Shore Thing Sports

NFL Week 17 Picks: Giants Over Cowboys to Win NFC East

2012-01-01T12:33:00.004-05:00

Detroit over GREEN BAY

San Francisco over St. Louis

New York Jets over MIAMI

MINNESOTA over Chicago

NEW ENGLAND over Buffalo

NEW ORLEANS over Carolina

PHILADELPHIA over Washington

JACKSONVILLE over Indianapolis

Tennessee over HOUSTON

ATLANTA over Tampa Bay

CINCINNATI over Baltimore

Pittsburgh over CLEVELAND

DENVER over Kansas City

San Diego over OAKLAND

Seattle over ARIZONA

NEW YORK GIANTS over Dallas

Last Week: 13-3

Overall: 157-87

Photo Credits.
Ahmad Bradshaw: AP Photo/Julio Cortez

NFL Week 16 Picks: Philadelphia Eagles Stay in Playoff Hunt with Win Over the Dallas Cowboys

2011-12-24T01:04:00.003-05:00

With Christmas Day on a Sunday this year most NFL games will take place on Christmas Eve. To prepare for the holidays there are some juicy showdowns with lots of playoff implications, specifically the Eagles against the Cowboys and the intra-city match-up featuring the Jets and Giants.

Who do you think will win?

I incorrectly picked Houston to beat the Colts on Twitter on Thursday.

Oakland over KANSAS CITY

TENNESSEE over Jacksonville

NEW ENGLAND over Miami

CINCINNATI over Arizona

Denver over BUFFALO

PITTSBURGH over St. Louis

New York Giants over NEW YORK JETS

Minnesota over WASHINGTON

Tampa Bay over CAROLINA

BALTIMORE over Cleveland

DETROIT over San Diego

Philadelphia over DALLAS

SEATTLE over San Francisco

GREEN BAY over Chicago

NEW ORLEANS over Atlanta

This Week: 0-1

Last Week: 10-6

Overall: 144-84

Photo Credits.
LeSean McCoy: AP Photo/Matt Slocum

NFL Week 15 Picks: New England Patriots Will Stop Tim Tebow's Roll

2011-12-17T23:33:00.006-05:00

I picked the Falcons and Cowboys to win on Twitter

HOUSTON over Carolina

NEW YORK GIANTS over Washington

Miami over BUFFALO

Seattle over CHICAGO

New Orleans over MINNESOTA

Cincinnati over ST. LOUIS

Tennessee over INDIANAPOLIS

Green Bay over KANSAS CITY

OAKLAND over Detroit

New England over DENVER

New York Jets over PHILADELPHIA

ARIZONA over Cleveland

SAN DIEGO over Baltimore

SAN FRANCISCO over Pittsburgh

This week: 2-0

Last Week: 12-4

Season: 134-78

Photo Credits.
Tom Brady: AP Photo/Matt Slocum

The New York Red Bulls Roster Continues to Be a Revolving Door

2011-12-13T17:26:00.007-05:00

In 16 seasons the New York Red Bulls/MetroStars have had 12 different head coaches and seven different general managers or sporting directors. Close to 300 players have suited up for the team since its inception.

Year after year there is constant turnover: coaching changes, management changes, roster overhauls. Yet the team has never found the right mix therefore has never won a trophy of any kind, whether that be the MLS Cup, Supporter’s Shield or U.S. Open Cup.

After the 2011 season, which can only be described as a failure due to high expectations coming into the year, the house cleaning begins again.

We know that Sporting Director Erik Soler will return in 2012 along with head coach Hans Backe. The team has decimated its roster however. Alex Horwath, Mike Jones, Tyler Lassiter, Marcos Paullo, John Rooney and Teddy Schneider were all waived. Carlos Mendes (the longest tenured player on the roster and lone MetroStar remaining), Bouna Coundoul and Chris Albright did not have their options picked up and Stephane Auvray was released. Greg Sutton, in a complicated loan move with expansion squad Montreal Impact, will also not be back this year.

None of those players were starters. A number of them hardly ever even made the bench. And that’s still with the situations of Frank Rost and Brian Nielsen still up in the air.

Some may say there’s nothing wrong with getting rid of dead weight especially when the team failed to meet expectations but there is a bigger issue at hand with the roster.

If you look at the list of guys let go five players that were rookies last season were let go and another two players were in their first year with the team. Auvray didn’t even have a full season; he was acquired in a trade in August.

The organization is not developing young players or team chemistry.

In professional sports unless you are the New York Yankees or Manchester United you can’t just pay for new players every year. You need to develop young talent. It’s a cost-effective way to become help become successful.

In team sports chemistry is important. Guys need time to gel and learn each other’s tendencies. You also have to want to play and sacrifice not only for yourself but for the guy next to you as well. The more you’re willing to do and sacrifice, the better the outcome can be. And many times it takes some sort of relationship to develop over time for players to put that kind of trust into each other.

Also, players need to feel confident and think they have some sort of security on the team. It’s difficult to play your best when you’re constantly looking over your shoulder after every play wondering if you’re going to get yanked. It’s tough to feel settled and at ease when game-by-game you don’t know if you’ll be returning to the team the next day (Remember how Dwayne De Rosario was acquired and sent packing in a matter of months during the season?)

Alas, the New York Red Bulls management ignores all these things. Players are pieces of Monopoly property that get traded and sold at will.

It’s one thing if a team clears its roster to put forth a new foundation that will build the team for the next few years. But that becomes a moot point when the team is brand new year-in and year-out. If you don’t bring in quality players to replace the released ones, then what was the point of the roster overhaul to begin with? And if guys can’t last a year with the same team (not counting for loans) why did you go out and get them in the first place?

Maybe the team should do something new. Instead of having a quick trigger finger and getting rid of players after a few months on the roster management should re-evaluate its scouts. Somebody is not doing their job in the ranks. The team is obviously collecting sub-par talent that is not good enough to meet the expectations set. Who is advising ownership to get these players?

Why is it, for every Joel Lindpere unearthered there’s a list of at least ten guys like Juan Pietravallo, Jorge Rojas, Leo Krupnick, Walter Garcia, Matthew Mbuta, Ryan Suarez, Markus Schopp, Gilmar, Daniel Garipe and Gabriel Cichero?

There is a saying muttered by the New York Red Bulls supporters after most games or seasons or transactions and it’s, “Same old Metro.”

No matter how much the team changes, at its core nothing really changes at all.

Photo Credits.
Stephane Auvray: AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

Gregg Berhalter is First American to Coach Professional Soccer in Europe

2011-12-12T22:00:00.006-05:00

After decades of American soccer players failing to catch on to clubs in Europe, America’s brightest young players are finally getting the chance.

In the 1990’s many of the U.S. national team players were college players or guys that were signed full-time to be with the national team. Very few exceptions played in Europe.

But now, guys like Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Steve Cherundolo, Michael Bradley and Carlos Bocanegra are fixtures on some teams in the most elite leagues on the continent. Youngsters like Brek Shea, Tim Ream and Juan Agudelo are knocking on the door, all training with teams in the English Premier League.

Playing in Europe is no longer an improbable dream but a realistic possibility. So naturally, it’s time to start venturing to the next frontier: coaching in Europe.

Gregg Berhalter, a former USMNT defender, has been hired by Hammarby IF of Sweden’s Superettan (second division) to be its new head coach. Berhalter signed a two-year deal with an option for a third. He is the first American-born former national team player to coach a team in Europe.

Hammarby, the former club of Charlie Davies, is not top-flight European soccer but it’s a start, and a necessary one at that. They do, however, have the third highest attendance in all of Sweden.

Former USMNT player and National Soccer Hall of fame inductee Marcelo Balboa commented on how Americans coaching in Europe could help develop the game in the U.S. in an interview with Potomac Soccer Wire in October of 2010.

“We challenged our players many years ago to play at the highest level, to go overseas and make their craft,” Balboa said. “I think now we’re at a point where that same challenge needs to be put out to our coaches. Our coaches now need to expand their horizons out of MLS and look for that European job or that South American job, to get that kind of experience and bring that back to the United States.

“Our players have a little more experience than our coaches do. It’s time that our coaches start getting that experience overseas.”

Berhalter is a surprising candidate to be one of the first guys to make the jump.
He spent the first 15 years of his professional career in Europe, playing in the lower leagues in the Netherlands, Germany and England. Those experiences certainly helped shape his game and earn two trips to the World Cup, which must give him some clout in Europe.

The surprise is that Berhalter just retired from playing at the end of the 2011 MLS season, where he held the duel responsibility of player and assistant coach.

A European club is giving a young (Berhalter is 38-years-old) American with very little coaching experience a chance to lead their team in an attempt to get back to first-division soccer for the first time since 2009.

“[Hammarby] looked at where I’ve been the last couple years with the Galaxy and with Bruce Arena and my role there and then they looked at my background as a player,” Berhalter told ExtraTime Radio. “I obviously spent 15 years in Europe and they felt like that diversity in terms of being in three different countries and experiencing these different soccer cultures will be a real plus in the long run.”

Even more surprising is that initially the team was looking for an experienced manager who had previous ties to Hammarby, according to Berhalter on ExtraTime Radio.

Former USMNT player and current AZ Alkmaar (Jozy Altidore’s team) technical director Earnie Stewart thought this moment was still a long-time coming, commenting on the situation in an interview with MLSsoccer.com in 2010.

“First of all, there's a problem in the way football in the United States is looked upon, and that reflects upon the coaches,” he explained. “We're still making progress, still getting better, still getting to where we want to be.”

Stewart added that any coach that does get an opportunity would have to have some kind of connection in Europe to help get that job.

Berhalter’s connection was former L.A. Galaxy midfielder Chris Klein, who sits on the board of Hammarby as an AEG representative and assisted with the coaching search. AEG owns the Los Angeles Galaxy and holds a 49-percent share of Hammarby.

For those that are surprised that Berhalter would be the first American to coach in Europe, ahead of famous national team coaches Bruce Arena or Bob Bradley or player-turned-coach Jason Kreis, Tab Ramos or Claudio Reyna keep in mind that John Harkes was the first American to play in the English Premier League. He did not have any professional experience before moving to Sheffield Wednesday, but his career turned out just fine.

It’s an historic moment for U.S. soccer and Berhalter has a rather large challenge ahead of him. But it’s a challenge that Berhalter, and American soccer, need to be ready to face.

Video feautre about the career path of Gregg Berhalter. Video from YouTube.

Photo Credits.
Gregg Berhalter: AP Photo/Gus Ruelas

NFL Week 14 Picks: Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants Meet in Huge Sunday Night Matchup

2011-12-11T12:10:00.005-05:00

We’re headed down the stretch, with the start of the final quarter of the season beginning in Week 14. The games, for some, are as important as ever as teams are jockeying for playoff position.

The biggest game of the week takes place in Dallas in prime time as the first place Cowboys take on the second-place rival Giants (one game behind) for the first time this season. It could be a shootout, as both teams have done well throwing the ball this season.

Who do you think will win?

Pittsburgh over Cleveland – I picked the Steelers to win on Thursday.

NEW YORK JETS over Kansas City – The Jets have struggled on offense and have gotten away from running the ball, once a specialty. Last week though they did run for 101 yards and three touchdowns. They should be able to do some more damage on the ground against the Chiefs, who are 25 th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game (130.3).

JACKSONVILLE over Tampa Bay – The Buccaneers have lost six in a row. The Jaguars are no world beaters, but at home against a Bucs team that gets worse every week and this could finally be Jacksonville’s day. Maurice Jones-Drew has done his part this year, leading the league in rushing yards. Against the 29th ranked rush defense he should be rewarded for his efforts with a win for the fourth time this season.

New England over WASHINGTON – Andre Carter returns to Washington, where he spent five seasons with the Redskins. While the Patriots pass defense has been lackluster, Carter has been a bright spot in the pass rush. He leads the team with nine tackles (top-10 in the league) and people within the organization have raved about his professionalism. It looks like a prime opportunity for him to reach double digits in sacks this game as Washington is in the top-10 in sacks allowed (33).

Atlanta over CAROLINA – While Cam Newton has struggled with his decision making as a passer, he’s been a sensational runner. He has rushed for 13 touchdowns this season, a record for quarterbacks. The Falcons rush defense, however, is one of the best in the league (third in rushing yards allowed per game actually). And the last time these two teams played the Falcons forced Newton into some really bad throws, causing three interceptions. They should be able to dominate the Panthers again.

BALTIMORE over Indianapolis – The Colts put up some fight against the Patriots backups, scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough. The Ravens tend to play down to their competition, but they’d really have to let themselves go to drop this game.

MIAMI over Philadelphia – Two teams here are going in opposite directions and surprisingly it’s the Dolphins who are on the up-swing. The ‘Phins are fifth in the league in points allowed and fifth in the league in rushing yards allowed per game. They’ll face a stiff test from LeSean McCoy and the return of Michael Vick, but the Dolphins have won three in a row at home and are just playing much better football.

DETROIT over Minnesota – Time for the early season darlings to get back to playing football. Discipline has been a huge problem for this team but coach Jim Schwartz has reportedly told players that they will sit for post-whistle fouls. Ndamukong Suh is still suspended and he is the biggest culprit, so maybe the rest of the team will learn its lesson. It would be nice if the Lions, on offense, could get to Calvin Johnson more. The wide receiver hasn’t had a 100-yard game in four games (he had five in the first eight games of the season) and only has one touchdown in that span. Fortunately for the Lions the Vikings look like everybody’s whipping boy right now.

New Orleans over TENNESSEE – The Saints have won four straight and five of their last six. Drew Brees hasn’t thrown an interception in three consecutive games and has a streak of 39 straight games with a passing score. The Titans struggle against teams with winning records and their pass defense has taken a step back this year compared to previous seasons.

CINCINNATI over Houston – T.J. Yates had a respectable game against Falcons last week, but now loses his No.1 target, Andre Johnson. Johnson will miss his seventh game of the season with a strained left hamstring. The Texans have a good running game too, but the Bengals have a top ten defense against the pass and the rush. There’re only so many injuries one team can endure.

DENVER over Chicago – Should I praise Tim Tebow and his 6-1 record as a starter this season (five wins in a row)? Or should I show concern for the Bears’ offense without Jay Cutler and Matt Forte? And then add the fact that Caleb Hanie has thrown two touchdowns compared to six interceptions in the past two games?

San Francisco over ARIZONA – The 49ers have allowed the fewest rushing yards per game in the entire league and they have not given up a rushing touchdown all season. They are looking to wrap up the No. 2 seed and a first round bye in the playoffs so a win against a conference (and divisional) opponent is big. The 49ers are 3-0 against the NFC West this season and beat the Cardinals 23-7 just three weeks ago.

SAN DIEGO over Buffalo – The Bills have lost five straight games and six of their previous seven. On the road this season the Bills are an abysmal 1-5. The Chargers had a similar losing streak recently (six straight) but broke that last week with a big Monday night victory against the Jaguars. The Bills are more talented than Jacksonville, but their defense is in the bottom half of the league in both passing and rushing yards allowed per game. Philip Rivers came back to life last weekend, throwing for just under 300 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. It was the second week in a row Rivers hadn’t thrown a pick and more games like that will help the Chargers win more games down the stretch.

GREEN BAY over Oakland – It was a close one last weekend, but the Packers prevailed and many think they have cleared the biggest obstacle remaining in finishing the regular season undefeated. It could be difficult for the Raiders to keep pace with the high octane Green Bay passing game because two of their top four leading receivers (and two of the top three wide receivers) are out with injuries.

DALLAS over New York Giants – The Giants secondary has struggled terribly the past couple games and things could get worse: safety Kenny Phillips will miss the game with a knee injury. Also out is Osi Umenyiora, which hurts the pass rush as well. The Cowboys have the seventh best passing game in the league and Miles Austin is expected to return after missing the past four games.

SEATTLE over St. Louis –Marshawn Lynch has really come on strong towards the end of the season. In his first eight games Lynch had 398 yards on 97 carries (4.1 yards per carry) with four touchdowns. In the last four games he has increased his production, rushing for 456 yards on 105 carries also with four touchdowns. In those games the Seahawks are 3-1. They are letting Lynch win games for them and he is in full-on “Beast Mode”.

This Week: 1-0

Last Week: 9-7

Season: 120-74

Photo Credits.
Tony Romo: AP Photo/Paul Connors

Charlotte Hounds Making an Immediate Presence in Major League Lacrosse

2011-12-10T01:38:00.008-05:00

The Charlotte Hounds are entering Major League Lacrosse with a bang.

In putting its inaugural roster together the expansion club is sparing no expense at making a splash. Management has been aggressive in putting together an offensive minded roster with plenty of big-time names.

The biggest move the team made was during the expansion draft, when they traded with the Long Island Lizards for perennial MVP candidate Matt Danowski.

“We decided to make a move that would provide us with MLL-ready players for training camp at the start of the season,” Hounds Director of Sales and Marketing Wade Leaphart said in an interview with MLL.

