The World Series and College Football – My Thoughts

Usually, I love this time of year. The leaves are changing, the weather is getting cooler and I am inundated by Pro and College Football and the NASCAR Chase is on in full force. I can easily make the case that the fall is the best time of year for sports fans. This is especially true because of the baseball playoffs and the World Series. I found the Division Series and the League Championships Series to be very exciting. My team, the Yankees, did get knocked out but I can still appreciate the other teams that were playing. Now, we are finally at the point where the World Series is being played tonight. Normally, I am very excited about the World Series but the two team in this years World Series leave me with desiring more. Don’t get me wrong, both teams have done many great things to get to this point in the series but I find both teams very boring and simply two teams who cannot be considered the best in their League at any point this season.

Looking at the overall batting stats for each team, the Detroit Tigers were 17th in the MLB this year with an OPS. of .716. The San Francisco Giants were worse at 21st with an OPS. of .706. Neither team was in the top 10 for Hits, Doubles, Triples, Home Runs, Slugging Percentage and On Base Percentage. In fact both team were in the bottom 15 of all teams for all of these categories. Looking at the Lineups, you understand why. The Detroit Tigers do boast Miguel Cabrera, a Triple Crown Winner, and Prince Fielder but really have no one else in the lineup that strikes fear into pitchers that are facing this team. The Giants have Buster Posey who has a monster season of his own, and the resurgence of Marco Scutaro and Hunter Pence. Again, pitchers are not nervous facing this lineup.

The pitching for both teams during the regular season was much better with the Tigers being in the top 10 for ERA, Wins (Detroit is 11th in wins) and Strikeouts. For both teams, the starters will play an integral role in the series. Justin Verlander is really the one pitcher that everyone wants to see pitch. The Giants will counter with Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner. However, both teams also have starters such as Barry Zito, Rick Porcello and Doug Fister. The starters, for the most part, leave a lot to be desired.

To me, this World Series has the potential to be very boring watching two teams who didn’t even dominate their own leagues. I hope I am wrong about this and wish for an exciting series but as of this writing, I just don’t see it.

Switching gears I thought I would shed some light on the College Football scene. It has been an amazing College Football season so far. I have been impressed with Kansas State, Louisville and Rutgers. I am amazed at the competitive nature of Texas A&M in their first year in the SEC. I was happy to see Michigan beat Michigan State for the first time in 4 years. And then of course there is Notre Dame. I really have a hard time determining if this team is for real. The defense is outstanding but there is literally no offense to speak of. In my mind, there are really only two teams that can be considered for the BCS Championship Game: Alabama and Oregon.

While fans of the Florida Gators may beg to differ, they are just not in the caliber of these two teams. Who is stopping Alabama in the SEC? As much as I appreciate the competitive nature of Texas A&M, I just do not see them being much of a test for the Crimson Tide. I have to say the same thing for Mississippi State who hasn’t really played anyone yet outside of Tennessee. We all know the issues with Tennessee this year so that cannot even be considered a great win. That leaves only LSU with a shot at beating Alabama. While it could happen, I think the offensive issues of LSU will hold them back from beating Alabama.

Everything I said about Alabama can be said for Oregon as well. This team has always been known for their offense but their defense has come to play this year. The Ducks are now a well rounded team that can beat you on both sides of the ball. The team is so fast and have made minced meat of all of their opponents so far. Looking at Oregon’s schedule there could be a chance that Oregon State, Stanford or USC beats them. I believe this is a longshot though as Oregon is just too fast for these teams on both sides of the ball. The crazy thing though is that they play USC and Oregon State away from home so there is certainly an opportunity for an upset there.

In my mind, I believe the BCS Championship will be Alabama and Oregon. I think it will be a great matchup between two amazing teams. If I were to bet on this game, I would bet on Oregon as their offense may be too fast for the Alabama defense. In any event, it would be an amazing game to see for all College Football fans. With a few weeks left in the season, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

 

 

 

A Yankee Fan Issues His Thoughts

Over the past few weeks I have written quite extensively about the NFL at the expense of Baseball and the Baseball Playoffs. I am a Yankees fan and didn’t really want to be a homer and discuss how awesome or how bad the Yankees are. However, after watching them struggle mightily in these playoffs, I think it is about time to write about the Yankees.

A little background on me. I have been a Yankees fan all of my life. I am 38 years young and take pride in my Yankee knowledge, the special games that I have attended and having been there through the highs and the lows. For me, watching this offensively challenged team in the Playoffs is frustrating and at times makes me sick. Although I would rather see the team struggle in the Playoffs than deal with the team not making the playoffs at all.

As a Yankees fan I am pretty spoiled. Whatever happens this year, I know that there is a pretty good chance of the team being in the Playoffs next year and I am pretty certain that they will win at least another Championship in my lifetime. No other team or fan base in the Major Leagues can say this. Even with this knowledge though, the failures of the Yankees bats on the main stage this year is still a sore point. The team is batting a combined .200 through 8 postseason games. Only 7 Home Runs have been hit (3 by Ibanez), and our core of Cano (.083), Granderson (.103), Rodriguez (.130) and Swisher (.154) have been completely absent. The four of them only have 6 RBIs between them. A team just cannot have success if the heart of the batting order is putting up these kinds of numbers.

It is all the more frustrating when you see what our Pitchers have done in the postseason. The team has pitched to a 2.25 ERA with the starters giving up less than 3 runs per game in every start. The pitching was supposed to be the achilles heal of this Yankees postseason roster but that has not been the case. A fact that cannot be overlooked though is that the Tigers and Orioles, while enjoying a great year, are not strong offensive teams. Don’t get me wrong, these teams can hit but for each team, there are only 2 players in the lineup that really scare you. For the Yankees, this should have been an easy recipe for success. Weak hitting lineups from the teams you are facing and mediocre rotations of your opponents. The only pitcher that should justifiably give you concern is Justin Verlander. Yet, this lineup has had issues with retreads like Jason Hammel, Anibel Sanchez and Doug Fister. In essence, the team isn’t hitting and they are not hitting against average pitchers. Who knows what this lineup would have done if they had to face the pitching of the Texas Rangers or Tampa Bay Rays.

As we enter Game 4 of the ALCS it looks very dire for the Yankees to move on to the World Series. It is upsetting but, as I mentioned earlier, Yankees fans have the luxury of knowing that the team will be back in the playoffs and have the potential to win every year. What people outside of New York do not understand though is that the aura and following of the Yankees has changed dramatically. Hard core fans have been priced out of the new stadium, the team itself has very few likeable players and the stadium itself just doesn’t feel the same. We still root for Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and Nick Swisher. We do not hold players like Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, Russell Martin, Ichiro and Mark Teixeira in the same high regard that we did Paul O’Neill, Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada. We look at these players as true Yankees who showed emotion and acted like they truly cared about what they were doing in between the baselines. Today’s Yankees do not show this emotion and as a result, there is a disconnect with the fans.

