Jacoby Ellsbury Declared By Nike To Be The Best Athlete Of All Time?….NOT SO FAST

// March 9th, 2010 // No Comments » // Uconn, Uncategorized

So according to this, Ellsbury’s  “SPARQ” rating is 102.31 which, is a little bit of a convoluted calculation if you ask me, but go ahead and try it here (using Nike’s SPARQULATOR!) I’ll refrain from tackling the whole “this is simply a marketing ploy” by Nike angle, because the whole corporate America thing is played out.  But I will say this, the means of measuring Ellsbury’s athleticism are by no means widely accepted as the standard by strength coaches and professionals around the United States.  Sure, the vertical jump, 5-10-5 and 30 yard (and 40 yard) dash are measures of speed, power, and agility, but Nike is using a measuring stick that is wildly inaccurate.  First, the “jump pad” (which is used to measure vertical leap by calculating the time he leaves the pad to the time he lands) is easily manipulated, which is why every “real” evaluation (including the NFL combine) doesn’t use this method.

If the vertical leap is measured by time from take off to landing, simple arching or curling the feet (frontwards or backwards) would skew the results.  Secondly, for the 5-10-5 laser start and finish (not hand held) is the definitive standard for speed, same for the 30 (or 40) yard sprint.  Is Ellsbury a tremendous athlete? Obviously.  Are these numbers accurate? Absolutely not.

Hat Tip: [Barstool Sports]

Morning Football Links: National Signing Day, Morning Erections, Unicorn Horns, and The Downfall Of Barack Obama

// February 2nd, 2010 // No Comments » // Justice, Uconn, Uncategorized, wob

• Morning erection….of a statue of Nick Saban.  Nothing can get Saban (’s statue) erect like Al Moore [Tide Sports]

• Unicorn Horns.  Arbitrary and about as accurate as the “star system”  Ride into the rainbow. [NESN]

• National Signing Day is tomorrow, and there a are still a few “five stars” who are undecided.  like Seantrel Henderson, who is likely going to Ohio State, but won’t let anyone in on the secret [Twin Cities]

• B.J. Daniels is getting his shoulder operated on.  Things are currently the definition of “a mess” in South Florida [TampaBay.com]

• Health care debate?  What health care debate?  Obama is pondering the legality of the BCS.  God Bless the USA! [Dallas News]

2010 East-West Shrine Game: Players to Watch

// January 20th, 2010 // No Comments » // Justice, Uconn, Uncategorized, wob

The College All-Star games are when a player’s stock has the most potential to rise or fall, as the speculation and evaluation gets harder with the 2010 NFL draft approaching. While the Senior Bowl is undoubtedly the most prestigious of the the postseason games, the East-West Shrine game is probably second — and is arguably the most important for mid-round players hoping to improve their chances.  With all 32 NFL teams in attendance, it is a week long showcase for players, so Jay and I are bringing you 5 players from each squad to watch…

EAST

1. Greg Hardy, DE - Ole Miss Rebels

Hardy is my number 1 player to watch on either team. Last year Hardy was supposed to be a 1^st round draft pick but he decided to come back to school. He missed almost half of the season with a few different injuries. Well now he is healthy and can show the NFL scouts that he can play at the next level. With a great game I think Hardy locks himself into being picked no later than the 2^nd round.

2. Blair White, WR - Michigan State Spartans

Former walk-on turned captain, Blair White, will have some questions to answer at the Shrine game. He had a great senior year with 70 catches for 990 yards and 9 TDs. The knock on White is that he isn’t that fast. He has great hands but will he be able to create space for himself at the next level?

3. O’Brien Schofield, DE - Wisconsin Badgers

Schofield was awesome for the Badgers this season. He had a great game vs. Miami in the Champs Sports Bowl where he recorded 2 sacks. He isn’t that big. He is extremely athletic and runs very well. Can he play DE at the next level? He may be in for a switch to a 3-4 OLB in the NFL.

1. Lindsey Witten, DE, UConn

Witten set the tone for pass-rushers in the Big East this season. He is tall and incredibly athletic, with good hands and an incredibly long frame. His brother, Donte Whitner, was the Buffalo Bills’ first-round draft pick out of Ohio State, so he has genetics in his favor. There are still some questions about his size and strength translating to the NFL in run-stopping situations, which has some scouts projecting him to play outside linebacker in rush situations as a pro. The Shrine game will give him a chance to showcase his toughness and speed and to improve his draft stock to the late second round.