Danowski, a four-time All-American at nearby Duke University (where his dad also coaches), comes back to the state of North Carolina with an impressive professional career resume. He was an All-Star his first season in the league (2008) and has been every year since.

Last season Danowski finished fourth in the league in points, first in two-point goals and tied for second in game-winning goals continuing to show every week how dangerous he is on offense. He had at least two points every game. Danowski is also a starting attackman for the U.S. national team.

Charlotte scored big time in getting Danowski. The team acquires a player that is extremely talented, has a high profile and can bring in fans (he’s the star of Warrior’s “Manchine” commercials) and is a guy with local ties that will help with community relations. He’s also only 26-years-old so he can be the cornerstone of the franchise for a number of years to come.

The Hounds didn’t stop with Danowski though. In the deal to bring the attackman to Charlotte the team also received All-Star midfielder Stephen Berger. Berger has been a staple in the Lizards midfield since 2005 and was in the top-15 in points last season.

Another name joining the former Lizards is attcakman Billy Bitter, traded to the team from the Denver Outlaws. Bitter is another collegiate star from the state of North Carolina as an alumnus of the Tar Heels. He scored 12 goals in his rookie season to go along with four assists in only nine games.

“I’ve basically been down in North Carolina the past five years. I’ve grown to love the state a lot,” Bitter told MLL. “I have a lot of close people down here so I’m real excited…to be part of this organization.”

Rounding out a pretty talented and deep attack is 2011 MLL Rookie of the Year Jeremy Boltus. He was selected away from the Hamilton Nationals with Charlotte’s first selection in the Expansion Draft. Boltus scored 19 goals in 12 games last season and had a total of 30 points.

As the roster continues to fill out there is plenty here for Charlotte lacrosse fans to be optimistic about.

Much like the team has been aggressive in acquiring talent they have the makings of a dynamic offense that should not only be entertaining to watch but that could help make the Hounds a very competitive team, even as an expansion club.

Photo Credits.
Matt Danowski (top): Rick Stewart/Getty Images
Billy Bitter (right): Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Trading for "Big Baby" is Only the Start of a Turbulent Season for the Orlando Magic

2011-12-09T19:37:00.003-05:00

On the first day that NBA teams could start training camp and make roster moves the Orlando Magic have been one of the most active teams out there. Active, however, doesn’t mean that they improved.

The team used it’s amnesty clause on Gilbert Arenas and waived him, signed free agents Larry Hughes and Gabe Pruitt and—the big move of the day—swapped Brandon Bass for Glen “Big Baby” Davis in a deal with the Celtics. There’s also the Dwight Howard trade and tampering rumors, making the Magic one of the more talked about teams in the NBA right now.

Most of the moves don’t actually improve the team though, which could mean this is only the beginning of a very tumultuous season.

Waiving Agent Zero was expected and smart. Through the amnesty clause, the remaining three years and $62 million of Arenas’ six-year $111 million deal will no longer count towards Orlando’s salary cap. Arenas didn’t produce much coming off the bench for Orlando and was not worth keeping around especially at that price.

With some cap wiggle room made available it was possible the Magic could’ve added some guys to improve the roster and possibly influence Howard to stay after this season. Going after Shane Battier—a good perimeter defender with a strong basketball IQ and that can knock down the open shot—was a promising sign, even if he did wind up signing with the Miami Heat.

Instead the Magic conducted a sign-and-trade for Davis.

When you think of Davis what comes to mind is his goofy “Shrek and Donkey” partnership with Nate Robinson, his game-winning shot against the Magic in the 2009 NBA playoffs when he ran down the sidelines and knocked over a little kid and him crying at the end of the bench after Kevin Garnett got in his face. His nickname is “Big Baby” for crying out loud. He also seems to be out of shape.

There is no sense that Davis is a mature player and his numbers don’t make him a guy you have to have on your team. Last year Davis averaged 11.7 points per game, 5.4 rebounds per game, 0.4 blocks per game and shot 45-percent from the field.

You know who put up similar, if not better, numbers? Brandon Bass. He averaged 11.2 points per game, 5.6 rebounds per game, 0.7 blocks per game and shot 52-percent from the field, all in fewer minutes per game. Bass is a tougher player and is a much better free-throw shooter.

Where is the improvement?

Throw in Hughes, 32, who didn’t play last year and has seen his points per game average on the steady decline since a career-high 22.0 points per game in the 2004-05 season, and Pruitt, who hasn’t played in two years and never averaged more than eight minutes a game in his two seasons of work, and the moves are all questionable.

This is the first day of the new season, the first day since the lockout that moves can be made. The team swapped a tough power forward for one with a baby moniker, signed two players who haven’t played in the league in at least a year and are on the verge of trading away or losing one of the best players in franchise history.

Usually the start of the season is a day of renewed hope for all fans, where every team is equal and has a chance to win the championship. Yet already it seems like the Magic have set themselves up for a long, turbulent season.

Photo Credits.

Glen Davis: AP Photo/Elise Amendola

NFL Week 14 Picks: Steelers Should Dominate the Browns on Thursday Night

2011-12-08T18:28:00.004-05:00

Cleveland Browns (4-8) at Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)

Although they are division rivals, this game has all the makings of a blowout.
The Steelers have won three in a row while the Browns have lost two in a row and five of their last six.

Cleveland, surprisingly, is first in the league in passing yards allowed, yielding only 173.3 yards per game. The Steelers don’t necessarily rely on the pass though. There are plenty of times Ben Roethlisberger’s numbers aren’t pretty but the team guts out a win. In fact, in the past two games Roethlisberger has failed to reach 200 passing yards and last week he recorded his lowest total of the season (176 yards) but the team had its biggest winning margin of the season.

It’s what Cleveland can’t do that will determine the outcome in this game.

The Browns are 30th in the NFL in yards gained (24th in passing yards per game and 30th in rushing yards per game) and 28th in points scored per game. They can’t move the ball or put it in the endzone and against the Steelers defense—first in total yards allowed and fourth in points per game allowed—things only get more difficult.

Viewers should expect to see a lot of Rashard Mendenhall as the Browns are 31st in the NFL in rushing yards allowed. They'll take advantage of a poor run defense and then just keep hitting them when they're up big to drain the clock.

Pittsburgh wins.

Last Week: 9-7

Season: 119-74

Photo Credits.

Rashard Mendenhall: AP Photo/Don Wright

Twitter Report: Athletes Fawning Over Tim Tebow

2011-12-04T19:46:00.004-05:00

Terrell Davis, former Denver Broncos player: @terrell_davis “I've seen this movie before. I won't ruin it for everyone, but it's starring Tim Tebow, so you know what happens.”

Eric LeGrand, former Rutgers football player: @bige52_RU “Always finding a way Tim Tebow and my broncos, tied for 1st place #leggo”

LeBron James, NBA, Miami Heat: @KingJames “He's done it again!! Congrats @TimTebow on the big W and now tied for 1st place in the division #allhedoiswin”

Tracy McGrady, NBA, Detroit Pistons: @TheReal_TMAC “winning > stats #tebow”

Marshon Brooks, NBA, New Jersey Nets: @Marshon2 “Tebow for president..” “Who buying me the tebow jersey for Xmas?”

Jonny Flynn, NBA, Houston Rockets: @J_Flynn “Tebow needs to replace the guy in the Dos Equis commercials”

Shane Battier, NBA, Memphis Grizzlies: @ShaneBattier “#TebowTime”

Jason Thompson, NBA, Sacramento Kings: @jtthekid “Tebow Bout to Get Another W...”

Abby Wambach, soccer, U.S. Women's National Team: @AbbyWambach “@TimTebow just HAS IT!!! Brings back what's good about sports and no one can debate the wins... Keep doing what u do. #inspired”

Christie Rampone, soccer, U.S. Women's National Team: @christierampone “Another victory for @TimTebow! #FRS”

Sacha Kljestan, soccer, U.S. Men's National Team: @SachaKljestan “I don't care what all these haters say, Tim Tebow is a winner.”

Dax McCarty, MLS, New York Red Bulls: @DaxMcCarty11 “Tim Tebow will never lose another football game in his life.”

Alexi Lalas, former U.S. Men's National Team soccer player: @alexilalas22 “I'm up to speed on Tim Tebow, so now I'm gonna watch him. He just threw a TD. I'm supposed to credit the Broncos defense, right?”

Photo Credits.
Tim Tebow: AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

NFL Week 13 Picks: Aaron Rodgers and the Packers Will Put Up Big Numbers Against the Giants

2011-12-04T11:28:00.004-05:00

Philadelphia over SEATTLE – I incorrectly picked the Eagles on Twitter on Thursday.

TAMPA BAY over Carolina – There was a time earlier in the season when the Buccaneers were a contender for a playoff spot. They’ve lost five in a row and that ship has since sailed. They are 2-1 in the division however, beating both New Orleans and Atlanta. Josh Freeman is inactive but the Bucs are high on Josh Johnson.

PITTSBURGH over Cincinnati—The Bengals have been a pleasant surprise this year and it seems like there is a good foundation for the future. The Steelers are arguably the best team in the AFC, however, and just beat the Bengals by a touchdown in Cincinnati. Heinz Field is a difficult place for away teams to play in so it looks like Pittsburgh has the upper hand here.

Atlanta over HOUSTON – Houston is down to its third quarterback this season, and while their running game is the third best in the league, the Falcons are second-best in rushing yards allowed per game (83.5). The Falcons will key on stopping Arian Foster and co. and force T.J. Yates to beat them, which I don’t see happening.

New York Jets over WASHINGTON –The Jets are 1-4 on the road this year and 1-8 against the Redskins in their previous nine meetings. Still, this Redskins team struggles at almost every facet of the game except for the pass defense and doesn’t have the same talent on the field as the Jets do. It hasn’t been pretty this year, but it’s not time to count out the Jets yet.

NEW ENGLAND over Indianapolis – Bill Belichick has gone about this game the predictable, yet proper way. He has said in the media that this has been a great rivalry over the years against a team that has given them fits and that he expects them to do the same here. I do not coach the Patriots, I am not worried about getting the Patriots overconfident or giving the Colts locker room material so I can say I fully expect the Patriots to dominate in this game.

Oakland over MIAMI – Even without Darren McFadden the Raiders are still getting it done on the ground. Michael Bush has 335 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the previous three games, which all were wins. The Dolphins had a nice little run, but Oakland is playing to win its division.

Denver over MINNESOTA – Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos are rolling, winning four straight. Adrian Peterson is out and the Vikings have lost three straight. Go with the team on the upswing.

BUFFALO over Tennessee – The Bills looked better against the Jets than they had in recent weeks and Stevie Johnson was more productive against Darrelle Revis than he was against a number of other guys lately. At home they should be another average team in the Titans.

CHICAGO over Kansas City – Ridicule Jay Cutler all you’d like, but are you anywhere near as confident about the Bears success with Caleb Hanie at quarterback? You know who Hanie may just be better than, though? Tyler Palko.

Baltimore over CLEVELAND – Not a tough decision here. The Browns struggle to get anything going offensively and the Ravens still have a stingy defense.

Dallas over ARIZONA – The Cowboys are hot, winning four straight games, and had a few extra days to prepare for the Cardinals. The Cowboys rank in the top half of the league in passing yards per game, rushing yards per game, passing yards allowed per game and rushing yards allowed per game.

Green Bay over NEW YORK GIANTS – The Giants laid an egg last week against the Saints and it only gets tougher against the undefeated Packers. It looks like another late-season collapse is in store for Tom Coughlin and the Giants, as they have lost three consecutive games.

SAN FRANCISCO over St. Louis – The Thanksgiving day loss to the Ravens was a small setback for the 49ers. They are 9-2 and that is with playing only two games against NFC West rivals, whom are all under .500. San Francisco should be licking its chops to bounce back against the NFC West bottom feeders.

NEW ORLEANS over Detroit – The Saints demolished the vaunted Giants pass rush last week and should be happy to hear that Ndamukong Suh’s suspension appeal has been denied and he will have to sit out this one.

San Diego over JACKSONVILLE – Can things get any worse for the Chargers? They’ve lost six consecutive games and have dropped from first to worst in the AFC West standings. Jacksonville just fired its coach and the ownership sold the team though so the organization is in a state of flux. Can the Chargers finally capitalize on someone else’s misfortune?

This Week: 0-1

Last Week: 9-7

Season: 110-67

Photo Credits.
Aaron Rodgers: AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

NFL Week 12 Picks: Is This the Week the Colts Finally Win?

2011-11-27T12:16:00.002-05:00

On Thanksgiving I picked the Packers, Dolphins and Ravens on Twitter.

Houston over JACKSONVILLE

NEW YORK JETS over Buffalo

CINCINNATI over Cleveland

ATLANTA over Minnesota

ST. LOUIS over Arizona

INDIANAPOLIS over Carolina

Tampa Bay over TENNESSEE

Chicago over Oakland

SEATTLE over Washington

SAN DIEGO over Denver

New England over PHILADELPHIA

Pittsburgh over Kansas City

NEW ORLEANS over New York Giants

This Week: 2-1

Last Week: 11-3

Season: 101-60

Photo Credits.

Reggie Wayne: AP Photo/AJ Mast

Third Kit's Mega MLS Cup Preview

2011-11-20T12:45:00.002-05:00

Possibly the finest and most publicized season of Major League Soccer concludes today with MLS Cup. The league-best Los Angeles Galaxy take on the Houston Dynamo, underdogs but two-time Cup winners.

The Galaxy have all the names (and money): David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane. The Dynamo’s best player—Brad Davis—will miss the game due to a hamstring injury. That doesn’t mean the Dynamo should be counted out though.

Check out the mega preview on Third Kit, breaking down the players to watch, how each team can win, how each team can lose and other important observations as all eyes in Hollywood are set on soccer.

NFL Week 11 Picks: Chargers To Continue Slide Against Bears

2011-11-20T12:23:00.003-05:00

New York Jets over DENVER – I picked the Jets on Twitter Thursday.

GREEN BAY over Tampa Bay

DETROIT over Carolina

Jacksonville over CLEVELAND

Oakland over MINNESOTA

MIAMI over Buffalo –

Dallas over WASHINGTON –

BALTIMORE over Cincinnati

SAN FRANCISCO over Arizona

Seattle over ST. LOUIS

ATLANTA over Tennessee

CHICAGO over San Diego

NEW YORK GIANTS over Philadelphia

NEW ENGLAND over Kansas City

Byes: Indianapolis, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Houston

This Week: 0-1

Last Week: 10-6

Season: 90-57

Photo Credits.
Philip Rivers: AP Photo/Denis Poroy

NFL Week 10 Picks: Saints Will Triumph in Big Rivalry Week Game

2011-11-13T11:18:00.003-05:00

It’s rivalry weekend in the NFL. Adding to the intensity of division battles is the fact that many of the matchups will determine who will lead the division going into next weekend. We already saw the Oakland Raiders pass the San Diego Chargers in the AFC West and we still have Saints-Falcons, Steelers-Bengals and Jets-Patriots. There’s also the Bears-Lions game, where although they both are behind the undefeated Packers they are both playing very well and are above .500.
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Who do you think will win this week? Home team is in all capitals.

SAN DIEGO over Oakland – I picked the Chargers on Twitter on Thursday.

Detroit over CHICAGO – The Bears have been playing well as off late but their offensive line still leaves a lot to desire. Even Jay Cutler said the team’s outlook is a lot better when the guys in front of him allow him time to throw and he doesn’t have to pick himself up off the turf. Detroit has a very good pass defense and is fourth in the NFL in sacks.

INDIANAPOLIS over Jacksonville – Believe it or not, it is very difficult to lose every game in a single season. This is the Colts best chance at a victory.

Denver over KANSAS CITY – Coming into the week the Chiefs were the AFC West leaders despite dropping a game against the winless Dolphins by 28 points at home last week. That’s uninspiring. You know who is inspiring? Tim Tebow.

Pittsburgh over CINCINNATI – The Bengals have won five straight, but will this young team have what it takes to stand up against the veteran Pittsburgh Steelers, who will be looking for revenge after a disappointing loss to the Ravens last weekend? To stay in the playoff hunt the Steelers will have to knock off the Bengals.

DALLAS over Buffalo – After a hot start Buffalo has cooled down a bit lately with three losses in the past five games and is only 1-2 on the road.

New Orleans over ATLANTA – When you think of the Saints you think of Drew Brees and the passing game. But did you realize they are ninth in the NFL in rushing yards per game (126)? Meanwhile Atlanta, behind Michael Turner, is 13th (119). Darren Sproles may have been the best offseason pickup by any team.

CLEVELAND over St. Louis – Neither team looks good this season and this game could be very ugly, but the Browns do have home-field advantage.

MIAMI over Washington – Rex Grossman or John Beck? Flip-flopped by the hour. Even the Dolphins don’t have this kind of instability at quarterback.

Houston over TAMPA BAY – The Buccaneers are 2-4 against teams with winning records and their defense ranks 28th and 26th in passing and rushing yards allowed per game respectively. Even without Andre Johnson the Texans have taken advantage of lesser defenses lately, averaging just a shade under 32 points per game in the past three games, all victories.

