Its been 2 full days for me since I heard Sean Taylor was shot, and a full day since it was announced that he had passed away. This is truly a tragc incident to see a person near my own age, with a child about the same age as my own, shot and killed in his own home. Life changed for me when my wife and I had our son, and I understand the fear of an intruder coming into your home. While listening to some of the radio coverage in the area, it seems to me that a lot of emphasis is being put on Taylor's past and what he did or did not do leading up to his murder. This annoys me. People want to break down the situation, and find reasons for why this happened already. I'd rather wait and see what comes out after a real investigation is completed then people guessing what might have happened or what Sean Taylor should have done differently. I understand that he is a public figure and the public wants to have answers about what happened to him. However, there is too much gossip going on, and none of it is helping honor this man's life. I am eager to hear from official sources about what happened leading up to Taylor's death, but I am tired of fans and media personalities voicing their under-informed opinions on what he should have done and what might have happened.
Any thoughts about the Redskins game for me this week are gone. I know the players will have to head out on Sunday and take care of their business, because thats what the NFL is. It won't be easy for a lot of them, but they need to carry out their jobs just like everybody else. Thats how I feel after this tragedy. It seems the fun of playing a game is temporarily lost when you lose a teammate, and there won't be a lot of joy for the Redskins leading up to their game this week. They will get over this setback...maybe in a few weeks or maybe next season. But for now the Redskins' season takes a back seat. Dealing with the tragedy of losing a teammate to murder is a lot more pressing of an issue.
My prayers go out to Taylor's family, friends, and teammates. I pray that they find strength in themselves to deal with this horrible situation, and to make the best future for themselves and those they love.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Sean Taylor Shot
http://www3.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI68880/
The Redskins loss yesterday looks like it is becoming less of a story right now, as Sean Taylor appears to be in critical condition after being shot at his Miami home. This is certainly an injury that appears to be threatening his life, and not just his football career right now. My prayers go out to his family, friends, and teammates that this situation will be resolved as best as it possibly can be.
The Redskins loss yesterday looks like it is becoming less of a story right now, as Sean Taylor appears to be in critical condition after being shot at his Miami home. This is certainly an injury that appears to be threatening his life, and not just his football career right now. My prayers go out to his family, friends, and teammates that this situation will be resolved as best as it possibly can be.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Terps Lose
Last night was my first opportunity to see the Maryland Terrapins this season. Thanks to their matchup with #1 UCLA, they got a nationally televised game on ESPN. I came away from that game not feeling too enthused about the team.
Maryland hoops fans have had things good for a long time. Gary Williams has done a great job of always fielding a good team. Even with some of their relative struggles over the last few years, they have still been a winning team in one of the best conferences in college basketball. However, it is hard to predict a great year from a team as young as this year's Terps. They return just 2 seniors(big men James Gist and Bambale Osby), 1 junior(Dave Neal 4.4 mpg and 1.6 ppg in 06-07), and 3 sophomores(Eric Hayes, Greivis Vasquez, and Landon Milbourne). Milbourne barely played last season and is basically a freshman in terms of experience, and Neal doesn't have much big game minutes under his belt. So basically the team is coming back with 4 proven contributors.
Williams seems to have Vasquez at the 1 with Hayes at the 2. Although Hayes is the better pure shooter, I don't think this is the best use of their combined talents. Eric played PG in high school, and seems to have that mentality. While Vasquez is a capable ball handler, his aggressive nature isn't suited for running the point full time. Both are capable players though, however neither is a true shooting guard. Vasquez is too inconsistent from beyond the arc, and Hayes doesn't have the mindset or physical ability to create his own shot. I like them on the court together, but I think they would both flourish more if the Terps had a legitimate 2 guard.
Gist and Osby look solid down low. Boom definitely improved his offensive game since last season, although he still turns the ball over way too much. I would like to see the Terps get the ball to Gist more, and for James to act quicker when he feels a double team. These two guys will be relied on game in and game out to put up solid numbers.
Watching the game last night was an introduction for me to the 5 freshman and Milbourne. What I saw from them wasn't bad, but it certainly didn't make me feel good about this season. Milbourne got the start next to the 4 players who got time last season, and he also saw the most minutes of the newcomers. He had a few promising moments, and ended up with 6 points and 5 rebounds. As the starter in the 3 spot, he should be putting up more than just 6 points. He seems like a good enough athlete to start at that spot, but I didn't witness a ton of intensity out of him. Considering that he didn't get time last season, and is still adjusting to being on the floor full time, I'll cut him some slack. However, I hope he comes out a little more determined to make plays later on this season.
