Thursday, January 8, 2009
Florida wins College Football National Title
www.startribune.com/sports/37313119.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUss
John Smoltz may become a Redsox
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3817694
John Smoltz has pitched his entire major league career with the Atlanta Braves, but he is on the verge of a deal with the Boston Red Sox, according to sources.
Smoltz
Smoltz, 41, has pitched in 708 games for the Braves, winning 210 games and earning 154 saves. He has been been rehabilitating his shoulder since having surgery last season, and there have been reports that the has made excellent progress.
Smoltz's departure from Atlanta would come in a winter in which the Braves have struggled to fill holes in their rotation; Atlanta was unable to land Jake Peavy, after extensive trade talks, and was unable to sign free agent A.J. Burnett.
Boston's proposed deal with Smoltz is for $5.5 million in base salary, and $5 million in incentives.
Assuming the Red Sox close out negotiations with Smoltz, they will go into spring training with six veteran starters -- Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield, Brad Penny and Smoltz. Penny agreed to terms on a one-year, $5 million deal and will be in Boston Thursday for his physical examination.
But the Red Sox have come to believe in the idea of going into each season overloaded with starting pitching; their assumption is that, at some point, injuries will factor in the equation, or some members of the rotation will need rest.
The signings of Smoltz and Penny also give the Red Sox the flexibility to consider trading one of their young starting pitchers -- most notably Clay Buchholz, whose name has come up in trade talks with the Texas Rangers, for catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, as well as with other teams.
Buster Olney is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine.
John Smoltz has pitched his entire major league career with the Atlanta Braves, but he is on the verge of a deal with the Boston Red Sox, according to sources.
Smoltz
Smoltz, 41, has pitched in 708 games for the Braves, winning 210 games and earning 154 saves. He has been been rehabilitating his shoulder since having surgery last season, and there have been reports that the has made excellent progress.
Smoltz's departure from Atlanta would come in a winter in which the Braves have struggled to fill holes in their rotation; Atlanta was unable to land Jake Peavy, after extensive trade talks, and was unable to sign free agent A.J. Burnett.
Boston's proposed deal with Smoltz is for $5.5 million in base salary, and $5 million in incentives.
Assuming the Red Sox close out negotiations with Smoltz, they will go into spring training with six veteran starters -- Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield, Brad Penny and Smoltz. Penny agreed to terms on a one-year, $5 million deal and will be in Boston Thursday for his physical examination.
But the Red Sox have come to believe in the idea of going into each season overloaded with starting pitching; their assumption is that, at some point, injuries will factor in the equation, or some members of the rotation will need rest.
The signings of Smoltz and Penny also give the Red Sox the flexibility to consider trading one of their young starting pitchers -- most notably Clay Buchholz, whose name has come up in trade talks with the Texas Rangers, for catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, as well as with other teams.
Buster Olney is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine.
Pac-Man Jones back in the news - who cares?
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/stories/2009/01/08/cowboys_pacman.html
FORT WORTH, Texas — Try as he might to keep Adam “Pacman” Jones on the roster, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Wednesday cut the talented cornerback who might wind up as a case study for wasted potential.
Earlier in the day, ESPN informed the Cowboys and the NFL that it plans to air a piece for its “Outside the Lines” program that includes never-before-seen footage of Pacman Jones’ apparent involvement in a June 2007 nightclub shooting when he was still with the Tennessee Titans. The incident occurred in a suburban Atlanta strip club.
At the time of the incident, Pacman Jones was already under a one-year suspension by the NFL for being involved in a Las Vegas shooting earlier that year.
“It was unexpected. It was a surprise,” said Pacman Jones’ agent, Worrick Robinson. The transaction will become official Feb. 9, when NFL teams can make waiver requests.
“Adam knows that it’s a business, and that the Cowboys are making business decisions and that this sort of news is part of it… . And he’s hoping that perhaps there might be another opportunity there for him in the future, whether it is the next year or the next two years.”
A source confirmed that when the Cowboys learned of the report by ESPN, the team made the decision to cut Jones, who is now under league investigation and whose NFL career could be finished as a result. The ESPN program reportedly includes security-camera footage and allegations that Pacman Jones ordered a gang member to carry out a shooting.
The Atlanta incident was news to the NFL, which in October made it clear to Pacman Jones that one more piece of negative news would result in a lifetime ban from the league.
Robinson said his client intends to continue to live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as well as work out here in hopes that a team will give him a chance.
Robinson did not address the ESPN report. When asked if the Cowboys’ decision had anything to do with Pacman Jones’ off-the-field troubles, Robinson said no.
The decision to cut Pacman Jones ends his stay with the Cowboys the way many in the NFL predicted, and those inside the Cowboys’ front offices feared.
The Cowboys acquired Jones last April from the Titans for a fourth-round draft pick. In the months and weeks leading up to the trade, Jerry Jones floated the idea of acquiring Pacman Jones to players and members of his staff. A few players shrugged their shoulders and went along with the idea, but most in the organization were skeptical.
After a public relations campaign that included an announcement to drop “Pacman” as his name, visible stops at inner-city youth clubs, providing free furniture to a Fort Worth family in need and saying all the right things, Jones was reinstated by the league Aug. 28.
But Pacman soon returned.
Jerry Jones hired a security staff of four to basically escort Pacman around, to protect Pacman from Pacman.
But other than with defensive lineman Tank Johnson, Pacman Jones never seemed to fit in the locker room. He had a tendency to be either late or doze in team meetings. When he was on the field, the results were sporadic at best. While talented and showing skills in man coverage, he never intercepted a pass, and averaged just 4.5 yards on 21 punt returns. The team credited Jones with 33 tackles, and he led the team with 13 pass deflections.
His on-the-field production was further limited when he was involved in a fight with his girlfriend as well as a member of his own security team at a Dallas hotel on Oct. 7. Jones was then suspended by the NFL and missed six games. He missed another game after he was reinstated when he sustained a neck injury.
The experiment roughly cost the Cowboys $1.35 million. Because the NFL suspended Jones, Dallas will receive the Titans’ fifth-round pick, and gain $1 million in salary-cap space in 2009.
Fearless prediction: Florida vs. Oklahoma
BCS title game tonight, 8:15 pm easten time -
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/football/ncaa_blog/2009/01/fearless_prediction_florida_vs.html
Abramson: Percy Harvin says he's not 100%, but pretty close. A 90% Percy Harvin is good enough to be a huge threat in this game. Expect Harvin to get anywhere between 10-15 offensive touches, and expect him to hit one home run. When it's not Harvin coming off the edge, the ball will likely be in Tim Tebow's hands. There's been some jawing and enough locker room fodder to keep Tebow motivated for this game. Tebow will be his usual self -- powering runs, good decisions, pinpoint throws, clutch plays. He has to be careful not to press in third-and-long situations -- where turnovers often transpire. He did fine in the Alabama game: In 3rd down situations of five yards or more, Tebow was 3-of-7 with two red zone touchdown passes. He also rushed twice for 17 yards. I do expect Florida to get very creative on offense, as their scheme as-is won't wow Oklahoma's defense all too much.