Tennessee over CAROLINA – The Panthers defense isn’t very strong and Cam Newton seems to make quite a few mistakes when the game is on the line. The struggling Chris Johnson faces a good opportunity to have a good game against the 28th ranked Panthers run defense.

PHILADELPHIA over Arizona – Arizona is starting John Skelton against a very tough pass defense. Should be an easy one for the Eagles.

Baltimore over SEATTLE – Seattle has so much trouble moving the ball on offense. Against the Cleveland Browns three weeks ago Seattle managed only 137 yards and three points. What makes you think they will do any better against the much-more heralded Ravens defense?

SAN FRANCISCO over New York Giants – The 49ers are sixth in the NFL in rushing yards per game (137.6) while the Giants are 24th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game (127.1). A good San Francisco offensive line and running attack should neutralize the New York pass rush, which has been the team’s strong point on defense.

New England over NEW YORK JETS – The Patriots defense is pretty bad, but that’s ok because the Jets offense isn’t very good either. The Pats are struggling but do you really see them losing three in a row? Can anyone remember the last time that happened? Tom Brady’s been a bit erratic lately and this just feels like a game where he’ll put the team on his shoulders, even against the Jets tough pass defense.

GREEN BAY over Minnesota – The Packers are rolling and when the teams met three weeks ago in Minnesota, Green Bay was able to pull away with the victory. Things should be even better at home.

This week: 0-1

Last Week: 8-6

Season: 80-50

Photo Credits.

Drew Brees: AP Photo/Tom Gannam

New England Patriots: Why the Albert Haynesworth Experiment Was Always Doomed to Fail

2011-11-08T17:48:00.002-05:00

When the New England Patriots traded a fifth round draft pick to the Washington Redskins for Albert Haynesworth, the now-waived defensive tackle reworked his contract as part of the deal. The Patriots were only on the hook for $1.5 million this season.

So the general consensus was that the move was a low-risk-high-reward move for the Patriots. He wasn’t a need, he was a luxury and if he played well that would be icing on the cake for the Patriots. However if he didn’t play well or more importantly he acted out of line the Patriots management could cut their very small losses and just get rid of him.

There is where Haynesworth was doomed from the beginning. The Patriots seemingly acquired him only with the caveat that they could easily dispose of him if and when he did not live up to the team’s expectations.

It was a self-fullfilling prophecy.

Haynesworth’s tenure with New England started off on the wrong foot both on and off the field.

The defensive tackle missed a number of practices after being traded and much of the speculation was because that he failed Bill Belichick’s conditioning test and did not come physically fit. Making it an even bigger issue was the fact that it was not the first time this had happened in Haynesworth’s career.

Off the field, Haynesworth was charged in two separate incidents and he was in the midst of taking care of both when he changed squads.

The 10-year NFL veteran was already behind the eight-ball in a number of ways. Not only was he facing his own legal and physical issues but he was not very high on the depth chart. Vince Wilfork was always going to be the starter at nose tackle, the team was high on youngsters Ron Brace and Brandon Deaderick and veterans Gerard Warren and Shaun Ellis were also in better standing than Haynesworth was.

There was almost a bit of hypocrisy in Haynesworth’s situation: the team needed him to turn around his play on the field and his attitude but there weren’t going to be many opportunities for him to do so.

Things never got better for Haynesworth. He registered only three tackles and zero sacks in six games (out of the team’s eight). He was abused by the Giants offensive line in Sunday’s game, at one point on his back on three straight plays which led to an unsavory interaction with coach Pepper Johnson on the sidelines.

So with the Patriots slumping and needing to make an example Albert Haynesworth was the obvious choice. Cheap, ineffective and possibly insubordinate made him very expendable.

The heated discussion with Johnson will make more of the headlines in the coming days, but don’t be fooled. Haynesworth’s days were numbered as soon as the trade with Washington was made. It seemed like everyone was just waiting for it to happen.

This isn’t the first time the Patriots have unceremoniously dropped a player and the season will churn on for the team, experiment abandoned and just as quickly forgotten.

But for Haynesworth does his failed tenure in New England put the final stamp on his career now too?

Photo Credits.
Albert Haynesworth: AP Photo/Stew Milne

NFL Week 9 Picks: Pittsburgh to Get its Revenge on Baltimore

2011-11-05T16:56:00.004-04:00

KANSAS CITY over Miami

Atlanta over INDIANAPOLIS

NEW ORLEANS over Tampa Bay

BUFFALO over New York Jets

DALLAS over Seattle

HOUSTON over Cleveland

San Francisco over WASHINGTON

Cincinnati over TENNESSEE

OAKLAND over Denver

NEW ENGLAND over New York Giants

ARIZONA over St. Louis

Green Bay over SAN DIEGO

PITTSBUGH over Baltimore

PHILADELPHIA over Chicago

Byes: Detroit, Minnesota, Carolina, Jacksonville

Last week: 7-6

Season: 72-44

Photo Credits.
Ben Roethlisberger: AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

NFL Week 8 Picks

2011-10-30T11:40:00.002-04:00

TENNESSEE over Indianapolis

New Orleans over ST. LOUIS

Miami over NEW YORK GIANTS

CAROLINA over Minnesota

BALTIMORE over Arizona

HOUSTON over Jacksonville

BUFFALO over Washington

Detroit over DENVER

New England over PITTSBURGH

SAN FRANCISCO over Cleveland

SEATTLE over Cincinnati

PHILADELPHIA over Dallas

San Diego at KANSAS CITY

Bye: Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, Oakland, NY Jets, Tampa Bay

Last Week: 9-4

Season: 65-38

NFL Week 7 Awards: DeMarco Murray has Record-Setting Day

2011-10-25T18:33:00.004-04:00

It’s popularly noted that the NFL has become the league of the quarterback.

In Week 7 it was the running backs that stole the spotlight. Some played hero while others weren’t in long enough to be the goats.

Injuries can sometimes cause for the question of someone’s toughness, but amidst the slew of injuries in Week 7 could a kicker have been the toughest player in the NFL this week?

So who rose to the occasion and who wished they could’ve gone and hide in this weekend’s games?

MVP of the Week

Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans

Last year’s breakout player had an absolutely monster game for the Texans against the Titans. In the past four games, Foster had only broken 100 yards rushing once. But against the Titans Foster not only had 100-plus rushing yards for the second time this season, he also had over 100 receiving yards for the second time this season.

Foster had 115 rushing yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns as well as 119 yards—a team high—and caught all five passes thrown to him. He also scored a receiving touchdown. He picked up six first downs and, oh yea, the Texans won by 34 points.
Foster was just flat-out untouchable Sunday.

Honorable Mentions: Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints; Plaxico Burress, WR, New York Jets

Bust of the Week

Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers

He missed on 16 passes, completing only 50-percent of his passes. He threw for under 180 yards (outgained by guys like Matt Moore and John Beck). Yes, the Jets defense, especially its corners, is supposed to be very good but Rivers was abysmal.

His two interceptions were game changers. Sure, the second one was tipped by Vincent Jackson, but the interceptions were untimely both coming on third down. Also, on the all-important last drive down, down by four the Chargers faced a fourth down and three. Rivers threw a pass intended for Antonio Gates, but the ball sailed into the sideline. On a potential game-ending play you need a much better effort than Rivers gave.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions: Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Indianapolis Colts; Miami Dolphins

Surprise of the Week

Jacksonville Jaguars

It wasn’t pretty on offense, but they scored just enough point to beat the Ravens while Jacksonville’s defense manhandled Baltimore’s offense.

The defense held Baltimore scoreless until 2:02 left in the game. They limited Ray Rice to 28 yards rushing, his lowest total since Week 4 of last season, and they forced the Ravens offense into two turnovers.

But really, come on, did anyone expect Jacksonville to even be in this game, let alone win it? Gutsy performance from the guys in Jacksonville.

Honorable Mentions: Mark Sanchez, QB, New York Jets; Ben Tate, RB, Houston Texans

Play of the Week

All defensive players in the NFL should watch Neil Rackers’s form on this tackle. That’s how you take down a guy. No need to spear him with your helmet.

Rookie of the Week

DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys

In his first start ever, Murray, filling in for the injured Felix Jones, surpassed legendary RB Emmitt Smith for the record for most rushing yards in a game by a Cowboy.

Murray ran for 253 yards and a touchdown (on a first-half run for 91 yards) on 25 carries. Other ways Murray made the history books: it was the most yards run for in the NFL this season so far, it was the second-longest run in team history, it was the second-most rushing yards in a game by a rookie in NFL history and it was the most yards rushed for against the St. Louis Rams.

“I never thought in a million years that I'd ever have a day like this,” Murray told the press after the game. “This is what I've been working hard for since my Pop Warner days.”

I don’t know if anyone else thought he would either, but it was a very impressive performance nonetheless. Maybe he won’t have another game this good, but at the very least he probably passed Felix Jones and Tashard Choice on the depth chart.

Honorable Mentions: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers; Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos

Tough Luck

Running Backs

Despite the successes of DeMarco Murray and Arian Foster it was a tough day to be a starting running back in the NFL.

Darren McFadden, Beanie Wells, Marshawn Lynch, Joseph Addai, Willis McGahee and Mark Ingram all left their respective games and did not return because of injuries (Lynch didn’t even make it to the game, he was pulled during warm ups). Also, Tim Hightower and Earnest Graham not only were taken out of their games because of injuries, but they will miss the remainder of the season.

It is unfortunate for all these backs, but for the ones that do miss more time maybe their replacement could be as big a surprise as DeMarco Murray.

Honorable Mentions: winless teams still winless

Photo Credits.
DeMarco Murray: AP Photo/Sharon Ellman

NFL Week 7 Pick: Tim Tebow to be Victorious in First Start of the Season

2011-10-23T11:41:00.003-04:00

The big news in Week 7 is the game of quarterback shuffle going on: at least six different quarterbacks will make their first start of the season.

The most hyped new quarterback is obviously Tim Tebow as he returns to Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins, who are still searching for a win.

Also on the slate of games is a match-up for first place in the AFC South between the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans. Both teams have lost key players to injuries and are coming off of losses. Who will take control of the division?

Who will win this week’s games? The home team is in caps.

NEW YORK JETS over San Diego – The Jets win over Miami wasn’t pretty but they couldn’t afford to lose a fourth straight game. That being said, the Chargers have struggled as well, specifically Philip Rivers and his interceptions. Against a dominant Darrelle Revis and a hyped-up Antonio Cromartie it will be a rough day for Rivers.

TAMPA BAY over Chicago – If the Bucs can force Drew Brees to throw three interceptions imagine what they can do to Jay Cutler, a quarterback notorious for turning the ball over under pressure.

CAROLINA over Washington – The Redskins brass talked about how good John Beck looked during preseason and still decided to start Rex Grossman at quarterback. So what does that say about Beck? He hasn’t thrown a pass in a regular season game since 2007, when he was not the answer for a one-win Miami Dolphins team. Four of the Panthers five losses have come by one touchdown or less, so the ball has to bounce they’re way one of these times (so long as Cam Newton stops throwing costly interceptions).

Atlanta over DETROIT – The Lions are without Jahvid Best, and with little depth at the position they have only two healthy runners. Coming off their first loss of the season the Lions are vulnerable right now, which should help the Falcons have their first winning streak of the season.

Seattle over CLEVELAND – Things are falling apart in Cleveland and Payton Hillis is having a rough season. Meanwhile the Seahawks should get a boost on offense if Charlie Whitehurst starts over Tarvaris Jackson. Whitehurst is a mystery still, but he showed last week he’s an upgrade over Jackson.

Denver over MIAMI – It’s a home game for the Dolphins. They are honoring the 2008 Florida Gators, whose starting quarterback is Tim Tebow who is now the starter for the Broncos. Not only will fans be cheering for the “Suck for Luck” campaign they will also be rooting for the opposing quarterback. This has disaster written all over it.

TENNESSEE over Houston – Without Andre Johnson and Mario Williams the Texans look like a team without any bite. The Titans on the other hand have gotten good contributions from other wide receivers since Kenny Britt went down with a season-ending injury and they’re still waiting for Chris Johnson to break out.

Kansas City over OAKLAND – If Carson Palmer starts the Raiders will be using a guy who had a bad year last year and hasn’t played since Week 17 of last season. If Kyle Boller starts it’ll be a guy whose team just traded potentially two first round picks for someone else to start. In a rivalry game things are just a bit too unsettled right now for the Raiders to come away victorious.

Pittsburgh over ARIZONA – The Steelers have feasted on opponents with sub-.500 records. The combined records of teams they’ve lost against: 7-4. And the combined record of teams they’ve beaten: 6-16. They may be older and not as strong as the past few years, but they’re still beating the bottom feeders of the league of which the Cardinals belong to.

Green Bay over MINNESOTA – Christian Ponder gets his first start against Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson and has to try and outgun Aaron Rodgers? No thanks.

DALLAS over St. Louis – Sam Bradford is out and A.J. Feeley is in. Sorry, but not even newly acquired wide receiver Brandon Lloyd can make Feeley look good.

NEW ORLEANS over Indianapolis – The Saints had a rough go of it against the Buccaneers last week. But that’s more reason for them to get back on track at home against a winless team.

Baltimore over JACKSONVILLE – This just seems like the biggest mismatch of the week. The Jaguars are 31st in the league in points scored per game, and you can bet points will be very tough to come by against the Ravens tough defense.
Byes: Buffalo, Cincinnati, New England, New York Giants, Philadelphia, San Francisco

Last week: 8-5

Season: 56-34

Photo Credits.
Tim Tebow: AP Photo/Jack Dempsey

NFL Week 6 Picks: Miami Dolphins to Upset New York Jets on the Road for Win No. 1

2011-10-16T01:00:00.006-04:00

DETROIT over San Francisco – As good as Alex Smith has played this year he hasn’t been able to produce the yards that the 49’ers would need to keep pace with the Lions.

GREEN BAY over St. Louis – The Packers are playing too well to lose at home to the winless Rams.

ATLANTA over Carolina – Look at the Falcons’ results: they win every other week. So after a loss to the Packers last week, naturally they are due for a win over the Panthers.

CINCINNATI over Indianapolis – The Bengals aren’t world beaters, but they do well against the other bad teams in the league. Their defense is playing very well and should contain the Colts.

Buffalo over NEW YORK GIANTS – The Bills played well against the Eagles and did what they had to do to win the game. The Giants played poorly and lost a game they shouldn’t have. And while they shouldn’t have lost are you really that surprised that they did?

PITTSBURGH over Jacksonville – The Steelers are banged up, but they proved last week that they aren’t done yet. And the Jaguars, to put it bluntly, stink.

Philadelphia over WASHINGTON – You just have to wonder how much longer the Eagles can keep losing. There’s too much talent here to be this bad. It’s not too late for them to turn the corner so there’s still a little bit of hope.

BALTIMORE over Houston – The Ravens have looked real good this season and the Texans are without their best offensive and defensive players.

OAKLAND over Cleveland – The Raiders had a big and emotional win last week and then went and traded for Aaron Curry because they believe they can make a push for the playoffs. Meanwhile Cleveland’s best player, Peyton Hillis, wonders how much longer he’ll be with the team.

NEW ENGLAND over Dallas – Tony Romo can throw the ball and the Pats pass defense is not very good. But are you really going to trust the “Romo Coaster” against a team that hasn’t lost at home since 2008?

New Orleans over TAMPA BAY – The Saints are the best team in the NFL in third down completion percentage. They’re really good at extending drives, scoring points and keeping the opposing offense off the field.

MINNESOTA over Chicago – This one could go either way but the Vikings finally got in the win column this week and that could give them some momentum. Adrian Peterson was huge against the Cardinals and the Bears are 28th in the NFL in rushing defense.

Miami over NEW YORK JETS – Since Rex Ryan has taken the helm of the Jets he’s 1-3 against the Dolphins and 0-2 at home. Just as tough as it is to go undefeated, it’s tough to go winless too. The Dolphins and Jets usually play close despite the records and the Jets are not only slumping but the locker room is starting to fracture.

Byes: Denver, Tennessee, Kansas City, Arizona, San Diego and Seattle

Last week: 8-5

Season: 48-29

Photo Credits.
Jason Taylor: AP Photo/J. Pat Carter

United States Men's National Team Holds Open Practice at Red Bull Arena

2011-10-11T01:35:00.005-04:00

It’s been said in the media that new United States Men’s National Team head coach Jürgen Klinsmann is still in the honeymoon stage with the team and its loyal supporters. Klinsmann still seems like quite the charmer and is endearing himself to the fans.

Emotions are positive for the German coach. He finally won his first game with the USMNT on Saturday and on Monday, one day before the team takes on Ecuador Klinsmann opened the team’s practice at Red Bull Arena to the public.

Only a day before a game, the practice was light and featured a lot of stretching as opposed to an intense one, but it was a unique opportunity for fans to see how the team went about their daily business with a new coach as well as what Klinsmann’s personal interactions with individual players and the team as a whole are like.