If you are a Yankee fan that is 30 years or older like me than you know that nothing the Yankees do from here on out will compare to the 1996 run. That was the first time in close to 15 years that we felt, as fans, that this team had a real shot to do something amazing. in 1996, we were fans that were used to going to the bleachers for $6.00 and dealing with the terrible teams of the late 80s and early 90s. In 1996, after the success we saw in 1995 and, to a lesser extent, 1994, we felt that we were witnessing something special. I still remember waiting in line at Yankee Stadium to get playoff tickets to see this team win it all. Little did we know at the time that this team would not only win it all in 1996 but also go on to have one of the greatest seasons ever in 1998. This team followed it up with an impressive win in 1999 and then beat our cross town rivals, the New York Mets, in 2000.

There was something about this team that allowed all of us to connect to them. We felt every at bat, we weren’t priced out of the games and the team fought for every pitch and hit. We knew that this team was doing some amazing things and that we were witnessing history being made. Unfortunately today’s team does not make us feel the same way. Heck, they struggled over the last 2 months of the season and barely made the playoffs. We are devoid of talent in the Minor Leagues that rival the Jeter, Pettitte, Williams and Posada influx. Finally, we are seeing the majority of the team getting older and having difficulty beating secondary pitchers. The type of pitchers that the Yankees teams of the past used to demolish.

I am relegated to the belief that the Yankees probably will not win it all this year. To do so would mean a comeback of epic proportions. I do believe that the future in the Bronx is strong as we shed the payroll of some older players. At the same time Management and Ownership of the Yankees will always push this team to the playoffs. Finally, losing to the Detroit Tigers, a team that is just not as good as the Yankees team on their best day will be a tough pill to swallow. It is not as bad though as being a Detroit Tigers fan who goes to the stadium in Detroit for a few hours to watch the team play and win only to leave the stadium and realize that, despite the euphoria, you are still in Detroit. Yes, it is truly a blessing to root for the Yankees even with all their faults in the New York Metropolitan area.

Week 5 Recap

In a previous post I mentioned that the Arizona Cardinals are the surprise team of this young season. In doing so, I completely overlooked their offensive line which was completely manhandled this past weekend. I also completely overlooked the Minnesota Vikings who are sitting pretty at 4-1. They seem to be a strong team playing smart ball on both sides of the ball. Looking at their schedule, they easily could make it into the playoffs. This past weekend they trounced the Tennessee Titans which at this point in the season have the dubious distinction of being one of the worst teams in the league Along with the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars. So, at this point in the season I think it wise to not sleep on the Vikings.

The Titans really have issues that are not easily fixed. The offensive line cannot make room for Chris Johnson and they have received sporadic play from Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker. The defense has also given up over 30 points per game in each of the first 5 games. This is not a winning formula. Everything that I discussed about the Titans, could also be said by the Jaguars. Maurice Jones-Drew is the only player doing anything on the team. Justin Blackmon, their rookie Wide Receiver, has been non-existent through the first 5 games of the season. I do not see this trend ending either.

The one team that I feel has a shot to really turn things around would be the Cleveland Browns. Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden have done a lot to keep the offense afloat so far this season. The issue with this team is that Weeden does not have playmakers at the Wide Receiver or Tight End position. His greatest asset will continue to be the check down passes to Trent Richardson who will make things happen. Their defense is a work in progress but it helps getting Joe Haden back. As witnessed on Sunday, the team comes to play as they jumped out to a 14 point lead on the Giants.

If you were like me, you were flipping back and forth between the baseball playoffs and the New York Jets vs. Houston Texans game on Monday night. Watching the Jets play, I think it is safe to say that this may be a lost season for them. All the focus is on Mark Sanchez but his major issue is that lack of receivers. Two out of Three of their receivers were on the street last week and now they were pushed into the starting lineup. The results were predictable: Several missed routes, dropped balls and not getting open. Mark Sanchez, as a result, had missed throws and was rushed to get rid of the ball. It does not help that neither of their Running Backs have pass catching ability and lack the big play needed to breakthrough from a running perspective. Indicative of this evening was the perfect throw from Tim Tebow to Jason Hill only to see the ball dropped. At some point, it is not always the QBs fault.

The Texans on the other hand were able to get tremendous pressure on the Mark Sanchez. The defense continues to play at a high level with J.J. Watt supplanting himself as the top defensive player in the league for the first 5 weeks. The loss of Brian Cushing though will be tough to overcome. As someone who grew up with him, it was especially painful to see him barely get up off of the field. I do wish him the best in his speedy recovery. I do still believe that the Texans continue to be the class of the league in the AFC. I would put the Patriots and the Ravens up there as well.

In the NFC, other than the Vikings, I have been most impressed with the San Francisco 49ers. After putting up 79 points over the last two weeks, they are certainly the class of the league in the NFC. Every other team has their issues. The second closest team to them would obviously be the Atlanta Falcons who have remained strong at 5-0. The one thing that differentiates the two teams is the strength of schedule which heavily favors the 49ers. The toughest team that the Atlanta Falcons have played is the San Diego Chargers but they just turned around and lost to the winless New Orleans Saints. Going forward, it looks like the 49ers and the Falcons will be jockeying for the top seed in the NFC.

The NFL landscape shows a lot of teams at 3-2, 2-2 and 2-3. Obviously nothing has been decided in 5 weeks of football but it seems as though teams like the Packers, Giants, Eagles, Steelers, Lions and Chargers really need to start pulling away from the pack. These are the teams that people thought would be in the playoffs this year. However, the performances so far do not translate to these lofty goals. Going forward it will be make or break time for these teams.

As we move into the heard of October we will get a better glimpse of who the contenders are in each conference. Right now, my picks for the AFC playoffs would be division winners: Patriots, Ravens, Texans, Broncos. The Wild Card teams would be the Chargers and the Steelers. In the NFC the division winners would be the Giants, Vikings, Cardinals and Falcons. The Wild Card Teams would be the Cardinals and Packers. As you can see a lot of good teams could potentially be left out of the playoff picture. This is why October is so important.

 

NFL Week 4 Recap

Week 4 of the NFL has come and gone. In looking at the standings we still have 3 teams that are undefeated; Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals. Each team has risen to 4-0 in different ways. The Falcons have done it on the offensive side of the ball, the Cardinals have done it on the defensive side of the ball and well, the Texans have done it on both sides of the ball. One month into the season I believe that the Houston Texans are the cream of the crop in the NFL. A strong monstrous defense and an offense that can pick you apart in so many ways. They are one of the few teams that can run the ball and pass when needed. A team that can have its way with anyone they line up against, certainly makes the grade as the top in the league.