Rose: Florida is extremely balanced. You won't find a 1,000-yard rusher or 1,000-yard receiver on the roster. But that's what makes the Gators so dangerous. Five, maybe even six players can hurt you. I expect that strategy against Oklahoma. Florida will mix in Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey, Percy Harvin and Tim Tebow on the ground, all of whom have rushed for over 500 yards this season. Tebow will look for a variety of wide receivers, with Louis Murphy, Aaron Hernandez and Harvin being the main targets. But don't forget how deep this offense is. Players like David Nelson and Riley Cooper contributed and made some catches in the SEC title game against Alabama. The absence of Harvin hurt, but Florida showed it can go to other players in key spots. And then there's Tebow. Whenever a huge spot comes up, Tebow always seems to come through, whether it's a pass or run. He won't say it, but Tebow will be extra motivated to show Sam Bradford who the real Heisman Trophy winner is. That's fine. Tebow just can't let that get to his head and try to take the game over by himself. And don't forget about Tebow near the goal line. Tebow always find his way into the end zone. Urban Meyer will absolutely get creative in this game. You'll see some different looks with Florida's offense.
How Oklahoma will counter
Abramson: Well, if I am defensive coordinator Brett Venables I start with press coverage on the wide receivers and Travis Lewis on Aaron Hernandez when he releases. Otherwise, I have six men in the box and two deep with the strong safety not too far from the line of scrimmage. You don't want to lose on 27 slant patterns. If you create a lot of traffic and confusion within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage and get some pressure with Jeremy Beal and the rest of the defensive line, some big things can happen. With veterans Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes as your safety valves, you can turn the heat up with the cornerbacks and linebackers. You can't rattle Tebow, but you can make him rush and try to make him predictable. The most important thing, however, is to tackle Percy Harvin when he has the football and make him pay for trying to run on you.
Rose: Oklahoma doesn't need to worry about Tebow going deep with passes. The Sooners need to be concerned about the Gators' receivers on the quick slants and turning those small gains into big gains. The pass coverage needs to be tight. Oklahoma can't give the Florida receivers a lot of room to catch and run. The Gators do not have big backs, so they won't hurt you running inside. They hurt you with speed. The Sooners need to force everything inside. Florida backs can't get around the ends and into open field. That speed is simply too much. Force it all to the inside. Pressuring Tebow will be important. In the loss to Mississippi earlier this season. Florida committed three turnovers, including a fumble by Tebow. Tebow was also sacked numerous times. Oklahoma can't allow Tebow to escape and get a head of steam when he takes off to run. Tackle Tebow hard. Same with Harvin. Tackle him hard. Oklahoma needs to shadow Harvin and Aaron Hernandez all game. Hernandez has become a go-to guy for Tebow, and Harvin is capable of breaking a touchdown whenever he touches the ball.
When Oklahoma has the ball
Abramson: The key will be how much time Sam Bradford gets. We don't really know how the Heisman Trophy winner reacts when his jersey gets dirty. This is partly because he's so heady in the pocket and partly because his offensive line is so dominant. The problem OU faces is Florida's defensive speed. The Sooners have faced just two teams ranked inside the Top 50 in total defense this year -- and one of them was Cincinnati, who cannot come close to matching Florida's defense. I think you will see Bradford attempt at least 40 passes, something he's done just three times this year. Oklahoma is going to play to its strengths, and that's pass protection and the wide receiving corps/tight ends. With running back DeMarco Murray out, Chris Brown will add to an impressive season with 15-20 key carries.
Rose: Oklahoma, and especially quarterback Sam Bradford, hasn't seen a defense with this type of speed all season. The Sooners cannot let Bradford feel the pressure Florida will bring. Bradford hasn't been on the turf much this season. Let's see how he reacts when he gets knocked down a few times. Bradford works mostly out of the shotgun. He's accurate and smart. He's the key. Oklahoma should let Bradford control -- and win -- the game. That means giving him protection. With DeMarco Murray out, I am certain Bradford will be forced to throw the ball 35+ times. But Chris Brown is a 1,000-yard rusher, and Mossis Madu can be a good second option. Oklahoma needs to get both Brown and Madu involved early. That will take pressure off Bradford. Establish Brown and Madu on the ground. Make Florida's defense pay for whatever pressure schemes they plan to use. Bradford will take some shots downfield with Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson. Tight end Jermaine Gresham should also be a big part of the game plan. Gresham is 6-6 and 261 pounds, but can easily turn a short route into a long touchdown. Gresham has caught 58 balls for 888 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.
How Florida will counter
Abramson: The obvious move is to unleash hell on that offensive line. Oklahoma's average opponent ranks 79.5 on defense -- which is leagues below Florida's group, especially up front. Let Jermaine Cunningham, Carlos Dunlap and Justin Trattou pin their ears back and let Major Wright, pictured, and Brandon Spikes worry about draws and screens. Speaking of Wright, he's going to be all over the place, as Bradford will be doing everything he can to hook up with Juaquin Iglesias. Florida's defensive secondary is not exactly the best in the country, but the group has found a way to survive all year against the likes of Julio Jones, A.J. Green, Brandon LaFell, etc. If you're Charlie Strong, you approach Iglesias much like you did with Julio Jones in the SEC title game -- let him get his touches, don't be too aggressive and over allocate resources to neutralize him, but don't let him take over the game. Again, stay on top of Dunlap, Cunningham and Trattou (and pick your spots to blitz Brandon Spikes), and hope you can really get Bradford's head spinning.
Rose: Florida's defensive line -- led by Jermaine Cunningham (six sacks), Carlos Dunlap (nine sacks) and Justin Trattou -- will need to use speed against Oklahoma's massive offensive line. Remember that Texas game? Defensive end Bryan Orakpo and linebacker Sergio Kindle caused all sorts of problems for Oklahoma and Bradford in the second half of that game. In fact, Orakpo and Kindle really changed that game. Once Bradford got a little rattled, Texas took control. The Gators need a similar strategy. Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes (team-high 87 tackles, four INTs, two TDs) is going to need to keep an eye on Gresham and whichever running back Oklahoma will send out of the backfield for a pass. Florida's secondary is young, but good enough to handle the Oklahoma receivers. Sophomores Ahmad Black, Joe Haden, and Major Wright lead a group that is second in the nation in pass efficiency defense.
The X-Factor
Abramson: The tight ends. Dan Mullen loves to incorporate his versatile tight end into the offense. Hernandez does it all and Tim Tebow will look to to throw to him in the clutch. He's a matchup nightmare at 6'3, 255 and 4.55 speed. He will keep Oklahoma's linebackers honest when he's on the field. Similarly, Oklahoma's tight end Jermaine Gresham is incredibly active in that offense and loves to run the seam route for big yards. He's a gigantic target at 6'6 and has 58 catches this year, 12 for touchdowns -- a team high.
Rose: Special teams. With all of the speed and athleticism on the field, I expect to see a punt -- or kick -- returned for a touchdown. Florida's Brandon James has returned two punts for touchdowns this season.
Final prediction
Abramson: I am going to take the Gators, as I feel they are the more balanced team. I think the defense will punch Oklahoma in the gut early just enough to slow them down. Charlie Strong's unit has been stellar at times this year and I expect a big game from their go-to guys up front. I will take the Gators, 28-20.
Rose: Whenever I think about this game and the outcome, I see Florida winning. The Gators have a really good defense. What Oklahoma has done this season on offense has been incredible. But the Sooners haven't played a defense like they'll see come Thursday night. Tim Tebow is great player, and he's the most valuable player on the field. Florida's defense will step up and Tebow will again lead the Gators to a big win. Florida wins 31-23.
MVP
Abramson: Tim Tebow. I'm not sure you can really pick anyone else.
Rose: Tim Tebow, You can't simply go against this guy, who will go down as one of the best college football players of all time -- and one of college football's greatest leaders.