As the players trotted onto the field Klinsmann explained the purpose of the practice and what the fans would see. Things started off with the players breaking up into small groups and doing some one-touch passes in a circle with defenders in the middle. The goalies, in the meantime, did some drills on their own at the end line.

The field players then went to the opposite end of the field and did a lot of stretching. All the players are in the middle of their seasons now. Add in intense training and playing with the national team and injury prevention becomes a big concern.

After stretching the team went into an 11-vs.-10 half-field scrimmage with Clint Dempsey donning a blue pinny and playing as the extra man for both teams. While the starting lineup for the Ecuador game isn’t out the white team featured mostly regular starters like Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo and Jozy Altidore while the orange team featured the likes of Nick Rimando, Jeff Larentowicz and Edson Buddle, three guys who did not play on Saturday.

The play was pretty back and forth for the most part but with little execution. Only two goals were scored during the 20 or 30 minutes the team scrimmaged for, one by Clint Dempsey (for the white team) and one by DaMarcus Beasley.

Beasley was an interesting player on the left-side for the white team. Beasley showed some speed on the flank and dribbled in circles around Michael Orozco Fiscal. At the same time though, Danny Williams seemed to have his way with Beasley, dribbling around him or pushing him off the ball.

Williams was impressive in his ability to push the ball past his defender and his crosses, as were scrimmage teammate Brek Shea’s, were dangerous.

The highlight of the scrimmage came in a series of nice plays. Kyle Beckerman, playing for the orange team, collected a loose ball and slammed a shot at Tim Howard. Howard saved it and –like his pass to Landon Donovan in the Algeria game at the World Cup—threw the ball almost the length of the field to Jozy Altidore. Rimando came out to cut Altidore’s angle off, but the big forward chipped it over his head for what appeared would be a nice goal. While the ball floated back down to the field however New York Red Bulls defender Tim Ream came in, got underneath the ball, and cleared it before it went in the back of the net.

When the scrimmage was completed some of the players that logged big minutes in Saturday’s game (Altidore, Onyewu and Bocanegra for example) stretched at midfield. The rest took part in a crossing drill.

On the left was, as suspected, Brek Shea, Timmy Chandler and DaMarcus Beasley. On the right was Williams, Steve Cherundolo and Jonathan Spector.

Each side would take turns crossing the ball to a man in the middle: Jeff Larentowicz, Teal Bunbury, Juan Agudelo or Orozco Fiscal.

The crossing and finishing both left a lot to be desired but Larentowicz had the goal of the practice when he took a cross and put a diving header into the net past Rimando.

Klinsmann himself got in on the drill as well, for a brief moment, collecting a rebound and shooting it into the back of the net, earning a nice ovation from the crowd.

At completion of the drill, Klinsmann talked to his team in a huddle and then he and the players thanked the fans for coming out.

The practice wasn’t too intense but it got the fans excited about the team and for the game against Ecuador.

Klinsmann, the players and the fans are optimistic about the team’s future. Now it’s up to the new coach and the players to see how long that optimism lasts.

Patriots vs. Jets: BenJarvus Green-Ellis pushes Patriots to Big Win

2011-10-09T20:23:00.005-04:00

For one game BenJarvus Green-Ellis turned the pass-happy New England Patriots into a power running team, and the result was a winning one.

“The Law Firm” had a career-high 136 rushing yards to go with two touchdowns en route to a 30-21 victory over the rival New York Jets.

It was only the fourth time he had eclipsed the 100-yard plateau in his career, but it came at a good time. He became the fourth running back to rush for over 100 yards against a Rex Ryan-led Jets defense.

The attack for New England was a more balanced one than usual, throwing 33 passes and running the ball 35 times, and they had only one passing touchdown compared to both of Green’s rushing ones. Green-Ellis had 27 carries and averaged five yards a carry. He also had one catch for 13 yards, bowling over a couple Jets defenders in the process.

The Patriots held the ball on offense for 33:55, over seven minutes longer than the Jets. Green-Ellis pounded the ball up the middle effectively and wore out the Jets defense, which looked tired and sluggish as the game went on.

On the Patriots' last drive they ran 13 plays for 69 yards and took up 6:12. Of those 13 plays 11 were running plays with the ball going to Green-Ellis 10 times for 59 yards. The drive ended in a field goal, which put the Patriots up by two scores and the game just out of reach for the Jets.

With the Patriots never trailing it was easy to hand the ball off and work to kill the clock. But Green-Ellis made sure to put his mark on the game. The dreadlocked back had given way to rookie Stevan Ridley the past two weeks, with the new guy leading the team in rushing yards both games. But today Green-Ellis not only was the leading rusher, he was the team leader.

Photo Credits.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis: AP Photo/Elise Amendola

Twitter Report: NFL Week 5

2011-10-09T20:11:00.005-04:00

The NFL makes sure to capture everyone’s attention on Sunday’s with thrilling performances on the gridiron. And with increased communication we can see what everyone is thinking on Twitter.

So in Week 5 of the NFL what were the headlines that had all of us, including other professional athletes tweeting?

Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) finally replaced Kyle Orton at quarterback in Denver and the Eagles continued their slide with a loss against Buffalo, so Michael Vick was a popular topic of discussion as well. Some pros even got to experience a game live in person and tweeted us their photos.

Here’s what the pros were saying on Twitter.

Carmelo Anthony, NBA, New York Knicks: @carmeloanthony “No matter what happen, Tim Tebow is always ready when his # is called!!!!! #TrueProfessional”

Jared Dudley, NBA, Phoenix Suns: @JaredDudley619 “I think Tebow lock up his starting job.. It wasn't pretty but will take the Win.. Can't wait to see what @RealSkipBayless says bout Tebow”

Jason Thompson, NBA, Sacramento Kings: @jtthekid “Congrats to @MikeVick on Being the All-Time Rushing Leader As a QB!!!! #Respect #Eagles”

Dwayne Wade, NBA, Miami Heat: @DwayneWade “WOW.. The Eagles have done everything in their own power to lose yet another game-and btw its not all @MikeVick fault.”

Heath Pearce, MLS, Chivas USA & USA: @thehp3 “OMG. I.DIE. 49ers r on a roll...... What a sunday for football. Now just need a fantasy win for my team. #repyourhood”

Herculez Gomez, professional soccer player, Estudiantes Tecos (Mexico) & USA: @herculezg “#JustWinBaby! #raidernation”

Stu Holden, professional soccer player, Bolton (England) & USA: @stuholden “C'mon Texannnnnns ! 4th quarter rally caps”

Marshon Brooks, NBA, New Jersey Nets: @Marshon2 “Tom Brady release is flawless...”

Maya Moore, WNBA, Minnesota Lynx: @MooreMaya “My 1st Vikings Game! Nice Win guys! lockerz.com/s/145840549”

Jose Bautista, MLB, Toronto Blue Jays: @JoeyBats19 “Let's go Steelers!! Time for that bounce back W!! #pregame #warmups #withmybro”

Photo Credits.
Tim Tebow: AP Photo/Joe Mahoney

Tim Howard Saves Shots and the United States Men's National Team

2011-10-09T15:31:00.003-04:00

Under Bob Bradley, the United States Men’s National Team was a reactive team: play tough defense and withstand pressure from the opposition and go on the counter attack when the other team overextends itself and is vulnerable.

With Jurgen Klinsmann at the helm the USMNT is working on being a proactive team, attacking and imposing its will on its opposition.

The similarity of both regimes is that they both rely on Tim Howard being at his best.

In the team’s 1-0 victory over Honduras the goalie was once again asked to play hero in net in order to preserve a positive result, just like he has time and time again since being named the No. 1 keeper in 2007.

Howard made six saves, a number of which showcased his incredible athleticism, and was named Budweiser Man of the Match.

The win was his 37th for the red, white and blue tying him for second with Tony Meola on the all-time wins list, behind only Kasey Keller (53). And he has earned every single one of them, not to mention the ties the team has a direct result of his stellar play.

Against Honduras Howard made several big saves. In the 18th minute Honduras sent a ball over the top of the defense that Jerry Bengston collected and went in 1-vs-1 on Howard but the keeper made a point blank stop to deflect the shot away.

He made a diving save on Carlos Costly in the 26th and then in the second half he made a leaping grab on a long range shot from Boniek Garcia.

“Tim is getting to a time in his career where he realizes these are the golden years for him ahead,” Klinsmann told the media after the game. “We really enjoy what he brings to the table.”

Howard is one of only two players to start all four games under Klinsmann (Carlos Bocanegra is the other). His consistently strong play is very important to new German head coach right now.

As the team is adjusting to playing a more attacking style they sometimes get caught too far up field. The formation has changed, with only one defensive midfielder as opposed to the two the team used to put on the field. So on the counterattack there are only five players back to defend at most.

If (and at times when) a player is beat or when there is a lot of space many shots come through. It is up to Howard to save them and bail out the rest of the team while they (hopefully) hustle back.

Howard’s ability to make spectacular and clutch saves lets the rest of the team continue to learn how to attack and go up field, make and learn from mistakes and allows the team not to get frustrated giving up a number of goals and revert back to their old less productive ways.

Klinsmann knows he needs good goalkeeping during these experimental times so the players can learn on the fly but the team can still get results that aren’t too discouraging. One only has to look at his roster selections to see the faith that he has placed in Howard.

Brad Guzan has been the first-choice backup behind Howard the past few years and has started big games during World Cup qualifying and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. But he hasn’t been called up to the National Team by Klinsmann yet. Neither has Marcus Hahnemann, the third goalkeeper on the 2010 World Cup team and Howard’s new teammate at Everton.

The backup has been Bill Hamid, a 20-year old goalie for D.C. United that has not made an appearance for the United States at any level.

There were games in the past, like the Argentina friendly at Giants Stadium or the game against England to open the 2010 World Cup, that the USA would not have gotten a point in had it not been for Tim Howard.

Last night, even with a new coach and new philosophy, was no different. And as the U.S. team continues to work on its attacking style of play and new young players are brought into the fold nothing will be more important than the veteran and extremely talented presence of Howard.

A feature of Tim Howard, his rise to stardom and his intensity. Video from YouTube.

Photo Credits.
Tim Howard: AP Photo/Paul Sancya

NFL Week 5 Picks: Oakland Raiders to Win In Memory of Al Davis

2011-10-09T00:42:00.006-04:00

A quarter of the season is complete and we have reached the first week of byes as six teams will sit this week out.

Only two teams remain undefeated (and coincidentally they both play in the NFC North) but double that amount has yet to win a single game.

Tragedy struck the NFL this week as longtime Raider owner Al Davis passed away on Saturday. Many jokes have been made in recent years about the state of Davis while running the Raiders, but make no mistake about it he was a huge part of the NFL for a long time and will be missed, especially by Raider Nation. How will his team respond and play in his honor?

Who do you think will win this week?

Tennessee (3-1) at Pittsburgh (2-2)

It’s a small sample size but the Steelers are 0-2 against teams above .500 this season.

Ben Roethlisberger (foot) will most likely play, but he’s extremely banged up thanks to a porous offensive line. And while the line has not helped the quarterback out they also haven’t helped the running game either.

The Steelers are 21st in the league in rushing yards per game. Rashard Mendenhall has only 173 yards in four games and is questionable for the game against the Titans with a hamstring injury.

There was some concerns the Titans wouldn’t be as good offensively as they had been at the start of the season after Kenny Britt was lost for the year, but the team scored 31 points last week and Chris Johnson finally stepped up and had a 100-yard rushing performance. Now all he needs to do is score a touchdown.

Tennessee wins.

Seattle (1-3) at New York Giants (3-1)

Last year the Giants beat the Seahawks 41-7 and Ahmad Bradshaw scored two touchdowns. And that was in Seattle, where the Seahawks were 5-3 last year.

The Giants haven’t had a 100-yard rushing game from any back thus far this season but at home that could be changed this weekend. They give up 105 yards per game on the ground and that is mostly because they fall behind big early.

If the Giants can get up by a couple scores, probably thanks to wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, they can let Bradshaw run out the clock against a team struggling on offense to keep pace.

New York wins.

Cincinnati (2-2) at Jacksonville (1-3)

The Bengals are first in the league in defensive yards yielded (1,102). They are in the top 10 in both passing yards per game allowed and rushing yards per game allowed. They are also sixth in points allowed.

The Jaguars are last in the league in passing yards per game and last in the league in points scored.

Cincinnati wins.

New Orleans (3-1) at Carolina (1-3)

This one should be exciting: two of the top three ranked passing teams square off, Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees vs. rookie sensation Cam Newton.

But New Orleans averages almost 14 yards more per game on the ground and they score nearly ten more points per game than the Panthers do. And over the past two years the Saints have won three of four games against the Panthers.

Right now, the Panthers just aren’t at the same level as the Saints even if the game is a home one. The Saints are a legitimate Super Bowl contender and are playing like one of the best teams in the league right now.

New Orleans win.

Oakland (2-2) at Houston (3-1)

There have been a number of times where we have seen teams rally behind the loss of someone special to the organization. The Raiders will want to play a good game in honor of former coach, general manager and owner Al Davis, who pass away on Saturday.
The Texans had a big win last week but they will be without top wide receiver Andre Johnson. Johnson has 352 yards receiving this year. No other player listed as a wide receiver has 92 yards receiving. It’s a big loss in their offense.

Oakland wins.

Philadelphia (1-3) at Buffalo (3-1)

What it will come down to is which defense will yield more: the Philadelphia Eagles defense against Fred Jackson and the Bills running game or the Buffalo Bills defense against Michael Vick and the Eagles passing game?

The Eagles have gotten torn apart on the run, 30th in the league in rushing yards allowed and allowing Frank Gore his first 100-yard game of the season.

Meanwhile the Bills are 25th in passing yards allowed per game and are last in the league in sacks with only four in four games.

It’ll be a sigh of relief for Michael Vick if he isn’t hit or hurried. He’s been banged around a lot this season yet he’s still 11th in the league in passer rating, only two tenth of a point behind Tony Romo to fall in the Top 10.

The Eagles will have to play with some urgency to avoid falling to 1-4 and if Vick isn’t pressured then he could lead the Eagles to a very big game.

Philadelphia wins.

Kansas City (1-3) at Indianapolis (0-4)

At home, this could finally be the week the Colts get their first win.

Matt Cassel is 29th in the NFL in passer rating and the Chiefs are 30th in passing yards per game. He could be in for a long day with the pass rushing specialties of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. Both have three sacks this season (in the top 20 in the league).

Curtis Painter played pretty well last week, throwing for 281 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs aren’t playing as well as the Bucs so it could be another solid outing for Painter.

Indianapolis wins.

Arizona (1-3) at Minnesota (0-4)

Despite Adrian Peterson and the third ranked rushing game the Vikings are winless. And the passing game is where they really are at a disadvantage.

They are 31st in the NFL in passing yards and 28th in passing yards allowed. A poor passing game in Minnesota definitely benefits the Cardinals defense, which has been poor in defending the pass.

They can throw the ball on offense though. They are 14th in the league in passing averaging 243 yards per game. And while winning games will be the team’s incentive, Larry Fitzgerald, the team’s leading receiver, will be extra motivated to make plays. He’s pledged to donate $1,000 per catch and $10,000 per touchdown this month to breast cancer research. A score or two from him would go a long way in this game.

Arizona wins.

Tampa Bay (3-1) at San Francisco (3-1)

The Buccaneers aren’t the only team that can make comebacks.

The Niners completed a 20-point second half comeback against the Eagles last week. Frank Gore ran for a season-high 127 yards and the game-winning touchdown and then said that the Eagles basically threw in the towel.

Another player to look out for this week is Niners wide receiver Michael Crabtree. After missing Week 3, Crabtree caught five passes for 68 yards against the Eagles. The Buccaneers have the 21st ranked pass defense in the league so it could be a good day for San Francisco in the air at home.

San Francisco wins.

New York Jets (2-2) at New England (3-1)

The Patriots haven’t lost at home since 2007.

The Jets may have the second best pass defense and Revis Island, but the corner can only cover one receiver. The Patriots have plenty of weapons in the passing game that have helped Tom Brady make the Pats the best passing offense in the NFL.

Wes Welker is first in the league in receiving yards (616). But then you have tight end Rob Gronkowski (296 yards, five touchdowns) who has been a huge red zone weapon as well as Deion Branch who also has over 200 yards receiving. Tight end Aaron Hernandez had 165 yards and two touchdowns in his first two games before being injured, but he did practice this week and the Jets will need to plan for him. And don’t forget Chad Ochocinco, who hasn’t made too big a splash yet this year but is learning the playbook more and more and will have a breakout game sooner rather than later.

The Pats have been balanced on offense, unlike the Jets, as they are also ninth in the league in rushing yards per game thanks to the trio of BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Stevan Ridley and Danny Woodhead.

New England wins.

San Diego (3-1) at Denver (1-3)

The Broncos are 29th in the NFL in points allowed. And while the Chargers haven’t been as dangerous so far as in years past they still are an extremely competent offense just waiting to break out.

