Sports are a big business and a large aspect of the social lifestyle. It's a gathering place for different people of different sexes of different ethnic backgrounds. What is the same is the joy and passion showed based upon a particular team's or individual's performance. As fans we care, probably too much at times. There are much more important things going on in the world, like yesterday.
In the capital city of Canada, Ottawa, a terrible shooting took place inside the National War Memorial. Two people were killed, a soldier standing guard and eventually the deadly shooter. At three others were taken to a local hospital with injuries.
Later that night, the Ottawa Senators professional hockey club was scheduled to play a few miles away in suburban Kanata. The Senators were going to host the Toronto Maple
Leafs, their biggest and closest rival, in a National Hockey League game. The contest was postponed yesterday and rescheduled for November 6th by agreement of the NHL, the Senators, and the Maple Leafs.
Ottawa and Toronto are rival cities in the same province of Canada, Ontario. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are rival cities in the same state in America, Pennsylvania. Last night, the Pittsburgh Penguins played host to the Philadelphia Flyers. The two teams and cities have such a hatred toward each other that NBC Sports, the American NHL TV rightsholder, scheduled them on their Wednesday Night Rivalry broadcast. "Wednesday Night Rivalry" is promoted by NBC as "the night you love to hate". However, before the game, it was all about love for Canada.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4FlJi84XDQ
First, O Canada, the Canadian national anthem was played by piano organ. For games involving two American-based teams except in U.S./Canada border city Buffalo, the American anthem is only sung. Buffalo is an exception due to its close proximity to Canada and the amount of Canadian fans of the Buffalo Sabres.
Only in special events like the All-Star Game and Winter Classic do you hear "O Canada" sung by the anthem singer.
Second, it was amazing to hear the Pittsburgh crowd sing the anthem themselves. While the anthem singer Jeff Jimerson performed "O Canada", the arena crowd could clearly be heard in the background. It was touching, great to watch, and more importantly, fabulous to listen.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Baseball's Wild Card World Series Is Too Wild
Major League Baseball's championship round, the World Series began last night. The San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals are the two best teams after six months of regular season games and one month of postseason contests. The caveat is neither team were the best in their during the regular season.
Of the five playoff teams in the National League, San Francisco had the worst record. In the American League, Kansas City had the second worst record among playoff qualifiers. It isn't an insult toward the franchises or their respective fanbases. The Giants and Royals were in the top ten in wins during the season.
Ten out of thirty teams make the playoffs in Major League Baseball, one-third. To be exact, 33 percent of the league qualifies. This percentage is the lowest of the four major professional sports. In the National Football League, 37.5 percent are eligible for postseason play, 12 out of 32 clubs.
North America's two major professional indoor sports leagues, the NBA and NHL, are even worse in terms of separating good from bad (or mediocre). In both sports, 16 teams make the playoff rounds and 14 do not qualify. For those of you scoring at home, more teams are in then out, 53 percent of them play in the postseason.
The L.A. Kings have won the NHL's Stanley Cup in two of the last three seasons. In 2012, the Kings were the eight and last seed in the Western Conference and ranked 14th out of 16 playoff teams. In 2014, they had the sixth best record in their conference and tied for only tenth in the entire regular season but won the playoff rounds. Essentially, the regular seasons in the NHL are becoming more meaningless.
MLB is not at this stage yet but getting closer. Getting back to this year's World Series, neither league champion won 90 games during the 162-game regular season. San Francisco, champions of the National League, won 88 ballgames. Kansas City, champions of the American League, compiled 87 wins. It's the first time ever in the modern era of baseball.
Both teams won "wild-card" games before advancing through the division series and league championship series. Again, this isn't an indictment on the Giants or the Royals. The Giants eliminated the NL's best team, the Washington Nationals, 3 games to 1 in the division series round. Then, they beat the third-seeded St. Louis Cardinals, four games to one. The Royals completed a three-game sweep of the L.A. Angels, the team with the record in the AL and a four-game sweep of the second-seeded Baltimore Orioles.
The problem is the "wild-card" games are an extra round of playoffs added in because of one baseball event and one competing sport.
Thanks to St. Louis and Tampa Bay completing historical comebacks to win the single wild cards in each league on the last night of the 2011 regular season, MLB decided to add another wild card spot and a special game. 2011 was unique, STL and TB had to win their respective games while Atlanta and Boston had to lose. It was a once in a lifetime scenario. Now the new playoff game round seems out of place. It's only one game compared 5,7, and games for the following rounds.
Also, baseball wanted to take the spotlight away from the National Football League. To be fair, casual fans' minds shift from baseball to football beginning in August and right through September, baseball's ending to its regular season. There is too much football talk during baseball's homestretch. Football should be front and center starting in November for non-hardcore football fans and the general sports media.
Major League Baseball needs to be careful of trying too hard to make their end of season worthwhile and losing focus on the beginning and the middle. In addition, they should stop worrying about football. MLB must watch and act swiftly if the new playoff format starts to devalue the six months of regular season.
Of the five playoff teams in the National League, San Francisco had the worst record. In the American League, Kansas City had the second worst record among playoff qualifiers. It isn't an insult toward the franchises or their respective fanbases. The Giants and Royals were in the top ten in wins during the season.
Ten out of thirty teams make the playoffs in Major League Baseball, one-third. To be exact, 33 percent of the league qualifies. This percentage is the lowest of the four major professional sports. In the National Football League, 37.5 percent are eligible for postseason play, 12 out of 32 clubs.