5. Jarrett Brown, QB - West Virginia Mountaineers

At 6′4, 220 lbs., Brown has a great frame to play QB in the NFL. He is extremely athletic and has tremendous upside. He had an okay senior year, throwing only 11 TDs to his 9 INTs. He needs to show that he has the smarts to play QB at the next level. Can he read defenses and make smart, quick decisions? With a bad game he risks going undrafted however with a good game I think a NFL team will take a shot on him in the 5^th or 6^th round.

WEST

1. Max Hall, QB - BYU Cougars

Hall had a very good senior year as he led the Cougars to an 11-2 record. He threw for over 3,500 yards and 33 TDs. Hall doesn’t have a great body for an NFL QB. He stands just under 6′1 and weighs 200 pounds. Listen I don’t want to hear the Drew Brees excuse. (How Brees stands only 6′0 and weighs in around 210 pounds) He is an extreme exception to the rule

2. Joe Pawelek, LB - Baylor Bears

Pawelek was a monster for Baylor. He had over 100 tackles the last two years. The big question with him is his speed. Does he have what it takes to run sideline to sideline in the NFL? He has good instincts and with a good game I can see him being drafted in the 3^rd or 4^th round.

3. Dennis Pitta, TE - BYU Cougars

Pitta really has a chance to climb up draft boards here. Everyone has Jermaine Gresham from Oklahoma as their top rated TE but after that the rankings are up in the air. With a good game, I can see Pitta climbing up the rankings board and securing himself as the 2^nd rated TE.

4. Darrell Stuckey, S - Kansas Jayhawks

Stuckey played well for Kansas this year. He doesn’t have great size for a safety but he is very versatile and isn’t afraid to help out in the run game. With a good game, I think Stuckey can improve his draft stock and move up into the 2^nd round.

5.  Chris Brown, RB - Oklahoma Sooners

Brown’s stock really dropped this year. In 2008 he had 1,220 yards and 20 TDs. In 2009 he only totaled 749 yards and 7 TDs. Now, all of that is not his fault. The Sooners lost their Heisman trophy winning QB and their offensive line was banged up all year. Brown will probably be a 6^th or 7^th round pick in the 2010 NFL draft but with a bad game he runs the risk of going undrafted. Brown needs to run hard and show that he can play at the next level.

Texas Professors Are Angry (Jealous) of Mack Brown’s $2Million Raise. I Say They Shoulda Gave Him $3M

// December 15th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uconn, Uncategorized

Apparently, the faculty at the University of Texas are little “miffed” by Brown’s 2 million dollar raise.  Similar discussions (and dissent) are common-place as tensions between athletics and academics are constantly growing.

Allow me to offer my somewhat profound opinion.  An opinion honed and probably valued as a product of both a liberal arts education and the athletic department.  First and foremost, nothing does more to bring prestige or notoriety to an academic institution than an athletic program.  Millions of people aren’t paying attention to the University of Florida or Alabama because of their excellent science programs.  In an ideal world, maybe that would be the case.  But this isn’t an ideal world.  No, this is a country that loves it some football. Sports transcend race, gender, and class, and bring colleges and universities prestige and attention that they would otherwise not get.

Playing a football or basketball game on national television is basically a two hour infomercial for why you should attend that school.  The game being played sells potential students, recruits, and the rest of America on that school.  Schools also use that opportunity to showcase their academics, facilities, and other such highlights.  Trust me, not a lot of people come to UConn because of the hustle and bustle of Storrs, CT.

And the more your team wins, the more national attention you get.  In college programs, players come and go, it is a revolving door of sorts.  The only constant is coaching, the better your coaching, the better your team does, the better your team does, the more national attention.  Breakout that freshman year logic-course.  Transitive property; better coaching, more national attention.  And nothing is more likely to keep a great coach at your school, as is the case with Mack Brown, than a 2 million dollar raise.

Sure, John Q history professor isn’t making even close to that amount of money.  But then again, he doesn’t pay his own salary.  In the past few years, University of Texas football generated more than $6.6 million into academic programs.  It comes down to popularity contest, which I’m sure the nerds in the science department will be upset about (Sorry, Chauncy.  Yes it is high school all over again, isn’t it?).  To borrow a quote from one of the greatest sports movies of all time, The Program:

Professor: This is not a football vocational school. It’s an institute for higher learning.
Coach Winters: Yeah, but when was the last time 80,000 people showed up to watch a kid do a damn chemistry experiment?

Exactly.  Boo Yah.

READ THE REST HERE

The Photo UConn Fans Thought They Would Never See

// November 30th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uconn, Uncategorized

As a proud fan of UConn football, this is a photo that 5 maybe even 4 years ago no one thought would be possible.  And here we are.  I’m proud of this little piece of stalking I did here, causing the entire viewing audience in my cousin’s living room to put their life on hold while whipped out my Blackberry and snapped this gem. It’s a little surreal, and I couldn’t be prouder of these two guys.  I’m sure both Donny and Dan appreciate my new stalker status.