Perhaps more surprising then 3 undefeated teams is the fact that New Orleans and Cleveland are 0-4. I was never in the camp that thought the Saints would have a great season. However, I did not think they would go 0-4 to start the season. They are putting up points but the defense cannot stop anyone. Cleveland is 0-4 but they have come really close in 3 out of 4 of their games. Weeden is starting to come around as the quarterback. Now, he needs to hold off on the turnovers as he has 3 Touchdowns and 7 Interceptions on the year. Over the last 3 weeks we have also seen some brilliant play from Trent Richardson and that will need to continue if the Browns want to right the ship.

Another team that continues to be on a roll is the San Francisco 49ers. What an impressive display of athleticism on Sunday. They dominated the Jets on both sides of the ball. While I see San Francisco having an occasional hiccup, they are for real and should not be discounted because of one game against the Vikings. As for the Jets, more questions than answers. Mark Sanchez has completely regressed from their first game of the season and they have no running game or offensive line. Now, with the loss of Revis, the ability of the defense to make stops has been compromised. Finally, with the loss of Holmes, their receiving corp is really stretched thin. Keep in mind, that this was not a great receiving corp to begin with.

The Eagles Giants game was surprising as well. We thought both teams would come out running up the score on each other. What really went down was a defensive struggle the culminated in the game being decided by Field Goals. If I am a fan of either team, I am happy with what I saw. It seems that Mike Vick is back on track but they still need to give the ball more to McCoy. From a fans perspective I think Andy Reid, Jason Garrett and Norv Turner are the three head coaches that give their fan base the most heartburn. You just never understand their thinking and rationale. The Giants, under Coughlin, are the complete opposite. Even if the team struggles early, you have the utmost confidence in the coach to right the ship.

I am still impressed with the play of the Minnesota Vikings and the Baltimore Ravens. I do not think the Ravens defense is as good as it has been in the past but with their offense firing on all cylinders it may not make a difference. The Vikings on the other hand decided that this was the week they would win with special teams and they certainly did that. This is a team that no one is talking about yet they have a good running game, strong defense and a quarterback who is maturing right before our eyes. Ponder did not do much this past Sunday but he did manage the game effectively and prolonged drives. That is what you want from your young qb.

The Patriots came out this weekend with something to prove as well. That was evident with the 52 points they put up on the Buffalo Bills. I guess all the stories about their demise were premature. The same cannot be said about the Panthers and Lions. Both teams are struggling mightily in all facets of the game. In both instances my thoughts are that they are relying too much on Cam Newton and Matt Stafford. At some point the rest of the team has to pick up their game and match the intensity of these two individuals.

There is a lot of relief in Green Bay after Sunday’s win as well. Another call went against them but the team rallied to get the win. As I mentioned earlier, the regular officials are not that much better than the replacement officials. Green Bay found that out first hand.

This brings us to the Monday night game. I am embarrassed to be a Cowboys fan. I really do not know what else to say. My team is atrocious. They are the most undisciplined team in the NFL with regards to False Starts, Delay of Games and Holding penalties. For the most part, they kept those penalties in check last night. I thought, wow we have a chance here as we are not hurting ourselves. Then, the television crew decided to show a shot of Rob Ryan. It was at that point that I lost all hope. He is, by far, the most overrated defensive coordinator in the game. Yes, his brother is bloated and makes extreme comments, but his brother did take his team to the Championship game. Rob Ryan has nothing on his resume that remotely acknowledges that he is a top Defensive Coach.

Everyone this morning will be discussing the failings of Tony Romo which is accurate but let’s look at the other side of the ball. The Dallas defense did not get any pressure on Jay Cutler! Read that sentence to yourself again. This is a team that easily has the worst offensive line in football yet they somehow kept the Cowboys at bay. The Cowboys secondary, Carr, Claiborne, Scandrick, Sensabaugh, Jenkins and McCray were atrocious as well. Devin Hester and Brandon Marshall were wide open so many times in this game. Scnadrick and Sensabaugh should not even be on an NFL roster yet they are starting for the Cowboys after the Barry Church injury. At this point I have to say that Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne are overrated as they simply did not get the job done. The defense gave up 368 yards to a team that has struggled in their previous 3 games to get any momentum going on offense.

The Cowboys offense was not much better. 4 dropped passes by Dez Bryant, a missed route by Dez Bryant that led to a pick 6, a dropped pass by Ogletree that led to an interception and then no running game to speak of. The one bright spot? Dez Bryant finally eclipsed 100 yard receiving in a game for the first time in his career and it looks like Jason Witten is part of the passing game again. Tony Romo had his issues as well. He overthrew 2 receivers and had a terrible interception that led to another touchdown. Finally, when he was trying to get the team back into the game, he threw 2 more interceptions.

My thoughts on this game are twofold. First, the Cowboys Offensive Line is just as anemic as some of the other Lines in the league. They cannot help the ground game and their pass protection is porous at best. My second thought is that Jason Garrrett is over matched as a head coach. There is a lack of discipline on this team as witnessed by the dropped passes, missed routes and penalties. These are things that just should not be happening in the 4th game of the season.

Looking at the schedule, I just do not see how the Cowboys do not finish 6-10. If I was Jerry Jones, I would be embarrassed to show my face. I built this huge stadium yet, over the past 10 years, I have put a team on the field that has completely under achieved. I look at each Cowboy game and I have a sick feeling in my stomach. Somehow, some way, we will blow this game or make the game closer than it needs to be. I just do not feel like we dominate teams the way we should be. More importantly, we are usually the team getting dominated as witnessed by the Seahawks this year and now the Chicago Bears. It will be a long season in Cowboy nation. A season where the question will constantly be asked; Can we win with Jason Garrett and Tony Romo?

 

So Long NHL?

The man that is responsible for ruining Hockey and the NHL!

Today, it has been announced that training camp for the NHL has been cancelled. Since the lockout was announced on September 16th, I can say that this revelation was not unexpected. While the Union and the NHL is meeting today, most sportswriters who follow the NHL do not expect a lot to be accomplished. This leads me to wonder if the NHL, as we know it, is soon to be history.

The NHL is coming off one of their epic playoff seasons in years. A playoffs that saw a Major Market team take home the cup over the “re-building” Devils who have the greatest goalie of all time in their nets. We saw epic series leading up to the Stanley Cup Finals and arenas around North America were packed. In fact, you heard among fans that they didn’t want the season to end and that they were gearing up for a strong 2012-2013 season. So what does the NHL do? It creates a lockout!