North America's two major professional indoor sports leagues, the NBA and NHL, are even worse in terms of separating good from bad (or mediocre). In both sports, 16 teams make the playoff rounds and 14 do not qualify. For those of you scoring at home, more teams are in then out, 53 percent of them play in the postseason.
The L.A. Kings have won the NHL's Stanley Cup in two of the last three seasons. In 2012, the Kings were the eight and last seed in the Western Conference and ranked 14th out of 16 playoff teams. In 2014, they had the sixth best record in their conference and tied for only tenth in the entire regular season but won the playoff rounds. Essentially, the regular seasons in the NHL are becoming more meaningless.
MLB is not at this stage yet but getting closer. Getting back to this year's World Series, neither league champion won 90 games during the 162-game regular season. San Francisco, champions of the National League, won 88 ballgames. Kansas City, champions of the American League, compiled 87 wins. It's the first time ever in the modern era of baseball.
Both teams won "wild-card" games before advancing through the division series and league championship series. Again, this isn't an indictment on the Giants or the Royals. The Giants eliminated the NL's best team, the Washington Nationals, 3 games to 1 in the division series round. Then, they beat the third-seeded St. Louis Cardinals, four games to one. The Royals completed a three-game sweep of the L.A. Angels, the team with the record in the AL and a four-game sweep of the second-seeded Baltimore Orioles.
The problem is the "wild-card" games are an extra round of playoffs added in because of one baseball event and one competing sport.
Thanks to St. Louis and Tampa Bay completing historical comebacks to win the single wild cards in each league on the last night of the 2011 regular season, MLB decided to add another wild card spot and a special game. 2011 was unique, STL and TB had to win their respective games while Atlanta and Boston had to lose. It was a once in a lifetime scenario. Now the new playoff game round seems out of place. It's only one game compared 5,7, and games for the following rounds.
Also, baseball wanted to take the spotlight away from the National Football League. To be fair, casual fans' minds shift from baseball to football beginning in August and right through September, baseball's ending to its regular season. There is too much football talk during baseball's homestretch. Football should be front and center starting in November for non-hardcore football fans and the general sports media.
Major League Baseball needs to be careful of trying too hard to make their end of season worthwhile and losing focus on the beginning and the middle. In addition, they should stop worrying about football. MLB must watch and act swiftly if the new playoff format starts to devalue the six months of regular season.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Baseball's postseason playoff system is pitiful
While watching the MLB playoffs, it’s become apparent commissioner Bud Selig and company did a terrible job making the first round schedule. In the division series, the team with the better record (club A) has started playing 2 road games at their opponent’s ballpark (club B). In the best three-out-of-five playoff. After those contests, there is a day off for travel to the other team’s city. Following the one-day break, the lower-seeded team (club B) plays at the higher-seeded team for the final 3 games.
Essentially, club A is penalized for winning more games than club B and could lose 2 games before playing at home. It’s idiotic. No other major pro sports league rewards the lower-seeded team in a playoff series. The higher seeds with the better regular season records start and end a series at home. Many people refer to this year’s division series schedule as a 2-3 format.
According to Fox Sports baseball writer Ken Rosenthal, this year is an anomaly. Through Twitter, Rosenthal explained, “For those asking: For this year only, lower seeded teams opening at home. Idea is remove one of two off-days in DS to compress schedule”.
MLB wanted to cut days because they could have at most 20 Division Series (4 best-of-five), 14 League Championship Series (2 best of seven), and 7 World Series games if every series goes the full distance. Unfortunately, the new American League and National League wild-card playoff games added an extra day of play. In addition, the wild-card winners received a day of rest between the wild-card and division series rounds. Their opponents, the division champions with the best record, had to travel to the winner’s ballpark.
Using this year as an example, The St. Louis Cardinals were at the Atlanta Braves for the N.L. Wild Card playoff. The Washington Nationals, Eastern Division champions and best overall record, would play games 1 and 2 at St. Louis or Atlanta. The Cardinals won so they hosted Washington. The Nationals took game 1 while the Cardinals were victorious in game 2. St. Louis has the same chance as Washington of winning 2 of the final 3 games to advance to the League Championship series.
As far as the American League Wild Card, The Baltimore Orioles visited the Texas Rangers. The New York Yankees, A.L. East winners and most wins in American League, were forced to watch TV to find out who they would be playing and most importantly, where they would travel. The Orioles beat Texas and obtained the right to host New York for games 1-2. The Yankees had to score five runs in the 9th inning to even get the first contest. The Orioles responded with a one-run victory in the second ballgame. Again, Baltimore as a wild-card only needs to win 2 of 3 in New York to advance.
These are the Wild-Card series (1 seed vs. 4 seed), there are two other matchups involving only “division winners” (2 seed vs. 3 seed). In the National League, the Cincinnati Reds won 97 games during the regular season as Central Division champs. Conversely, the San Francisco Giants had won 94 games as best in the West. Cincinnati had to fly out to northern California for the first two games against San Francisco. The Reds could have used it as an excuse and not try to win. Instead, they dominated the Giants in San Francisco winning 5-2 in game 1 and 9-0 in game 2. The Reds have three chances to beat the Giants once and beat the system.