Buffalo Bills Update: Dick Jauron Fired

// November 17th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Justice, Minnesota, Uconn, Uncategorized

As a Bills fan, I comment not on head coaches, QBs, or star players.  All of whom, in the past decade, have come and gone like the flu season.  Instead, I will be cheering on other Bills fans, a shared misery of the couchdom.  Countless Sundays left wondering, “Why?”  The best part of being a Bills fan? Inevitably, is, other Bills fans.  Misery loves company, friends, and in Upstate new york, there’s a lot to love.

Buffalo just axed their head coach, Dick Jauron.  Well, we’ll definitely turn the season around now.  Jauron finishes his illustrious career at 24-33.  However, the best (and funniest) news out of all this might just be this little tidbit:

[ESPN] “…Jauron was blindsided by the firing, an NFL source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter”

Blindsided, huh?  Well, I guess I can understand that.  Winning games and keeping your job probably aren’t synonymous in the NFL.

FULL STORY HERE

TheFatWhiteGuy.com Presents: WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S @ THE PLACE

// November 4th, 2009 // No Comments » // Justice, Uconn, Uncategorized

For those of you who don’t know by now (try and keep up), I’ve been part-timing at The Place (2 Broad St, Boston). In addition to documenting some of the experience (check here), I’ve also decided that Wednesday nights are my favorite night.  Smaller crowd, but plenty of talent.  In case you are looking for something to do on a Wednesday night, look no further.  Why?  Besides coming in and saying hi to me, there…well…other scenery. Here’s some of what you missed last week.

Hat Tip To Syacuse Football, And Greg Paulus

// November 3rd, 2009 // No Comments » // Rob Lunn, Uconn, Uconn Temple Justice, Uncategorized

Syracuse.com Syracuse, NY — Tears filled the eyes of Syracuse University head football coach Doug Marrone as he made a passionate defense of starting quarterback Greg Paulus, who was booed by some Syracuse fans during the team’s 28-7 Big East Conference loss to Cincinnati on Saturday at the Carrier Dome….I have never seen an athlete, at any level including the NFL, work as hard, mentally and physically, as Greg has worked since he’s joined us here at Syracuse. Really, what he’s accomplished is extraordinary. Maybe it can’t be fully appreciated because most don’t know just how difficult it is to play quarterback at a Division I program.

“In the era of video games, virtual reality, it’s easy to believe that throwing a pass, reading a defense, avoiding a sack is as easy as the push of a button, that any of us can do. The problem, it’s not that easy. We can’t do that.”

Well, I think everyone knows that I’d like to go ahead and really give it to the Syracuse football program.  But when a coach is this honest, this forthright about the shortcomings of his own ability, and supports his players to this degree I just can’t.  I don’t believe in moral victories, and there aren’t a lot of notches in the “W” column this season for ‘Cuse, but this is something to behold.  Marrone puts it best, it easy for people to get mad at Syracuse, unable to comprehend why they can’t win.  Has a culture of losing taken over at Syracuse?  Certainly not.  Every week is a battle, and players prep just as hard for every opponent.  You NEVER go into a game expecting to lose.  I think that is what Marrone is trying to say here, every week Paulus, despite a lack of on-field success, is preparing to his fullest, working the hardest.  Unfortunately we don’t see the blood, sweat, and tears that goes into Saturdays game.  No, all we see is the 4 quarters of football, when really players and coaches alike have spent countless hours in the weightroom, film room, and on the practice field.

Read The Rest HERE

A Heavy Heart

// October 18th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uconn, Uncategorized

After a homecoming full of excitement and nostalgia for me, I woke up this morning to several text messages which delivered some awful news.  UConn star cornerback, and all around outstanding individual, Jasper Howard passed away.  While details are still filtering in, it is here where I will take a step back from any and all reporting.  Here is where I draw the line on my responsibility to readers and that to my friends, teammates, and br0thers.

Jazz was a great teammate, always an inspiration on and off the field, and was one hell of an athlete.  My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, as should all of yours.  Keep him in your thoughts.  This is a tough day for UConn football.

This Week’s Sign of The Apocalypse

// September 8th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uconn, Uncategorized

Michael Vick Tells Kids Not To Follow The Crowd

….unless that “crowd” is sneaking drugs through airport security in an Aquafina bottle. Or if said “crowd” wants to pit dogs against one another in a fight to the death.  But, remember kids, in all other cases DO NOT FOLLOW THE CROWD.

Michael Vick is America’s newest role model.  Hooray beer democracy and second chances!

[Vick tells Philadelphia high school students to avoid peer pressure] - ESPN