MCA, Rucker Park And Gunnin’ For That #1 Spot In The NBA
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Urban Meyer and Braxton Miller Are Good, the Eagles Stink
This weekend was about as bad it gets football-wise for me. Penn State, following a very hard-fought first half, got completely blitzed in the second half to lose 35-23 to Ohio State, while the Eagles got flat out embarrassed by the Atlanta Falcons, giving Andy Reid his first regular-season loss following a bye week of his head coaching career.
Honestly, there's not too much to go over for either game, though there are a few things I'd like to note about the Penn State-Ohio State game. For starters, I can't say enough about the make-up of this Penn State team. Even after missing several blown opportunities to make big plays — namely a slightly off-target pass to Allen Robinson that Robinson still probably should have brought in and a sure-fire pick six dropped by Stephen Obeng-Agyapong — the Nittany Lions played tremendous defense and took a 7-0 lead on a blocked punt my Mike Hull, and even when they fell behind, they never quit, making the final score respectable.
I will say that it's disappointing that the referees' horrid call extended Ohio State's final drive of the first half, which directly led to a tired defense that thought it had gotten off the field surrendering a momentum-altering touchdown to tie it up just before half. The defense played outstanding in that opening half, but you can only contain Braxton Miller for so long. If Penn State does get that stop and then manages to score before halftime, or even just take that 7-0 into the break, who knows how things play out.
Still, that terrible (and I mean terrible) call aside, this game was lost in the third quarter. Coming out of the break, Matt McGloin tossed an atrocious pick six, the type of throw that he became known for prior to this season, and the game spiraled out of control from there. Urban Meyer and Luke Fickell flat out outcoached Bill O'Brien and Ted Roof from there on out, the first time all season really where the new Penn State staff has been overmatched.
The Ohio State defense, which came into the game struggling, was dominant, completely shutting down Penn State's exciting attack. Fickell was clearly ready for this one and overwhelmed O'Brien and his players.
As for Meyer, he found a way to let his quarterback loose even as he was struggling to throw the ball, and Braxton Miller simply took over in the third quarter. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, this one was all but over.
Like I said, credit to Penn State for not giving up and laying down, fighting until the very end, but the Buckeyes simply outclassed the Nittany Lions on Saturday in the second half.
It was a nice measuring stick, and while the outcome was not desirable, it's proof that Penn State hasn't fallen off as dramatically as some suspected — at least not yet — and that O'Brien and his staff are still headed in the right direction.
As for the Eagles, what can you really say about that 30-17 embarrassment other than not a single player, unit or coach looked even remotely good? Everyone sucked. The defense couldn't stop the Falcons to save its life, looking worse than if ever did under the admittedly underqualified Juan Castillo. The offense was inept and laughable. And the special teams is the special teams.
There's not much else to say about this team other than the longer this goes on, the more it feels like the Andy Reid era is coming to a close. Speaking of Andy, the most entertaining thing about Sunday was former Eagle Asante Samuel's remarks about his former coach after the game.
The 2012 Philadelphia Eagles suck.
Honestly, there's not too much to go over for either game, though there are a few things I'd like to note about the Penn State-Ohio State game. For starters, I can't say enough about the make-up of this Penn State team. Even after missing several blown opportunities to make big plays — namely a slightly off-target pass to Allen Robinson that Robinson still probably should have brought in and a sure-fire pick six dropped by Stephen Obeng-Agyapong — the Nittany Lions played tremendous defense and took a 7-0 lead on a blocked punt my Mike Hull, and even when they fell behind, they never quit, making the final score respectable.
I will say that it's disappointing that the referees' horrid call extended Ohio State's final drive of the first half, which directly led to a tired defense that thought it had gotten off the field surrendering a momentum-altering touchdown to tie it up just before half. The defense played outstanding in that opening half, but you can only contain Braxton Miller for so long. If Penn State does get that stop and then manages to score before halftime, or even just take that 7-0 into the break, who knows how things play out.
Still, that terrible (and I mean terrible) call aside, this game was lost in the third quarter. Coming out of the break, Matt McGloin tossed an atrocious pick six, the type of throw that he became known for prior to this season, and the game spiraled out of control from there. Urban Meyer and Luke Fickell flat out outcoached Bill O'Brien and Ted Roof from there on out, the first time all season really where the new Penn State staff has been overmatched.
The Ohio State defense, which came into the game struggling, was dominant, completely shutting down Penn State's exciting attack. Fickell was clearly ready for this one and overwhelmed O'Brien and his players.
As for Meyer, he found a way to let his quarterback loose even as he was struggling to throw the ball, and Braxton Miller simply took over in the third quarter. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, this one was all but over.
Like I said, credit to Penn State for not giving up and laying down, fighting until the very end, but the Buckeyes simply outclassed the Nittany Lions on Saturday in the second half.
It was a nice measuring stick, and while the outcome was not desirable, it's proof that Penn State hasn't fallen off as dramatically as some suspected — at least not yet — and that O'Brien and his staff are still headed in the right direction.
As for the Eagles, what can you really say about that 30-17 embarrassment other than not a single player, unit or coach looked even remotely good? Everyone sucked. The defense couldn't stop the Falcons to save its life, looking worse than if ever did under the admittedly underqualified Juan Castillo. The offense was inept and laughable. And the special teams is the special teams.
There's not much else to say about this team other than the longer this goes on, the more it feels like the Andy Reid era is coming to a close. Speaking of Andy, the most entertaining thing about Sunday was former Eagle Asante Samuel's remarks about his former coach after the game.
The 2012 Philadelphia Eagles suck.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
It's Friday, Time to Dance
LeSean McCoy, commercial, dancing. Whatever. It's Friday, I'm tired of the Eagles and I'm just tired in general.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Some Preseason Thoughts on the Sixers
With the preseason complete and the season opener less than a week away, let's take a look at some of the bright spots from the preseason, as well as at some of the lingering questions. The Sixers put up a 6-1 mark this preseason. It's only the preseason and coaches are resting certain players on given nights and are playing with their line-ups daily as they try to find the combinations that work and define players' roles. So that 6-1 mark doesn't hold a whole lot of water, but I still find myself being encouraged by it anyway. Regardless, onto the bright spots ...