Kyle Orton may be sixth in the NFL in touchdowns thrown, but he also has six interceptions in only four games, including three last week. The Chargers are fifth in the NFL in passing defense and could make life hard for Orton.

San Diego wins.

Green Bay (4-0) at Atlanta (2-2)

The Falcons have struggled with consistency in the early going while the Packers seem to be effortlessly rolling.

Aaron Rodgers was unbelievable last week, throwing for 408 yards and four touchdowns and adding two rushing touchdowns. Everyone on offense is making contributions and this team is just firing on all cylinders right now.

It’s tough to go against a team that’s playing so well and looks like the best team in the league right now.

Green Bay wins.

Chicago (2-2) at Detroit (4-0)

The Bears are 0-2 against teams that have a record better than .500 and they lost their only game on the road so far this season.

The Lions and their fans are fired up right now. The team is undefeated, they have two 20-point comeback victories in back-to-back weeks and now they have their first primetime game in six years (they haven’t played on Monday Night since 2001).

The fans also will be excited for the potential debut of first round pick Nick Fairley.

The fans will be loud and the team looks good right now.

Detroit wins.

Bye week: Cleveland, Dallas, St. Louis, Miami, Washington, Baltimore

Last week: 11-5

Season: 40-24

Photo Credits/
Al Davis: AP Photo/Paul Sakuma

Twitter Report: Athletes Remember Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T13:31:00.007-04:00

Last night the world was shocked when Steve Jobs passed away due to pancreatic cancer. He was the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple Inc. and was also a CEO with Pixar Studios. He’s known as one of the best American innovators, being a part of so many things in the technology industry that have changed our world.

When the news was dropped yesterday many people took to Twitter to pay their respects. Amongst those Tweeting were many professional athletes, offering their condolences and remembering the genius of Steve Jobs.

Here is what some of them Tweeted.

LeBron James, NBA, Miami Heat: @KingJames “R.I.P Steve Jobs. Someone who definitely left his mark on this world! Innovations that will live and last forever!!”

Tracy McGrady, NBA, Detroit Pistons: @TheReal_TMAC “amazing how steve jobs changed people's lives all around the WORLD”

Cappie Pondexter, WNBA, New York Liberty: @cappa23 “I bought an ipad today in memory of#stevejobs thnkyou for ur genius!! Rip”

Serena Williams, professional tennis player: @serenawilliams “Steve Jobs the Thomas Edison of our day. You will be missed but your Legend will Live forever.”

Ndamukong Suh, NFL, Detroit Lions: @ndamukong_suh “It is very sad to hear that Mr. Steve Jobs has passed.He Will be greatly missed in many ways, will pray for his family!! #RIPSteveJobs#Apple”

Zoltan Mesko, NFL, New England Patriots: @ZoltanMesko “Forever the face of Apple...Steve Jobs. Bravo.”

Freddy Adu, MLS, Philadelphia Union & USA: @FreddyAdu11 “Wowwww Steve Jobs died. Man he changed the World with his vision. RIP Steve Jobs”

Nick Rimando, MLS, Real Salt Lake & USA: @NickRimando “I'm late but RIP Steve Jobs, don't know what I'd do without apple. What a Brilliant man!”

Carlos Bocanegra, professional soccer player, Rangers FC & USA: @BocaBoca3 “Steve Jobs , a modern day Da Vinci. He definitely warrants that shout. You changed the world.”

Abby Wambach, WPS, magicJack & USA: @AbbyWambach “Rip steve jobs! #iSad”

Photo Credits.
Steve Jobs: AP Photo/Paul Sakuma

NFL Week 4 Awards: Mark Sanchez is MVP...For the Other Team

2011-10-04T18:17:00.004-04:00

According to ESPN's "Numbers Never Lie" there was a combined 7,886 passing yards in Week 4, the most ever in a single week in league history.

So that means a lot of big plays from quarterbacks and wide receivers. Which also means an entertaining race for Week MVP. But while some quarterbacks were doing everything possible to win their game there were a few who seemed to do everything possible to blow it.

Who stood out in victory? Who was embarrassed? Here are the awards for Week 4.

MVP of the Week

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

His performance against the Broncos was just sheer brilliance. He had a 76-percent completion rate, 408 yards passing (career-high) and four passing touchdowns (tying a career-best) to go along with 36 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns. He became the first player ever to record 400 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. He was responsible for six of the team’s seven scores (the other coming on defense from a pick-six). And his Packers remain undefeated.

There’s really not much more to say. Rodgers has really made his case for best quarterback in the NFL and on a day like Sunday you wonder what else is there for him to do?

Honorable Mentions: Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions; Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears; Hakeem Nicks, WR, New York Giants

Bust of the Week

Mark Sanchez, QB, New York Jets

If you didn’t know better an innocent bystander would have thought that “The Sanchise” was in cohoots with the Ravens to help them win the game. He completed only 11 of 35 passes. He registered a 30.5 quarterback rating. But his turnovers were unforgivable.

Sanchez threw one interception on the day and it was returned by the Baltimore defense for a touchdown. He fumbled the ball four times. Three of those fumbles were recovered by the Ravens. Two of them were returned for touchdowns.

So that means Sanchez gifted Baltimore 21 points (the Jets lost by 17) while managing to lead the Jets to zero points (New York scored on a kickoff return, an interception return and a field goal).

Sanchez not only didn’t help his team, he actually performed better for his opposition.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions: Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys; Ronnie Brown, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Surprise of the Week

Detroit Lions

The Dallas Cowboys were grooving throughout the first half. And when Jason Witten scored on a one-yard pass at the start of the third quarter to make the score 27-3, surely the Lions perfect season would be coming to an end.

Detroit had made a 20-point comeback the week before, surely they didn’t have another one in them, right?

But thanks to two huge mistakes from Tony Romo and tremendous play from wide receiver Calvin Johnson, the Lions roared all the way back to win the game.

After the Witten touchdown, Romo threw two interceptions that the Lions returned for touchdowns and brought the deficit down to 10 points. And in the fourth quarter Johnson caught two touchdown passes, including the game winner on a leaping grab with only 1:39 left to play.

That makes two consecutive 20-plus point comebacks for the Lions, making them the first team to do so in NFL history.

Honorable Mentions: Cincinnati Bengals; Curtis Painter, QB, Indianapolis Colts; Vince Wilfork’s second interception of the season

Disappointment of the Week

Philadelphia Eagles

The team that got all the hype in the (brief, yet fast-moving) offseason. The team that some called the best football team ever assembled (a bit of hyperbole). After blowing a 20-point halftime lead at home against the San Francisco 49ers the Eagles are 1-3 and dead last in the NFC East.

“It's unacceptable to give up a lead that size in the second half,” defensive tackle and one of those high-priced acquisitions Cullen Jenkins told reporters after the game. “If we don't win, we're just a bunch of talented people who haven't done anything, and there’s a lot of teams like that.”

Along with the big lead, the Eagles wasted a standout performance from QB Michael Vick (career-best 416 yards passing, two passing touchdowns and a team-best 75 yards rushing). Reasons for the downfall: a fumble (throwaway) on the 49ers’ one-yard-line by Ronnie Brown, a blocked field goal, a missed field goal and a Jeremy Maclin fumble with 2:06 remaining in the game to ruin any chance of a late comeback.

Maybe expectations were too high to start the season but this is a poor effort from the Eagles.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions: Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys; Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens; Buffalo Bills

Rookie of the Week

Stevan Ridley, RB, New England Patriots

The LSU-alumnus gave Pats fans a glimpse of why he was selected in the third round, even with fan favorites BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead ahead of him on the depth chart.

Ridley showed a nice blend of power and finesse, carrying the ball ten times for 97 yards (a whopping 9.7 yards per carry). His touchdown run was for 33 yards and showed a nice burst through the hole, shed three would-be-tacklers and had a nice sprint down the sidelines to the end zone.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him eat into more of BJGE’s carries as the season goes on.

Honorable Mentions: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers; Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons; A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Tough Luck

Beanie Wells, RB, Arizona Cardinals

After missing Week 3 with a hamstring injury Wells returned to have a career day. Unfortunately for him though his team still lost.

Wells had 138 yards (a career-high) on 27 carries and scored three touchdowns. It seemed like his third score would be the nail in the coffin, giving the Cardinals a 27-17 lead with just over five minutes remaining in the game.

The Cardinals lackluster defense allowed Eli Manning and Co. to march down the field and score in four plays. Then Arizona got unlucky on the Giants’ next drive with the most controversial officiating call of the week: Manning completed a pass to Victor Cruz, who was not touched but went down to the ground. Since he was not touched the play seemingly wasn’t dead, yet Cruz put the ball on the turf and went to go to the huddle. The Cardinals picked it up, insisting Cruz’s gaffe was a fumble, but the referees ruled that he had given himself up. The Giants would then score the game-winning touchdown later on in that drive.

Wells did everything he could to propel the Cardinals to victory, but it was not in the cards for the Arizona running back.

Honorable Mentions: Andre Johnson, WR, Houston Texans; Michael Vick, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

Photo Credits.
Mark Sanchez: AP Photo/Nick Wass

Twitter Report: What the Pros Had to Say About NFL Week 4

2011-10-02T22:38:00.007-04:00

Turns out that professional athletes are just like all of us: On Sundays in fall they too enjoy posting on the couch and watching the NFL all day.

Most of the insight of the day came from the Detroit Lions’ thrilling comeback victory over the Dallas Cowboys, showing tweets of excitement from Michigan natives, tweets of awe for Calvin “Megatron” Johnson and tweets of disappointment from Cowboys fans.

Here’s what the pros had to Tweet about while watching that game and many others around the NFL.

Blake Griffin, NBA, Los Angeles Clippers: @blakegriffin “Big shout out to football season for making it okay to not get off my couch all weekend.”

LeBron James, NBA, Miami Heat: @KingJames “Give credit to Megatron and the Lions on the win. Very good team. They got #swag right now”

Kevin Durant, NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder: @KDTrey5 “Megatron hahaha best in the league”

Grant Hill, NBA, Phoenix Suns: @realgranthill “@jrich23 The ghosts of R. Porcher, Herman Moore, Lomas Brown and Scott Mitchell did us in. Congrats JRich for beating us 4 the 1st time.”

Shane Battier, NBA, Memphis Grizzlies: @ShaneBattier “@realgranthill33 sorry grant about your boys, just just like the Chrysler commercial says, The D is back.”

Dax McCarty, MLS, New York Red Bulls: @DaxMcCarty11: “After watching football highlights, I've decided Calvin Johnson should permanently change his name to Megatron. Just that. Dude is a freak.”

Paul Rabil, professional lacrosse player, Boston Cannons and Washington Stealth: @PaulRabil “#Megatron”

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, professional wrestler, WWE: @TheRock “Huge Lions win. On fire. Detroit's a helluva city - kicked ass there many times. Dallas?”

Jimmy Rollins, MLB, Philadelphia Phillies: @JimmyRollins11 “@eackley1023 well I want the niner's to win........ But don't wanna see the eagles blow the lead!! Tuff spot for me”

Herculez Gomez, professional soccer player, Estudiantes Tecos (Mexico) & USA: @herculezg “SF fans, what are the 49ers doing? That was the worst clock management I have ever seen. Wow. #thatjusthappend”

Jose Bautista, MLB, Toronto Blue Jays: @JoeyBats19 “let's go @steelers!! time to go get a W!! #beastmode”

Jonny Flynn, NBA, Houston Rockets: @J_Flynn “Its like Aaron Rodgers is in a video game every Sunday. You see his #’s & make the ‘really’ face”

Brandon Phillips, MLB, Cincinnati Reds: @DatDudeBP "This game is not looking good for the @Bengals but maybe next half will be better... #WhoDey"

Alejandro Bedoya, professional soccer player, Rangers FC (Scotland) & USA: @AleBedoya17 “Sucks to be Miami #Dolphins fan!! On a positive note former #Hurricanes still holding active record streak for a touchdown in NFL,143 weeks”

Photo Credits.
Calvin Johnson: AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

NFL Week 4 Picks: Seattle Seahawks to Upend the Atlanta Falcons

2011-10-02T12:08:00.004-04:00

Last weekend 12 out of the 16 NFL games were decided by a touchdown or less.

Nine teams won games by overcoming a fourth quarter deficit.

The cliché of “On any given Sunday,” proves so true in the NFL this year. People liked the Bills and Lions to improve this year, but to come into Week 4 both undefeated? What about the Titans leading their division, or the Rams winless and last in theirs?

With that in mind, I think the Seahawks at home with the less-than-stellar quarterback play of Tarvaris Jackson can actually upend the Falcons, a popular preseason pick to make it to the Super Bowl.

Other things to watch this week: Can Michael Vick stay in the game for its duration? Which team will come out on top in the battle of the winless, the Vikings or the Chiefs? Can Chris Johnson pick up the slack and lead the Titans to another victory and keep them atop the AFC South?

Who do you think will win this weekend?

Carolina (1-2) at Chicago (1-2)

Last week the Panthers prevented the Jaguars from making a play in the end zone. While Chicago’s offense has sputtered lately, it’s hard to imagine this happening again.

The Bears O-line needs to step up and Matt Forte needs to get going after a nine-carry, two yard performance last week but the Bears have faced some stiff competition the first three weeks of the season.

The Panthers aren’t close to the level of the Packers, Saints and yes, even the 1-2 Falcons. They could be battle tested and ready to put a beat down of their own on a lesser team.

Chicago wins.

Buffalo (3-0) at Cincinnati (1-2)

The Bills are the highest scoring team in the league.

The Bengals couldn't even score a touchdown against the 49ers, putting up eight points thanks to a safety.

Buffalo wins.

Tennessee (2-1) at Cleveland (2-1)

The Titans strength has been the passing game. That takes a huge hit with the loss of Kenny Britt.

To say running back Chris Johnson has been underwhelming is an understatement. He has yet to rush for 100 yards total over three games (98). He's going to need to step it up for the Titans offense to be respectable.

For Cleveland, riding a two-game win streak, running back Peyton Hillis returns after missing last week with an illness.

Cleveland wins.

Detroit (3-0) at Dallas (2-1)

Dallas was able to stay in the game last week against Washington thanks to six field goals from kicker Dan Bailey and the defense holding the inept Washington offense to only one touchdown.

Things won’t be as simple against the Lions. Detroit’s offense is much more dynamic and will be tougher to keep pace with.

Also there is Ndamukong Suh, who will be like a shark circling a wounded seal when he goes after Tony Romo. It’ll be hard enough playing straight-up against Suh, but if the Cowboys have more fumbles and miscommunications between center and quarterback it could be a very long day for the Cowboys.

Detroit wins.

Minnesota (0-3) at Kansas City (0-3)

It's a tough call, but the Vikings are just more dangerous than the Chiefs at the end of the day.

Adrian Peterson is a game changer, while the Chiefs lost their star, Jamaal Charles, to an injury a couple weeks ago.

His first game was bad, but Donovan McNabb has put up respectable numbers the past two games and is still better than Matt Cassel.

The Chiefs have been hit hard by injuries in the early going and just don't have the big play potential that the Vikings have.

Minnesota wins.

Washington (2-1) at St. Louis (0-3)

Rex Grossman has been impressive this year while Sam Bradford has taken a step back but the key in this one will be the running game.

The Rams and Redskins are 11th and 12th in the league in rushing yards per game, respectively. The difference is while the Redskins defense allows just under 100 rushing yards per game (97.7) the Rams are the league’s worst at stopping the run (174.3 yards per game).

Time for Tim Hightower and Roy Helu (5.7 yards per carry) to have a big game, supported by a better passing game than the Rams.

Washington wins.

San Francisco (2-1) at Philadelphia (1-2)

Kicker David Akers makes his return to Philadelphia, and he may be the only way the 49ers score any points.

They scored 13 points last week, registering only one touchdown, and are in the bottom five of the NFL in both passing yards per game and rushing yards per game.

The Eagles have struggled in the early going, and Michael Vick has had difficulty staying in games, but expect a long-overdue explosion from this offense, with the team pinpointing the 49ers secondary as the weak link on the field.

Philadelphia wins.

New Orleans (2-1) at Jacksonville (1-2)

It's tough to look at anything else beyond Drew Brees vs. Blaine Gabbert.

One leads a high powered offense that makes making big plays look easy.

The other is lucky to put up double digits in points week after week.

New Orleans wins.

Pittsburgh (2-1) at Houston (2-1)

The Texans were challenged last weekend against the Saints and although they didn't win the game they responded well.

It was an entertaining game and the Texans traded shots with the Saints in what was a respectable road loss. If they want to be a legitimate playoff contender this is a game, at home, they have to win.

The Steelers just squeaked by a winless Colts team last weekend (one that the Texans demoralized in Week 1).

While the Pittsburgh defense still stepped up when it was needed most, it showed its age and had difficulty throughout the game and containing third-string quarterback Curtis Painter.

The Texans have a better offense and defense than the Colts and the Steelers have not been sharp in the early going.

Houston wins.