Gary Bettman wants to believe that his league is as popular as the NFL, MLB and NBA. This is simply not the case. There are areas like the Northeast, Midwest and Canada where hockey and the NHL is very popular. However, it is a league that just does not have the staying power of any of the other leagues. Many franchises struggle financially year in and year out, players are not paid as much as athletes in the other leagues and it is a league that sincerely lacks a major television contract. All three of these issues plus others leads up to a league that is on a slipper slope. A lockout just adds to the issues.

One of the other major issues with regards a lockout in the NHL as opposed to other sports is that the hockey players have other opportunities to play. As we have seen with players like Ilya Kovalchuk and others, they can just go overseas and play for the professional teams there. Unlike the foreign professional basketball teams, the professional hockey teams overseas are well trained and well received by the fans. When the union decides to hold out against the NHL, the belief is that the players will be in unison with this decision. While they may be in unison, the players are still seeking out ways to make money and play for a living. When a lockout occurs, there is no rush to get something done because the players have alternatives.

The commissioner has to understand this and do everything in his power to save his league. I do not think the NHL can survive a prolonged lockout. Teams like the Devils and Coyotes are already financially strapped. Other teams, like the Rangers and Kings, are looking to build off of the momentum that they had going in the previous season. The NHL has also been able to capitalize on its relationship with NBC and the NBC Sports channel. The NHL has also finally pushed some of their athletes into the limelight such as Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. All that has been built over the last two or three years will come crashing down in a New York Minute with a prolonged lockout.

My gut tells me that this will be a long lockout. It is not a secret that NHL players are seriously underpaid when you look at what their counterparts in the NFL, MLB and NBA make. Bettman is hoping that he can curtail these salaries even more. I just do not see how the NHL hopes to accomplish this. The franchises are obviously worried about the bottom line with regards to salaries but now they are losing the gate revenue as well. As a result, when the lockout ends, ticket prices will increase across the board. For the most part, a hockey game is less expensive than other sporting event except for the MLS. At what point though, does a prolonged lockout make it just as expensive as the other sports as the franchises and owners try to make up for lost gate revenue?

My thoughts are that each side needs to work quickly to alleviate the lockout. Players will become comfortable playing overseas and may not return. The fans are left out in the cold not having anything to watch or attend. Personally, I just cant sit through NBA games so that leaves college basketball. We also have the issue of teams folding because of the lockout. This is unfathomable to me. Finally, the opportunity for NHL games to be seen on major TV will be limited.

While I do not expect miracles in today’s meeting, I do hope that they can get a few things accomplished that will lead to more productive talks in the coming weeks. Hockey fans are a rabid bunch and we want nothing more than to see our players on the ice. Make it happen Gary!

NFL Week 3 Recap – Why You Shouldn’t Blame The Refs

Who Should be Blamed for this Debacle?

We all woke up this morning to the news discussing how the Officials blew the call in the Monday night matchup between the Packers and Seahawks. The onslaught of commentary even included players like TJ Lang resorting to Twitter to politely tell the officials that they suck. I get it. The officials are not doing well. However, given the circumstances, they are performing as about as well as can be expected. Please, please remember that we have had botched calls from the regular officials as well. A bad call is not something that just sprouted up with the replacement refs. The bad call has been there since there were officials and more rules governing the flow of a football game. Many of these officials are hoping that maybe, just maybe, they will get a piece of the pie that the regular officials receive for compensation. I do think that some of the other officials will want nothing to do with the NFL after they have seen how the players and coaches act when something does not go their way.

Here is the underlying issue with the officials. The players and the coaches have been egging them on since the preseason. The games have gotten more and more out of control. This is not on the officials but rather on the actions of the players and the coaches. Just this past week, we saw several skirmishes in the trenches, Kyle Shanahan of the Redskins lose it after a penalty was called on the Redskins and Bill Belichick grabbing an official as he ran off the field. The players and coaches are out of control and trying to draw a line in the sand to see how much they can get away with during a game. Unfortunately, the officials have to deal with this kind of behavior and are thus issuing more penalties than ever.

If the officials are so bad, why are the players and coaches acting out like this? They should be holding themselves in check and not letting the instances of the game get to them. If you dislike how the officials are calling a game don’t resort to Twittter to blast the officials, instead become more discplined as a team so that no penalties can be called against you. Where is the discpline on these teams? I think that is the greatest failure that has come out of these games. The players and coaches are acting like the bullies on the schoolyard picking on the average guys, the officials.

One final point about the officials. Obviously the coaches and players are going to berate the Replacement officials. They have broken a picket line and it is in the best interest for the coaches (unionized) and the players (unionized) to side by their unionized brothers who are currently on the outside looking in. I am not saying I agree with this but instead of berating the replacement officials, why don’t the players and coaches do something meaningful and stop playing the games until a new collective bargaining agreement is agreed to between the Union Officials and the NFL? Right now, the NFL does not care about the replacement official backlash. The replacement officials gets the NFL into the news every single day. We are in the midst of an amazing pennant race in baseball yet all anyone wants to talk about is the replacement refs. For the NFL, even bad press is good press.

On to the games…… Once you get through the officials, some amazing things happened on the field this week. First, who would have thought that Andrew Brown and Ramses Barden would become instant stars in the New York Giants lineup. Both Ahmad Bradshaw and Domenick Hixon better watch their backs because it seems that these two players are pushing to stay in the lineup. The Panthers on the other hand, just cannot get anything going. For Cam Newton, last year seems like an eternity as he has seen their offense sputter coming out of the gate.

You know it is an amazing day of football when 3 games go into overtime. All the games were dramatic including the New York Jets getting a second chance at kicking the field goal to win the game. I really don’t think icing the kicker works anymore. The Titans Lions game was a slugfest and I appreciated Jim Schwartz’s call to go for the win. The Lions needed a play like that as they have been sputtering as well since last season. The Titans pulled out their special teams play that won a playoff game for them so many years ago and it was awesome to see the play work once again. Just know that you will probably not see that play for another 10 years. Finally, the Saints fell to  0-3 after losing to the Chiefs in overtime. It was a game that both teams needed. The Saints are coachless and this is evident every single week. They are not discplined nor crisp on their plays and the record reflects that. Jamaal Charles, understanding the importance of this game for his franchise, rumbled for 233 yards in an amazing display of running. I was very impressed with this performance.

The Cowboys are another team that have sputtered over the last 2 weeks. They did get the win against the Buccaneers but that was because the defense kept the Buccaneers offense under 200 yards for the day. That is a nice rebound from last week against the Seahawks. For the Buccaneers, one has to wonder if Josh Freeman will ever regain his top form. He seems to be regressing each year.