Unfortunately, the American League’s 2nd seeded Oakland Athletics are in deep trouble. The Western winners lost the first 2 games of their series in Detroit to the Central champion Tigers. That isn’t the worst part for Oakland. The Athletics came from 13 games back on June 30th to take 1st place when they defeated the Texas Rangers on the last day of the season. Oakland used up all their effort to capture their division with 94 wins while Detroit stumbled to a 88-74 record. The Athletics won six more games than the Tigers and were forced to go to Detroit. They probably would’ve been better off losing the division to Texas so they could open at home as a Wild-Card team.
If that looked confusing to read and understand, it was! Detroit played in the worst division in MLB this year. The second place Chicago White Sox had 85 victories, three less than the Tigers. Third-place Kansas City picked up 72 wins. By comparison, Oakland’s division (A.L. West) finished with the A’s at 94, Texas at 93, and L.A. Angels at 89 (one more than Detroit). The New York Yankees’ division (A.L. East) concluded with the Yankees first at 95 wins, Baltimore at 93, and Tampa Bay at 90 (two more than Detroit).
It was bad enough Detroit qualified for the playoffs over Tampa Bay and/or the L.A. Angels but to give them 2 home games before Oakland gets one is dumb. Major League Baseball didn’t mean to hurt Oakland or help Detroit but they didn’t think a situation like this could happen. MLB saw the casual fan interest increase after Tampa Bay and St. Louis came from behind to take the single Wild-Card spots in each league on the last day of the 2011 regular season. The Cardinals helped the Wild-Card playoff more by winning the 2011 World Series. Baseball’s decision makers saw what one team did last year but didn’t take into account the effect of all playoff teams for this year.
Essentially, club A is penalized for winning more games than club B and could lose 2 games before playing at home. It’s idiotic. No other major pro sports league rewards the lower-seeded team in a playoff series. The higher seeds with the better regular season records start and end a series at home. Many people refer to this year’s division series schedule as a 2-3 format.
According to Fox Sports baseball writer Ken Rosenthal, this year is an anomaly. Through Twitter, Rosenthal explained, “For those asking: For this year only, lower seeded teams opening at home. Idea is remove one of two off-days in DS to compress schedule”.
MLB wanted to cut days because they could have at most 20 Division Series (4 best-of-five), 14 League Championship Series (2 best of seven), and 7 World Series games if every series goes the full distance. Unfortunately, the new American League and National League wild-card playoff games added an extra day of play. In addition, the wild-card winners received a day of rest between the wild-card and division series rounds. Their opponents, the division champions with the best record, had to travel to the winner’s ballpark.
Using this year as an example, The St. Louis Cardinals were at the Atlanta Braves for the N.L. Wild Card playoff. The Washington Nationals, Eastern Division champions and best overall record, would play games 1 and 2 at St. Louis or Atlanta. The Cardinals won so they hosted Washington. The Nationals took game 1 while the Cardinals were victorious in game 2. St. Louis has the same chance as Washington of winning 2 of the final 3 games to advance to the League Championship series.
As far as the American League Wild Card, The Baltimore Orioles visited the Texas Rangers. The New York Yankees, A.L. East winners and most wins in American League, were forced to watch TV to find out who they would be playing and most importantly, where they would travel. The Orioles beat Texas and obtained the right to host New York for games 1-2. The Yankees had to score five runs in the 9th inning to even get the first contest. The Orioles responded with a one-run victory in the second ballgame. Again, Baltimore as a wild-card only needs to win 2 of 3 in New York to advance.
These are the Wild-Card series (1 seed vs. 4 seed), there are two other matchups involving only “division winners” (2 seed vs. 3 seed). In the National League, the Cincinnati Reds won 97 games during the regular season as Central Division champs. Conversely, the San Francisco Giants had won 94 games as best in the West. Cincinnati had to fly out to northern California for the first two games against San Francisco. The Reds could have used it as an excuse and not try to win. Instead, they dominated the Giants in San Francisco winning 5-2 in game 1 and 9-0 in game 2. The Reds have three chances to beat the Giants once and beat the system.
Unfortunately, the American League’s 2nd seeded Oakland Athletics are in deep trouble. The Western winners lost the first 2 games of their series in Detroit to the Central champion Tigers. That isn’t the worst part for Oakland. The Athletics came from 13 games back on June 30th to take 1st place when they defeated the Texas Rangers on the last day of the season. Oakland used up all their effort to capture their division with 94 wins while Detroit stumbled to a 88-74 record. The Athletics won six more games than the Tigers and were forced to go to Detroit. They probably would’ve been better off losing the division to Texas so they could open at home as a Wild-Card team.
If that looked confusing to read and understand, it was! Detroit played in the worst division in MLB this year. The second place Chicago White Sox had 85 victories, three less than the Tigers. Third-place Kansas City picked up 72 wins. By comparison, Oakland’s division (A.L. West) finished with the A’s at 94, Texas at 93, and L.A. Angels at 89 (one more than Detroit). The New York Yankees’ division (A.L. East) concluded with the Yankees first at 95 wins, Baltimore at 93, and Tampa Bay at 90 (two more than Detroit).
It was bad enough Detroit qualified for the playoffs over Tampa Bay and/or the L.A. Angels but to give them 2 home games before Oakland gets one is dumb. Major League Baseball didn’t mean to hurt Oakland or help Detroit but they didn’t think a situation like this could happen. MLB saw the casual fan interest increase after Tampa Bay and St. Louis came from behind to take the single Wild-Card spots in each league on the last day of the 2011 regular season. The Cardinals helped the Wild-Card playoff more by winning the 2011 World Series. Baseball’s decision makers saw what one team did last year but didn’t take into account the effect of all playoff teams for this year.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Weird call sends N.L. Wild Card into circus of weasels
It wasn’t Friday the 13th but it felt that way a couple nights ago in Atlanta, Georgia. A spooky play turned into a nightmare for the Atlanta Braves baseball team and their fans. Atlanta was trailing 6-3 to the St. Louis Cardinals in the bottom of the 8th inning. It was a one-game National League Wild Card Playoff to determine who would face the Washington Nationals in the National League Division Series.