The play of Maalik Wayns. The Roman Catholic and Villanova product was signed by the team as an undrafted free agent prior to training camp. As training camp unfolded, you started hearing more and more reports that Maalik was raising eyebrows. As a fan of Villanova, the Big Five and Philly basketball in general, this had me excited. And as the preseason games began, he didn't disappoint. He got more minutes than presumed back-up point guard Royal Ivey. He averaged 10 points and 4 assists, and put up a 19-point game. He even showed some consistency with his shot, shooting 46% from the floor and 42% from three. Most importantly he showed an ability to run the offense and to use his speed in the open floor.
The three-point shooting. For as long as I can remember, the Sixers have been less than remarkable at shooting from long range. Sure they had Kyle Korver for a while, but because Korver could literally do nothing else on the court besides shoot, he was more of a liability. With the additions of Jason Richardson, Nick Young and Dorell Wright, the Sixers now have a group that can consistently knock down the long-range shot. Even Jrue Holiday has shown some improved consistency from three this preseason. With the slashing ability of Holiday, Wayns and Evan Turner, and Andrew Bynum commanding double-teams in the post, that bodes well for the Sixers.
And a few questions ...
When will Andrew Bynum be able to get on the floor? And when he does, can he stay there? The Sixers knew that Bynum's health was a concern when they traded for him. It seems that every time a report comes out on the Sixers, Bynum's timetable for return has been pushed back. I find that trend to be unnerving, but I think the plan to be cautious now and let him get pain-free before he plays is the correct approach. I would much rather he miss a little time at the beginning of the season instead of rushing him back and having him go down mid-season and miss extended time or miss time in the postseason. Bynum and the Sixers continue to insist that he is improving and that this is all cautionary, and we all hope that is the case. I can't wait to see him out there.
Will the defensive intensity be there? The Sixers went through a huge overhaul this offseason, and I wonder if the defensive mentality they had last year will be lost. They added a lot of potent offensive players, as well as traded Andre Iguodala, their best defensive player, who just so happens to be one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the entire league. Having an anchor and shot-blocking presence like Bynum in the middle should certainly help, and hopefully Holiday and Turner can bring that gritty defensive attitude that the team had last year.
How will Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner progress? As for Jrue, I don't think there is much to worry about. From last year's playoffs and into this preseason, he really seems to be coming into his own and developing into an elite-type point guard. Hopefully we see that trend continue this season. As for Turner, well not so much. As a number 2 overall pick, there are obviously high hopes and expectations attached to Mr. Turner. He showed glimpses of getting it together last season, but this preseason has not been encouraging. His preseason averages of 9 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists aren't terrible, but you certainly want more from someone in which you invested the number 2 overall pick in the draft. More discouraging was his 34.5 shooting percentage and the fact that he just looked kind of uncomfortable and out of sorts. I'll be watching to see if he can find his stride this season.
It's safe to say that the Sixers have a fun team this year. They have worked their way back to relevance. They have a stud center and a young and exciting core. They should be a good team, a team that is fun to watch. And it will be fun to watch them try to take the next couple of steps over the next few years.
The play of Maalik Wayns. The Roman Catholic and Villanova product was signed by the team as an undrafted free agent prior to training camp. As training camp unfolded, you started hearing more and more reports that Maalik was raising eyebrows. As a fan of Villanova, the Big Five and Philly basketball in general, this had me excited. And as the preseason games began, he didn't disappoint. He got more minutes than presumed back-up point guard Royal Ivey. He averaged 10 points and 4 assists, and put up a 19-point game. He even showed some consistency with his shot, shooting 46% from the floor and 42% from three. Most importantly he showed an ability to run the offense and to use his speed in the open floor.
The three-point shooting. For as long as I can remember, the Sixers have been less than remarkable at shooting from long range. Sure they had Kyle Korver for a while, but because Korver could literally do nothing else on the court besides shoot, he was more of a liability. With the additions of Jason Richardson, Nick Young and Dorell Wright, the Sixers now have a group that can consistently knock down the long-range shot. Even Jrue Holiday has shown some improved consistency from three this preseason. With the slashing ability of Holiday, Wayns and Evan Turner, and Andrew Bynum commanding double-teams in the post, that bodes well for the Sixers.
And a few questions ...
When will Andrew Bynum be able to get on the floor? And when he does, can he stay there? The Sixers knew that Bynum's health was a concern when they traded for him. It seems that every time a report comes out on the Sixers, Bynum's timetable for return has been pushed back. I find that trend to be unnerving, but I think the plan to be cautious now and let him get pain-free before he plays is the correct approach. I would much rather he miss a little time at the beginning of the season instead of rushing him back and having him go down mid-season and miss extended time or miss time in the postseason. Bynum and the Sixers continue to insist that he is improving and that this is all cautionary, and we all hope that is the case. I can't wait to see him out there.
Will the defensive intensity be there? The Sixers went through a huge overhaul this offseason, and I wonder if the defensive mentality they had last year will be lost. They added a lot of potent offensive players, as well as traded Andre Iguodala, their best defensive player, who just so happens to be one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the entire league. Having an anchor and shot-blocking presence like Bynum in the middle should certainly help, and hopefully Holiday and Turner can bring that gritty defensive attitude that the team had last year.
How will Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner progress? As for Jrue, I don't think there is much to worry about. From last year's playoffs and into this preseason, he really seems to be coming into his own and developing into an elite-type point guard. Hopefully we see that trend continue this season. As for Turner, well not so much. As a number 2 overall pick, there are obviously high hopes and expectations attached to Mr. Turner. He showed glimpses of getting it together last season, but this preseason has not been encouraging. His preseason averages of 9 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists aren't terrible, but you certainly want more from someone in which you invested the number 2 overall pick in the draft. More discouraging was his 34.5 shooting percentage and the fact that he just looked kind of uncomfortable and out of sorts. I'll be watching to see if he can find his stride this season.
It's safe to say that the Sixers have a fun team this year. They have worked their way back to relevance. They have a stud center and a young and exciting core. They should be a good team, a team that is fun to watch. And it will be fun to watch them try to take the next couple of steps over the next few years.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Who Are You and What Have You Done With Matt McGloin?