I was impressed with the Houston Texans and their ability to get to Peyton Manning and defeat the Broncos. Don’t look now but the Texans are 3-0 and the Broncos, under Manning, are 1-2. Is Elway calling Tebow yet? Another impressive game was the Arizona Cardinals and their defensive play against the Eagles. That was very impressive to say the least. Right now, I would say the Texans and Cardinals D are the best units in the league. The 49ers are a close third as is the Seahawks D with 9 sacks of Aaron Rodgers.

Speaking of the 49ers, I am surprised that they were not able to defeat the Vikings. It looks like Christian Ponder, as a quarterback, grew up in front of us this week with a monster game that helped the Vikings defeat the 49ers. I am equally surprised by the Patriots losing to the Ravens. The Patriots seem to be missing Aaron Hernandez more than they thought while the Ravens were out for revenge. I also appreciate the valiant effort by Torrey Smith who played so well while reeling from the loss of his brother. Just a surreal moment.

This weekend we also saw the Falcons go to 3-0 after an amazing effort in San Diego. For anyone that has watched the Chargers during the Norv Turner era, we come to expect a gem like this every once in a while. The Falcons defense and offense was clicking on all cylinders. In another game, the Jaguars finally got into the win column against the Colts. It seems that Cecil Shorts and not Justin Blackmon is their top threat right now.

The one setback from this weekend is seeing the loss of Darrelle Revis for the season and the potential losses of CJ Spiller and Reggie Bush. All three players are having monster years. We know Revis is out for the year which drastically changes the outlook for the Jets Defense. The severity of Spiller and Bush is still not know but I do think both players will be out for this weekend’s games. This is unfortunate as they have been so explosive in the previous 3 games.

Looking forward to the upcoming games this week as I believe it will separate the contenders from the pretenders.

 

 

 

 

 

The Hypocrisy of the NFL When It Comes to Injury

Over the last few years, we have heard how the NFL is looking to crack down on certain hits and make the NFL a safer league for all of its participants and players. While there has been some marked improvement in the overall safety of the game, I just cant sit back and watch as the NFL misses the most glaring aspects of the game that causes the most head injuries. Now, with the new rulings regarding Training Camp, College Football practices and High School practices, this situation will continue to get worse.

I am, of course talking about the inability by many players to use proper form to tackle a player. A quick look at any random game on Sunday reveals the lack of tackling ability by so many players. It is for this reason that you see players throwing their shoulders and heads at offensive players to try and knock them down. Players simply do not know how to wrap up the opponent anymore. What makes matters worse is the lack of proper tackling has been eradicated from football practices at all levels of play: NFL, College, High School and Pee Wee. The reasoning for this is so that there are fewer injuries and concussions in practice.

With the alleviation of teaching proper tackling techniques, football players now get into games and do not know how to tackle. As a result, they are leading with their head and their shoulders and thus getting injured. Peter King, the NFL Writer for Sports Illustrated, visited many NFL Training Camps this summer. One of his observations was the lack of tackling drills as mandated by the NFL. I just don’t understand why the NFL, and all of the divisions of football see the errors of their ways regarding this. It just seems that they are dropping the ball and do not understand the importance of proper form tackling.

The other hypocritical aspect of the NFL is the fact that they do not regulate the equipment that players use. A study by Virginia Tech has shown that the Riddell Revolution Speed is the safest helmet in terms of reducing concussions. Even with this knowledge, the NFL does not mandate that this helmet be used by every player. In fact, there is a negative reaction by the players to this helmet because it doesn’t look cool. Let that sink in for a moment. Most NFL players are more worried about how they look as opposed to keeping themselves healthy. How does this make any sense? When Aaron Rodgers was concussed in 2010, repeated attempts by the media to find out what type of helmet he uses was repeatedly denied. So, the NFL, worried about safety and supposedly caring about the safety of our children who play football, will not even release the type of helmet that a player was wearing that led to a concussion. Can someone please explain this to me?

Another piece of equipment that alleviates concussions and head injuries is the mouth guard. Yet, here again, players will not use the right mouth guard because it is too bulky and doesn’t look cool. Instead, most players use the smallest mouth guard possible which does not really temper anything with regards to head injuries. I understand that players want to be comfortable while playing but they have to understand that children playing football look up to them and want to emulate everything they do and wear. At this point, the players HAVE to do the right thing not only to protect themselves but also the kids across the country playing football.

I do applaud the NFL and Roger Goodell for their response to the Saints Bounty scandals. In this regard the prevention of injury is important and there is no excuse for what Gregg Williams and the players did. I find it disheartening that the players reprimanded actually won their appeal. I am not sure how the Players Union is really protecting the Union by standing up for the players that were in clear violation of the rules. Even if they did not actively participate in the Bounty Scandal, they listened to Gregg Williams discuss this and did not bring to the attention to the NFL. I find this absolutely disgusting.

There has been more and more concussion related research over the last few years as it pertains to football. There is no doubt that Football coaches across the USA have had their head in the sand with regards to this issue. Even when I played in high school (back in 1988), my head coach would say that if you came off the practice field without a headache, you did something wrong. The NFL is taking measures to make the game safer and prevent concussion and further head trauma but there is so, so much more that they can do. Some of the simple things that I have mentioned would make the game safer. Add to that the need for each player to have his chin straps buttoned at all times and my thoughts are that you will see a decline in head related injuries and thus make this post a moot point.

 

NFL Week 2 Recap

Kevin Kolb getting it done on the road against the Patriots

One thing that can be said about the NFL is that the league is completely unpredictable from week to week. How do you explain the Patriots losing at home to the Cardinals or Eli Manning throwing for 510 Yards against a defense that kept Cam Newton completely in check the previous week. How do you explain the Saints being 0-2 or the Cowboys getting blown out by the Seahawks? Finally, we watched Peyton Manning throw three First Half picks last night in a dome. That is completely unprecedented.

Here are some things that we do know. The 49ers are very good. They are one of the few teams that excel on both sides of the ball. Alex Smith is an efficient passer who is able to move the chains and the team down the field. Does he have the gaudy stats of an Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees? No but with that team he doesnt need them. The defense has played lights out and after 2 weeks, the only defense that is in the same conversation would be the Houston Texans. We also know that it was a matter of time before the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants got back on track. Finally, we know that perhaps the two most exciting players to watch right now would be RGIII and perhaps CJ Spiller.