The Braves had a runner at 1st base and a runner at 2nd base with 1 out and Andrelton Simmons batting. Simmons hit a high fly ball into short left field. Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma hurried back from his spot on the infield dirt and onto the outfield grass. He raised both of his hands skyward as if to catch the ball.
However, he moved out of the way for left fielder Matt Holliday at the last second and the ball dropped between them. In theory, it was a single to left field to put runners on 1st base, 2nd base, and 3rd base. It should’ve been bases loaded with 1 man out for Atlanta.
Inexplicably, the left field umpire Sam Holbrook called it an “infield fly” instead. When the infield fly rule is invoked, the batter is automatically out no matter if the fly ball is caught or not. The base runners can run to the next base but are not required to do so. Also, the umpire must determine, as stated specifically in rule 2.00, if the infielder could use “ordinary effort” to make the catch. The rule is also only applied with 1 or 2 outs in an inning and runners at 1st and 2nd or 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
There were three mistakes which stood out in Holbrook’s ruling. First, the infielder Kozma trying to catch the fly ball was at least 50 feet on the outfield grass. Second, Kozma was still moving underneath the ball when it was coming down making it more difficult to catch than if he was standing still. Third, the infield fly rule signal was given as the ball was starting to come down. Again, according to rule 2.00, the call should be made “immediately”.
The Braves should’ve had the bases loaded with 1 out. At that point, the next batter would represent the go-ahead or leading run if he reached base. Instead, they had runners only at 1st and 2nd with 2 out. Then, the batter could only tie the game if he hit a home run. Atlanta lost an out and a base runner in a game they were trailing by only 3 runs.
The call was terrible but the fan reaction was worse. Fans started throwing trash on the field in frustration. The trash included thousands of beer and wine bottles. Yes, your team got screwed on a bad ruling, GROW UP! It’s not the end of the world. The Braves still had 1 out left in the 8th and the whole 9th inning to score more runs. It was childish behavior from a bunch of adults acting like babies. The umpires had to stop the game for nearly 20 minutes to clean up the mess.
Also, there was stupidity at the end of the game. After the Cardinals won the game, they raced off the field to get away from more flying debris from the stands. Usually, teams celebrate near the pitcher’s mound after winning a playoff game or series before going into their locker room. There was no hesitation from the Cards and they couldn’t or they would get hurt. It was unbelievable that Braves fans would embarrass themselves again. Did they not learn the first time? Don’t they know people, fairly or unfairly, are going to rip Atlanta?
It also denied a proper farewell for Braves 3rd baseman Chipper Jones. Jones played all 19 years of his career with Atlanta. With free agency, it's rare to see one likely Hall-of-Fame player stay with one team for his career. Chipper deserved to have a moment to salute Braves fans and vice-versa. Unfortunately, he could not come out on the field after the game ended.
In addition, the umpires involved and Major League Baseball tried to pretend as if the call was correct when 99 percent of baseball fans without a rooting interest in the game disagreed. The Braves filed a protest in the bottom of the 8th inning. Within 30 minutes of the game ending, the protest was denied. If the protest was approved, the game would restart from the point of the botched call. St. Louis would still 6-3 in the 8th but Atlanta would've had a fair shot. The original game with the ball call continued instead.
Lastly, St. Louis’ players and coaches showed poor sportsmanship in their clubhouse. The Cardinals chanted “INFIELD FLY!” in repetition. They should thank the baseball gods and also LF umpire Sam Holbrook for being a complete idiot. The first ever wildcard in MLB’s new five-team, two wild-card format was indeed wild, and out of control.
The Braves had a runner at 1st base and a runner at 2nd base with 1 out and Andrelton Simmons batting. Simmons hit a high fly ball into short left field. Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma hurried back from his spot on the infield dirt and onto the outfield grass. He raised both of his hands skyward as if to catch the ball.
However, he moved out of the way for left fielder Matt Holliday at the last second and the ball dropped between them. In theory, it was a single to left field to put runners on 1st base, 2nd base, and 3rd base. It should’ve been bases loaded with 1 man out for Atlanta.
Inexplicably, the left field umpire Sam Holbrook called it an “infield fly” instead. When the infield fly rule is invoked, the batter is automatically out no matter if the fly ball is caught or not. The base runners can run to the next base but are not required to do so. Also, the umpire must determine, as stated specifically in rule 2.00, if the infielder could use “ordinary effort” to make the catch. The rule is also only applied with 1 or 2 outs in an inning and runners at 1st and 2nd or 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
There were three mistakes which stood out in Holbrook’s ruling. First, the infielder Kozma trying to catch the fly ball was at least 50 feet on the outfield grass. Second, Kozma was still moving underneath the ball when it was coming down making it more difficult to catch than if he was standing still. Third, the infield fly rule signal was given as the ball was starting to come down. Again, according to rule 2.00, the call should be made “immediately”.
The Braves should’ve had the bases loaded with 1 out. At that point, the next batter would represent the go-ahead or leading run if he reached base. Instead, they had runners only at 1st and 2nd with 2 out. Then, the batter could only tie the game if he hit a home run. Atlanta lost an out and a base runner in a game they were trailing by only 3 runs.