Adrian Bowie had the next best showing among the new guys. He played 15 minutes, and had a solid stat sheet with 4 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. His quickness was evident the whole time he was on the court, but there were several times when it seemed he struggled to control the ball. Unlike Milbourne he didn't lack aggressiveness, but it seemed like his game wasn't quite developed enough to be a reliable weapon. I can see him having some big games off of the bench this year, and he should be fun to watch.
Cliff Tucker had just 8 minutes, and never seemed to get into the flow of the game while he was on the court. He seemed to handle the ball well for a taller guy, but that was all I noticed from him. I'd definitely like to see more of him soon.
Calvert Hall product Braxton Dupree got decent minutes against UCLA's freshman big man Kevin Love. Dupree has a body that reminds me of Lonny Baxter. He is a short, yet muscular center who will rely on positioning more so than athleticism to be successful. Love definitely outplayed him on the boards when they went up against each other. Braxton seemed to have a soft touch around the rim, but needs to work on boxing out when he goes up against other physical big men.
The last freshman to get in the game was Dino Gregory, who I only saw for the final minute when James Gist had fouled out. It looks like he may find himself outside of the main rotation right now.
Overall there seems to be some promise with this large recruiting class. However, there isn't a guy who appears ready to step in and be a major contributor yet. With the lack of experienced depth on the team, they will all see good time this season and hopefully one of them shows they are ready to step up and carry a greater load for this team. Otherwise I don't know if Maryland has what it takes to be near the top of the ACC this season.
Maryland hoops fans have had things good for a long time. Gary Williams has done a great job of always fielding a good team. Even with some of their relative struggles over the last few years, they have still been a winning team in one of the best conferences in college basketball. However, it is hard to predict a great year from a team as young as this year's Terps. They return just 2 seniors(big men James Gist and Bambale Osby), 1 junior(Dave Neal 4.4 mpg and 1.6 ppg in 06-07), and 3 sophomores(Eric Hayes, Greivis Vasquez, and Landon Milbourne). Milbourne barely played last season and is basically a freshman in terms of experience, and Neal doesn't have much big game minutes under his belt. So basically the team is coming back with 4 proven contributors.
Williams seems to have Vasquez at the 1 with Hayes at the 2. Although Hayes is the better pure shooter, I don't think this is the best use of their combined talents. Eric played PG in high school, and seems to have that mentality. While Vasquez is a capable ball handler, his aggressive nature isn't suited for running the point full time. Both are capable players though, however neither is a true shooting guard. Vasquez is too inconsistent from beyond the arc, and Hayes doesn't have the mindset or physical ability to create his own shot. I like them on the court together, but I think they would both flourish more if the Terps had a legitimate 2 guard.
Gist and Osby look solid down low. Boom definitely improved his offensive game since last season, although he still turns the ball over way too much. I would like to see the Terps get the ball to Gist more, and for James to act quicker when he feels a double team. These two guys will be relied on game in and game out to put up solid numbers.
Watching the game last night was an introduction for me to the 5 freshman and Milbourne. What I saw from them wasn't bad, but it certainly didn't make me feel good about this season. Milbourne got the start next to the 4 players who got time last season, and he also saw the most minutes of the newcomers. He had a few promising moments, and ended up with 6 points and 5 rebounds. As the starter in the 3 spot, he should be putting up more than just 6 points. He seems like a good enough athlete to start at that spot, but I didn't witness a ton of intensity out of him. Considering that he didn't get time last season, and is still adjusting to being on the floor full time, I'll cut him some slack. However, I hope he comes out a little more determined to make plays later on this season.
Adrian Bowie had the next best showing among the new guys. He played 15 minutes, and had a solid stat sheet with 4 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. His quickness was evident the whole time he was on the court, but there were several times when it seemed he struggled to control the ball. Unlike Milbourne he didn't lack aggressiveness, but it seemed like his game wasn't quite developed enough to be a reliable weapon. I can see him having some big games off of the bench this year, and he should be fun to watch.
Cliff Tucker had just 8 minutes, and never seemed to get into the flow of the game while he was on the court. He seemed to handle the ball well for a taller guy, but that was all I noticed from him. I'd definitely like to see more of him soon.