After seeing two weeks of games the one thing that stood out to me is that there are a lot of terrible offensive lines. The Steelers, Bears, Cowboys and Patriots stand out but that is really a small sampling. The most glaring would be the Cowboys with their penalties and delays of games and the Bears who are single handedly looking like they are trying to get Cutler seriously injured. For the most part, I just do not see how Cutler and Roethlisberger make it through the entire season without a serious injury. These two players, as quarterbacks, are just taking a tremendous amount of hits.

The other aspect of the game that I see as a regression is Defensive play. There are 17 teams that are averaging over 350 Yards in Total Offense through the first 2 weeks. 5 teams are averaging over 400 yards of offense and we saw Eli alone account for 510 yards on Sunday. The NFL has gotten to a point where it is difficult to defend against the pass and offenses around the league are taking advantage of this. I personally do not think there is a weaker position in the NFL than the Secondary. There is just not enough talent at Cornerback and Safety to curtail the passing tendencies of the NFL teams. While we have seen a progression on the offensive side of the ball, it may be time for a radical change on the defensive side of the ball as well.

The rookie quarterbacks finally showed up this week with Brandon Weeden, Ryan Tannehill and Russell Wilson having strong games. Andrew Luck also turned around his week 1 misfortunes and RGIII has had an amazing 2 weeks at the helm of the Redskins offense. Long term, I believe all 5 QBs have a chance to really make a mark on the league. My only concern, as I discussed in last week’s article, is that Brandon Weeden and Ryan Tannehill are extremely lacking in strong Wide Receivers and Tight Ends. There is the possibility that they can get past this but it will be an uphill battle.

At the top of the article I discussed the Patriots, Saints and Cowboys. All three teams were strong in Week 1 even though the Saints lost. The Patriots and Cowboys came out on Sunday and fell flat on their face. There were no redeeming qualities about their performance. For the Cowboys, the offense was completely out of sync and the defense really had a difficult time with, well, everything. The Patriots struggled without Aaron Hernandez who was injured early in the game. the coaching staff also decided that benching Wes Welker was a smart idea. I am not sure what the thought process is on that one. In any event, both teams will look to rebound this week.

The Saints, are another story. They are the sole NFC team at 0-2. The team is putting up points but also giving up points at a record pace (75 points through 2 weeks). They will need to turn this around if they want to stay relevant in this league. I believe the team is reeling from all of the offseason drama. They really do not have a coach and yet the players won’t use that as an excuse. Many of us have stated that there is no use for a head coach in football. The way the Saints are playing, totally dispels that myth. In reality, who is really running the show in New Orleans? It is difficult for any of us to know and as a result, it is showing with regards to the play on the field.

In New York, we witnessed a strange play at the end of the game where the Buccaneers were trying to get the ball back from a kneeling Eli Manning. The thought process is that perhaps you can cause a turnover and give a slim chance to your team to potentially tie the game. I actually applaud the call by Schiano. It shows 2 things: First that he will do what it takes to win a game and will not give up. Secondly that he isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers in the league. Of course every football pundit saw it as a stupid play with some saying well Schiano is a college coach and doesnt know better. However, Schiano did serve as a Defense Coach for the Chicago Bears in 1996-1998. A unit in itself that was often feared. He knows what it is like to coach a defense in the NFL. My belief is that Tom Coughlin came across as a Grumpy Old Man. Insert the Dana Carvey skit from SNL “In my day, we didn’t try to force a fumble at the end of the game. Noooo, we just knelt and went into the locker room.” The odds of the play working is slim to none but as I mentioned, the NFL is unpredictable and anything can happen.

Finally, I would like to discuss the Replacement Referees. Last night, the game went much longer than we thought it would. In fact, through the first two weeks of the season, the games are considerably longer. There is no disputing that this is because of the Replacement Refs. The Refs are getting calls wrong and do not know all of the nuances of the NFL Rule Book. At times, it has been utter chaos on the field as they have lost control of the players are made a bad call. I would like to see the Replacement Referees do a better job and I think you will see that as the season goes on. I cannot stand when individuals state that these referees are ruining the integrity of the game. Peter King, Adam Schefter, Mike Pereira and others have constantly and consistently railed against the new zebras.

I am not sure what they mean by the integrity of the game. Here is a sport, NFL Football, which has leaped to the forefront in popularity in the United States because of the ability to gamble on games, play fantasy football and watching players get their bell rung. It is a sport where a Defensive Coordinator paid athletes to injure other athletes. It is a sport where after 10 years of exhaustive concussion research has shown the game has become more vicious, they finally decide to take player safety more seriously. Yet, in the minds of those that broadcast, announce and write about the games, we now have an integrity issue because of referees.

If you took all of the NFL Referees and gave them 5 weeks to learn an entirely new rulebook, would we not see the same results that we are now seeing with the replacement referees? Every Sunday, do we not scream at the stadium or at our TV because of bad penalty calls that are made by the real referees? Is this not the reason they instituted instant replay into the games? In my mind, the only referees that are worse than the NFL referees would be the NBA referees.

The media wants us to feel sorry for the referees as they battle against the big bad NFL. Believe me, I am not a proponent of how corporate the NFL has become but I have a hard time feeling sorry for Referees who get paid $159,000 per year to show up on 20-24 weekends a year and officiate a 3-4 hour game. $159k for a less than part time job. I know there is more to what the officials do day in and day out but that is a lot of money. At the same time, they get a pension. A PENSION! Are we serious with this? A pension that ranges anywhere from $16-$50k per year. I am sorry but in some aspects I have to side with the NFL. The officials have an amazing deal and yet it is not good enough. I just do not know how much more they want.

I believe we will get into a situation like we saw when the FAA Flight Controllers went on strike in the 1980’s. President Reagan replaced them all and realized that after a few weeks, the replacements were doing a great job. As a result, the old Flight Controllers all lost their job. This is also what occurred when the umpires went on strike in baseball. My point is that this is a slippery slope for the Officials. While the media is certainly on their side, I do not think the public is really too concerned with their plight. I believe the public will be siding with the replacement officials in the near term especially if we see marked improvement in how they call a game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NFL Week 1 Recap

On the eve of Week 2 starting in the NFL Season I am a little behind in giving my Week 1 Recaop. Luckily, I was able to summon up the career of Irv Cross to help me out with the recap. I am late but I thought that US Open deserved attention earlier in the week. So, better late than never with the Week 1 recap and my observations. I will not comment on the Giants – Cowboys game as I did that in last weeks article.

1. Colts vs. Bears

The Andrew Luck era did not start off well as the Number 1 overall pick was intercepted 3 times. His main ally on offense was Reggie Wayne who continues to be impressive with his 5th QB in two years. Luck did throw for 300 Yards and I do believe he will get better as he starts to incorporate Fleener and Allen into the passing game. The problem with the Colts is that their defense is still a work in progress. They just had no answers for the Bears which I will get to in a second. The defense did interecept Cutler once but there was no pressure on the Bears QB and we all know how terrible the Bears Offensive Line is. This is not good for the Colts going forward.