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/football/ncaa_blog/2009/01/fearless_prediction_florida_vs.html
Abramson: Percy Harvin says he's not 100%, but pretty close. A 90% Percy Harvin is good enough to be a huge threat in this game. Expect Harvin to get anywhere between 10-15 offensive touches, and expect him to hit one home run. When it's not Harvin coming off the edge, the ball will likely be in Tim Tebow's hands. There's been some jawing and enough locker room fodder to keep Tebow motivated for this game. Tebow will be his usual self -- powering runs, good decisions, pinpoint throws, clutch plays. He has to be careful not to press in third-and-long situations -- where turnovers often transpire. He did fine in the Alabama game: In 3rd down situations of five yards or more, Tebow was 3-of-7 with two red zone touchdown passes. He also rushed twice for 17 yards. I do expect Florida to get very creative on offense, as their scheme as-is won't wow Oklahoma's defense all too much.
Rose: Florida is extremely balanced. You won't find a 1,000-yard rusher or 1,000-yard receiver on the roster. But that's what makes the Gators so dangerous. Five, maybe even six players can hurt you. I expect that strategy against Oklahoma. Florida will mix in Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey, Percy Harvin and Tim Tebow on the ground, all of whom have rushed for over 500 yards this season. Tebow will look for a variety of wide receivers, with Louis Murphy, Aaron Hernandez and Harvin being the main targets. But don't forget how deep this offense is. Players like David Nelson and Riley Cooper contributed and made some catches in the SEC title game against Alabama. The absence of Harvin hurt, but Florida showed it can go to other players in key spots. And then there's Tebow. Whenever a huge spot comes up, Tebow always seems to come through, whether it's a pass or run. He won't say it, but Tebow will be extra motivated to show Sam Bradford who the real Heisman Trophy winner is. That's fine. Tebow just can't let that get to his head and try to take the game over by himself. And don't forget about Tebow near the goal line. Tebow always find his way into the end zone. Urban Meyer will absolutely get creative in this game. You'll see some different looks with Florida's offense.
How Oklahoma will counter
Abramson: Well, if I am defensive coordinator Brett Venables I start with press coverage on the wide receivers and Travis Lewis on Aaron Hernandez when he releases. Otherwise, I have six men in the box and two deep with the strong safety not too far from the line of scrimmage. You don't want to lose on 27 slant patterns. If you create a lot of traffic and confusion within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage and get some pressure with Jeremy Beal and the rest of the defensive line, some big things can happen. With veterans Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes as your safety valves, you can turn the heat up with the cornerbacks and linebackers. You can't rattle Tebow, but you can make him rush and try to make him predictable. The most important thing, however, is to tackle Percy Harvin when he has the football and make him pay for trying to run on you.
Rose: Oklahoma doesn't need to worry about Tebow going deep with passes. The Sooners need to be concerned about the Gators' receivers on the quick slants and turning those small gains into big gains. The pass coverage needs to be tight. Oklahoma can't give the Florida receivers a lot of room to catch and run. The Gators do not have big backs, so they won't hurt you running inside. They hurt you with speed. The Sooners need to force everything inside. Florida backs can't get around the ends and into open field. That speed is simply too much. Force it all to the inside. Pressuring Tebow will be important. In the loss to Mississippi earlier this season. Florida committed three turnovers, including a fumble by Tebow. Tebow was also sacked numerous times. Oklahoma can't allow Tebow to escape and get a head of steam when he takes off to run. Tackle Tebow hard. Same with Harvin. Tackle him hard. Oklahoma needs to shadow Harvin and Aaron Hernandez all game. Hernandez has become a go-to guy for Tebow, and Harvin is capable of breaking a touchdown whenever he touches the ball.
When Oklahoma has the ball
Abramson: The key will be how much time Sam Bradford gets. We don't really know how the Heisman Trophy winner reacts when his jersey gets dirty. This is partly because he's so heady in the pocket and partly because his offensive line is so dominant. The problem OU faces is Florida's defensive speed. The Sooners have faced just two teams ranked inside the Top 50 in total defense this year -- and one of them was Cincinnati, who cannot come close to matching Florida's defense. I think you will see Bradford attempt at least 40 passes, something he's done just three times this year. Oklahoma is going to play to its strengths, and that's pass protection and the wide receiving corps/tight ends. With running back DeMarco Murray out, Chris Brown will add to an impressive season with 15-20 key carries.
Rose: Oklahoma, and especially quarterback Sam Bradford, hasn't seen a defense with this type of speed all season. The Sooners cannot let Bradford feel the pressure Florida will bring. Bradford hasn't been on the turf much this season. Let's see how he reacts when he gets knocked down a few times. Bradford works mostly out of the shotgun. He's accurate and smart. He's the key. Oklahoma should let Bradford control -- and win -- the game. That means giving him protection. With DeMarco Murray out, I am certain Bradford will be forced to throw the ball 35+ times. But Chris Brown is a 1,000-yard rusher, and Mossis Madu can be a good second option. Oklahoma needs to get both Brown and Madu involved early. That will take pressure off Bradford. Establish Brown and Madu on the ground. Make Florida's defense pay for whatever pressure schemes they plan to use. Bradford will take some shots downfield with Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson. Tight end Jermaine Gresham should also be a big part of the game plan. Gresham is 6-6 and 261 pounds, but can easily turn a short route into a long touchdown. Gresham has caught 58 balls for 888 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.
How Florida will counter
Abramson: The obvious move is to unleash hell on that offensive line. Oklahoma's average opponent ranks 79.5 on defense -- which is leagues below Florida's group, especially up front. Let Jermaine Cunningham, Carlos Dunlap and Justin Trattou pin their ears back and let Major Wright, pictured, and Brandon Spikes worry about draws and screens. Speaking of Wright, he's going to be all over the place, as Bradford will be doing everything he can to hook up with Juaquin Iglesias. Florida's defensive secondary is not exactly the best in the country, but the group has found a way to survive all year against the likes of Julio Jones, A.J. Green, Brandon LaFell, etc. If you're Charlie Strong, you approach Iglesias much like you did with Julio Jones in the SEC title game -- let him get his touches, don't be too aggressive and over allocate resources to neutralize him, but don't let him take over the game. Again, stay on top of Dunlap, Cunningham and Trattou (and pick your spots to blitz Brandon Spikes), and hope you can really get Bradford's head spinning.
Rose: Florida's defensive line -- led by Jermaine Cunningham (six sacks), Carlos Dunlap (nine sacks) and Justin Trattou -- will need to use speed against Oklahoma's massive offensive line. Remember that Texas game? Defensive end Bryan Orakpo and linebacker Sergio Kindle caused all sorts of problems for Oklahoma and Bradford in the second half of that game. In fact, Orakpo and Kindle really changed that game. Once Bradford got a little rattled, Texas took control. The Gators need a similar strategy. Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes (team-high 87 tackles, four INTs, two TDs) is going to need to keep an eye on Gresham and whichever running back Oklahoma will send out of the backfield for a pass. Florida's secondary is young, but good enough to handle the Oklahoma receivers. Sophomores Ahmad Black, Joe Haden, and Major Wright lead a group that is second in the nation in pass efficiency defense.
The X-Factor
Abramson: The tight ends. Dan Mullen loves to incorporate his versatile tight end into the offense. Hernandez does it all and Tim Tebow will look to to throw to him in the clutch. He's a matchup nightmare at 6'3, 255 and 4.55 speed. He will keep Oklahoma's linebackers honest when he's on the field. Similarly, Oklahoma's tight end Jermaine Gresham is incredibly active in that offense and loves to run the seam route for big yards. He's a gigantic target at 6'6 and has 58 catches this year, 12 for touchdowns -- a team high.