The call was terrible but the fan reaction was worse. Fans started throwing trash on the field in frustration. The trash included thousands of beer and wine bottles. Yes, your team got screwed on a bad ruling, GROW UP! It’s not the end of the world. The Braves still had 1 out left in the 8th and the whole 9th inning to score more runs. It was childish behavior from a bunch of adults acting like babies. The umpires had to stop the game for nearly 20 minutes to clean up the mess.
Also, there was stupidity at the end of the game. After the Cardinals won the game, they raced off the field to get away from more flying debris from the stands. Usually, teams celebrate near the pitcher’s mound after winning a playoff game or series before going into their locker room. There was no hesitation from the Cards and they couldn’t or they would get hurt. It was unbelievable that Braves fans would embarrass themselves again. Did they not learn the first time? Don’t they know people, fairly or unfairly, are going to rip Atlanta?
It also denied a proper farewell for Braves 3rd baseman Chipper Jones. Jones played all 19 years of his career with Atlanta. With free agency, it's rare to see one likely Hall-of-Fame player stay with one team for his career. Chipper deserved to have a moment to salute Braves fans and vice-versa. Unfortunately, he could not come out on the field after the game ended.
In addition, the umpires involved and Major League Baseball tried to pretend as if the call was correct when 99 percent of baseball fans without a rooting interest in the game disagreed. The Braves filed a protest in the bottom of the 8th inning. Within 30 minutes of the game ending, the protest was denied. If the protest was approved, the game would restart from the point of the botched call. St. Louis would still 6-3 in the 8th but Atlanta would've had a fair shot. The original game with the ball call continued instead.
Lastly, St. Louis’ players and coaches showed poor sportsmanship in their clubhouse. The Cardinals chanted “INFIELD FLY!” in repetition. They should thank the baseball gods and also LF umpire Sam Holbrook for being a complete idiot. The first ever wildcard in MLB’s new five-team, two wild-card format was indeed wild, and out of control.
Monday, March 12, 2012
March Madness is maddening even before it begins
So, the 68 teams were finally selected yesterday for the NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Tournament. As usual, there were teams selected as at-large picks which people did not agree with. Some schools with terrific records were left out. First of all, it's not a perfect process. After the 31 conference tournament winners are put in as automatic qualifiers, there are 37 spots left for selection bids. These picks are the big topic of conversation between fans, players, coaches, and media.
There are trends within the teams who qualified by winning their conference or were chosen by a ten member selection committee. More than half of the 37 at-large teams come from the six BCS football conferences. There is a strange thing about this designation. First, most basketball broadcasters and some writers do not use the words "BCS" to describe those leagues. They are referred to as "power" or "major" conferences. The Big Ten, Big East, ACC, SEC, Big 12, and Pac-12 make up those six. The BCS conferences collected 26 of the 37 non-automatic bids. The other 25 conferences picked up 11, this is actually a huge improvement from four in 2009. If you watch college basketball, you know there are a lot of good teams outside the BCS leagues.
For instance, the Colonial Athletic Association had two at-large NCAA teams make the Final Four in the last six seasons, George Mason in 2006 and VCU in 2011. The Butler Bulldogs, Horizon League tournament champions in 2010 and 2011, made the national championship game in those back-to-back years. The Memphis Tigers from Conference USA advanced to the title game in 2008 before losing a close game in overtime to Kansas from the Big 12. Unfortunately, the CAA and Horizon League get only its tournament champion in most years. Conference USA is a little more respected, especially this year, if you include all the teams the big, bad Big East took away in 2004-05.
The Big East has nine teams in this year's 68 team field, 8 if you exclude Louisville as conference tournament champion. Four of those schools (Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette, and South Florida) used to play in former Conference USA. There are 16 members in the conference, that's more than the ones in the NBA and NHL. Those two professional winter sports divide their 30 teams into two 15-team East and West conferences. There are NBA and NHL teams as far east as Massachusetts and west as California. The Big East's geographic locations stretch east-to-west only from Rhode Island, near Massachusetts, to Illinois. That's a big difference.
It was nice to see the Pac-12 get only 1 at-large selection besides their tourney champ Colorado. The University of Washington, located in Seattle, won the regular-season standings championship but did not get picked. That was a good move by the committee for once. Washington was a bad team which finished, 14 wins and four losses, first in the worst conference known to man. Okay, not that bad but the Huskies were only 7-6 against non Pac-12 teams. According to Eamonn Brennan of ESPN, the Pac-12 had one win and 29 losses versus teams outside their conference and ranked in the top 50 in the RPI index. They were awful facing good teams. There is one question, how did California get picked? Is there a rule saying the NCAA must choose one non-automatic from each BCS conference?
There are other teams with great stats. Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated wrote via Twitter that Marshall had four victories over teams with a 50 or lower RPI rating. Basically, it means the lesser the RPI, the better the team. Think about it, the Pac-12 as a twelve team conference had one win over a top 50 non-conference team while Marshall's Thundering Herd from Conference USA had two in both non-conference and conference play. They played at Syracuse of the Big East, number one in the RPI rankings, and lost by only six points, 62-56.
CBS Sports.com gives a breakdown of a team's wins and losses with the opponent's RPI rating alongside. According to the report, nine of Marshall's thirteen losses came against teams calculated 60 or higher. Six of Marshall's twenty wins were over top-60 rated teams. That's better than some at-large teams who were selected (California from Pac-12, South Florida from Big East, Virginia from ACC) for the NCAA Tournament.