The Bears clicked on all cylinders on offense. The Cutler to Marshall connection was very impressive and will continue to be a major force going forward. As I mentioned earlier the Offensive Line performed admirably for Cutler and if they are able to hold it together all year long, this will be a strong offense to contend with. The move of adding Michael Bush to the backfield with Matt Forte has proven to be beneficial as well. Combined they rushed for 122 Yards. The Bears Defense had a huge game on Sunday picking off Andrew Luck 3 times and sacking him 3 times. They also forced 3 fumbles. Every year we think their defense is getting older but they still continue to perform at a high level.

2. Rams at Lions

This game was a lot closer than most people expected it to be. The Lions Defense is still a work in progress with the front line combining for 3 sacks while the secondary did close to nothing in this game. Offensively, Stafford kept plays alive and was able to find Megatron when it mattered most. It still hurts the Lions that they are relying so much on Kevin Smith in the running game but Best and LeShoure continue to be sidelined.

I think this will be a comeback year for Sam Bradford. With Amendola back and Brandon Gibson ready to step up, I feel he has the weapons on the outside to help sustain drive. The defense also performed admirably in this game and it will be an improved unit this year with more experience. Does St. Louis have a shot at the NFC West title this year? Probably not but with Jeff Fisher at the helm it will be difficult to completely count them out.

3. Falcons at Chiefs

This game was all about the Ryan to Jones connection. The Falcons really had not running game to speak of and it looks like they are sincere in phasing Michael Turner out of their offense. The Falcons aerial attack could be crazy good this year with Jones, White and Gonzalez. In the first week the offense moved with ease and the defense was stout and never had to worry about playing from behind.

The Chiefs on the other hand really need help on defense. If they can get Kendrick Lewis back sooner rather than later, they will be in good shape. They do get Tamba Hali back this week which will help with their Pass Rush. Offensively the positives were getting Jamaal Charles, Tony Moeaki and Matt Cassell back on the field and healthy. I am curious to see this offense as the season goes on. There are weapons here and it could be potent.

4. Eagles at Browns

Michael Vick needs to play better. That is really what I took from this game. Was he trying to do too much or was he still feeling the effects of the sore ribs? I am not sure what happened but for this offense to fly, he needs to step it up. LeSean McCoy was still strong as usual in his role as the lead running back and the defense was in Weeden’s face all day long.

The Browns are in serious trouble if their prized rookies (Weeden and Richardson) don’t get it going and start to click. This offense was just tough to watch. The glaring issue is that Brandon Weeden really has no one to throw to. The defense played well in terms of forcing turnovers but missed a key interception late in the game that would have sealed the victory. While turnovers were key they did give up a boatload of yards but that speaks more to the inefficiency of their offense.

5. Redskin at Saints

Finally we get to a rookie quarterback who had a monster day: RGIII. He was at times unstoppable on Sunday. Good throws, smart plays and smooth runs helped the Redskins beat the Saints. It is a good story if RGIII keeps this pace. There really was not a lot of defense in this game but the Redskins defense did have some key stops.

I am not sure what to make of the Saints. I personally believe all the drama surrounding the team will affect them all season long. Brees still put up 32 points in a losing effort as the defense was shredded by the Redskins and RGIII. The Saints need to figure out a running game and right now Mark Ingram has all the signs of being a bust.

6. Dolphins at Texans

Looking at the stats, you would think the game was a lot closer than it was. The Texans offense led by Foster and Schaub played well but they were more competent than anything. They only had 337 yards in the game but still were able to put 30 points. The defense probably played the best out of any team this past week. They were all over the place and just have monsters at linebacker. Their secondary looks like they are ready for an encore performance of last year.

The Dolphins just do not have any playmakers. They were limited to 275 yards of offense. Tannehill looked overmatched and his sole reliable receive is Brian Hartline. This is not a recipe for success. Their defense played well limiting the Texans to under 400 yards of total offense but there was still a lot of points that were put up on the board.

7. Jaguars at Vikings

Gabbert showed up and proved that he is ready to become a reliable QB in this league. I think Ponder did the same thing. This was a close game and it was great to see Adrian Peterson back on the field. Harvin also continues to dominate as an offensive player. I was surprised at the lack of production by Justin Blackmon. Gabbert needs him and he really needs to start making plays.

MJD played well too which was surprising because of his holdout. I think both defenses were strong in this game. The Jaguars D may be a little underrated and perhaps the Vikings D is a little overrated. Only time will tell though.

8. Bills at Jets

I think the Jets were the most surprising team of the 1st week. After an atrocious Preseason no one knew what to expect. Well they were the highest scoring offense in Week 1. Timely throws that were on target by Mark Sanchez certainly helped. Tony Sparano also made sure that Tebow threw downfield more than he did last year on Schottenheimer and I think this will be a good things for the Jets offense.

For the Bills, their Defense did not show up. Mario Williams was rendered useless in the game and their secondary couldnt cover anyone. The offense, CJ Spiller, notwithstanding, was not any better. The league, it seems has figured out Ryan Fitzpatrick (doesn’t throw over the middle). It will be up to him to make the change that results in a more efficient offense.

9. Patriots at Titans

The Patriots were strong on both sides of the ball. Tom Brady was his usual self and will be fun to watch how he uses Brandon Lloyd along with Hernandez, Welker and Gronkowski. So many weapons on offense and now they also have a playmaker in Steven Ridley. This could be a really fun team to watch.

The Titans could be a surprise team this year and will look for improvement this week with Kenny Britt coming back. They are hoping for a healthy return of Jake Locker and Nate Washington as well. Defensively this team did nothing. Will this be a trend for the rest of the season?

10. Seahawks at Cardinals

This game was tough to get into. Russell Wilson, another rookie QB, was efficient but really didn’t make the plays that got him the starting nod. Lynch was strong at Running Back with 85 yards but the offense needs to do more. Looking at the Cardinals offense, I just don’t know how they won this game. Skelton and Kolb were mediocre at best and once again, they had no running game to speak of.

There really isn’t much to write about each team’s defense either. The defenses did keep each team in the game but there were no outstanding plays or opportunities that stuck out at you. I believe in the long run, the Seahawks defense will be one of the better units in the league but we were shown very little in the first week.

11. Panthers at Buccaneers

Welcome to the NFL Greg Schiano. The defense played amazing and was able to contain Cam Newton, something the Bucs D could not do last year. I think the Buccaneers will be a fun team to watch this year with a revitalized Freeman, Vincent Jackson and Doug Martin. Going forward, I expect Dallas Clark to be more involved in the passing game as well.