Ever since Daryll Clark's departure upon graduating following the 2009 season, Penn State has had a rough time with the quarterback position. The past two seasons in particular, the flip-flopping between heralded recruit Rob Bolden and former walk-on Matt McGloin had taken over as the focal point and created the biggest division among Penn State fans — not to mention the hopes held out for Paul Jones.
Bolden seemed to posses the superior physical traits, whereas the offense just seemed slightly more competent with McGloin at the helm. Either way, neither guy impressed that much playing in the offense coached by Galen Hall and Jay Paterno. Bolden, following a few promising starts his freshman year, never developed and looked progressively worse, while McGloin had flashes of decency, but nothing more. It looked as though Penn State was going to be locked in a quarterback controversy for the foreseeable future as the new coaching staff came in, at least until the next highly touted recruit, Christian Hackenberg, makes his way to campus.
However, once Bolden decided to transfer to LSU following the Penn State sanctions and Paul Jones flamed out at QB, the new head coach gave McGloin the keys to the offense with little behind him. For the first time, now as a senior, the Penn State offense was Matt McGloin's and Matt McGloin's alone. For many Penn State fans, myself included, that was a terrifying proposition, mainly because during his sophomore and junior seasons, McGloin looked to outsiders as a guy with walk-on talent attempting to play the game like Brett Favre — bad decisions and all.
After all, McGloin entered his senior seasons with just a 54 percent completion percentage in his career and an unimpressive 22 to 14 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Given the departures of his top receivers and his star tailback Silas Redd, many people projected another struggling Penn State offense just like the Nittany Lions had in 2010 and 2011, even with O'Brien and his offensive acumen now in town.
Turns out, O'Brien and McGloin have been a match made in some sort of bizarro-world heaven.
As if overnight, under the tutelage of O'Brien, McGloin has gone from a shaky, overconfident quarterback to arguably the best passer in the entire Big Ten. Following Saturday's brilliant performance in a dismantling of Penn State nemesis Iowa in Iowa City, in which McGloin was 26-38 for 289 yards and two touchdowns, McGloin leads the conference with 255.4 passing yards per game, is second only to Taylor Martinez in completion percentage and has 14 touchdown passes to just two interceptions.
It's as if he's an entirely new player, nothing like the guy who would make mind-numbingly putrid decisions at inopportune times we've seen the past two years.
It goes to show you just what a vote of confidence from the coach can do for a guy, allowing himself to go out and play without having to look over his shoulder.
Even more importantly, though, it shows just how brilliant of a coach Bill O'Brien is. With former quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno tutoring McGloin, there was little to no development, and the offense looked inept. Now after just one spring and summer with O'Brien, McGloin is playing nearly flawless football, and he gets better each and every week. That can't be a coincidence. Bill O'Brien is the real deal.
And with his help, now McGloin is not only a competent college quarterback, he's one of the best signal-callers to date this season in the Big Ten. Saturday was just more proof on how far McGloin has come in a short time. In leading the Nittany Lions to their fifth straight victory, McGloin had perhaps the best game of his Penn State career, literally playing a near perfect football game. If anything, his numbers should have been even better if it were not for a number of drops, and his opening touchdown pass to Jesse James was a thing of beauty, the type of play I didn't think Matt McGloin was even capable of making.
Heading into the season, there may not have been a bigger Matt McGloin detractor than myself. I just didn't think he was good enough to pull an offense that had struggled mightily the past two seasons out of the cellar.
So far, I couldn't have been more wrong. Outside of his struggles against Northwestern — struggles he overcame by the way to lead the Nittany Lions to a dramatic come-from-behind victory — McGloin has been absolutely brilliant in this his senior campaign. He's no longer forcing throws and trying to do more than he's capable of. He's going through his reads, calling plays at the line, deciphering defenses, commanding the huddle and playing some of the best football in the entire conference.
I don't know where the Matt McGloin of the past two seasons has gone, but I couldn't be happier that the Matt McGloin of 2012 is here. If just a few months of Bill O'Brien can transform a player like McGloin and an offense like the one he inherited — minus its biggest playmakers — into one of the most productive units in all of college football, there may be more to look forward to for Penn State football than anyone could have imagined when Bill O'Brien was named head coach just a few short months ago.
Bolden seemed to posses the superior physical traits, whereas the offense just seemed slightly more competent with McGloin at the helm. Either way, neither guy impressed that much playing in the offense coached by Galen Hall and Jay Paterno. Bolden, following a few promising starts his freshman year, never developed and looked progressively worse, while McGloin had flashes of decency, but nothing more. It looked as though Penn State was going to be locked in a quarterback controversy for the foreseeable future as the new coaching staff came in, at least until the next highly touted recruit, Christian Hackenberg, makes his way to campus.
However, once Bolden decided to transfer to LSU following the Penn State sanctions and Paul Jones flamed out at QB, the new head coach gave McGloin the keys to the offense with little behind him. For the first time, now as a senior, the Penn State offense was Matt McGloin's and Matt McGloin's alone. For many Penn State fans, myself included, that was a terrifying proposition, mainly because during his sophomore and junior seasons, McGloin looked to outsiders as a guy with walk-on talent attempting to play the game like Brett Favre — bad decisions and all.
After all, McGloin entered his senior seasons with just a 54 percent completion percentage in his career and an unimpressive 22 to 14 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Given the departures of his top receivers and his star tailback Silas Redd, many people projected another struggling Penn State offense just like the Nittany Lions had in 2010 and 2011, even with O'Brien and his offensive acumen now in town.
Turns out, O'Brien and McGloin have been a match made in some sort of bizarro-world heaven.
As if overnight, under the tutelage of O'Brien, McGloin has gone from a shaky, overconfident quarterback to arguably the best passer in the entire Big Ten. Following Saturday's brilliant performance in a dismantling of Penn State nemesis Iowa in Iowa City, in which McGloin was 26-38 for 289 yards and two touchdowns, McGloin leads the conference with 255.4 passing yards per game, is second only to Taylor Martinez in completion percentage and has 14 touchdown passes to just two interceptions.
It's as if he's an entirely new player, nothing like the guy who would make mind-numbingly putrid decisions at inopportune times we've seen the past two years.