Calvert Hall product Braxton Dupree got decent minutes against UCLA's freshman big man Kevin Love. Dupree has a body that reminds me of Lonny Baxter. He is a short, yet muscular center who will rely on positioning more so than athleticism to be successful. Love definitely outplayed him on the boards when they went up against each other. Braxton seemed to have a soft touch around the rim, but needs to work on boxing out when he goes up against other physical big men.
The last freshman to get in the game was Dino Gregory, who I only saw for the final minute when James Gist had fouled out. It looks like he may find himself outside of the main rotation right now.
Overall there seems to be some promise with this large recruiting class. However, there isn't a guy who appears ready to step in and be a major contributor yet. With the lack of experienced depth on the team, they will all see good time this season and hopefully one of them shows they are ready to step up and carry a greater load for this team. Otherwise I don't know if Maryland has what it takes to be near the top of the ACC this season.
Monday, November 19, 2007
T.O. 28 - Redskins 23
I missed the 1st half of this game because I was watching the Ravens up in Baltimore. I was pleased to see when I started watching during the 2nd half that the 'Skins were only down 14-13. From what I saw, the Redskins looked pretty good. Clinton Portis' back to back 100+ games were forgotten, and Washington went to the air. Jason Campbell had a career game in terms of yardage, and for the 2nd week in a row he threw a TD to a wide receiver. This seems like a new offense when compared to where they were a few weeks ago. Santana Moss' big game was great to see, especially considering his heel was supposed to be killing him. The offense had a chance to win the game late, and it was tough to see them come up short. However, it was definitely a moral victory after seeing the team lose a close one that should have been a win the week before.
Sean Taylor was definitely missed though. T.O is a great player, but he doesn't score 4 TDs if Sean Taylor is back there. He might get 2 or 3, but not 4. Even with a Detroit loss on Sunday, the Skins are still on the outside looking in for the Wild Card. The Giants will probably grab one spot, and the Lions are in the lead for the next one. However, the 'Skins now have the Eagles and Cardinals at 5-5 to worry about as well. Washington holds the tiebreaker with both Detroit and Arizona, and I'm not sure about the tiebreaker with Philly. So the Redskins might need to just match their competition in wins to get the Wild Card slot. However, there aren't any more acceptable losses for this team.
Sean Taylor was definitely missed though. T.O is a great player, but he doesn't score 4 TDs if Sean Taylor is back there. He might get 2 or 3, but not 4. Even with a Detroit loss on Sunday, the Skins are still on the outside looking in for the Wild Card. The Giants will probably grab one spot, and the Lions are in the lead for the next one. However, the 'Skins now have the Eagles and Cardinals at 5-5 to worry about as well. Washington holds the tiebreaker with both Detroit and Arizona, and I'm not sure about the tiebreaker with Philly. So the Redskins might need to just match their competition in wins to get the Wild Card slot. However, there aren't any more acceptable losses for this team.
OT is a Debacle
I attended the Ravens-Browns game yesterday, which will become infamous for Phil Dawson's game-tieing field goal that landed in the endzone. A lot of people had already left the stadium after Matt Stover hit the go-ahead field goal with less than a minute left. Those who were still there had already started filing out of the stadium before most realized that the game might not be over. It was obvious from where I was on the opposing 30 yard line and hundreds of feet up, that the ball landed in the endzone. However, I began to realize without the help of replay that the ball must have hit the support and not the horizontal goal post. Word came back as people waited in the aisles, that the FG was good and the game was going to OT. Most Baltimorons were incredulous at this point, but I wasn't upset. The kick was good and the refs got the call right in the end. It sucked...but Ravens fans would have wanted it that way if the situation was flipped.
I've always hated the way the NFL plays overtime games. The idea that a team can lose a game in overtime without ever running an offensive play is ridiculous. Sudden death works in hockey or soccer when there is most likely to be multiple change of possessions before the deciding score. However, with football it is a failure. I would much rather see the alternating possession system that the NCAA uses. Each team's offense and defense atleast has an impact in overtime. If the NFL doesn't want to go that route...then let the game end in a tie. That would have been a much more deserving result to yesterday's game.