The Panther relied too much on Cam Newton and as a result only recorded 10 points. They had no running game to speak of putting up the worst rushing stats in the league for Week 1. The passing attack is still strong but you need to establish the run. The defense played strong but needed to force turnovers on a QB who was a turnover machine last year.

12. Steelers at Broncos

This game was all about Peyton Manning and he looked like he never left. He has already built a strong rapport with his receivers and has a rejuvenated McGahee and Moreno behind him. The achilles heel of the Broncos will be their defense. They did get pressure on Big Ben but he has the worst offensive line in football.

The Steelers are in trouble offensively with the offensive line and lack of a running game. Hopefully Mendenhall can come back and provide a spark. On the other side of the ball, they could have played better but they were missing Ryan Clark obviously. As the season goes on, their defense will keep them in more games than it loses for them.

13. Bengal at Ravens

Joe Flacco turned in a performance of a lifetime. Going with the no huddle offense, he was efficient and strong. He is also bolstered by a Top 3 Running Back in Ray Rice which always helps. If the offense performs week in and week out at this level, they will be difficult to bear this year. We already know what their defense can do. The defense is getting older but they still kept the Bengals under 400 yards of total offense, had 4 sacks and 1 interception. Did we mention the final score?

The Bengals were just thoroughly outplayed in this game. The one bright spot was BenJarvis Green-Ellis and I personally think he is an upgrade over Benson. Offensively, Dalton really needs to mature as a leader and continue to build chemistry with A.J. Green. Where was Mohammed Sanu in this game. The Bengals Defense needs to rededicate themselves after last week’s debacle.

14. Chargers at Raiders

Honestly this game was on too late for me to stay up and watch. From what I did see, I do not think Carson Palmer is the answer for Raiders at QB. Does he really have so much left that he is going to bring you to the playoffs? At the same time, the Chargers will not be going to the playoffs if they cant run the ball. Ronnie Brown is done as an effective back. They need Mathews back but he has shown to be injury prone.

Defensively both teams played strong but nothing really stood out. Only 1 turnover in the game and not a lot of pressure on either QB. Both teams really stuffed the run which was very impressive. I really dont know what to make of either of these teams right now.

15. 49ers at Packers

This was the game of the week and man do the 49ers own the Packers right now. The 49ers do 2 things well: Power Run and Play Defense. Both of those things helped to take Green Bay out of this game pretty early. The 49ers could be a team that really steps up again this year. If Alex Smith and Frank Gore continue to be efficient, they will be a hard team to beat.

The Packers are relying on Rodgers too much. They have not running game and when you play against a defense that can neutralize the pass, well, then you have problems. I still think the Packers will be a playoff team but they are 0-2 in 2012. The defense will really needs to step up this year.

 

So a great first week of football and I look forward to the week 2 games.

 

 

The Tennis Stars Align

The U.S. Open has drawn to a close and I can say that what started out as a very boring first week, ended with two of the most entertaining and amazing finals that I have ever witnessed. While this article could discuss everything about the U.S. Open, I think it is more important o address the dominance of Serena Williams and Andy Murray over the past 3 months. This dominance continued at the U.S. Open.

For all intents and purposes, Serena Williams is a freak of nature. Muscular yet smooth and graceful on the court. She is a tennis player who was essentially left for dead after being beset by injuries only to see her rise to perhaps her greatest level since she entered the sport so many years ago. Over the last 3 months she won Wimbledon on the singles side, won Wimbledon on the Doubles Side with her sister Venus and then went to Stanford where she won that tournament. She followed these wins up by Winning the Gold Medal in Singles and Doubles in the Olympics and then winning the US Open this past Sunday. You will be hard pressed to find someone who has been so dominant in the sport of tennis over the span of 3 months.

Out of all the victories though it was perhaps the U.S. Open that was her greatest achievement. She is the sole Female American Athlete that everyone can relate to. Playing in Flushing Meadows automatically equates to a lot of pressure for Serena. She is all we have for American tennis players especially with Andy Roddick retiring. She has become our comeback story and someone we cannot get enough of. Just when we think every chapter in her book has been written, we see a match like the U.S. Open Final.

The U.S. Open final was looking like a match that she would not win. Serena was only two points from defeat yet willed herself to win the last 4 games in the 3rd set to take the match and the trophy. Even Serena was amazed that she won the match. She knew that she was causing many unforced errors and, at times, her shot was not doing what she wanted it to do. She kept pushing forward though and was able to hit the shots when it mattered.

For those of us that watched the match on TV and in the stands, it was an amazing effort and a match that we will not soon forget. For the foreseeable future, we have to believe that Serena cannot be counted out. She is in the driver’s seat on the women’s side of the bracket in tennis and I believe that the only thing that could possibly slow her down is injuries.

Andy Murray, over the last three months has been equally impressive. A finalist in Wimbledon where the favorite son of Great Britain had the entire country on his shoulders. As with Serena, he knows what the pressure is like to represent your country. While he had a valiant effort against Federer in Wimbledon, he did come up short. I personally believe he took a lot out of that match and used it for the upcoming Olympic games.

In the Olympics, once again he had the weight of Great Britain on his shoulders. This time though he was able to defeat Roger Federer in a sound manner and win Olympic gold. While his fellow country men and women are proud of his Olympic achievement, they would still like to see him win Wimbledon.

Last night in Flushing Meadows we saw one of the greatest matches of our lifetime. 5 hours of pure power strokes and adrenaline. We witnessed crazy 14 MPH winds, cramping, exhaustion and beautiful tennis. At the end, Murray came out as the victor. He survived a late charge Djokovic which many of us thought would have taken the wind out out Andy Murray’s sails. Yet, when the 5th and final set came around, it seemed as if Murray got a second wind and was able to prevail. In the 5th and final set his shots were crisper, he was getting around the court easier and he just looked very comfortable. At the same time, he was finally getting the crowd behind him.

At close 9:10 PM just around 5 hours of tennis, Andy Murray would be victorious against Djokovic. This also capped an amazing 3 month journey and really propelled Andy Murray into super star status and must watch tennis. With his defeat of Federer at the Olympics and his defeat of Djokovic, he has proven that he belongs in the discussion of the elite players on the men’s side of the bracket. Going forward he must continue to make the right calls and show that he belongs in the elite group by remaining consistent.

I am personally excited for what tennis has in store for us in the coming months. There are many great storylines about to unfold but, for now, I want to revel in what I saw at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday and Monday night. I am honored that I was able to watch those matches. I am also appreciative of the 3 month runs of Serena and Andy and hope to hear more good things from them.