It goes to show you just what a vote of confidence from the coach can do for a guy, allowing himself to go out and play without having to look over his shoulder.
Even more importantly, though, it shows just how brilliant of a coach Bill O'Brien is. With former quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno tutoring McGloin, there was little to no development, and the offense looked inept. Now after just one spring and summer with O'Brien, McGloin is playing nearly flawless football, and he gets better each and every week. That can't be a coincidence. Bill O'Brien is the real deal.
And with his help, now McGloin is not only a competent college quarterback, he's one of the best signal-callers to date this season in the Big Ten. Saturday was just more proof on how far McGloin has come in a short time. In leading the Nittany Lions to their fifth straight victory, McGloin had perhaps the best game of his Penn State career, literally playing a near perfect football game. If anything, his numbers should have been even better if it were not for a number of drops, and his opening touchdown pass to Jesse James was a thing of beauty, the type of play I didn't think Matt McGloin was even capable of making.
Heading into the season, there may not have been a bigger Matt McGloin detractor than myself. I just didn't think he was good enough to pull an offense that had struggled mightily the past two seasons out of the cellar.
So far, I couldn't have been more wrong. Outside of his struggles against Northwestern — struggles he overcame by the way to lead the Nittany Lions to a dramatic come-from-behind victory — McGloin has been absolutely brilliant in this his senior campaign. He's no longer forcing throws and trying to do more than he's capable of. He's going through his reads, calling plays at the line, deciphering defenses, commanding the huddle and playing some of the best football in the entire conference.
I don't know where the Matt McGloin of the past two seasons has gone, but I couldn't be happier that the Matt McGloin of 2012 is here. If just a few months of Bill O'Brien can transform a player like McGloin and an offense like the one he inherited — minus its biggest playmakers — into one of the most productive units in all of college football, there may be more to look forward to for Penn State football than anyone could have imagined when Bill O'Brien was named head coach just a few short months ago.
Friday, October 19, 2012
It's Friday, Time to Dance
A couple weeks ago, ESPN aired another one of its excellent 30 for 30 documentaries, "9.79," detailing the tainted Olympic 100-meter final featuring the infamous Ben Johnson and legendary Carl Lewis.
During said film, there was a brief clip of Carl Lewis' hilariously awful video for the song "Break It Up," which Ben Johnson mocks, and rightfully so. Here is that video in all its ridiculous glory.
Man, Carl Lewis is a terrible singer.
During said film, there was a brief clip of Carl Lewis' hilariously awful video for the song "Break It Up," which Ben Johnson mocks, and rightfully so. Here is that video in all its ridiculous glory.
Man, Carl Lewis is a terrible singer.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Eagles and Chargers: Partners in Disappointment
On Monday night, the Chargers somehow managed to allow a 24-0 halftime lead turn into a stunning 35-24 loss. We all know the Eagles saw a 10-point lead evaporate over a mere five-minute span, ending in a 26-23 overtime loss. Two disappointing losses by perhaps the two most disappointing teams in the NFL over the past decade.
Since 2002, the Chargers have a 96-64 record. They managed three seasons of 12 or more wins, including a 14-2 mark in 2006. They have won five division championships over that period. They had only one sub-.500 season, 4-12 in 2003, but followed that up with a 12-4 record the following year. Despite the regular-season success, they could only manage a playoff record of 3-5, advancing to one conference championship game, and they failed to make a Super Bowl appearance.
During that same span, the Eagles have gone 99-60-1 (that tie is still annoying). Just like the Chargers, they have put together three 12-plus-win seasons. Just like the Chargers, they had only one sub-.500 season, 6-10 in 2005, but followed that up with a 10-6 campaign and a playoff appearance. Just like the Chargers, they have won five division championships. They also earned two wild-card berths. The Eagles have managed a slightly better, but far from overwhelming, 7-7 postseason record. They won one conference championship. And just like the Chargers, no Lombardi Trophy.
Over the past decade, both franchises have seen some of the game's most elite players wear their uniforms. Some Hall of Famers, many others who were just great, great players in their day. We are talking names like Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson and probably the best player either team had, LaDainian Tomlinson. Guys like Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Bobby Taylor, Troy Vincent, LeSean McCoy and Brian Dawkins, among others.
Despite all those great players, despite great success during the regular season, both these franchises have failed to produce a Super Bowl victory. San Diego's disappointment has mostly manifested itself in a, "Wow, how could that 12-4 team lose in the Wild Card round," or ,a "Wow, how could a 14-2 team or a 13-3 team not even make it to the conference championship" type of way. Philly's has been manifested in failure on the greater stages, in only making one Super Bowl appearance despite five conference championship games, and of course in failing to take that final step in the Super Bowl they did play in.
Regardless of how the playoff disappointment came to fans of these two franchises, their paths over the past decade have been eerily similar. Some amazing players, fantastic regular-season play and failure to translate that into postseason success. The San Diego Chargers and the Philadelphia Eagles, truly partners in disappointment.
Since 2002, the Chargers have a 96-64 record. They managed three seasons of 12 or more wins, including a 14-2 mark in 2006. They have won five division championships over that period. They had only one sub-.500 season, 4-12 in 2003, but followed that up with a 12-4 record the following year. Despite the regular-season success, they could only manage a playoff record of 3-5, advancing to one conference championship game, and they failed to make a Super Bowl appearance.
During that same span, the Eagles have gone 99-60-1 (that tie is still annoying). Just like the Chargers, they have put together three 12-plus-win seasons. Just like the Chargers, they had only one sub-.500 season, 6-10 in 2005, but followed that up with a 10-6 campaign and a playoff appearance. Just like the Chargers, they have won five division championships. They also earned two wild-card berths. The Eagles have managed a slightly better, but far from overwhelming, 7-7 postseason record. They won one conference championship. And just like the Chargers, no Lombardi Trophy.
Over the past decade, both franchises have seen some of the game's most elite players wear their uniforms. Some Hall of Famers, many others who were just great, great players in their day. We are talking names like Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson and probably the best player either team had, LaDainian Tomlinson. Guys like Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Bobby Taylor, Troy Vincent, LeSean McCoy and Brian Dawkins, among others.