The only good thing about Division 1's basketball championship is it's a 68-team playoff. In football, The FBS or Football Bowl Subdivision, uses the BCS or Bowl Championship Series. The BCS is a ten-team format featuring a two-team playoff with eight teams playing exhibition contests known as bowl games. It could be worse.
There are trends within the teams who qualified by winning their conference or were chosen by a ten member selection committee. More than half of the 37 at-large teams come from the six BCS football conferences. There is a strange thing about this designation. First, most basketball broadcasters and some writers do not use the words "BCS" to describe those leagues. They are referred to as "power" or "major" conferences. The Big Ten, Big East, ACC, SEC, Big 12, and Pac-12 make up those six. The BCS conferences collected 26 of the 37 non-automatic bids. The other 25 conferences picked up 11, this is actually a huge improvement from four in 2009. If you watch college basketball, you know there are a lot of good teams outside the BCS leagues.
For instance, the Colonial Athletic Association had two at-large NCAA teams make the Final Four in the last six seasons, George Mason in 2006 and VCU in 2011. The Butler Bulldogs, Horizon League tournament champions in 2010 and 2011, made the national championship game in those back-to-back years. The Memphis Tigers from Conference USA advanced to the title game in 2008 before losing a close game in overtime to Kansas from the Big 12. Unfortunately, the CAA and Horizon League get only its tournament champion in most years. Conference USA is a little more respected, especially this year, if you include all the teams the big, bad Big East took away in 2004-05.
The Big East has nine teams in this year's 68 team field, 8 if you exclude Louisville as conference tournament champion. Four of those schools (Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette, and South Florida) used to play in former Conference USA. There are 16 members in the conference, that's more than the ones in the NBA and NHL. Those two professional winter sports divide their 30 teams into two 15-team East and West conferences. There are NBA and NHL teams as far east as Massachusetts and west as California. The Big East's geographic locations stretch east-to-west only from Rhode Island, near Massachusetts, to Illinois. That's a big difference.
It was nice to see the Pac-12 get only 1 at-large selection besides their tourney champ Colorado. The University of Washington, located in Seattle, won the regular-season standings championship but did not get picked. That was a good move by the committee for once. Washington was a bad team which finished, 14 wins and four losses, first in the worst conference known to man. Okay, not that bad but the Huskies were only 7-6 against non Pac-12 teams. According to Eamonn Brennan of ESPN, the Pac-12 had one win and 29 losses versus teams outside their conference and ranked in the top 50 in the RPI index. They were awful facing good teams. There is one question, how did California get picked? Is there a rule saying the NCAA must choose one non-automatic from each BCS conference?
There are other teams with great stats. Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated wrote via Twitter that Marshall had four victories over teams with a 50 or lower RPI rating. Basically, it means the lesser the RPI, the better the team. Think about it, the Pac-12 as a twelve team conference had one win over a top 50 non-conference team while Marshall's Thundering Herd from Conference USA had two in both non-conference and conference play. They played at Syracuse of the Big East, number one in the RPI rankings, and lost by only six points, 62-56.
CBS Sports.com gives a breakdown of a team's wins and losses with the opponent's RPI rating alongside. According to the report, nine of Marshall's thirteen losses came against teams calculated 60 or higher. Six of Marshall's twenty wins were over top-60 rated teams. That's better than some at-large teams who were selected (California from Pac-12, South Florida from Big East, Virginia from ACC) for the NCAA Tournament.
The only good thing about Division 1's basketball championship is it's a 68-team playoff. In football, The FBS or Football Bowl Subdivision, uses the BCS or Bowl Championship Series. The BCS is a ten-team format featuring a two-team playoff with eight teams playing exhibition contests known as bowl games. It could be worse.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
The ending of Manning in Indy
So, after more than 13 years, four-time NFL MVP quarterback Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts are no longer together. This is the NFL’s version of a divorce. The Colts released Manning from his current contract days before he was suppose to receive $28 million dollars in bonus money and a club-controlled contract extension. Manning’s scheduled bonus was if he stayed on the active roster.
Unfortunately, there was a problem. Manning missed the entire 2011-12 season. Indianapolis finished with a 2-14 record without him. In the previous nine seasons, Peyton led the Colts to the playoffs each year including a Super Bowl victory in 2006-07 and another Super Bowl appearance in 2009-10. There were three things which lead to this separation, injury, age, and money.
The Colts had the worst record in the National Football League this season because their best player was literally on the sidelines. Manning had a surgical procedure done on his neck in May 2011 while the NFL was in a lockout. According to reports, Peyton was suffering from a bulging disc. He could do rehab work on his own but could not go to the Colts team facility for further examination. This was true for any player on any team, not just Manning.
However, it did set up a peculiar situation regarding his physical rebuilding. He and the team could not get the best estimate on whether he could play in 2011-12. After the lockout ended in late July, Manning could have formal conversations with Indianapolis again since League owners and players had signed a new CBA contract. All 30 teams conducted training camps but Manning was not on the field for any of the Colts practices.
His healing was slower than expected and the team had no legitimate replacement at quarterback. Indianapolis went into the regular season with no Manning and lost to Houston. The Colts announced right after the game that Manning had gone under the knife again. Peyton had surgery this time to fill in the gaps in his vertebrae.
