sean Avery's Remarks Really Suspendable?Am I the only one who doesn't think Sean Avery's comments were punishable via suspension? What's the big deal with using the term "sloppy seconds" anyway? Don't get me wrong, Sean Avery might be my least favorite hockey player in the league, and I love Dion Phaneuf's game on the ice. But didn't Gary Bettman overreact a bit? I mean, give the guy a break. The source of jealousy is Elisha Cuthbert, after all. Is Avery getting punished because of his reputation? More than likely. If he was going to get suspended indefinitely, though, don't you think he should have had to at least commit an infraction on the ice to be sidelined?<br /><br />So what does the NHL want its players to do? Not talk to the media? I'm sorry but a lot of hockey players are characters and sometimes they'll provide some colorful comments. Can't we just allow these guys to be themselves, especially when the NHL can garner a smidgen of well-deserved attention from them?<br /><br />I happened to catch PTI today on the four-letter network, and I must admit that it was really disappointing to hear Michael Wilbon cite race as an issue in these successor-in-waiting scenarios being popularized recently in college football. Come on Mike. Seriously? I agree that the lack of African-American head coaches in college football is a serious problem. But an equally big problem is the lack of African-American coaches on the assistant level, as well. So how can there be a realistic number of quality African-American candidates for head jobs when the numbers are scarce on the assistant level? Will Muschamp at Texas is qualified to succeed Mack Brown. Chip Kelly will be a quality successor to Mike Belotti at Oregon. Are these AD's implementing these successors-in-waiting to avoid interviewing minority candidates as Wilbon suggests? I highly doubt it. I am usually skeptical of all things NCAA, but this one's a stretch Mike.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-7025700964532753862008-12-02T10:06:00.006-06:002008-12-03T14:21:04.674-06:00Plaxico's PlightLook for the New York Giants to use the bullet wound--and not the hamstring injury--as the reason to sit Plax for the rest of the season, as the team most likely will put Plax on the non-football injury list. To be eligible for this list, however, a player must have suffered an injury in a non-football incident; thus the importance of the bullet wound. The main reason, of course, why the Giants will have their doctors look at the wound is so that the Giants can get the money owed to Plax off the books. Now this is all dependent on whether or not the league steps in first. The Giants could also suspend him for conduct detrimental to the team, especially if his lawyer steps in to try to prevent the Giants from citing a medical reason for their benching of Plax. Bottom line is, Plax has played his last game as a Giant, as the team will no longer allow him to be associated with the franchise, especially after Mayor Bloomberg's remarks yesterday. The biggest concern for the Giants, in my opinion, is how the involvement of Antonio Pierce in this shooting will affect the team. To me, Pierce is more valuable to that squad than a guy who has not even been healthy all year on an offense that has been clicking without him.<br /><br />Tough year for Romeo Crennel. Ken Dorsey? Wow. Not only do you lose Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn, but then Kellen Winslow can't even stay healthy. I'd love to see him get another year, but the odds are heavily against it.<br /><br />Look for the diuretics issue to be resolved today, as Kevin and Pat Williams are more than likely looking at four-game suspensions, which would absolutely cripple the playoff hopes for the Minnesota Vikings. They came into last week's showdown with the Bears in must-win mode, as the team clearly had the toughest remaining schedule of the contending NFC North teams. With the win, Minnesota looked to have the upper-hand, but these suspensions probably cannot be overcome.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-29477439105853074202008-12-01T09:14:00.006-06:002008-12-03T14:28:35.559-06:00Blame the Big 12, Not the BCSI apologize for my delayed posting. I accidentally shot myself while in line at Dunkin Donuts this morning. Yeah, see I was wearing these really nice designer gloves, and I had a lot of quarters on me, so I thought it was in my best interest to protect myself.<br /><br />Oh Plax, how you have ruined one of my (four) fantasy football teams. Here's hoping that you can get your professional and personal life on track.<br /><br />Ok, now onto the drama that is college football and the BCS. My whole problem is with college football fans placing blame on the BCS right now when all of the finger pointing should be directed at the Big 12 conference. Let's remember, the BCS was designed to designate the top two teams to play for the national championship at the end of the regular season. The Big 12 should never have instituted such a tiebreaker rule that employs a ranking system that is valid only at the end of the regular season (or at the completion of conference championship games).<br /><br />If you are stubborn, though, and you still want to blame the BCS system, yell at the coaches. If you take a look at the USA Today Coaches' Poll, you will see that Oklahoma was ranked one spot ahead of Texas. I personally find it hard to believe that any self-respecting coach in America would vote OU over Texas considering that the Longhorns beat the Sooners on a neutral field. We talk about playoffs being the answer because teams could settle it on the field. Didn't Texas and Oklahoma do that in Dallas the first Saturday of October? Moronic.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-9319765593819143852008-11-26T09:14:00.006-06:002008-12-27T11:46:54.015-06:00Eat, Eat, Eat...and Eat Some More[Editor's note: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, Ramblings From The Rafters will not be published on Thursday and Friday. Dave is sorry, but he will be too busy eating. Enjoy all of the wall-to-wall sports programming on the four-letter network of your choice.]