Despite all those great players, despite great success during the regular season, both these franchises have failed to produce a Super Bowl victory. San Diego's disappointment has mostly manifested itself in a, "Wow, how could that 12-4 team lose in the Wild Card round," or ,a "Wow, how could a 14-2 team or a 13-3 team not even make it to the conference championship" type of way. Philly's has been manifested in failure on the greater stages, in only making one Super Bowl appearance despite five conference championship games, and of course in failing to take that final step in the Super Bowl they did play in.
Regardless of how the playoff disappointment came to fans of these two franchises, their paths over the past decade have been eerily similar. Some amazing players, fantastic regular-season play and failure to translate that into postseason success. The San Diego Chargers and the Philadelphia Eagles, truly partners in disappointment.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Eagles-Lions: The Battle of Dumb and Dumber
On Saturday night, I received a text asking if I was interested in going to the Lions-Eagles game at Lincoln Financial Field yesterday. Naturally, I accepted, prepared to see the most frustrating division-leading team in the NFL take on one of the most undisciplined teams in the league.
It had the makings of a odd day to begin with, and an odd day it was indeed.
For starters, the temperature in Philadelphia was already in the 60s when I awoke, and it reached the 70-degree mark in the second weekend of October, a rarity in these part. It was a beautiful, bright, sunny day, truly short-sleeve weather. Couldn't ask for a better day to take in a game.
That is, if you could get to the game to begin with, which was a giant pain in the ass thanks to one of the most poorly run and patently absurd public transportation systems in the country.
If you live in or around Philadelphia, you've surely come across the overly optimistic I SEPTA Philly campaign, with commercials and ads from supposed everyday SEPTA riders praising Philadelphia's public transportation system. As an everyday SEPTA rider myself, I cannot help but laugh at the absurdity of it all, seeing as SEPTA is one of the dirtiest and inanely operated systems I've encountered in my lifetime. For christ's sake, SEPTA doesn't even have a smart card system, and it's 2012. That alone is evidence enough.
Anyway, thanks to the brilliant planning of SEPTA, the Market-Frankford el was consolidated to one track yesterday afternoon, meaning both eastbound and westbound trains were running on the same track. Thus, the trains were delayed and running behind as the westbound train had to wait for the eastbound train to pass by and vice versa. This was done on a Sunday on which the Eagles were hosting the Lions. Thousands of Philadelphians take the el and the subway to the Linc on an Eagles home game Sunday. The game has been scheduled for months. And yet SEPTA decided it was a good time to delay everyone. I can't make this stuff up.
As a result, not only was I waiting at the Girard platform for longer than usual, but I then was stopped and was left waiting on a motionless train for more than 15 minutes at 5th Street.
So what typically is a 20- to 30-minute trip tops from my door to the stadium took a solid hour. Philly most assuredly does not love SEPTA, trust me on that one.
Thankfully, we had left plenty early to do a little tailgating. It was a gorgeous day, and good times were had pregame. That, however, is when the good times ended because honestly, despite the one touchdown drive in the first half, the highlight of the game was the pre-game festivities.
From there, the game devolved into an ugly battle between two incredibly stupid football teams. You all saw the game, so there's no point in breaking down the play by play. But there are a few things worthy of discussion.
For starters, can we talk about how poorly coached and undisciplined these two football teams are for a minute? I mean, look at Detroit. The Lions committed 16 penalties yesterday, accounting for 132 yards. Sixteen penalties. In one game. Sixteen penalties and a turnover. That's a recipe for disaster, right? At least a recipe for a loss … Only the Lions wound up winning, because the Eagles out-dumbed one of the dumbest teams in the league.
How? In typical fashion: turnovers, horrid game-planning and baffling adjustments.
Let's take these in order, shall we? First, the turnovers, namely Michael Vick. Once again, the Eagles turned the ball over without any regard, as Vick threw two absolutely atrocious interceptions and also was involved in the lost fumble thanks to miscommunication with center Dallas Reynolds. Oh, and he also fumbled earlier in the game, but managed to recover his own fumble.
The one the Eagles actually lost happened due to confusion between Vick and Reynolds. I can't say with 100 percent certainly who was at most fault, though looking at the replays you do see Vick lift his leg slightly, which is typically the indication to the center that the quarterback is ready for the snap. It wasn't an exaggerated lift, which is the norm, but he did lift it slightly. On Monday Night Football a week or two ago, this happened, and Steve Young explained that he thought it was the fault of the quarterback for lifting his leg at all. If Young's logic is correct, I'd have to say this was a little more on Vick than Reynolds. Either way, it resulted in a turnover, one of three.
The other two were totally on Vick no matter how you look at it. His interceptions were not dropped or tipped. They were not miscommunication with the receivers. They were just poorly thrown balls at inopportune times, mistakes you simply cannot make on a weekly basis and expect to win. Finally, it caught up to Philadelphia and cost them.
Listen, I know that Vick is being hampered by an atrocious offensive line and that the play-calling isn't doing him any favors. But at the end of the day, the quarterback is responsible for the offense and especially taking care of the football. Right now, there isn't a player in the NFL who can even remotely enter the conversation with Vick as being the most careless with the football. It's like he doesn't think turnovers are a big deal at all. Through six games, Vick has turned the ball over 13 times. That's more than two turnovers a game by the player who has the ball in his hands more than anyone else. Frankly, it's a miracle this team is even .500 with a statistic like that.
Bottom line: Michael Vick is careless with the football, and he compounds it by making mental errors on top of that. Take the back-to-back sacks he took in overtime to essentially hand the game to the Lions. On the second, Vick had plenty of time to get rid of the ball, plenty of room to roll out and throw it away. Instead, he tried to do more than is humanly possibly and took a devastating sack. Michael Vick just does not play intelligent football. Truthfully, he only has for a seven-game stretch two years ago. You tell me which Michael Vick is the real one.
Now let's get to the ridiculous offensive game plan by Marty Mornhinweg and Andy Reid.
Heading into yesterday's game, the Eagles' two biggest offensive problems were clear as day: a struggling offensive line and a quarterback who cannot stop getting hit and turning the ball over. The easiest way to cut down on the pressure of the offensive line and cut down on the number of hits and potential turnovers for your quarterback is to come out and run the football. This allows your offensive line to actually push forward and attack defenders, giving them a little more aggression and confidence, and also gives your QB a little bit of a break. When you have one of the premier running backs in the NFL, all the better. Come out and pound the football. Feed it to your best player and ride with him.