New York Giants (2-1) at Arizona (1-2)

To show that this Giants team is still a playoff contender, the team needs to not have a hangover from their big win against the Eagles in Week 3.

Arizona struggled to score points against the Seahawks last week. The Giants will be getting back DE Osi Umenyiora this week, bolstering their usually strong pass rush.
The Giants should also get back leading receiver Hakeem Nicks, making the offense a bit more potent.

New York wins.

Atlanta (1-2) at Seattle (1-2)

The defense for Seattle is playing well enough, but the offense is still having its struggles, as expected. Two things are giving the Seahawks some hope.

Marshawn Lynch had his best game of the season last week, rushing for 73 yards. Atlanta is in the bottom half of the league (20th) in rushing yards allowed per game (112).

To open up lanes for Lynch the passing game desperately needs to improve. They get a big boost from wide receiver Sidney Rice, who played his first game of the year last week and caught eight passes for 109 yards. Atlanta’s pass defense allows 261 yards per game, 22nd in the NFL.

Atlanta has struggled early on this year and the Seahawks play better at home (their lone win so far this year coming in their only home game). With improvements in the offense Seattle can take advantage of a slumping and vulnerable Falcons team.

Seattle wins.

Denver (1-2) at Green Bay (3-0)

The Packers are rolling. It's hard to imagine that a Denver team that seems to make a lot of crucial mistakes in crunch time could upend such a disciplined and finely tuned machine like Green Bay, on the road nonetheless.

Green Bay wins.

New England (2-1) at Oakland (2-1)

The Raiders looked really good in their home opener against the Jets, dominating their defensive line and keeping the Jets offense in check.

The problem is timing. They face a Patriots team that lost last week. And following a loss the Pats are almost unbeatable, as if to make up for the prior week's stumble. And usually it isn't a close game either.

New England wins.

Miami (0-3) at San Diego (2-1)

The Dolphins' problem is not talent; they have a good amount of players with individual skill.

The issues are poor miscommunication and a failure to execute. Those things suggest that the coaching is subpar. So what do they do at practice?

According to Davone Bess and Reggie Bush, in addition to Chad Henne, Jason Taylor and Yeremiah Bell, the team admittedly doesn't work hard enough on the field nor do they pay attention in team and position meetings. Well then...

Promising rookie running back Daniel Thomas has also been ruled out.

San Diego wins.

New York Jets (2-1) at Baltimore (2-1)

The Jets defense, supposedly their strength, was bullied by the Raiders and their rushing game last week.

Baltimore may not hold the top-ranked rushing attack in the NFL but Ray Rice is considered one of the best backs in the league.

The Ravens have put up 30-points in their two victories. The Jets still struggle on offense and will struggle to keep pace with an improved Baltimore offense, even if they aren't scoring loads of points.

Baltimore wins.

Indianapolis (0-3) at Tampa Bay (2-1)

Indianapolis held its own against the Steelers, especially when Kerry Collins was knocked out of the game with a concussion. So kudos to them.

But now they have to start Curtis Painter. The team didn't have faith in him to start at the beginning of the season. Has anything changed other than the fact that another quarterback ahead of him on the depth chart is hurt?

Meanwhile the Buccaneers did enough to beat the much-hyped Falcons last week, doing something they were unable to last year. Maybe this team really is ready to take the next step.

Tampa Bay wins.

Last Week: 10-6

Season: 29-19

Photo Credits.
Marshawn Lynch: AP Photo/ John Froschuer

NFL Week 3 Awards: Eli Manning Bests Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles

2011-09-27T16:21:00.010-04:00

There's never a dull moment in the NFL.

Week 3 featured some huge upsets. A few big streaks ended, there were final second and overtime wins and there were even two safeties scored.

With so much going on it was tough to tell who really shined through (and who blew it).

With that in mind here are the awards for the best and worst from Week 3 in the NFL.

MVP of the Week

Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland Raiders

After the game McFadden talked about coach Hue Jackson’s philosophy of being a bully on the field, and McFadden showed that he is fully buying into that as he dominated one of the best run defenses in the league on Sunday.

McFadden became only the third player to rush for 100-plus yards against the Jets since Rex Ryan took over as head coach in 2009, as he rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns in the Raiders ten-point victory over the Jets. He outran the Jets offense himself, as their entire team only ran for 100 yards total.

Honorable Mentions: Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens; Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants; Dan Bailey, K,Dallas Cowboys

Bust of the Week

Michael Vick, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

All the talk during the week was about whether Vick would play or not because of a concussion. Well maybe he shouldn’t have.

Only 176 yards passing. Zero touchdowns to one interception. Three fumbles, although they were all recovered by the Eagles. An early exit from the game because of a hand injury. And the team lost.

Could anything have gone worse for Vick? Is he starting to break down under immense pressure of being the $100 million man?

(Dis)Honorable Mentions: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots; Willis McGahee, RB, Denver Broncos;New York Jets defense

Surprise of the Week

Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants

Manning had two touchdowns and two interceptions coming into the game. He had been very inconsistent at quarterback, missing his passes, getting sacked and turning the ball over. Talk had started whether the Giants would be better off getting the No.1 draft pick and taking Andrew Luck.

Going against the Philadelphia Eagles and their much-hyped secondary, not much was expected from Manning.

Then he went and had a phenomenal game: 70-percent completion percentage, 254 yards, four touchdowns, 145.7 quarterback rating, and ZERO turnovers of any kind.

Who knew he had it in him?

Will this upcoming week start a new, successful trend for Manning? Or was this just a one-week fluke?Either way he was a big surprise in Week 3.

Honorable Mentions: two safeties scored (one by the Bengals, the other by the Panthers); Detroit Lions 20-point comeback; Matt Cassel, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

Disappointment of the Week

New England Patriots

The loss to the undefeated Bills in Buffalo isn’t the bad part. Or even that the Pats had won 15 consecutive games against the Bills; every streak eventually comes to an end.

It’s everything about how they lost that is disappointing, well, at least for the team and all its fans.

New England gave up a 21-0 lead to start the game. They blew a 24-17 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Tom Brady threw four interceptions. The defense didn’t create a single sack.

Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski had great games and deserved a win for their efforts. But the Patriots went back to their old ways, failing in the fourth quarter of games.

It’s not time to hit the panic button yet, but this was not a good day for the Patriots at all.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions: Miami Dolphins; Philadelphia Eagles; Atlanta Falcons

Rookie of the Week

Torrey Smith, WR, Baltimore Ravens

His first three receptions of his career? All touchdowns.

Smith, filling in for the injured Lee Evans, had three touchdowns all in the first quarter, putting the Ravens up 21-0, dictating the pace of the game. It was all Ravens on the scoreboard and they were going to do it by gaining a lot of yards on offense.

Smith finished the game with five receptions for 152 yards and three touchdowns.

The Rams secondary will never forget watching Smith run past all of them.

Honorable Mentions: Dan Bailey, K, Dallas Cowboys; Kendall Hunter, RB, San Francisco 49ers; Julio Jones,WR, Atlanta Falcons

Tough Luck

Kenny Britt, WR, Tennessee Titans

The Rutgers-alumnus was having the best start to his career. He had 17 receptions, 289 yards and three touchdowns.

He was clearly emerging as a true No.1 wide receiver for the Titans, a position they’ve been lacking at the past couple of years and although many thought Britt had great potential, he hadn’t lived up to it until this season. New quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has gone as far to say that Britt is the best player on the Titans roster.

Then he tore his ACL and MCL. And now he’s out for the season.

Not only will he miss a season of development, but it seriously hurts the chances of the Titans to surprise a lot of people and win the AFC South. Currently they’re tied for first with a 2-1 record, but with Chris Johnson struggling and a lack of wide receivers stepping up that offense could seriously stall.

Honorable Mentions: Minnesota Vikings; Wes Welker, WR, New England Patriots; Rob Gronkowski, TE,New England Patriots

Photo Credits.
Eli Manning: AP Photo/Alex Brandon

NFL Week 3 Picks: Buffalo Bills to End 15 Game Skid Against New England Patriots

2011-09-25T01:45:00.006-04:00

It’s only Week 3 and there are some huge divisional matchups already.

The NFC East dukes it out against each other with the Giants looking to get revenge against the Eagles after last year’s fourth quarter meltdown and the Redskins look to remain undefeated and at the top of the division against their archrivals, the Cowboys.

In the AFC East both the Patriots and Bills are 2-0 when they will square off so something will have to give. Can Buffalo overcome 15 straight losses to New England and remain undefeated?

The NFC South will see Atlanta travel to Tampa Bay. Who will be the steadier and more consistent quarterback, Matt Ryan or Josh Freeman? And who will be the bigger workhorse on the ground, Michael Turner or LeGarrette Blount?

And finally in the NFC North there will be a rematch of last season’s NFC championship game between Green Bay and Chicago, which is always a slugfest.

I have my opinion on who will come out on top. Who do you think will win these games and the rest of the Week 3 matchups?

Houston (2-0) at New Orleans (1-1)

The Texans’ defense and their legitimacy as a playoff contender will be put to the test against the Saints high-powered offense.

Drew Brees always seems to come up big in crucial moments, especially at home, where the team has lost only five total games since 2009. And Brees has a ridiculously large collection of weapons in his arsenal that he can use.

New Orleans wins.

New York Giants (1-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)

Michael Vick was severely banged up last week. But he has been cleared to play.

Working in his advantage is the barrage of injuries the Giants have on the defensive-side of the ball. DE Osi Umenyiora is out and CB Prince Amukamara is questionable. Linebackers Jonathan Goff and Clint Sintim are on injured reserve and their replacements are still in an adjustment period this early. DE Justin Tuck missed the first week and Mathias Kiwanuka missed time in the preseason.

If guys were healthy this defense would be able to get to Michael Vick enough to make him uncomfortable, especially considering how bad the Eagles’ offensive line is. But the Giants are far from healthy, let alone playing well right now.

Philadelphia wins.

Jacksonville (1-1) at Carolina (0-2)

Cam Newton has done well so far in his debut NFL season, but last week against the Packers he showed that he wasn’t quite ready to be the go-to-guy on the Panthers. His three interceptions proved costly as Green Bay scored 23 straight points to come back from being down 13-0.

What Carolina needs to do more of is run the ball. Not only does Newton lead the team in rushing yards, but he’s also first in rushing attempts.

If the Panthers DeAngelo Williams better (who they just resigned to a nice contract this offseason—time to earn your paycheck!) than Newton won’t be forced to try and win the game single handedly. His stats won’t be as good, but the record will improve. And that’s obviously more important.

Carolina wins.

New England (2-0) at Buffalo (2-0)

The Patriots have won 15straight against the Bills. However, this Bills team is pretty strong and to prove that they are a competitive team, this will be the time they finally end the streak thanks in part to home field advantage.

The Patriots will be without tight end Aaron Hernandez, and they released Dan Gronkowski so that leaves them with only one tight end. They have plenty of other options, evident of their No. 1 ranked passing offense, but don’t think the Hernandez injury takes away a wrinkle from that offense.

The Bills can offer something good here though. They have scored the most point in the NFL so far this season (the Patriots aren’t too far behind though to give credit where it is due). The Bills are tied for the biggest point different. Buffalo also has almost half the penalties the Patriots do and 74 fewer penalty yards.

The Patriots pass defense is 31st in the league, so the Bills will be able to pass when they need to and can fight in a shootout. But the biggest help to them will be the running game. They have the top ranked rushing offense, at 193 yards per game and Fred Jackson leads the NFL in rushing yards. So not only will the Bills be able to pass against the Pats defense but they can run the ball, hold onto possession and keep Tom Brady and the Pats prolific offense off the field for good stretches of time limiting the damage they can do.

It’ll be a shootout, but for this game the Bills will at least temporarily end their terrible streak against New England.

Buffalo wins.

Miami (0-2) at Cleveland (1-1)

Since last season Miami is a putrid 1-10 at home. That being said, that also means they are 6-2 on the road. It doesn’t make any sense and they won’t be a good playoff team with that kind of home record but that’s the way things are right now and an away game against a mediocre Browns team could be the trick to earn Miami its first win of the season.

The Dolphins offense is doing well, currently ninth in the league in passing and eighth in rushing. They just need to put the ball in the end zone.

Miami wins.

San Francisco (1-1) at Cincinnati (1-1)

The Bengals did some good things last week against the Broncos, but there was a big distraction this week. On Wednesday police seized 2.5 pounds of marijuana from wide receiver Jerome Simpson’s home. Also present—although he denies taking part in any illegal activities—was tackle Anthony Collins.

Add this to Cedric Benson’s three-game suspension and the Bengals are in a lot of trouble. They continue to have off-field issues with the law and that does take a toll on the team’s play on the field.

San Francisco wins.

Denver (1-1) at Tennessee (1-1)

Even with Chris Johnson only rushing for 77 yards in two games, the Titans’ offense looks good. Matt Hasselbeck looks very good throwing the ball this year and Kenny Britt has been beastly the first two weeks of the season.

Britt has 271 yards and three touchdowns in the team’s two games and is finally living up to some of his potential. He could have another good game against an inconsistent and unimpressive Broncos team.

Tennessee wins.

Detroit (2-0) at Minnesota (0-2)

Even with a 120 yard, two touchdown performance from Adrian Peterson and 220-plus passing yards and no turnovers from Donovan McNabb the Vikings still couldn’t win. They still couldn’t beat the Buccaneers even though they held a 20-10 advantage with 9:41 remaining in the game.

The Lions are one of the hottest and most talked about teams in football right now. They’re fun to watch.

Detroit wins.

Baltimore (1-1) at St. Louis (0-2)

The Ravens should’ve beaten the Titans last weekend, but three turnovers helped to make the Ravens look like they came into the game overconfident. Two of those three turnovers were Joe Flacco interceptions.

The Ravens were also 3-10 on third downs, and the later the game got with the Ravens still behind the more they needed to throw. Flacco completed only 47-percent of his passes.

The point is the Ravens are at their best when they’re running the ball with Ray Rice. Lucky for them so far this season the Rams are last in defending the run, allowing 177.5 yards per game.

Baltimore wins.

New York Jets (2-0) at Oakland Raiders (1-1)

The Jets defense came up huge against the Jaguars in Week 2, picking off four passes and only allowing the Jags to score a total of three points.

The Jets have had their difficulty on offense, but the Raiders are 21st defending the pass and 27th against the run, giving New York a nice opportunity to finally get the offense going in a positive direction.

The Raiders couldn’t even stop the Bills, who many consider to be the third best team in the AFC East, behind the Jets.

New York wins.

Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) at San Diego Chargers (1-1)

The Chiefs have lost their two games by an average of 39.5 points per game. Safety Eric Berry is out for the season. And the only thing the Chiefs can do well---run the ball—has been severely jeopardized with the season-ending injury to Jamaal Charles.

The Chargers have Philip Rivers, Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates, Mike Tolbert and Ryan Matthews. They are also playing at home.

San Diego wins.

Arizona (1-1) at Seattle (0-2)

The cliché is that defense wins games. Yes, it is important to have a good defense, but technically you can’t win if you don’t put points on the board. And the Seahawks have a lot of trouble even moving the ball into field goal range, let alone scoring a touchdown.

Seattle is second-to-last in points scored (17), 28th in passing yards per game (144) and 32nd in rushing yards per game (47.5). Last week against the Steelers the Seahawks didn’t even get past the 50-yard line until the fourth quarter.

Arizona may struggle defensively, but how bad can the Seahawks really hurt them? The Cardinals at least have a nice offense going with Kevin Kolb, Larry Fitzgerald and Beanie Wells.

Arizona wins.

Atlanta (1-1) at Tampa Bay (1-1)

It’s a big early season matchup of teams in the NFC South, and it could go either way.

Tampa Bay and Josh Freeman are incredible at leading comeback victories, but that could be difficult against the Falcons and workhorse running back Michael Turner.

The Falcons are ninth in the league in rushing yards per game (124) while the Buccaneers are 31st in the league in defending the run (156 yards per game allowed).

Tampa Bay gets off to slow starts, scoring only 13 first half points so far this season. If the Falcons do in fact enter the fourth quarter with a lead expect Turner to do a lot of damage to kill the clock.

Atlanta wins.

Green Bay (2-0) at Chicago (1-1)

The Packers bested the Saints, who then went and dominated the Bears. The Packers also beat the Bears two consecutive games and five out of the past seven match-ups between the teams.

Expect a big game from Aaron Rodgers and his stable of good receivers against the Bears secondary.

Green Bay wins.

Pittsburgh (1-1) at Indianapolis (0-2)

Pittsburgh shutout the Seahawks last week and didn’t even allow them to play on their side of the field until the fourth quarter.

The Colts are still without Peyton Manning.

Pittsburgh wins.

Washington (2-0) at Dallas (1-1)

Dallas’s injury list is insanely long right now and it features some very important players.

Wide receiver and Week 2 hero Miles Austin is doubtful with a hamstring injury and didn’t practice Friday. Counterpart Dez Bryant is doubtful with a quadriceps injury, didn’t practice Friday and missed Week 2 because of the injury.