Rose: Special teams. With all of the speed and athleticism on the field, I expect to see a punt -- or kick -- returned for a touchdown. Florida's Brandon James has returned two punts for touchdowns this season.
Final prediction
Abramson: I am going to take the Gators, as I feel they are the more balanced team. I think the defense will punch Oklahoma in the gut early just enough to slow them down. Charlie Strong's unit has been stellar at times this year and I expect a big game from their go-to guys up front. I will take the Gators, 28-20.
Rose: Whenever I think about this game and the outcome, I see Florida winning. The Gators have a really good defense. What Oklahoma has done this season on offense has been incredible. But the Sooners haven't played a defense like they'll see come Thursday night. Tim Tebow is great player, and he's the most valuable player on the field. Florida's defense will step up and Tebow will again lead the Gators to a big win. Florida wins 31-23.
MVP
Abramson: Tim Tebow. I'm not sure you can really pick anyone else.
Rose: Tim Tebow, You can't simply go against this guy, who will go down as one of the best college football players of all time -- and one of college football's greatest leaders.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
U of L Lady Cards win 10 straight
There wasn’t much to like about the first half of the University of Louisville women’s basketball game last night if you were U of L coach Jeff Walz.
So he let his team know about it.
Sophomore point guard Deseree’ Byrd said there would have been a few “bleeps” if she relayed the halftime talk Walz gave the Cardinals. Senior All-American Angel McCoughtry said he harped on “a lot of things we did wrong — and I won’t elaborate because it’s too much to elaborate on.”
But the spirited speech worked. After sloppy and at times uninspired play in the first half, the 10th-ranked Cards looked sharp and energized in the final 20 minutes in decking Seton Hall 76-47 in Freedom Hall for their 10th straight victory.
“It was educational,” Walz said. “There wasn’t much we needed to do basketball-wise, making adjustments or anything like that. I just tried to get their attention a little.
“(The first half) was the most embarrassing half of basketball we have played since I have been coaching here. We’re not going to win every game, but we want to play hard and that was an embarrassment. I tried to explain that to them very nicely, and I think they got what I was saying.”
U of L (15-1, 2-0 Big East Conference) scored the first 13 points of the second half, held Seton Hall (11-3, 0-2) to 14 points in the final 20 minutes and ended up pleasing its coach with the effort going into Sunday’s showdown with No. 17 Rutgers.
The Cardinals hit 17 of 29 shots in the second half to finish at 51.7 percent (30 of 58). They forced 21 turnovers while committing 16 themselves.
Boston falling apart in basketball
http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/the_sporting_blog/entry/view/16271/bobcats_deconstruct_the_mighty_celtics
So the Celtics lost again, this time 114-106 in OT to the piteous Bobcats. At this point, their downfall is hardly news; even getting bested by Charlotte is par for the nightmare. In these dark times, a team like Boston can't fall back on their past glories, or their press clippings. It's a full-blown existential crisis, where all you can do is look deep inside your soul and return to what really makes you tick.
Unless, of course, super freak Adam Morrison manages to snatch it out your chest first. From The Boston Herald:
Among the glut of instructions scrawled on the Charlotte Bobcats' locker room greaseboard before last night's game was the following advice regarding Kevin Garnett: "Don't get punked."
Yes, the biggest-talking team in the NBA was in town, and beyond the Celtics' obsessively vocal leader, whose favorite target for barbs and a couple of late elbows vs. the Bobcats was Adam Morrison, who returned the favor, the Bobcats weren't in the mood to take nonsense from anyone in the defending champs' lineup.
That was the sound of complete and total identity deflation, or something like that. Swagger is easy when you're on top. It's when things get rough that it's a source of strength, not just a byproduct of hype or logical extension of facts on paper. If the Celtics can get out-swagged by Adam Morrison, then they've got to rally themselves on all sorts of levels before they'll return back to that upper echelon. It's not just about winning some games, but recapturing confidence that can light the way when that shield of dominance comes crashing down.
Posted In: Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, NBA
So the Celtics lost again, this time 114-106 in OT to the piteous Bobcats. At this point, their downfall is hardly news; even getting bested by Charlotte is par for the nightmare. In these dark times, a team like Boston can't fall back on their past glories, or their press clippings. It's a full-blown existential crisis, where all you can do is look deep inside your soul and return to what really makes you tick.
Unless, of course, super freak Adam Morrison manages to snatch it out your chest first. From The Boston Herald:
Among the glut of instructions scrawled on the Charlotte Bobcats' locker room greaseboard before last night's game was the following advice regarding Kevin Garnett: "Don't get punked."
Yes, the biggest-talking team in the NBA was in town, and beyond the Celtics' obsessively vocal leader, whose favorite target for barbs and a couple of late elbows vs. the Bobcats was Adam Morrison, who returned the favor, the Bobcats weren't in the mood to take nonsense from anyone in the defending champs' lineup.
That was the sound of complete and total identity deflation, or something like that. Swagger is easy when you're on top. It's when things get rough that it's a source of strength, not just a byproduct of hype or logical extension of facts on paper. If the Celtics can get out-swagged by Adam Morrison, then they've got to rally themselves on all sorts of levels before they'll return back to that upper echelon. It's not just about winning some games, but recapturing confidence that can light the way when that shield of dominance comes crashing down.
Posted In: Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, NBA
Boston College fires Jagodzinski
Full story here, http://news.bostonherald.com/sports/college/football/view/2009_01_07_Jagodzinski_s_BC_days_could_be_over/srvc=home&position=also
Jeff Jagodzinski’s days as the head football coach at Boston College are over.
According to a source, BC’s athletic director Gene DeFilippo and Jagodzinski met face to face earlier today and DeFilippo fired the coach. The school announced that there will be a 3 p.m. press conference on the matter at BC today.
DeFilippo learned of Jagodzinski’s planned interview for the head coaching position of the New York Jets [team stats] over the weekend and told Jagodzinski that he’d be fired if he went through with that interview.
Jagdozinski, who has coached at The Heights for two seasons and has led the Eagles to the ACC championship game each of the last two campaigns, interviewed with the Jets yesterday. While he is not considered a lead candidate for the Jets’ post, he appears eager to get back into the NFL and might have some options with the Seattle Seahawks if he is passed over in New York.
Jagodzinski worked with new Seattle coach Jim Mora Jr. when in Atlanta and he also coached quarterback Matt Hasselbeck when he was the offensive coordinator at BC.
DeFilippo will have to move quickly to fill the position. The drama that has been unfolding the past few days is beginning to affect recruiting, which according to some hadn’t been going all that well in the first place.
Recruiting Web site Rivals.com yesterday reported that Justin Brown, a highly regarded receiver from Wilmington, Del., is having second thoughts about taking a planned visit to The Heights. The Eagles want to give themselves every chance possible to land the 6-foot-3, 209-pound four-star recruit.
“I may not go to Boston College on Jan. 16 now because of the head coaching situation going on,” said Brown, though he said BC still was on his list of possible schools.
While it’s believed outside candidates will be interviewed, the most logical move for DeFilippo - being just two years removed from a major staff upheaval with Tom O’Brien’s departure and Jagodzinski’s hiring - seems to be to choose his next head coach from the solid staff at BC. Defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani and assistant head coach/offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. are considered the two leading candidates for head coach. Offensive coordinator Steve Logan also is being considered, but it’s not clear right now if he would want to stay at BC without Jagodzinski. Logan and Jagodzinski coached together at East Carolina, and Jagodzinski brought Logan to BC with him two years ago.