Of course, we all know how much Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg hate to do this. Even though LeSean McCoy does typically get his touches, rarely do the Eagles come out and establish the run early to make things easier for Vick and the patchwork offensive line. They tend to lean on Shady more in the second half, which is all well and good when things are going well. However, it makes no sense to continually ignore your best offensive player to start a game, particularly when your offense is struggling, yet the Eagles keep doing it.
On the opening drive, a three and out, McCoy didn't get a touch. He then proceeded to get a grand total of seven carries the entire first half, despite the Eagles struggling to do anything until McCoy capped off a nice nine-play, 79-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown reception. In all, McCoy had just 14 rushing attempts. That is not enough, even if the Eagles were struggling to run block.
Of course, the Eagles did manage to take the lead before halftime and take a 10-point lead with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter after three Alex Henery field goals and a 70-yard touchdown pass from Vick to Jeremy Maclin, with the Lions inexplicably deciding not to cover Maclin at all.
At that point, the Eagles looked poised to escape with another baffling victory despite those three turnovers, and a large contingent of fans seemed to think the same. At least, it seemed that way, because following Maclin's score, the Linc emptied. And I mean emptied. I've never seen an Eagles crowd dissipate so quickly with that much time left on the clock. And those who fled for their cars were actually lucky, since they didn't have to witness the Eagles completely unravel in those final five minutes.
That brings us to the bad adjustments portion of the game. For the majority of the game, the Eagles employed a scheme that saw Nnamdi Asomugha shadowing Calvin Johnson on nearly every play, and Nnamdi was having arguably his best game as a Philadelphia Eagle. Through three quarters, the game's best receiver had one catch for 28 yards. Nnamdi was all over him. Calvin really couldn't get open. Asomugha finally looked like the guy the Eagles thought they were signing. I was marveling at his play all game.
But then, with the Eagles trying to protect a 10-point lead late, Juan Castillo suddenly switched up his entire defensive scheme. While it's true that the underachieving defensive line could not get to Matthew Stafford to save their lives yet again yesterday, the defense wasn't playing poorly. Then, all of a sudden, Castillo decided to dial up the blitz … and even more baffling stop having Asomugha shadow Johnson on every play.
Several times in the fourth quarter, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie found himself matched up with Megatron, and seemingly every time that happened, Stafford went Johnson's way. The result? Five catches for 107 yards in the fourth quarter alone for Calvin to finish with 135 yards on the day, and almost all of those catches coming with DRC covering him, not Nnamdi.
Finally, Asomugha was utilized the way he was in Oakland for nearly an entire game and was actually living up to his reputation, and Juan takes him off his assignment at the most critical juncture of the game. It just made no sense, and it's a big reason why the defense fell apart in the fourth quarter. I didn't understand it then, and I don't understand it now. If I was Asomugha, I'd be upset too.
Give Detroit credit for overcoming their own mistakes and capitalizing on Philadelphia's. But also admonish this team and its coaches.
Every year, it gets less and less fun being an Eagles fan, and it's largely because they just make it so hard to like them. The offensive line is a complete joke right now. There literally isn't one lineman playing well at all. Demetress Bell stinks. Dallas Reynolds stinks. Danny Watkins looks like he just isn't strong enough to play in the NFL. Evan Mathis has struggled. And Todd Herremans is playing the worst football of his Eagles career. Howard Mudd has a lot of work cut out for him. The absence of Jason Peters and Jason Kelce has really hurt this unit to a point that looks beyond repair right now.
And it's not much better on the other side of the ball. This defensive line that ran roughshod over the league last season and looked like the biggest strength of the unit in first three weeks has been completely nonexistent the past three weeks. As in, the Eagles, with Trent Cole and Jason Babin and a slew of alleged pass rushers, hasn't gotten a sack since there third quarter of the week three loss to Arizona. Jim Washburn's unit has been underachieving for weeks, and it continued yesterday. You can count the number of times the line even got close to Stafford yesterday on one hand. It was a pathetic showing once again. Perhaps the wide nine has been figured out. Whatever the case, Washburn needs to correct things in a hurry.
The good news is that the Eagles are just a game behind the New York Giants in the division and have already defeated their rivals up north. Plus, the Birds have a bye week coming up, meaning that I don't have to watch this team I hate next week and also that they have extra time to figure things out moving forward. And as infuriating as Andy Reid is, he always has his team prepared following the bye week.
The bad news is I wasted hours upon hours of my life yesterday. First, it was the horrifying trip to the game. Then it was the four-hour overtime loss itself, with the game not even ending until 5 p.m. And then of course, there was the trip home, which was even more horrible than the ride there.
You see, SEPTA runs special game day express trains on the subway during sporting events in South Philly. Catching the express, I only have to take it to the second stop at City Hall before transferring over to the el. It's literally a two-minute ride. I mean, it's usually only a two-minute ride.
However, as the subway took off, it suddenly stopped at the Ellsworth-Federal station, not one of the express stops. And I don't mean stopped to let people on and off. I mean stopped, stopped. Then there was announcement that there would be a slight delay. According to SEPTA, a slight delay is 20 minutes. Express train my ass.
So there we sat. And sat. And sat. All of us miserable, and all of us just wanting to get the fuck home and try to forget about that ugly loss. Again, it took me another hour to get from the stadium to my house thanks to SEPTA being SEPTA.
So yeah, I SEPTA Philly too, and from the bottom of my heart I'd like to say fuck you, SEPTA. Fuck you for real.
I'm not sure what infuriates me more these days, the Eagles or the public transportation in my city. Dumb and dumber indeed.
It had the makings of a odd day to begin with, and an odd day it was indeed.
For starters, the temperature in Philadelphia was already in the 60s when I awoke, and it reached the 70-degree mark in the second weekend of October, a rarity in these part. It was a beautiful, bright, sunny day, truly short-sleeve weather. Couldn't ask for a better day to take in a game.