The Cowboys rushing game has not been very good this season early on, ranking 31st in the league with only 54.5 yards per game. Worse news is that leading runner and starting running back Felix Jones is questionable with a shoulder injury.

And then there’s quarterback Tony Romo. His punctured lung has healed but he still has the broken rib. He wasn’t at practice Friday and is listed as questionable. It’s never a good sign though when you have an injury that prevents you from breathing.

If he does happen to play not only will he be without some of his playmakers, he’ll also be hurting in the protection area. Guard Derrick Dockery is out with a fractured tibia and center Phil Costa is questionable with a knee injury. A banged up offensive line means the defense will be able to get to Romo that much easier, and they have already said they’re going to target his ribs.

Washington wins.

Last Week: 9-7

Season: 19-13

Photo Credits.
Ryan Fitzpatrick: AP Photo/Ed Zurga

Rafa Marquez At the Center of New York Red Bull's Problems

2011-09-22T15:30:00.005-04:00

Many things have plagued the New York Red Bulls this season, who after finishing first in the East in 2010 are 7-7-15 and on the brink of missing the playoffs this season, despite the fact that the postseason was expanded to include 10 teams (out of the 18 in the league).

One of those things is the play, attitude and salary of centerback Rafa Marquez.
Don’t tell him that though.

The Red Bulls lost to Real Salt Lake on Wednesday 3-1, seemingly reaching their lowest point of the season. And dragging the team down with him was Marquez, who was responsible for the third goal when he did not stop the ball and let Fabian Espindola dribble down the middle of the field.

“I'm focusing on really performance at my highest level. That doesn't mean that the whole back line can perform at that same level, so that's a problem,” Marquez told reporters after the game. “I think this is a team game, and unfortunately there isn't an equal level between my teammates and I.”

Someone should tell him the boos from the Red Bulls fans every time he touched the ball were indeed for the captain of the Mexican National Team, not Tim Ream or Jan Gunnar Solli.

As a Designated Player, Marquez is making $4.6 million this season. He’s only played in 15 of the team’s 29 matches, mostly because of his commitment to his National Team. He plays well for Mexico. He’s played in 11 games for his country in 2011, made his 100th cap for the team and scored in this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, en route to winning the trophy.

When he suits up for the Red Bulls it’s a different story though.

He’s supposed to be the backbone of the defense and the veteran leader. However Marquez often looks passive and uninterested in the game at hand. He’s sloppy, no longer the crisp passer he was when he came over last season. He’s lazy. Too often the Red Bulls get beat by a player slicing down the middle of the field and on set pieces either because Marquez refuses to step to the ball or he does not pick up a man in the box. He also spends more time complaining to the referees than anything else.

To start the season he was relieved of corner kick duties, not hitting a good enough ball. Coincidentally enough the game after he was removed from that role the team scored off a penalty kick.

It’s gotten to the point where the team plays better without him.

Saturday in Dallas Marquez did not play and the Red Bulls got their first win since July 6, winning 1-0.

Then he’s back in the lineup in a home game against Real Salt Lake and they lose 3-1. Coincidence? I think not.

Marquez has been detrimental to the team on the field. And now his poor demeanor is showing up off the field and affecting the team’s play even more.

The veteran should know better. He should know nothing good comes out of publicly criticizing and bashing your teammates, especially when you’re a big part of the problem.

Marquez should be accountable for his actions both on and off the field. His play, his attitude and his comments deserve to be punished. That punishment can only be one thing at the very least: a benching.

And maybe without Marquez around the Red Bulls can get back to team play and winning. And they won’t need to waste $4.6 million on him.

Photo Credits.
Rafa Marquez: AP Photo/Rich Schultz

NFL Week 2 Awards: Miles Austin Has Huge Game for Dallas Cowboys

2011-09-21T20:12:00.005-04:00

Big passes, clutch touchdowns and reckless tackles dominated the NFL in Week 2.

People are saying the NFL has become a passing league and some quarterbacks are continuously putting up gaudy numbers. But that also means that the wide receivers are reaping the benefits.

And in clutch situations the best quarterbacks have their go-to-guy, the one they have the upmost confidence in and can rely on to make the huge play.

There was plenty of great quarterback-to-wide receiver combinations that had big days.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly from Week 2.

MVP of the Week

Miles Austin, WR, Dallas Cowboys

The Monmouth University alumnus had a huge day propelling the Dallas Cowboys to their first victory of the 2011 NFL season.

Austin collected nine passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those touchdown passes came in the second half and from two different quarterbacks.

He made a fantastic play on the third touchdown, which brought the Cowboys within three points of the lead with 6:55 to go in the fourth quarter. He leaped in the air to make the catch and once the ball was in his hands he began falling to the ground. When it looked like he would be down at the three-yard line, Austin planted his foot before his knee hit the ground and lunged into the end zone.

Honorable Mentions: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots; Fred Jackson, RB, Buffalo Bills; Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions

Bust of the Week

Dunta Robinson, CB, Atlanta Falcons

Robinson must have some kind of secret vendetta against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Last season Robinson made a helmet-to-helmet hit against Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson, giving both him and Jackson concussions. He was fined $50,000 for the hit (Robinson appealed the fine and it was lessened to.

Sunday night Robinson lined up Philadelphia receiver Jeremy Maclin, going in head-first right into Maclin’s helmet, taking him out of the game for a few plays. Even though it was his second offense to the rule, Robinson was fined only $40,000 and received no suspension $25,000).

I’m not sure what’s the worst part of this situation: that Robinson doesn’t know how to tackle a guy without using his head, that head coach Mike Smith supported him, that Robinson didn’t learn from last year or that the NFL didn’t punish him worse for a second offense.

It’s a dirty play, it could hurt not only the guy getting hit but also the guy doing the hitting and it’s making the NFL’s policy look a bit like a farce.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions: Luke McCown, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars; Matt Cassel, QB, Kansas City Chiefs; Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Surprise of the Week

Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys

He can put up the numbers, we all know that. What we don’t know is what kind of grit Romo has, what kind of poise and clutch ability he has. Time and time again, Romo will find a way to lose the big game, to lose a close game. Turnovers in clutch moments have scarred his legacy thus far in his career.

Sunday, he did something different though.

Romo did not have a single turnover through the game’s entirety, not even in the game’s final and crucial moments. Instead Tony Romo led two scoring drives (one touchdown and one field goal) in the final 6:55 of the game to erase a 10-point deficit. On the drive that sent the game into overtime Romo completed five of six passes. Then in overtime he completed a 77-yard pass to Jesse Holley, who was tackled at the one-yard line before the Cowboys kicked a field goal to win the game.

Oh, and he did all this with a fractured rib.

Romo stepped up big time when many expected him to crumble and fail.

Honorable Mentions: Tennessee Titans; Washington Redskins

Disappointment of the Week

Baltimore Ravens

When the Ravens blew out the Steelers in Week 1 it was thought that it was a statement to the rest of the league that this was going to be the team to beat. Perennial playoff contenders the Ravens put the smackdown on their biggest rival and toughest competition for the division championship.

But the team did not come prepared to play the Titans. It seemed like one of those situations when a team just thinks they’re going to go into the game and wipe the floor with the opposition. The effort and execution weren’t there and the Titans put it to the Ravens.

Turnovers did nothing to help the Raves, throwing two interceptions and fumbling once. Joe Flacco had a bad game posting a 51.2 quarterback rating. And the secondary, something that has been a concern for the Ravens for the past few years, was picked apart by Tennessee quarterback Matt Hasselback (30-42, 358 yards).
Proof that in this league you have to do more than just show up.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions: Jason Hill, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars; Mike Tolbert, RB, San Diego Chargers; Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego Chargers

Rookie of the Week

Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

Yes, Cam Newton threw for 400-plus yards (432) for the second straight week and also rushed for another touchdown. But he threw three interceptions hurting the Panthers chances at a major upset in a game they led 13-0 early on.

Dalton followed up an abbreviated Week 1 debut with a very good game. He completed 66-percent of his passes, threw for 332 yards, had two touchdown passes and did not throw any interceptions.

Dalton completed at least two passes to seven different receivers, really trying to get everyone to have an impact on the game. And the Dalton and A.J. Green combination looked great, combining for 10 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown. He also got 136 receiving yards from Jerome Simpson.

The Bengals need to improve on third downs, where they went 1-11, but Dalton has the early makings of a very good quarterback.

Honorable Mentions: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers; A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals; Daniel Thomas, RB, Miami Dolphins

Tough Luck

Oakland Raiders

Forget that they blew an 18-point first quarter lead.

Forget that the Bills responded to a late-Raiders touchdown with seven points of their own with only 14 seconds left.

The Raiders still had a chance to win it. And they almost did. But as the saying goes, almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. It’s just exactly how close they came to pulling off the victory that’s tough.

At their own 44-yard line Jason Campbell tossed the ball all the way into the end zone with no time remaining. Wide receiver Denarius Moore (who already had a 50-yard touchdown catch) caught the ball, but so too did Bills cornerback Da’Norris Searcy and the two came down to the ground each clutching the ball. The two wrestled on the ground for a moment, but Searcy pulled away with the ball.

Game over.

Honorable Mentions: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers; Darrelle Revis, CB, New York Jets, for not getting to match-up against Jacksonville Jaguars WR Jason Hill; Michael Vick, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

Photo Credits.
Miles Austin: AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

NFL Week 2 Picks: Michael Vick Will Be Victorious in His Return to Atlanta

2011-09-17T03:56:00.004-04:00

Every week in the NFL is important. That being said, statistically speaking Week 2 can be huge for some teams.

If a team starts the season 0-2 their chances of making the playoffs is just above 12-percent. If they go 1-1 then those odds jump to over 40-percent.

Now take a look at some of the teams that lost in Week 1: Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Atlanta and St. Louis.

All those teams were heavy favorites to make the playoffs and possibly win their division. There’s even been talk of getting to the Super Bowl for those teams.

It’s early in the season and not even close for any of these teams to be hitting the panic button, but history shows that it’s important to get at least one victory in the first two weeks of the season.

How will those teams fare this week?

The biggest storyline, however, will be Michael Vick’s return to Atlanta. Vick lead’s his “Dream Team” back to where his NFL career began as well as where it all fell apart. Will Vick rise to the occasion, or will his emotions (and the Falcons pass rush) get the best of him?

Who do you think will win?

Kansas City (0-1) at Detroit (1-0)

The Chiefs were demolished at home in Week 1, a place they only lost at once last season. Now they have to go on the road against a team that was impressive on the road and will look to show their home crowd that this is not their ordinary Lions.

The big issue for Detroit all offseason was that they could contend IF Matthew Stafford was healthy all year. He showed in Week 1 why that is. He threw for 305 yards and had three touchdown passes to go along with a 118.9 quarterback rating. He did have an interception, but not totally his fault as it tipped off of his receiver.

The Chiefs were manhandled by Ryan Fitzpatrick last week, so it should be another big week for Stafford.

Detroit wins.

Oakland (1-0) at Buffalo (1-0)

The trend the past few seasons is that teams that West coast teams that have to travel across the country to the East coast and play in the 1 p.m. game do not fare well at all. Add to the Raiders woes that they played Monday night in the late game of the Monday doubleheader and that means they have less time to prepare and rest.

The Raiders’ play Monday night was also not terribly impressive. They got the win, so that’s good for them. But their three-point victory was done in most part thanks to Denver’s three turnovers, including a fumble by Kyle Orton with the Broncos at the Raiders’ 24-yard line.

Oakland had fewer yards gained, more penalties for more yards, a worse third down completion percentage and also gave up a 90-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Meanwhile the Bills were incredibly efficient mopping up the field with the Chiefs. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a huge day and he should do well against an Oakland secondary that is not as tough to play against without Nmamdi Asomugha.

Buffalo wins.

Tampa Bay (0-1) at Minnesota (0-1)

It was a disappointing start to the season for both teams. There is much more upside to the Buccaneers however.

The Buccaneers are younger and they have better chemistry and continuity than the Vikings do.

Case in point: Minnesota boasts Donovan McNabb as its starting quarterback. He’s always been a great person who does a lot off the field. He’s a likable guy. And he’s done some great things on the football field as well. Sometimes he doesn’t get the credit that he deserves and instead gets more criticism than what’s fair. That being said, his age (34) is starting to show.

Last season with the Washington Redskins he was benched and was a part of an ugly media frenzy regarding his playing time. Lots of things were said but at the end of the day Mike Shanahan, who is known for getting the most out of his quarterbacks, came to the conclusion that McNabb couldn’t play for him.

Now in Week 1 McNabb hit an all-time low, throwing for only 39 yards and posting an ugly 47.9 passer rating.

Josh Freeman’s Week 1 wasn’t anything to write home about, but he at least threw for triple digits in yards. And he had a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter—the only score in the period—to bring the Bucs within a touchdown of the tie, so at least he had some fight in him.

Tampa Bay wins.

Chicago (1-0) at New Orleans (0-1)

Chicago was impressive in Week 1. And maybe they don’t get the credit they deserve. Much like last year they could play well and be successful this year but all you’ll hear pundits say is that they aren’t as good as their record is and that Jay Cutler is an inconsistent quarterback.

Still, are they as good as New Orleans is?

The Saints were tough luck losers to the defending- Super Bowl champs last week even though they put up an impressive offensive performance.

The defense will have to step up and not yield 42 points, no matter how good their offense is. But still with Drew Brees on the field, this team is a strong favorite to play in at least the NFC Championship game.

At home they’ll look to get out their aggressions from last week’s loss.

New Orleans wins.

Baltimore (1-0) at Tennessee (0-1)

The Ravens defense has heard people say that they are getting too old to be effective. And the unit has responded.

The Ravens picked off Ben Roethlisberger three times, made him fumble twice and limited Rashard Mendenhall to only 45 yards rushing and forced him to fumble the ball once as well.

What do you think they’ll do to Chris Johnson, who was a major disappointment with only 24 yards rushing against the Jaguars, and to the injury-prone Matt Hasselbeck?
Baltimore wins.

Cleveland (0-1) at Indianapolis (0-1)

Both teams were ugly in Week 1, but the Colts were uglier.

Kerry Collins, with only a couple weeks to work with the offense, fumbled twice and looked comically out of sorts with his new team after coming out of retirement. And still, he’s much better than the alternative (Curtis Painter).

It’s amazing to think of how valuable Peyton Manning really is. Time and time again he put the team on its shoulders when so many star players around him fell to injury; now with the shoe on the other foot his team cannot function, let alone pick him up.

It’s only one week, but the Colts also were bad on defense and couldn’t run the ball. These have been problems in the past, but they always had Peyton to save them.

Not anymore.

Cleveland wins.

Jacksonville (1-0) at New York Jets (1-0)

The defense was shaky early on, but the Jets pride themselves on their defense and that unit stepped up huge in the fourth quarter against the Cowboys.

They got a big game-winning 50-yard field goal from Nick Folk, something no Cowboy fan ever thought would happen.

The running game will need to step up for the Jets, but if their defense—which only allowed 64 rushing yards last week—can contain Maurice Jones-Drew the Jaguars offense offers little else and is not as dynamic as the Jets offense.

New York wins.

Seattle (0-1) at Pittsburgh (0-1)

Pittsburgh was embarrassed last week. No way they let that happen to them again, especially at home.

Take a look at the Seahawks: Tarvaris Jackson did not look good at quarterback, Sindey Rice did not play because of a shoulder injury and has been ruled out again and they ran the ball for only 64 yards.

This is all without mentioning how bad the special teams play was.

The odds are in the Steelers’ favor for a bounce-back game here.

Pittsburgh wins.

Arizona (1-0) at Washington (1-0)

Yes, the Cardinals did an awful job of defending Cam Newton. But this win wasn’t as bad as people make it out to be.

The Cardinals got great games out of Kevin Kolb (309 passing yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions in his Arizona debut), Beanie Wells (90 yards rushing and a touchdown) and Early Doucet (105 yards, one touchdown). If all these guys continue to perform at similar levels and you throw in Larry Fitzgerald this team may not be so bad.

The Cardinals defense did render the Carolina rushing game rather useless.

The Redskins capitalized on a number of the Giants’ mistakes. They played well but they’ll need the Cardinals to play similarly, and it’s tough to imagine anyone else playing as bad as New York did.

Arizona wins.

Green Bay (1-0) at Carolina (0-1)

It was the Cam Newton show for the Panthers last week and that’s all well and good. But he’s only one guy.

The Packers were the best overall team last year and they look even better this year with an impressive win over the Saints. And a lot of guys played big roles, not just one.

Green Bay wins.

Dallas (0-1) at San Francisco (1-0)

So Alex Smith had a 90.4 passer rating and didn’t turn the ball over?

There were multiple Ted Ginn Jr. sightings?

Frank Gore rushed for only 59 yards and no touchdowns, yet the 49ers still won?

Who is this team?

San Francisco was a pleasant surprise in Week 1.

Dallas was predictable.

A blown lead, a late collapse and a costly fourth quarter Tony Romo turnover? I’m feeling a bit of déjà vu.