According to Stephania Bell, a licensed physical therapist and health analyst at ESPN, doctors took the fractured disc material out of Manning’s body and put in a bone graft and metal plate in its place. It’s difficult to write and explain as a non-expert in health. However, it was easy to understand as a football fan, one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks was off the field for continuing neck problems.
Manning and the Colts faced another problem, age. Peyton will be 36 years old later in March. The old is the most important part. He had started every game for the prior 13 seasons before 2011. That was a streak of 208 consecutive contests from 1998-2010. Indianapolis won 150 of those ballgames, that is a astronomical 72 percent clip. Nevertheless, the large amount of games over more than a decade had its consequences.
Constantly, defensive linemen would hit Manning to the ground when he would drop back to pass. Unlike the New Orleans Saints alleged bounty-hunting hits, most times Manning was drilled hard but cleanly. Also, he threw the ball at least 30 times per game on most weeks. Manning has thrown for nearly 55,00 yards in terms of completed passes, 54,828 yards to be exact. He has also completed nearly 4,700 passes. That is a lot of strain on the shoulder and neck from throwing the football.
Finally, the biggest problem in this conflict is money. It was ironic that neither Manning nor Colts owner Jim Irsay mentioned it during their joint news conference on Wednesday. Unfortunately, the Indianapolis Colts saved at least $28 million dollars and maybe more depending upon the specific contract details. What we know outside the roster bonus is the Colts did away with a five-year deal that they signed last season.
It was a dumb deal by both sides considering Manning was going to have surgery before he would play in 2011. They should have worked out a smaller set of years and money for a still effective but aging QB. It’s sad that Peyton Manning can’t finish his NFL career as an Indianapolis Colt. Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Super Bowl was played last month, is the Colts new football home because of Peyton and the team’s success.
Unfortunately, there was a problem. Manning missed the entire 2011-12 season. Indianapolis finished with a 2-14 record without him. In the previous nine seasons, Peyton led the Colts to the playoffs each year including a Super Bowl victory in 2006-07 and another Super Bowl appearance in 2009-10. There were three things which lead to this separation, injury, age, and money.
The Colts had the worst record in the National Football League this season because their best player was literally on the sidelines. Manning had a surgical procedure done on his neck in May 2011 while the NFL was in a lockout. According to reports, Peyton was suffering from a bulging disc. He could do rehab work on his own but could not go to the Colts team facility for further examination. This was true for any player on any team, not just Manning.
However, it did set up a peculiar situation regarding his physical rebuilding. He and the team could not get the best estimate on whether he could play in 2011-12. After the lockout ended in late July, Manning could have formal conversations with Indianapolis again since League owners and players had signed a new CBA contract. All 30 teams conducted training camps but Manning was not on the field for any of the Colts practices.
His healing was slower than expected and the team had no legitimate replacement at quarterback. Indianapolis went into the regular season with no Manning and lost to Houston. The Colts announced right after the game that Manning had gone under the knife again. Peyton had surgery this time to fill in the gaps in his vertebrae.
According to Stephania Bell, a licensed physical therapist and health analyst at ESPN, doctors took the fractured disc material out of Manning’s body and put in a bone graft and metal plate in its place. It’s difficult to write and explain as a non-expert in health. However, it was easy to understand as a football fan, one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks was off the field for continuing neck problems.
Manning and the Colts faced another problem, age. Peyton will be 36 years old later in March. The old is the most important part. He had started every game for the prior 13 seasons before 2011. That was a streak of 208 consecutive contests from 1998-2010. Indianapolis won 150 of those ballgames, that is a astronomical 72 percent clip. Nevertheless, the large amount of games over more than a decade had its consequences.
Constantly, defensive linemen would hit Manning to the ground when he would drop back to pass. Unlike the New Orleans Saints alleged bounty-hunting hits, most times Manning was drilled hard but cleanly. Also, he threw the ball at least 30 times per game on most weeks. Manning has thrown for nearly 55,00 yards in terms of completed passes, 54,828 yards to be exact. He has also completed nearly 4,700 passes. That is a lot of strain on the shoulder and neck from throwing the football.
Finally, the biggest problem in this conflict is money. It was ironic that neither Manning nor Colts owner Jim Irsay mentioned it during their joint news conference on Wednesday. Unfortunately, the Indianapolis Colts saved at least $28 million dollars and maybe more depending upon the specific contract details. What we know outside the roster bonus is the Colts did away with a five-year deal that they signed last season.
It was a dumb deal by both sides considering Manning was going to have surgery before he would play in 2011. They should have worked out a smaller set of years and money for a still effective but aging QB. It’s sad that Peyton Manning can’t finish his NFL career as an Indianapolis Colt. Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Super Bowl was played last month, is the Colts new football home because of Peyton and the team’s success.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Kobe answers all concussion questions on hoops hardwood but questions remain
For someone who suffered a concussion on Sunday, Kobe Bryant did not show any clumsiness or forgetfulness as he remembered how to play basketball at an All-Star level. Kobe scored 31 points, dished out 8 assists, and grabbed 7 rebounds in the L.A. Lakers 104-85 victory over Minnesota late last night. Bryant wore a mask ala Richard “Rip” Hamilton to protect his broken nose. The Lakers never trailed and led by as many as 27 points.