Jeff Jagodzinski’s days as the head football coach at Boston College are over.
According to a source, BC’s athletic director Gene DeFilippo and Jagodzinski met face to face earlier today and DeFilippo fired the coach. The school announced that there will be a 3 p.m. press conference on the matter at BC today.
DeFilippo learned of Jagodzinski’s planned interview for the head coaching position of the New York Jets [team stats] over the weekend and told Jagodzinski that he’d be fired if he went through with that interview.
Jagdozinski, who has coached at The Heights for two seasons and has led the Eagles to the ACC championship game each of the last two campaigns, interviewed with the Jets yesterday. While he is not considered a lead candidate for the Jets’ post, he appears eager to get back into the NFL and might have some options with the Seattle Seahawks if he is passed over in New York.
Jagodzinski worked with new Seattle coach Jim Mora Jr. when in Atlanta and he also coached quarterback Matt Hasselbeck when he was the offensive coordinator at BC.
DeFilippo will have to move quickly to fill the position. The drama that has been unfolding the past few days is beginning to affect recruiting, which according to some hadn’t been going all that well in the first place.
Recruiting Web site Rivals.com yesterday reported that Justin Brown, a highly regarded receiver from Wilmington, Del., is having second thoughts about taking a planned visit to The Heights. The Eagles want to give themselves every chance possible to land the 6-foot-3, 209-pound four-star recruit.
“I may not go to Boston College on Jan. 16 now because of the head coaching situation going on,” said Brown, though he said BC still was on his list of possible schools.
While it’s believed outside candidates will be interviewed, the most logical move for DeFilippo - being just two years removed from a major staff upheaval with Tom O’Brien’s departure and Jagodzinski’s hiring - seems to be to choose his next head coach from the solid staff at BC. Defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani and assistant head coach/offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. are considered the two leading candidates for head coach. Offensive coordinator Steve Logan also is being considered, but it’s not clear right now if he would want to stay at BC without Jagodzinski. Logan and Jagodzinski coached together at East Carolina, and Jagodzinski brought Logan to BC with him two years ago.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
SEC trying to tie the Big 12 for most Football National titles
When I hear Big East fans brag about their football, I laugh. Seriously, stick to women’s basketball.
http://www.secsportsfan.com/top-all-time-ncaa-college-football-national-championship-conference.html
Which is the top all-time NCAA college football national championship conference?
Listed below and to the right is the order of conferences with the number of college football national championships in parentheses.
But, here’s some caveats:
First, obviously the numbers will change after the Florida vs Oklahoma Game.
The above list only includes college football championships from 1936 to present. Importantly, it only includes one champion each year (official NCAA selector). As you know, college football does not have a playoff system as most other college sports do. So, traditionally, champions were crowned by various coaches and sports writers polls. More often then not, various polls named more than one team as the champion.
For the purposes of this page, our list of football national championships by conference only counted the College Football National Champion as named by the Associated Press (AP) (1936 - 1997); and from 1998 on – the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Champ.
So, for instance, the list above only includes 6 Alabama football national championships. Of course, as discussed at Best All-Time NCAA College Football Program, depending on which polls you count, Alabama could be credited with up to 12 college football national championships.
One more caveat — we included National Championships won by schools that are now part of a particular conference. So it based on current affiliation, not historical affiliation. This favors the Big Ten because we are counting (for them) 2 NC’s by Penn State (’82 & ‘86) that of course Penn State won before they joined the Big Ten.
For more comprehensive information check out this pdf: College Football National Champions (prepared by Tex Noel of 1st-N-Goal). It has a listing of every college football team that ever won a National Championship from 1936 on — and includes official selectors as well as total selectors — and much, much more.
And, Tex created more statistical info about NCAA College Football National Championship teams since 1992, organized by conference at National Champsionship Teams By Conference. Not enough football stats? OK, Tex also gave us another pdf that ranks college football championship teams in order of most championships and also by decade. You can download that at National Championships by Team Totals and Decade. [Tex says the Actual NC are named by reputable selectors and in the season which the title was won; while official is based on the selections of AP, UP/UPI, FWAA, NFFHF, USA Today/CNN and USA Today/ESPN.]
Finally, here’s some more of Tex’ stats specific to college football teams that have played in a BCS Championship game (so NC game since 1998) — BCS National Championship Teams Stat Rank.
You can read more of Tex’ stats at SEC
So, picking the Best or Top All-Time NCAA College Football Championship Conference is really more of an art than a science. It is quite subjective. See SEC vs Big Ten Debate for more about the subjectivity of this debate.
Also, the list above shows the Big 12 with most all-time football championships. This is largely due to the great teams Oklahoma and Nebraska had over the years. Of course, most of those championships came before the Big 12 was even formed. Nebraska and Oklahoma were both in the Big 8 Conference. The Big 12 has only been in existence for 12 years.
The Southeastern (SEC), by contrast, began in 1932, so each of its 14 championships was earned by a team that was in the SEC at the time, and still is.
Also, if you look at more recent college football history – the SEC leads the pack. Since 1990, the SEC has more NCAA football championships than any other conference with six.
Here’s an interesting SEC vs Big 12 National Championship Game Comparison spreadsheet.
Since the BCS system began in 1998, the SEC leads with 4 BCS Championships. And, they’ve won it each of the past 2 years and 3 of the past 5 years. You can read more about most of those games at Biggest All-Time SEC Football Victory.
The ACC and Big 12 both have 2 BCS Championships. The Pac-10 and Big Ten both have 1.
OK, all of those caveats add up to one thing:
THE SEC IS REALLY THE TOP ALL-TIME NCAA COLLEGE FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CONFERENCE.
If you want to check out the stats by decade, check out the page submitted by a visitor at Most College Football National Championships By Decade.
To read about why we need to ditch the bowl system and go to a playoff system, check out College Football Playoff.
Better Coach - Bryant or Rockne - I pick Rockne
Rockne to me was better. Bryant was great and played in a more "modern" era. In 25 years at Alabama, he won six National Titles. Rockne also won six, even though most don't count his six since there was no AP polling at this time. Rockne however, won his six in an 11 year span.
Ohio State loses another bowl - proves the Big Ten is the most overrated "Power Conference
Quan Cosby of the Texas Longhorns on the way to score the winning touchdown against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Glendale, Arizona, on Monday. (Rick Scuteri/Reuters)
U.S. COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Texas bounces back to beat Ohio State in Fiesta Bowl
By Billy Witz Published: January 6, 2009
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GLENDALE, Arizona: Colt McCoy, the University of Texas quarterback with a gunslinger's name and a game to match, spent most of the evening being battered by Ohio State University. But he would not be beaten.
McCoy picked himself up off the turf time and again, and in the end did the same with his team. He fired a 26-yard touchdown pass to Quan Cosby with 16 seconds left to lift the Longhorns to a 24-21 victory Monday over the Buckeyes in the Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium.
It was the 10th time in his career that McCoy rallied the Longhorns to victory and it is hard to imagine any were more satisfying than this one.
When a last-gasp pass by Ohio State's quarterback, Todd Boeckman, landed on the turf near the 5-yard line, Texas players tossed their helmets into the air and poured onto the field.
"We knew our guys had tremendous pressure on them and they just didn't quit," Texas's coach, Mack Brown, said. "It was a classic."
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Today in Sports
Texas bounces back to beat Ohio State in Fiesta BowlYear in sport, part 7: The year aheadFarewell to the tranquil captainThe Buckeyes had taken a 21-17 lead with 2 minutes 5 seconds left when Daniel Herron burst through a huge hole in the left side of the line. It capped their unlikely rally from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit.