That is, if you could get to the game to begin with, which was a giant pain in the ass thanks to one of the most poorly run and patently absurd public transportation systems in the country.
If you live in or around Philadelphia, you've surely come across the overly optimistic I SEPTA Philly campaign, with commercials and ads from supposed everyday SEPTA riders praising Philadelphia's public transportation system. As an everyday SEPTA rider myself, I cannot help but laugh at the absurdity of it all, seeing as SEPTA is one of the dirtiest and inanely operated systems I've encountered in my lifetime. For christ's sake, SEPTA doesn't even have a smart card system, and it's 2012. That alone is evidence enough.
Anyway, thanks to the brilliant planning of SEPTA, the Market-Frankford el was consolidated to one track yesterday afternoon, meaning both eastbound and westbound trains were running on the same track. Thus, the trains were delayed and running behind as the westbound train had to wait for the eastbound train to pass by and vice versa. This was done on a Sunday on which the Eagles were hosting the Lions. Thousands of Philadelphians take the el and the subway to the Linc on an Eagles home game Sunday. The game has been scheduled for months. And yet SEPTA decided it was a good time to delay everyone. I can't make this stuff up.
As a result, not only was I waiting at the Girard platform for longer than usual, but I then was stopped and was left waiting on a motionless train for more than 15 minutes at 5th Street.
So what typically is a 20- to 30-minute trip tops from my door to the stadium took a solid hour. Philly most assuredly does not love SEPTA, trust me on that one.
Thankfully, we had left plenty early to do a little tailgating. It was a gorgeous day, and good times were had pregame. That, however, is when the good times ended because honestly, despite the one touchdown drive in the first half, the highlight of the game was the pre-game festivities.
From there, the game devolved into an ugly battle between two incredibly stupid football teams. You all saw the game, so there's no point in breaking down the play by play. But there are a few things worthy of discussion.
For starters, can we talk about how poorly coached and undisciplined these two football teams are for a minute? I mean, look at Detroit. The Lions committed 16 penalties yesterday, accounting for 132 yards. Sixteen penalties. In one game. Sixteen penalties and a turnover. That's a recipe for disaster, right? At least a recipe for a loss … Only the Lions wound up winning, because the Eagles out-dumbed one of the dumbest teams in the league.
How? In typical fashion: turnovers, horrid game-planning and baffling adjustments.
Let's take these in order, shall we? First, the turnovers, namely Michael Vick. Once again, the Eagles turned the ball over without any regard, as Vick threw two absolutely atrocious interceptions and also was involved in the lost fumble thanks to miscommunication with center Dallas Reynolds. Oh, and he also fumbled earlier in the game, but managed to recover his own fumble.
The one the Eagles actually lost happened due to confusion between Vick and Reynolds. I can't say with 100 percent certainly who was at most fault, though looking at the replays you do see Vick lift his leg slightly, which is typically the indication to the center that the quarterback is ready for the snap. It wasn't an exaggerated lift, which is the norm, but he did lift it slightly. On Monday Night Football a week or two ago, this happened, and Steve Young explained that he thought it was the fault of the quarterback for lifting his leg at all. If Young's logic is correct, I'd have to say this was a little more on Vick than Reynolds. Either way, it resulted in a turnover, one of three.
The other two were totally on Vick no matter how you look at it. His interceptions were not dropped or tipped. They were not miscommunication with the receivers. They were just poorly thrown balls at inopportune times, mistakes you simply cannot make on a weekly basis and expect to win. Finally, it caught up to Philadelphia and cost them.
Listen, I know that Vick is being hampered by an atrocious offensive line and that the play-calling isn't doing him any favors. But at the end of the day, the quarterback is responsible for the offense and especially taking care of the football. Right now, there isn't a player in the NFL who can even remotely enter the conversation with Vick as being the most careless with the football. It's like he doesn't think turnovers are a big deal at all. Through six games, Vick has turned the ball over 13 times. That's more than two turnovers a game by the player who has the ball in his hands more than anyone else. Frankly, it's a miracle this team is even .500 with a statistic like that.
Bottom line: Michael Vick is careless with the football, and he compounds it by making mental errors on top of that. Take the back-to-back sacks he took in overtime to essentially hand the game to the Lions. On the second, Vick had plenty of time to get rid of the ball, plenty of room to roll out and throw it away. Instead, he tried to do more than is humanly possibly and took a devastating sack. Michael Vick just does not play intelligent football. Truthfully, he only has for a seven-game stretch two years ago. You tell me which Michael Vick is the real one.
Now let's get to the ridiculous offensive game plan by Marty Mornhinweg and Andy Reid.
Heading into yesterday's game, the Eagles' two biggest offensive problems were clear as day: a struggling offensive line and a quarterback who cannot stop getting hit and turning the ball over. The easiest way to cut down on the pressure of the offensive line and cut down on the number of hits and potential turnovers for your quarterback is to come out and run the football. This allows your offensive line to actually push forward and attack defenders, giving them a little more aggression and confidence, and also gives your QB a little bit of a break. When you have one of the premier running backs in the NFL, all the better. Come out and pound the football. Feed it to your best player and ride with him.
Of course, we all know how much Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg hate to do this. Even though LeSean McCoy does typically get his touches, rarely do the Eagles come out and establish the run early to make things easier for Vick and the patchwork offensive line. They tend to lean on Shady more in the second half, which is all well and good when things are going well. However, it makes no sense to continually ignore your best offensive player to start a game, particularly when your offense is struggling, yet the Eagles keep doing it.
On the opening drive, a three and out, McCoy didn't get a touch. He then proceeded to get a grand total of seven carries the entire first half, despite the Eagles struggling to do anything until McCoy capped off a nice nine-play, 79-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown reception. In all, McCoy had just 14 rushing attempts. That is not enough, even if the Eagles were struggling to run block.
Of course, the Eagles did manage to take the lead before halftime and take a 10-point lead with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter after three Alex Henery field goals and a 70-yard touchdown pass from Vick to Jeremy Maclin, with the Lions inexplicably deciding not to cover Maclin at all.