<br /><br />All I have today folks is this: Enjoy the turkey, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, peas and carrots, pumpkin pie, apple pie, turkey sandwiches, more pie, more sandwiches...<br /><br />Have a great Holiday weekend. I'll see you on Monday.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-82176910600792891212008-11-25T09:19:00.004-06:002008-12-05T00:12:44.680-06:00College Hoops Take Center StageCollege basketball officially puts its stamp on the sports landscape this week as holiday tournaments are taking place all across the country. Last night, second-ranked and popular preseason Final Four favorite Connecticut claimed the Paradise Jam championship in the Virgin Islands with a 76-57 win over 19th-ranked Wisconsin. The Huskies, who moved to 5-0, were led by Jerome Dyson's 21 points. Hasheem Thabeet, who swatted away three more shots, was named tournament MVP.<br /><br />Notre Dame smoked Indiana yesterday 88-50 in the opening round of the Maui Invitational, setting up an intriguing semifinal tonight against the Longhorns of Texas. Wow, how bad is Indiana going to be this year? The Hoosiers have just two returning players--one who's a walk-on--in Tom Crean's first season at the helm. But Crean will do a fantastic job there just as he did at Marquette.<br /><br />Ball State looks to clinch a spot in the MAC championship game and finish off a perfect regular season tonight behind the arm of Nate Davis and the legs of MiQuale Lewis. With a win over Western Michigan, the 15th-ranked Cardinals will advance to its first-ever MAC championship game, where the Buffalo Bison will await on December 5th.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-14708600971888140182008-11-24T09:21:00.003-06:002008-12-04T23:46:17.098-06:00Reid's Benchmark Decision Bad News for EaglesI have never been the biggest fan of Donovan McNabb's throughout his NFL career. It wasn't anything personal; I just thought he lacked a certain intangible to win a big game--and not toughness or a will to win, just a certain focus that I think Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks employ throughout a big game. That being said, Andy Reid has to be out of his mind to think that inserting Kevin Kolb into a three-point game was the right thing to do for the success of his fading football team. I don't care how much McNabb was struggling--the reasons don't matter either (ESPN's Tom Jackson cited the overtime controversy last week)--Reid knows that McNabb at QB in the second half provides him with a better chance to win the game. Whether or not he was trying to light a spark under McNabb or light a spark for the team, Reid ultimately put himself in a no-win situation.<br /><br />Reid certainly will start McNabb Thanksgiving night at Lincoln Financial Field against the Arizona Cardinals. But for the Eagles fans, the only celebrating that they will be doing this year came about a month ago when the Phillies won the World Series. This Eagles team doesn't bounce back from that performance--on the field and on the sideline--yesterday against the Ravens.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-39061431083062383712008-11-21T10:41:00.006-06:002008-12-04T19:53:39.257-06:00Red Raiders Roll into Sooner CountryThe Texas Tech Red Raiders have one more test to pass--albeit a huge one--in order to officially sway the college football world that they indeed are worthy of being big boys in the BCS national championship picture. Mike Leach' squad will storm into Norman on Saturday night to take on a Bob Stoops Oklahoma team that is just salivating at the thought of shaking up the BCS standings.<br />There's no question that the numbers are filthy. The Red Raiders lead the nation in passing (433.7 ypg), are second in total offense (566.3 ypg), and third in scoring (47.9 ppg). However, while Graham Harrell leads the nation with 4,077 passing yards, counterpart Sam Bradford leads the country with 38 touchdown passes and is directing the highest-scoring team in college football (51.4 ppg).<br /><br />Memo to Browns GM Phil Savage: use spell check next time. Word catches those damn expletives.<br /><br />Running back Edgerrin James has asked the Arizona Cardinals for his release, as the veteran has been relegated to backup much of the season behind rookie Tim Hightower. Cardinals GM Rod Graves has declined, of course, knowing full well that having two capable running backs is always better than one. James' request really bothers me, as his team is having a fantastic season--finally!--and he is actually contributing to a winning team again. Can you just play out the season Edge and worry about playing time next year?Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033466455572217139.post-36967778444497987872008-11-20T08:30:00.005-06:002008-12-04T18:47:10.578-06:00White Sox Strike Up Another CubanAccording to a Chicago Tribune report, the Chicago White Sox have reached an agreement with third baseman Dayan Viciedo, the 19-year-old who defected from Cuba this past May. The report states the Sox will sign Viciedo to a contract worth around $11 million. Chicago may have had an edge in the competition for Viciedo because the club has two Cubans on its roster--AL Rookie of the Year runner-up Alexei Ramirez and pitcher Jose Contreras. Agent Jaime Torres believes Viciedo is ready to step in and fill the Sox' third base void at just 19 years of age, but Sox GM Kenny Williams has both Josh Fields and recently acquired Wilson Betemit currently competing for time at third. It'll be interesting to see if Williams could peddle Fields in a trade with Javier Vazquez, but Fields' value is certainly much lower than in last offseason.<br /><br />Is there any way we can fast forward to 2010 and let LeBron go to New York/New Jersey/Brooklyn/Madrid/Mars or wherever he wants to go? Can we end this non-drama right now?<br /><br />Mr. 2.5-million dollars per year Rich Rodriguez is telling rabid Michigan Wolverines fans to "get a life" now as the anemic Wolverines prepare to play bitter rival Ohio State on Saturday. Here's the thing Rich: when you make that much bank and are eliminated from bowl contention halfway through the season, you don't get to make those comments.Dave Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16713272689319408008noreply@blogger.com0