The game itself was entertaining in the 2nd half. Baltimore's 37 yards of offense in the 1st half was pitiful. However, they looked like a great team at times in the 2nd half. How a team can go from looking that bad to that good is astounding. Kyle Boller looked good throwing the ball down the field in the 2nd half. Of course he still overthrew the soft passes over the middle, and gave up a pick-6 when he got rocked in the red zone. The offensive line was absolutely horrible in pass protection. Boller was sacked six times, and was pressured into a lot of bad throws. For some reason it took the coaching staff a whole half to realize that the offense could be successful when Boller took a three step drop instead of five or seven.
In regards to the coaching...where was it on special teams? Josh Cribbs has been an individual highlight reel for the Browns lately, yet the Ravens kicked the ball off to him SEVEN TIMES! Matt Stover was able to squib one kickoff threw the endzone, but otherwise they tried nothing different. Cribbs had 245 yards on kickoffs alone! Cribbs fielded each kick to his left, and Cleveland ran the same return each time. Since Stover has a weak leg, why not squib it more than once. How about a sky kick to a blocker, or kicking it to Cribbs' right. Of all the miscues in this game, the kickoff team was the worst. On Cleveland's tieing drive and game winning drive in OT, they got the ball on their 43 and 41 yard lines. It was impressive that they came back to win that game, but the Ravens certainly made it easy at times.
I've always hated the way the NFL plays overtime games. The idea that a team can lose a game in overtime without ever running an offensive play is ridiculous. Sudden death works in hockey or soccer when there is most likely to be multiple change of possessions before the deciding score. However, with football it is a failure. I would much rather see the alternating possession system that the NCAA uses. Each team's offense and defense atleast has an impact in overtime. If the NFL doesn't want to go that route...then let the game end in a tie. That would have been a much more deserving result to yesterday's game.
The game itself was entertaining in the 2nd half. Baltimore's 37 yards of offense in the 1st half was pitiful. However, they looked like a great team at times in the 2nd half. How a team can go from looking that bad to that good is astounding. Kyle Boller looked good throwing the ball down the field in the 2nd half. Of course he still overthrew the soft passes over the middle, and gave up a pick-6 when he got rocked in the red zone. The offensive line was absolutely horrible in pass protection. Boller was sacked six times, and was pressured into a lot of bad throws. For some reason it took the coaching staff a whole half to realize that the offense could be successful when Boller took a three step drop instead of five or seven.
In regards to the coaching...where was it on special teams? Josh Cribbs has been an individual highlight reel for the Browns lately, yet the Ravens kicked the ball off to him SEVEN TIMES! Matt Stover was able to squib one kickoff threw the endzone, but otherwise they tried nothing different. Cribbs had 245 yards on kickoffs alone! Cribbs fielded each kick to his left, and Cleveland ran the same return each time. Since Stover has a weak leg, why not squib it more than once. How about a sky kick to a blocker, or kicking it to Cribbs' right. Of all the miscues in this game, the kickoff team was the worst. On Cleveland's tieing drive and game winning drive in OT, they got the ball on their 43 and 41 yard lines. It was impressive that they came back to win that game, but the Ravens certainly made it easy at times.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Redskins Playoff Outlook
I feel decent about the Redskins because they have a winning record and still are barely on the outside of the playoffs. I hear the pessimists saying they should be 3-5, and the optimists saying they should be 7-2. Look! The reality is that they are slightly ahead of the middle in the NFC. 5-4 is perfectly reasonable for this team right now. They have had a fair amount of injuries to key guys, and are still keeping themselves in games. (Note...the Patriots game never actually happened). Injuries to Carlos Rogers and Sean Taylor will surely hurt the team's potential over the rest of the year, but that doesn't spell doom.
Currently the 'Skins are 7th in the NFC. That leaves them as the last team out of the playoffs. At 8-1, Green Bay and Dallas look to have spots wrapped up already. The Buccaneers and Seahawks, both at 5-4, are no better than the 'Skins on the field, but have the benefit of playing in crappy divisons. They or some other mediocre team will take those 2 divisonal slots. So that leaves the Lions and Giants, both 6-4, as the Redskins primary competition for one of the 2 Wild Card spots.
Detroit and NY play each other this week, which gives the Skins an opportunity to pick up a game on atleast one of them. However, the Burgundy and Gold also have to travel to Dallas for their first test against the Cowboys this year. A win in Big D would be huge for the 'Skins' playoff picture. However, even with a loss and a drop back to .500 they have a chance for the Wild Card.