But as it turned out, it left too much time for McCoy, who was 41 for 58 for 414 yards. He threw two touchdown passes, ran for another score, was intercepted once, was sacked four times and was hit many more - including twice on hits that were ruled personal fouls.
Wherever he was on the field, the action seemed to follow as he channeled his inner Brett Favre.
"I don't think he's been hit like he was hit today," the Ohio State safety Malcolm Jenkins said. "But he's one of the better quarterbacks in the nation. That's not something that's going to destroy his game. He did a good job of staying poised and making the throws he had to make."
McCoy was 7 for 10 on the final drive, including a 3-yard pass to James Kirkendoll on fourth-and-3 at the Ohio State 43 that kept Texas alive by a matter of inches with 38 seconds left.
Two plays later, with the Buckeyes in an all-out blitz and all the receivers covered man-to-man with no help, McCoy hit Cosby with a slant.
Cosby raced untouched and dived into the end zone.
Brees named Offensive Player of the Year - did I not say this all along lol
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=nfl/news/newstest.aspx?id=4201668
New York, NY (Sports Network) - New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was honored on Tuesday as the Associated Press' Offensive Player of the Year.
He torched defensive backfields for a career-high and NFL-best 5,069 yards and also led the league in pass attempts (635), pass completions (413) and completions of 25 yards or more (35) this season. He beat out Indianapolis quarterback and 2008 MVP Peyton Manning and Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson for the offensive award.
Brees, who became just the second player to pass for 5,000 yards or more in a season, is the only Saint to throw for more than 4,000 yards in three consecutive seasons and his 34 touchdown passes in 2008 were a franchise best. Dan Marino passed for an NFL-record 5,084 yards in 1984.
The Purdue product tied an NFL mark with 10 300-yard passing games this season despite New Orleans finishing last in the NFC South with an 8-8 record. Brees has thrown for 26,258 yards and 168 TDs in eight years with San Diego and New Orleans.
01/06 15:12:52 ET
New York, NY (Sports Network) - New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was honored on Tuesday as the Associated Press' Offensive Player of the Year.
He torched defensive backfields for a career-high and NFL-best 5,069 yards and also led the league in pass attempts (635), pass completions (413) and completions of 25 yards or more (35) this season. He beat out Indianapolis quarterback and 2008 MVP Peyton Manning and Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson for the offensive award.
Brees, who became just the second player to pass for 5,000 yards or more in a season, is the only Saint to throw for more than 4,000 yards in three consecutive seasons and his 34 touchdown passes in 2008 were a franchise best. Dan Marino passed for an NFL-record 5,084 yards in 1984.
The Purdue product tied an NFL mark with 10 300-yard passing games this season despite New Orleans finishing last in the NFC South with an 8-8 record. Brees has thrown for 26,258 yards and 168 TDs in eight years with San Diego and New Orleans.
01/06 15:12:52 ET
Carmelo Anthony hurt - to miss 3-4 weeks
http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_11386675
Carmelo Anthony's right hand was covered with a red splint today, as he was officially pronounced out of action for three-to-four weeks with a non-displaced third metacarpal fracture.
But the Nuggets star forward did not concede anything beyond three weeks.
"Four weeks, that's the doctor's statement. That's what they said," Anthony said. "They gotta say that. It all depends on my body and how fast I heal."
Anthony, who is averaging 21.1 points and 7.3 rebounds, estimated he could be back on the court in less than three weeks.
"Two, two and half weeks, we play five games," Anthony said. "And just play it by ear after that."
Anthony will not need a cast. The splint, which he can put on and take off at his leisure, can
"The next couple of weeks, I'm just going to get some rest, some treatment," Anthony said. "The good news is I didn't have to get no surgery on it. So, hopefully the healing process will be a lot quicker."
In his career, Anthony has been as durable a player as there is in the league. He has played in 75 or more games in all but one season of his career, and the one season he played 65 (2006-07), it was due mostly to a 15-game fighting suspension.
If Anthony sits the full four weeks, he will miss 11 games. Add that to the three he's already missed due to a right elbow contusion, and this season is starting to look a bit injury-riddled.
"It seems like it doesn't stop," Anthony said. "But I can use this next couple of weeks to rehab my elbow, get some rest on my hand, and see what happens from there."
The latest injury occurred at the 9:44 mark in the third quarter of Monday night's game against the Indiana Pacers. Pacers forward Jeff Foster fouled Anthony hard on the hand as he went up for a shot. Anthony said he did not immediately know his hand was fractured at the time.
"I couldn't move it," Anthony said. "It was just numb. It was tingling. I didn't think it was broken. After the game, I knew it was a light fracture."
Despite the injury, Anthony played into the fourth quarter but left the game early to get the hand x-rayed. That's when the fracture was discovered. Today, Anthony visited hand specialist, Dr. Carlton Clinkscales, to confirm the fracture.
"I don't want nobody to feel bad for me," Anthony said. "Injuries happen in this sport. I'm going to make this time the best time that I can just by rehabbing and continuing where I left off at."
Nuggets recall Weems
In response to Anthony's injury, the Nuggets recalled guard-forward Sonny Weems from the Colorado 14ers of the NBA Development League.
Weems started the season with the Nuggets before being assigned to the 14ers on Dec. 10. In Broomfield, he has averaged 18.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in 10 games for the 14ers.
Homestretch threatened
Anthony's injury comes at a crucial piece of the Nuggets' season schedule. They play eight of their next 11 games in Denver, through the end of January.
The Nuggets are currently leading the Northwest Division, three games ahead of Portland and 3 1/2 ahead of Utah. They were hoping to add to their division lead with a favorable schedule this month.
Both Portland and Utah are also hurting. Jazz star forward Carlos Boozer will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee next month. And Brandon Roy, Portland's all-star guard who missed the past two games because of a sprained right hamstring, will miss seven to 10 more days.
Denver next hosts Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat on Wednesday at the Pepsi Center, at 7 p.m. Then on Friday, Allen Iverson will face his former team when the Detroit Pistons come to Denver for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
Carmelo Anthony's right hand was covered with a red splint today, as he was officially pronounced out of action for three-to-four weeks with a non-displaced third metacarpal fracture.
But the Nuggets star forward did not concede anything beyond three weeks.
"Four weeks, that's the doctor's statement. That's what they said," Anthony said. "They gotta say that. It all depends on my body and how fast I heal."
Anthony, who is averaging 21.1 points and 7.3 rebounds, estimated he could be back on the court in less than three weeks.
"Two, two and half weeks, we play five games," Anthony said. "And just play it by ear after that."
Anthony will not need a cast. The splint, which he can put on and take off at his leisure, can
"The next couple of weeks, I'm just going to get some rest, some treatment," Anthony said. "The good news is I didn't have to get no surgery on it. So, hopefully the healing process will be a lot quicker."
In his career, Anthony has been as durable a player as there is in the league. He has played in 75 or more games in all but one season of his career, and the one season he played 65 (2006-07), it was due mostly to a 15-game fighting suspension.
If Anthony sits the full four weeks, he will miss 11 games. Add that to the three he's already missed due to a right elbow contusion, and this season is starting to look a bit injury-riddled.
"It seems like it doesn't stop," Anthony said. "But I can use this next couple of weeks to rehab my elbow, get some rest on my hand, and see what happens from there."
The latest injury occurred at the 9:44 mark in the third quarter of Monday night's game against the Indiana Pacers. Pacers forward Jeff Foster fouled Anthony hard on the hand as he went up for a shot. Anthony said he did not immediately know his hand was fractured at the time.