Los Angeles actually got some good performances from players not named Kobe Bryant. Andrew Bynum decided to be a inside factor for the Lakers. When L.A. gets 13 points and more important 13 rebounds from Bynum, it makes them a more balanced team.. Pao Gasol who was rumored as trade-bait a week ago put in 15 points. They got a break when Timberwolves forward Kevin Love could not play due to the flu. Love is one of the top rebounders in the league. The Lakers outscored the T-Wolves 54 to 40 with regard to points in the paint. Basically, those are baskets scored from inside the painted free throw line.
That’s all good but the Lakers still are a one-man show. It was very risky to clear Bryant for action only three days after getting a head injury. Bryant is by far the best player for Los Angeles. He was their lone All-Star representative. We trust the Lakers judgment a little more because Kobe saw two separate specialists, nasal expert Dr. John Rehm and neurologist Dr. Vern Williams.. Bryant went for a CT scan Sunday night, a checkup from Dr. Rehm on Monday, and an MRI and visit to Dr. Williams on Tuesday.
Yesterday, Kobe was tested by Williams in four different procedures. He took a neurological exam which is basically a head analysis to make sure he was not seeing things or misinterpreting information. Then, Williams made Bryant pass a baseline exercise to test his head movements. After that, Kobe performed two physical workouts through riding a stationary bicycle and running up a treadmill. Finally, he actually played hoops, albeit 2-on-2 with trainers watching. At last, about an hour before tip-off, Bryant was given permission to play in Wednesday’s game.
Dr. Williams’ statements to the media seemed reassuring but were concerning. He said about Kobe, “he's been asymptomatic, or symptom-free, as well today. Although he's had a somewhat accelerated step-wise return to play, he has satisfied, to our satisfaction, a step-wise return to play". The second sentence stood out because of Bryant’s “accelerated step-wise return to play”. It’s understandable why Kobe would want to play as soon as possible. The Lakers are much better with him in the starting lineup. However, what happens if he’s hit in the head with the same velocity again? Does he get a bad reaction in the brain?
Sidney Crosby of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins was knocked out of action in January 2011 after a blindside hit by David Steckel of the Washington Capitals. Crosby did not play the rest of 2010-11 season, he returned three months into the 2011-12 season in December 2011. Sidney collided with one of his own teammates and has not played since for a second time in two seasons.
Kobe Bryant admitted, as reported by Dr. Williams to media yesterday, that he was experiencing bad headaches. He told Williams in their Tuesday meeting that he also had trouble with bright lights and loud noises. Watching highlights of last night’s game, Kobe was the same player we’ve seen since 1996-97 except he was wearing a plastic mask. Maybe he likes “The Mask” with Jim Carrey or “Phantom of the Opera”. Bryant went out on the basketball stage and delivered a great performance. Hopefully, the doctor’s diagnosis is correct allowing more Kobe basketball shows like last night..
Los Angeles actually got some good performances from players not named Kobe Bryant. Andrew Bynum decided to be a inside factor for the Lakers. When L.A. gets 13 points and more important 13 rebounds from Bynum, it makes them a more balanced team.. Pao Gasol who was rumored as trade-bait a week ago put in 15 points. They got a break when Timberwolves forward Kevin Love could not play due to the flu. Love is one of the top rebounders in the league. The Lakers outscored the T-Wolves 54 to 40 with regard to points in the paint. Basically, those are baskets scored from inside the painted free throw line.
That’s all good but the Lakers still are a one-man show. It was very risky to clear Bryant for action only three days after getting a head injury. Bryant is by far the best player for Los Angeles. He was their lone All-Star representative. We trust the Lakers judgment a little more because Kobe saw two separate specialists, nasal expert Dr. John Rehm and neurologist Dr. Vern Williams.. Bryant went for a CT scan Sunday night, a checkup from Dr. Rehm on Monday, and an MRI and visit to Dr. Williams on Tuesday.
Yesterday, Kobe was tested by Williams in four different procedures. He took a neurological exam which is basically a head analysis to make sure he was not seeing things or misinterpreting information. Then, Williams made Bryant pass a baseline exercise to test his head movements. After that, Kobe performed two physical workouts through riding a stationary bicycle and running up a treadmill. Finally, he actually played hoops, albeit 2-on-2 with trainers watching. At last, about an hour before tip-off, Bryant was given permission to play in Wednesday’s game.
Dr. Williams’ statements to the media seemed reassuring but were concerning. He said about Kobe, “he's been asymptomatic, or symptom-free, as well today. Although he's had a somewhat accelerated step-wise return to play, he has satisfied, to our satisfaction, a step-wise return to play". The second sentence stood out because of Bryant’s “accelerated step-wise return to play”. It’s understandable why Kobe would want to play as soon as possible. The Lakers are much better with him in the starting lineup. However, what happens if he’s hit in the head with the same velocity again? Does he get a bad reaction in the brain?
Sidney Crosby of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins was knocked out of action in January 2011 after a blindside hit by David Steckel of the Washington Capitals. Crosby did not play the rest of 2010-11 season, he returned three months into the 2011-12 season in December 2011. Sidney collided with one of his own teammates and has not played since for a second time in two seasons.
Kobe Bryant admitted, as reported by Dr. Williams to media yesterday, that he was experiencing bad headaches. He told Williams in their Tuesday meeting that he also had trouble with bright lights and loud noises. Watching highlights of last night’s game, Kobe was the same player we’ve seen since 1996-97 except he was wearing a plastic mask. Maybe he likes “The Mask” with Jim Carrey or “Phantom of the Opera”. Bryant went out on the basketball stage and delivered a great performance. Hopefully, the doctor’s diagnosis is correct allowing more Kobe basketball shows like last night..
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