At that point, the Eagles looked poised to escape with another baffling victory despite those three turnovers, and a large contingent of fans seemed to think the same. At least, it seemed that way, because following Maclin's score, the Linc emptied. And I mean emptied. I've never seen an Eagles crowd dissipate so quickly with that much time left on the clock. And those who fled for their cars were actually lucky, since they didn't have to witness the Eagles completely unravel in those final five minutes.
That brings us to the bad adjustments portion of the game. For the majority of the game, the Eagles employed a scheme that saw Nnamdi Asomugha shadowing Calvin Johnson on nearly every play, and Nnamdi was having arguably his best game as a Philadelphia Eagle. Through three quarters, the game's best receiver had one catch for 28 yards. Nnamdi was all over him. Calvin really couldn't get open. Asomugha finally looked like the guy the Eagles thought they were signing. I was marveling at his play all game.
But then, with the Eagles trying to protect a 10-point lead late, Juan Castillo suddenly switched up his entire defensive scheme. While it's true that the underachieving defensive line could not get to Matthew Stafford to save their lives yet again yesterday, the defense wasn't playing poorly. Then, all of a sudden, Castillo decided to dial up the blitz … and even more baffling stop having Asomugha shadow Johnson on every play.
Several times in the fourth quarter, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie found himself matched up with Megatron, and seemingly every time that happened, Stafford went Johnson's way. The result? Five catches for 107 yards in the fourth quarter alone for Calvin to finish with 135 yards on the day, and almost all of those catches coming with DRC covering him, not Nnamdi.
Finally, Asomugha was utilized the way he was in Oakland for nearly an entire game and was actually living up to his reputation, and Juan takes him off his assignment at the most critical juncture of the game. It just made no sense, and it's a big reason why the defense fell apart in the fourth quarter. I didn't understand it then, and I don't understand it now. If I was Asomugha, I'd be upset too.
Give Detroit credit for overcoming their own mistakes and capitalizing on Philadelphia's. But also admonish this team and its coaches.
Every year, it gets less and less fun being an Eagles fan, and it's largely because they just make it so hard to like them. The offensive line is a complete joke right now. There literally isn't one lineman playing well at all. Demetress Bell stinks. Dallas Reynolds stinks. Danny Watkins looks like he just isn't strong enough to play in the NFL. Evan Mathis has struggled. And Todd Herremans is playing the worst football of his Eagles career. Howard Mudd has a lot of work cut out for him. The absence of Jason Peters and Jason Kelce has really hurt this unit to a point that looks beyond repair right now.
And it's not much better on the other side of the ball. This defensive line that ran roughshod over the league last season and looked like the biggest strength of the unit in first three weeks has been completely nonexistent the past three weeks. As in, the Eagles, with Trent Cole and Jason Babin and a slew of alleged pass rushers, hasn't gotten a sack since there third quarter of the week three loss to Arizona. Jim Washburn's unit has been underachieving for weeks, and it continued yesterday. You can count the number of times the line even got close to Stafford yesterday on one hand. It was a pathetic showing once again. Perhaps the wide nine has been figured out. Whatever the case, Washburn needs to correct things in a hurry.
The good news is that the Eagles are just a game behind the New York Giants in the division and have already defeated their rivals up north. Plus, the Birds have a bye week coming up, meaning that I don't have to watch this team I hate next week and also that they have extra time to figure things out moving forward. And as infuriating as Andy Reid is, he always has his team prepared following the bye week.
The bad news is I wasted hours upon hours of my life yesterday. First, it was the horrifying trip to the game. Then it was the four-hour overtime loss itself, with the game not even ending until 5 p.m. And then of course, there was the trip home, which was even more horrible than the ride there.
You see, SEPTA runs special game day express trains on the subway during sporting events in South Philly. Catching the express, I only have to take it to the second stop at City Hall before transferring over to the el. It's literally a two-minute ride. I mean, it's usually only a two-minute ride.
However, as the subway took off, it suddenly stopped at the Ellsworth-Federal station, not one of the express stops. And I don't mean stopped to let people on and off. I mean stopped, stopped. Then there was announcement that there would be a slight delay. According to SEPTA, a slight delay is 20 minutes. Express train my ass.
So there we sat. And sat. And sat. All of us miserable, and all of us just wanting to get the fuck home and try to forget about that ugly loss. Again, it took me another hour to get from the stadium to my house thanks to SEPTA being SEPTA.
So yeah, I SEPTA Philly too, and from the bottom of my heart I'd like to say fuck you, SEPTA. Fuck you for real.
I'm not sure what infuriates me more these days, the Eagles or the public transportation in my city. Dumb and dumber indeed.
Friday, October 12, 2012
It's Friday, Time to Dance
Since Brian Dawkins is pretty much the most beloved Philadelphia Eagle of all time and just recently had his number retired — and because he was absolutely awesome and should be in Canton before too long — how could I not dedicate this Friday to Reef the Lost Cauze's B. Dawk?
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
It's Friday, Time to Dance
Somehow, the Oakland Athletics caught the Texas Rangers and actually wound up winning the AL West title, which exactly zero people saw coming about a month ago. So naturally, the A's now have their own song, courtesy of the Baseball Project.
Remember when the A's were still in Philadelphia? Me neither, since I wasn't even close to being alive yet, but they were. True story.
Remember when the A's were still in Philadelphia? Me neither, since I wasn't even close to being alive yet, but they were. True story.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Busy, So Here's Video of Mike Mauti and Brian Dawkins
My apologies for having no posts on Penn State defeating Illinois or the Eagles beating the Giants on Sunday Night Football in the most Andy Reid way possible on Brian Dawkins night. Believe me, I had plenty to say on both matters, but thanks to traveling to a conference for work, playing catch-up and having to work ahead because I have a wedding and a funeral to attend Friday and Monday, respectively, I just haven't had the time.
So here's video of Mike Mauti, this past weekend's Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, dominating against Illinois and Brian Dawkins doing awesome Brian Dawkins things on the night he was honored and had his number retired at Lincoln Financial Field. Enjoy.
Also, make sure to go read Mark Trible's post on Dawkins.
So here's video of Mike Mauti, this past weekend's Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, dominating against Illinois and Brian Dawkins doing awesome Brian Dawkins things on the night he was honored and had his number retired at Lincoln Financial Field. Enjoy.
Also, make sure to go read Mark Trible's post on Dawkins.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
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