"I couldn't move it," Anthony said. "It was just numb. It was tingling. I didn't think it was broken. After the game, I knew it was a light fracture."
Despite the injury, Anthony played into the fourth quarter but left the game early to get the hand x-rayed. That's when the fracture was discovered. Today, Anthony visited hand specialist, Dr. Carlton Clinkscales, to confirm the fracture.
"I don't want nobody to feel bad for me," Anthony said. "Injuries happen in this sport. I'm going to make this time the best time that I can just by rehabbing and continuing where I left off at."
Nuggets recall Weems
In response to Anthony's injury, the Nuggets recalled guard-forward Sonny Weems from the Colorado 14ers of the NBA Development League.
Weems started the season with the Nuggets before being assigned to the 14ers on Dec. 10. In Broomfield, he has averaged 18.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in 10 games for the 14ers.
Homestretch threatened
Anthony's injury comes at a crucial piece of the Nuggets' season schedule. They play eight of their next 11 games in Denver, through the end of January.
The Nuggets are currently leading the Northwest Division, three games ahead of Portland and 3 1/2 ahead of Utah. They were hoping to add to their division lead with a favorable schedule this month.
Both Portland and Utah are also hurting. Jazz star forward Carlos Boozer will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee next month. And Brandon Roy, Portland's all-star guard who missed the past two games because of a sprained right hamstring, will miss seven to 10 more days.
Denver next hosts Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat on Wednesday at the Pepsi Center, at 7 p.m. Then on Friday, Allen Iverson will face his former team when the Detroit Pistons come to Denver for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
Monday, January 5, 2009
Colt McCoy: The Completion Percentage Record
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3810961
The Fiesta Bowl, pitting Ohio State and Texas, is at 8:15pm tonight (1-5-09) on FOX.
The day after the Heisman Trophy ceremony, an ESPN The Magazine staffer saw Texas Longhorns QB Colt McCoy and his sister walking through the Chinatown section of Manhattan. This staffer's friend had, innocently enough, just purchased a pair of nunchucks. He contemplated approaching McCoy and claiming to be a Sooners fan or some such, but another friend chimed in: "The guy seems pretty cool under pressure. It likely won't even affect him."
Truth, if you watched college football all season. Here's tangible proof: the current FBS record for completion percentage in a season is 73.6, held by Daunte Culpepper while at University of Central Florida. McCoy enters the Fiesta Bowl completing 77.6 percent of his passes, including 80% on first down and 76.9% in the red zone. He could go 0-for-20 in passing situations tonight and still break Culpepper's record.
We turned to Longhorns offensive coordinator/QB coach Greg Davis to talk about the Austin gunslinger and his uncanny abilities at completing passes.
ESPNTheMag: What would you say about Colt generally?
Davis: "All really accurate passers have great balance and Colt has tremendous balance. He has the ability to move in the pocket and throw the ball from different launch points and not every quarterback can effectively do that. Being able to throw the ball from different arm angles and different foot placement is very important in being an accurate passer."
"In 36 years of coaching, I've never had a quarterback this deep into the season completing 80% of his passing. Of course I'm surprised because that's an amazing number, but I'm not surprised he's having a great year. I told everybody who would listen before the season that he would have a great year."
Is Colt's completion percentage based more on his accuracy, or more on the performance of receivers and the offensive scheme?
"All of the above. Colt's ability to make adjustments at the line, go through his progressions and make good decisions, the receivers ability to run great routes and make catches, all of that factors into the quarterback's accuracy. Most importantly in the end is throwing an accurate ball but there's a lot that goes into it before that."
There's been a lot of talk this season about Colt and Jordan Shipley's relationship. What is his dynamic like with all his receivers?
"Everybody knows that they've play a lot of ball together, that Jordan and Colt are roommates and how much they all work together in the summer. But there is a lot of flexibility built into our offense and the way they use that to their advantage is what makes them so effective. There are a lot of option routes where the receivers have choices of what to run. Because Quan and Jordan are so disciplined as receivers and they are playing within the parameters and using the offense's flexibility to their advantage, we're having great success. On top of it, both Quan and Jordan have great hands and don't drop many balls. Colt helps put them in good positions, they make great reads and they always seem to be on the same page. That's been critical in the efficiency of our offense and a big reason for the great accuracy Colt has had in the passing game."
The Fiesta Bowl, pitting Ohio State and Texas, is at 8:15pm tonight (1-5-09) on FOX.
The day after the Heisman Trophy ceremony, an ESPN The Magazine staffer saw Texas Longhorns QB Colt McCoy and his sister walking through the Chinatown section of Manhattan. This staffer's friend had, innocently enough, just purchased a pair of nunchucks. He contemplated approaching McCoy and claiming to be a Sooners fan or some such, but another friend chimed in: "The guy seems pretty cool under pressure. It likely won't even affect him."
Truth, if you watched college football all season. Here's tangible proof: the current FBS record for completion percentage in a season is 73.6, held by Daunte Culpepper while at University of Central Florida. McCoy enters the Fiesta Bowl completing 77.6 percent of his passes, including 80% on first down and 76.9% in the red zone. He could go 0-for-20 in passing situations tonight and still break Culpepper's record.
We turned to Longhorns offensive coordinator/QB coach Greg Davis to talk about the Austin gunslinger and his uncanny abilities at completing passes.
ESPNTheMag: What would you say about Colt generally?
Davis: "All really accurate passers have great balance and Colt has tremendous balance. He has the ability to move in the pocket and throw the ball from different launch points and not every quarterback can effectively do that. Being able to throw the ball from different arm angles and different foot placement is very important in being an accurate passer."
"In 36 years of coaching, I've never had a quarterback this deep into the season completing 80% of his passing. Of course I'm surprised because that's an amazing number, but I'm not surprised he's having a great year. I told everybody who would listen before the season that he would have a great year."
Is Colt's completion percentage based more on his accuracy, or more on the performance of receivers and the offensive scheme?
"All of the above. Colt's ability to make adjustments at the line, go through his progressions and make good decisions, the receivers ability to run great routes and make catches, all of that factors into the quarterback's accuracy. Most importantly in the end is throwing an accurate ball but there's a lot that goes into it before that."
There's been a lot of talk this season about Colt and Jordan Shipley's relationship. What is his dynamic like with all his receivers?
"Everybody knows that they've play a lot of ball together, that Jordan and Colt are roommates and how much they all work together in the summer. But there is a lot of flexibility built into our offense and the way they use that to their advantage is what makes them so effective. There are a lot of option routes where the receivers have choices of what to run. Because Quan and Jordan are so disciplined as receivers and they are playing within the parameters and using the offense's flexibility to their advantage, we're having great success. On top of it, both Quan and Jordan have great hands and don't drop many balls. Colt helps put them in good positions, they make great reads and they always seem to be on the same page. That's been critical in the efficiency of our offense and a big reason for the great accuracy Colt has had in the passing game."
U of L beats UK - U of L fans now believe their "okay" team is a top 5 team again lol
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090105/COLUMNISTS01/901050359
The first University of Louisville basketball practice after the puzzling Wednesday-night loss to Nevada-Las Vegas was scheduled for 11 a.m. on New Year's Day. Except for Edgar Sosa
Sosa was summoned to Rick Pitino's office at 10:15 that morning. Pitino had a request for his mercurial junior point guard:
Think hard about an immediate transfer to another school. Call your mother and brother and talk about it. Happy New Year.