The Giants have the best road ahead of these 3 teams. After the Lions they have Minnesota, Chicago, Philly, Washington, Buffalo, and New England. I see them getting 4 0r 5 wins out of that stretch, which would put them at 10-6 or 11-5 to finish the season. Thats a solid Wild Card team.
Detroit has a much tougher finish to their season. After their matchup with the Giants, they still have to face Green Bay twice and Dallas.(Likely outcome, 1-2) Its hard to predict wins for Jon Kitna during those weeks. While KC and Minnesota look to be struggling now, San Diego is a team that is hard to judge. That game is a toss up to predict. (Likely outcome 2-1). So I see Detroit going 3-3 after this weeks matchup. Three or four more wins would have them looking at 9-7 or 10-6.
Now I'm not up to date on all of my playoff tiebreakers for the NFL, but I would assume the Redskins beat the Lions for a playoff spot because of the Redskins win over Detroit during the regular season. So the 'Skins should be realistically aiming for a 10-6 finish. The Redskins schedule finishing up looks like this.
Dal - W/L
TB - W/L
Buf - W
Chi - W
NYG - W/L
Min - W
Dal - W/L
The three games with the W next to them are must wins for Washington. A loss to Buffalo, Chicago, or Minnesota could be a nail in the Skins' coffin. However, even with those 3 wins the team would still have just 8 victories. To get to 10-6 and to feel comfortable with a playoff spot, the Redskins would have to split their 4 games with likely playoff opponents. All but one of those games will be on the road.
It looks like the Giants will likely get one of the two Wild Card spots. Detroit and Washington both have a shaky road towards the end, but have the best shots of any other NFC teams. DC fans really need to cheer hard for anybody coming up against the Lions this year, and the 2 Dallas games for the Skins take on even more of a meaning this year with where the standings are now.
Currently the 'Skins are 7th in the NFC. That leaves them as the last team out of the playoffs. At 8-1, Green Bay and Dallas look to have spots wrapped up already. The Buccaneers and Seahawks, both at 5-4, are no better than the 'Skins on the field, but have the benefit of playing in crappy divisons. They or some other mediocre team will take those 2 divisonal slots. So that leaves the Lions and Giants, both 6-4, as the Redskins primary competition for one of the 2 Wild Card spots.
Detroit and NY play each other this week, which gives the Skins an opportunity to pick up a game on atleast one of them. However, the Burgundy and Gold also have to travel to Dallas for their first test against the Cowboys this year. A win in Big D would be huge for the 'Skins' playoff picture. However, even with a loss and a drop back to .500 they have a chance for the Wild Card.
The Giants have the best road ahead of these 3 teams. After the Lions they have Minnesota, Chicago, Philly, Washington, Buffalo, and New England. I see them getting 4 0r 5 wins out of that stretch, which would put them at 10-6 or 11-5 to finish the season. Thats a solid Wild Card team.
Detroit has a much tougher finish to their season. After their matchup with the Giants, they still have to face Green Bay twice and Dallas.(Likely outcome, 1-2) Its hard to predict wins for Jon Kitna during those weeks. While KC and Minnesota look to be struggling now, San Diego is a team that is hard to judge. That game is a toss up to predict. (Likely outcome 2-1). So I see Detroit going 3-3 after this weeks matchup. Three or four more wins would have them looking at 9-7 or 10-6.
Now I'm not up to date on all of my playoff tiebreakers for the NFL, but I would assume the Redskins beat the Lions for a playoff spot because of the Redskins win over Detroit during the regular season. So the 'Skins should be realistically aiming for a 10-6 finish. The Redskins schedule finishing up looks like this.
Dal - W/L
TB - W/L
Buf - W
Chi - W
NYG - W/L
Min - W
Dal - W/L
The three games with the W next to them are must wins for Washington. A loss to Buffalo, Chicago, or Minnesota could be a nail in the Skins' coffin. However, even with those 3 wins the team would still have just 8 victories. To get to 10-6 and to feel comfortable with a playoff spot, the Redskins would have to split their 4 games with likely playoff opponents. All but one of those games will be on the road.
It looks like the Giants will likely get one of the two Wild Card spots. Detroit and Washington both have a shaky road towards the end, but have the best shots of any other NFC teams. DC fans really need to cheer hard for anybody coming up against the Lions this year, and the 2 Dallas games for the Skins take on even more of a meaning this year with where the standings are now.
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