Sosa had endured these meetings before with his demanding coach. Every year since the kid arrived from New York City in 2006. But to Sosa, this one sounded different. There was more of an edge to Pitino's voice. The coach was tired of his pouting, tired of the way he dropped his head whenever one of his jumpers clanked, tired of his sloppy passing, tired of the way Sosa's game has regressed since his promising freshman season.
"I want you to look at some schools where they don't play any defense," Pitino said. "It's painful watching you."
"He was pretty serious," Sosa said. "He said it was going to be our last meeting."
Not true. Sosa and Pitino had another meeting yesterday. They met on the middle of the floor at Freedom Hall. They were surrounded by the rest of the U of L Cardinals, a disbelieving University of Kentucky team and a wall of sound.
This meeting was a celebration of the stunning, 25-foot dagger that Sosa delivered against the Wildcats, a high and deadly three-pointer from the top of the lane with 2.3 seconds to play that beat UK, 74-71.
"That's the Edgar Sosa that I know," said Andre McGee, the senior who shares time at point guard with Sosa. "He's a tough, confident player who can make all the plays. Everybody on this team believes in him. He just has to stop being so hard on himself."
The only folks that Sosa was hard on yesterday were the defenders UK coach Billy Gillispie assigned to him.
Sosa was supposed to drive and then toss the ball to somebody, preferably a more dependable shooter like McGee or Jerry Smith.
Not this time. Pitino barked at Sosa to attack the basket with six seconds to play. But he waved off a pick from Will Scott, surged ahead on a drive and then realized that UK point guard Michael Porter was backpedaling to stop him from getting into the lane.
So Sosa, a 20 percent three-point shooter this season who had missed his last five three-pointers, stopped and launched. It was just as perfect and unforgettable as the game-winning shots Tony Branch, Milt Wagner, Reece Gaines and others have made for the Cardinals through the years.
"It feels good to know that 20 years from now, I'll be able to tell my kids that I made a shot like that," Sosa said.
But the true value in yesterday's game for Sosa was that he started for the first time in two weeks and finally delivered 26 formidable minutes, scoring a season-high 18 points, making eight of nine free throws and balancing his two turnovers with two assists and two steals. Before yesterday, Sosa had scored only 19 points in U of L's previous five games. A player who had averaged 11.4 points was giving the Cardinals less than half that -- and practically no leadership -- this season.
Sosa not only made the game's final three, he made the first one, too, this one from 22 feet at the top of the key. Sosa punctuated that shot by punching his right fist and turning to shout at a visitor sitting in the first row across from the U of L bench -- former Cardinal Francisco Garcia.
You see, Sosa's meeting with Pitino wasn't his only face-to-face session since the UNLV game, a game in which Sosa played 13 uninspired minutes, contributing four turnovers, no assists and two points.
Garcia used a break in the Sacramento Kings' schedule to arrange an unplanned visit to Louisville. He was a surprise visitor at the Cardinals' morning practice at Freedom Hall yesterday. He told Sosa they were going to eat the pre-game meal together and then they would talk.
Actually, Garcia would talk. Sosa would listen. Garcia, another New York City guy, is one of his heroes.
"I just told him he was a better player than that," Garcia said. "I told him that playing basketball was fun, and that he needed to start having fun on the court again."
"He didn't understand why I had that screwed-up look on my face all the time," Sosa said.
The screwed-up look on Edgar Sosa's face disappeared yesterday. Perhaps a game like the one Sosa played yesterday can make it stay away.
Reach Rick Bozich at (502) 582-4650 or rbozich@courier-journal.com. Comment on this column, and read his blog and previous columns, at www.courier-journal.com/bozich.
The first University of Louisville basketball practice after the puzzling Wednesday-night loss to Nevada-Las Vegas was scheduled for 11 a.m. on New Year's Day. Except for Edgar Sosa
Sosa was summoned to Rick Pitino's office at 10:15 that morning. Pitino had a request for his mercurial junior point guard:
Think hard about an immediate transfer to another school. Call your mother and brother and talk about it. Happy New Year.
Sosa had endured these meetings before with his demanding coach. Every year since the kid arrived from New York City in 2006. But to Sosa, this one sounded different. There was more of an edge to Pitino's voice. The coach was tired of his pouting, tired of the way he dropped his head whenever one of his jumpers clanked, tired of his sloppy passing, tired of the way Sosa's game has regressed since his promising freshman season.
"I want you to look at some schools where they don't play any defense," Pitino said. "It's painful watching you."
"He was pretty serious," Sosa said. "He said it was going to be our last meeting."
Not true. Sosa and Pitino had another meeting yesterday. They met on the middle of the floor at Freedom Hall. They were surrounded by the rest of the U of L Cardinals, a disbelieving University of Kentucky team and a wall of sound.
This meeting was a celebration of the stunning, 25-foot dagger that Sosa delivered against the Wildcats, a high and deadly three-pointer from the top of the lane with 2.3 seconds to play that beat UK, 74-71.
"That's the Edgar Sosa that I know," said Andre McGee, the senior who shares time at point guard with Sosa. "He's a tough, confident player who can make all the plays. Everybody on this team believes in him. He just has to stop being so hard on himself."
The only folks that Sosa was hard on yesterday were the defenders UK coach Billy Gillispie assigned to him.
Sosa was supposed to drive and then toss the ball to somebody, preferably a more dependable shooter like McGee or Jerry Smith.
Not this time. Pitino barked at Sosa to attack the basket with six seconds to play. But he waved off a pick from Will Scott, surged ahead on a drive and then realized that UK point guard Michael Porter was backpedaling to stop him from getting into the lane.
So Sosa, a 20 percent three-point shooter this season who had missed his last five three-pointers, stopped and launched. It was just as perfect and unforgettable as the game-winning shots Tony Branch, Milt Wagner, Reece Gaines and others have made for the Cardinals through the years.
"It feels good to know that 20 years from now, I'll be able to tell my kids that I made a shot like that," Sosa said.
But the true value in yesterday's game for Sosa was that he started for the first time in two weeks and finally delivered 26 formidable minutes, scoring a season-high 18 points, making eight of nine free throws and balancing his two turnovers with two assists and two steals. Before yesterday, Sosa had scored only 19 points in U of L's previous five games. A player who had averaged 11.4 points was giving the Cardinals less than half that -- and practically no leadership -- this season.
Sosa not only made the game's final three, he made the first one, too, this one from 22 feet at the top of the key. Sosa punctuated that shot by punching his right fist and turning to shout at a visitor sitting in the first row across from the U of L bench -- former Cardinal Francisco Garcia.
You see, Sosa's meeting with Pitino wasn't his only face-to-face session since the UNLV game, a game in which Sosa played 13 uninspired minutes, contributing four turnovers, no assists and two points.
Garcia used a break in the Sacramento Kings' schedule to arrange an unplanned visit to Louisville. He was a surprise visitor at the Cardinals' morning practice at Freedom Hall yesterday. He told Sosa they were going to eat the pre-game meal together and then they would talk.
Actually, Garcia would talk. Sosa would listen. Garcia, another New York City guy, is one of his heroes.
"I just told him he was a better player than that," Garcia said. "I told him that playing basketball was fun, and that he needed to start having fun on the court again."
"He didn't understand why I had that screwed-up look on my face all the time," Sosa said.
The screwed-up look on Edgar Sosa's face disappeared yesterday. Perhaps a game like the one Sosa played yesterday can make it stay away.
Reach Rick Bozich at (502) 582-4650 or rbozich@courier-journal.com. Comment on this column, and read his blog and previous columns, at www.courier-journal.com/bozich.
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