San Francisco wins.

San Diego (1-0) at New England (1-0)

The Patriots haven’t lost a regular season home game since 2008. They have won four of the past five meetings against the Chargers.

And as good as Philip Rivers is, he didn’t just throw for 517 yards last week.

New England wins.

Houston (1-0) at Miami (0-1)

Houston did a great job against the Colts in Week 1. Derrick Ward and Ben Tate played very well replacing Arian Foster, who looks like he will return to action this weekend. The defense played well. Also, Matt Schaub is still hooking up with Andre Johnson.

The Texans still managed to lose the turnover battle though, with a lost fumble and two interceptions thrown.

The Dolphins played the Patriots tightly, but were no match against a clearly superior team. The defense underperformed (which might be too kind of an assessment) but the offensive skill players played well.

Chad Henne may have been forgotten about because of Tom Brady’s enormous game, but
Henne still threw for 416 yards and two touchdowns. He did throw an interception, but it was a toss-up at the end of the game in an attempt to get a long-scoring play to make the game tighter. He also lead the team in rushing yards and had a rushing touchdown.

Reggie Bush had a good night with 94 all-purpose yards and a touchdown, and Brandon Marshall was unstoppable. New England had a lot of problems matching up with Marshall as the receiver went off for 139 yards.

Miami got a bit predictable when throwing to Marshall, but Bush, Davone Bess and Anthony Fasano all played well enough to force Henne to trust his other options instead of jamming it down the field to Marshall.

Miami wins.

Cincinnati (1-0) at Denver (0-1)

Kyle Orton threw for 304 yards yet the home crowd still chanted for Tim Tebow, who is considered the third quarterback on the depth chart.

The Broncos bested the Raiders in yards, third down conversions and penalties but still lost.

Champ Bailey, Brandon Lloyd and Knowshon Moreno all ended up watching the end of the game from the sidelines.

None of that is good news for Denver.

For the Bengals, Andy Dalton has been cleared to play against the Broncos and is expected to start.

Cincinnati wins.

Philadelphia (1-0) at Atlanta (0-1)

It will be a pretty emotional game. The city of Atlanta loved Michael Vick. And they were heartbroken when his legal trouble brought his tenure there to an end.

The city has since rebounded with Matt Ryan and the team is doing well generally speaking, but Michael Vick is still the most entertaining player in the NFL. It seems like everyone wants a chance to play with him.

And he once was property of the Falcons.

The fans will have a little impact on the game, but the ball won’t be in their hands. It will be in Vick’s. And you have to imagine that he’s had this game circled for quite some time.

There shouldn’t be any animosity on Vick’s part towards the city of Atlanta or the Falcons’ organization, but one would think he would be incredibly excited to show off in front of his former team. He must be salivating at leading his star-studded team up against a side that got rocked last weekend.

We could all be in for a show.

Philadelphia wins.

St. Louis (0-1) at New York Giants (0-1)

All the years experience the Giants have on their roster, all the money their players make, all they talent they have, none of it means a thing anymore. Because this is a team that plays with zero heart.

Their quarterback makes so many mindless mistakes and turnovers and then pouts off the field. The running backs look rather uninspired. The defense is without its two best players and the team’s two real leaders. Special teams was, and has been the past couple of years, a disaster.

And the coach, in four seasons since their Super Bowl victory, doesn’t do anything about it. In fact, his demeanor and harsh personality probably only intensify the terrible attitude this team has.

It doesn’t matter how many players the Rams have to sit because of injury; the Giants need to prove that they’re going to at least show up for a game before anyone predicts them to win.

St. Louis wins.

Last Week: 10-6

Season: 10-6

NFL Week 1 Awards: Tom Brady is Best at Start of New Season

2011-09-13T15:16:00.004-04:00

All the excitement of the start of a new season has passed, but the games did not fail to live up to the hype. The NFL is celebrated for its parity and unpredictability and there were plenty of surprises to be had.

Still, many of the regular top performers put up huge numbers in Week 1 making for a very entertaining start to the new season.

Who was the best of Week 1? Who was the worst? And who had the toughest breaks?

MVP of the Week

Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

There were many great candidates, but Tom Brady got the job done in prime time Monday night. He set a franchise record with 517 passing yards. He had four touchdown passes and had only one interception and averaged 10.8 yards a completion, essentially getting a first down every time he threw.

Brady spread the love to all of his teammates, completing a pass to eight different receivers.

Also, every time the Miami Dolphins were able to muster up a score Brady lead the Patriots down the field with quick-strike answers. After Miami took almost eight minutes to score first the Patriots scored in about three minutes.

And he put the nail in the coffin when after the Dolphins failed to convert a fourth and goal Brady connected with Wes Welker for a 99-yard touchdown.

Whatever Brady did against Miami it was a success. There was just no stopping him whatsoever.

Honorable Mentions: Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Buffalo Bills; Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers; Brian Urlacher, LB, Chicago Bears

Bust of the Week

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

For the first time ever Roethlisberger lost to a Joe Flacco-lead Ravens squad. And Roethlisberger certainly did his part to help Flacco out. He missed on 19 of his passes and for worse he threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles.

Whether it was just a bad day or he decided not to show up for the game, you cannot make those mistakes against the Ravens. They thrive on capitalizing on opponents mistakes and Roethlisberger should know that better than anyone.

It’s not solely Roethlisberger’s fault the Steelers lost, but he had a miserable game.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions: Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants; Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys; Pittsburgh Steelers Defense

Surprise of the Week

Cincinnati Bengals

Sure, the Browns aren’t Super Bowl-bound but the Bengals weren’t even supposed to win this game. Not only did they win but it was also a fourth-quarter comeback. And not only was it a fourth-quarter comeback but it was orchestrated by their backup quarterback, Bruce Gradkowski, who went 5-12 for 92 yards, a touchdown and zero interceptions.

Both big-time rookies got the monkey off their backs early with starting QB throwing a TD pass before he left with an injured wrist and WR A.J. Green caught his first TD pass of his NFL career. So both players will feel less pressure to score next time on the field.

Running back Cedric Benson, who many thought would see as many as nine or 10 guys in the box (probably a little hyperbolic), rushed for 121 yards on 25 carries including scoring the game-winning touchdown.

A good day for a team many predict to have a long, rough year.

Honorable Mentions: Ted Ginn Jr., WR, San Francisco 49ers; Buffalo Bills; Mike Tolbert, RB, San Diego Chargers

Disappointment of the Week

Atlanta Falcons

On the other hand, many people predicted the Falcons would reach the Super Bowl. They have their work cut out for them though after an 18-point loss to the Chicago Bears.

Usually a steady, consistant quarterback, Matt Ryan committed two turnovers (one interception and one fumble, which was returned for a touchdown).

Last season the Falcons were one of the league’s most disciplined teams in regards to penalties. However, against the Bears they committed more penalties (9-8) for more yards (65-56) than the Bears did.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions: Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans; Kansas City Chiefs; Donovan McNabb, QB, Minnesota Vikings

Rookie of the Week

Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

Love him or hate him (I think there are more of the latter) the kid did good work against the Cardinals. He didn’t get the win, but statistically he was phenomenal.
Newton set a rookie debut record with 422 passing yards. He had more touchdowns (two) than interceptions (one), which is a nice change of pace from Newton’s preseason. He also had 18 rushing yards and another score, meaning he accounted for all of Carolina’s scoring.

If the running game struggles like it did against the Cardinals and like it last season they may need Newton to play like this every week. So it was promising to see.

Also good to see for the Panthers’ sake was the chemistry Newton had with WR Steve Smith. Many expected Newton to go to TE Greg Olsen more frequently, but Smith had eight catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns. That already matches his TD total from last season. He also hasn’t had a 100-yard receiving game since Week 16 of 2009, and in the previous two seasons he’s only had two 100-yard receiving games.

Newton won’t put up these numbers every week, but it looks like he can play. And if he can continually hook up with Smith like this and reenergize his career, the Panthers could start climbing out of the NFL basement much faster than anticipated.

Honorable Mentions: Randall Cobb, WR, Green Bay Packers; Patrick Peterson, CB, Arizona Cardinals; Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Washington Redskins

Tough Luck

St. Louis Rams

It wasn’t bad enough that they had to play the much-critically acclaimed Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1. They not only lost the game but five starters left the game with injuries and they could not have been more important players as the Rams hope to win the NFC West this season.

QB Sam Bradford left in the fourth quarter with a bruised index finger on his throwing hand. RB Steven Jackson did not play at all after he scored the first touchdown of the game thanks to a strained quadriceps, and he is questionable for the game against the New York Giants next Monday. Both WR Danny Amendola (dislocated collarbone) and CB Ron Bartell (fractures in his neck) left the game and are out in Week 2.

Starting left tackle Jason Smith also didn’t last long due to a high ankle sprain.

Honorable Mentions: Indianapolis Colts without Peyton Manning, Players to miss the rest of the season because of ACL tears, New York Giants fans

Photo Credits.
Tom Brady: AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

NFL Week 1 Picks: Green Bay Packers Start 2011 Season With Successful Title Defense

2011-09-08T15:25:00.003-04:00

Even with the NFL lockout earlier in the summer, did anyone really think that there wouldn’t be football?

This league is too popular and makes too much money for anyone to want to miss out on that cash cab. OTA’s were lost as was the Hall of Fame game, but now we’ve arrived at what really matters. It’s time for Philadelphia’s “Dream Team” to prove what their made of, to show that they won’t be the Miami Heat of the NFL.

Time for the Kansas City Chiefs to prove that 2010 wasn’t a fluke.

Time for the Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to play up to the preseason hype surrounding their young teams with very bright futures.

Just thank goodness that the time for the latest Brett Favre comeback saga has passed.

New Orleans at Green Bay

It’s become a trend for the defending Super Bowl champions to defend their title in the new season with a Thursday night home game in Week 1. And for seven consecutive years, the defending champion has won its season opener.

The Packers won’t have an easy time here though. Both teams are figured to be major contenders in the NFC thanks in large part to their talent, a miniscule roster turnover and a familiarity with the coaching staff, the latter two becoming more important than ever after the shortened offseason.

Still, Green Bay is a Super Bowl team that gets even better by getting back their starting tight end (Jermichael Finley) and running back (Ryan Grant) healthy and back from injury.

It’s tough to go against history here.

Green Bay wins.

Atlanta at Chicago

The Falcons are a sexy pick to reach the Super Bowl this year. A lot of hype will surround rookie wide receiver Julio Jones, whom the Falcons traded five draft picks to select. A lot of people are excited to see what he can do alongside standout Roddy White.

Chicago reached the NFC Championship game last year, but there isn’t much confidence in them: case in point Jay Cutler leaving the championship game against the Packers with a sprained MCL. Many criticized him and his “willingness to win”, and that’s not to mention his great potential to turn the ball over.

Atlanta wins.

Cincinnati at Cleveland

No Carson Palmer for the Bengals. No Chad Ochocinco for the Bengals. No Terrell Owens for the Bengals. Could it all mean no wins for the Bengals?

The team will certainly have its work cut out for it this year in trying to be competitive. The team will be reliant on a rookie quarterback (Andy Dalton) and a rookie wide receiver (A.J. Green) to do much of the damage on offense, but it doesn’t look like there’s enough talent across the board for the Bengals to be a legitimate threat.

The Browns aren’t a super star-laden team either, especially at wide receiver, but Colt McCoy did a solid job last year in his rookie season and Peyton Hillis was a breakout star (although he’ll have to beware of the Madden Curse). This team stayed competitive last year and it looks like they’re a leg up on the Bengals right now.

Cleveland wins.

Buffalo at Kansas City

Kansas City surprised quite a few people last year when they won the AFC West and made the playoffs. With a great running attack headed by stud Jamaal Charles as well as having a solid defense, the Chiefs are being overlooked this year in favor of the more dynamic San Diego Chargers.

Buffalo may not have won a lot of games last season, but the late blooming of Harvard-alumnus Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback helped keep the Bills competitive and somewhat interesting to watch. He has some playmakers around him in wide receiver Steve Johnson and running backs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller. They could wind up being only a .500 team, especially playing a one of the tougher divisions in the NFL, but they’ll go down swinging.

Kansas City at home is just too tough a task. The Chiefs finished 7-1 at home in front of an extremely supportive fan base that only gets rowdier with every win.

Kansas City wins.

Philadelphia at St. Louis

Nobody has wanted the season to start more than the Eagles. It’s time for them to show off all their new toys (Nmandi Asomaugh, Cullen Jenkins, Ronnie Brown and Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie), not to mention some very good older ones (Mike Vick, DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy). This was probably the most exciting team in all of football to watch in 2010, and this season should be no different.

St. Louis has some talent. Sam Bradford did well as a rookie, Steven Jackson has been a good running back for many years now and Mike Sims-Walker is a big improvement over anyone Bradford threw to last year.

Still, just look at the talent the Eagles have.

Philadelphia wins.

Detroit at Tampa Bay

It’s not the rivalry of Pittsburgh-Baltimore or the hyped up teams like the Jets and Cowboys, but Lions against the Buccaneers could be the most interesting matchup of the week.

Two teams loaded with exciting young players will square off. Josh Freeman has a lot of people talking in Tampa because of his pocket presence in 2010 but how will he fare with Ndamukong Suh chasing after him?

Matthew Stafford was a number one pick for the Lions, but will he ever stay healthy?
There’s a lot to like about these two teams and both have bright futures. The Lions look like they could be this year’s version of the Buccaneers: a young, up-and-coming team that surprises a lot of people and wins a lot more games than they have in years past.

Detroit wins.

Tennessee at Jacksonville

The best player on both teams in the running back, Chris Johnson for the Titans and Maurice Jones-Drew for the Jaguars. Both teams are also starting different quarterbacks than they did last year. The similarity ends there though, with the quarterback situations incredibly different.

The Titans brought in Matt Hasselback to start before rookie Jake Locker is ready. Hasselback is on his last legs and injuries have plagued him the last couple of seasons. He still knows how to run a team though and he might just even be an upgrade over the Vince Young/Kerry Collins platoon from last year.

The Jaguars, meanwhile, cut long-time starter David Garrard on Tuesday, making the Luke McCown the new No. 1. Cutting Garrard saved the team $9 million dollars but it won’t help them in the win column. He’s been in the NFL since 2004 (with the Jaguars the past two seasons) yet has only played in 16 games. There’s a reason for that.

Tennessee wins.

Pittsburgh at Baltimore

One of the biggest rivalries in football is on display in Week 1. The Steelers and Ravens are two smash mouth football teams and this game will not be any different.
For starters, will the Steelers have a Super Bowl hangover after losing the big game last year?

They’ve also had more off-field issues with their stars this year thanks to Hines Ward’s DUI arrest and James Harrison’s harsh words towards NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and team starting QB Ben Roethlisberger, amongst others, in a Men’s Journal article.

The Ravens went and added more pieces this offseason to add artillery to their offense. Lee Evans was brought in to be a downfield threat, Ricky Williams will be Ray Rice’s backup and Vonta Leach will be the new starting fullback and lead blocker.
Leach was a big reason for Arian Foster’s success last season and the Ravens hope he will make an similar impact on the already successful Rice.

Baltimore wins.

Indianapolis at Houston

Now is the time for the Texans to finally make good on that playoff push. They have flirted with postseason play in recent years but have ultimately come up short.
But with the Peyton Manning being inactive for the Colts indefinitely, the Texans could be the top team in the division.

They shocked the Colts last season in an opening week win when Arian Foster took advantage of a porous Colts run defense. Foster is questionable for this week’s game, but Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson still form an incredibly powerful combination in the air.

Houston wins.

New York Giants at Washington

Rex Grossman claims his Redskins can win the division. Their first test will be against the Giants, who while they aren’t an easy team to beat, they certainly aren’t the cream of the crop anymore in the NFC East.

Eli Manning claims that he’s just as good as Patriots QB Tom Brady. He’ll need to stop turning the ball over as frequently as he does to even make that statement not as much of a joke as it currently stands.

Still the Giants have more talent overall than Washington.

New York wins.

Seattle at San Francisco

The 49ers were preseason favorites to win the NFC West, however an 0-5 start doomed them. They still only finished a game worse than the division winning Seahawks.
Alex Smith leads San Francisco again, much to the dismay of Niner fans, but new head coach Jim Harbaugh is supposed to be a quarterback coaching guru, so there is hope for him.

Last season these two teams opened up against each other and the Seahawks put a beat down on the 49ers, 31-6. That was in Seattle however. In San Francisco in Week 14, San Francisco won the game 40-21 and Smith—returning as a starter after previously being benched—threw for 255 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

San Francisco wins.

Minnesota at San Diego

Rejoice, the Brett Favre saga is over. It’s tough to tell if the Vikings are a better team though.

They still have Adrian Peterson. They lost receiver Sidney Rice. And in at quarterback comes Donovan McNabb. He’s been up and down the past few years, not terrible but not helping his team win many games either. He’ll have a good young running back to lean on this year though so that may help him.

San Diego is lead by Philip Rivers, one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Last year’s individual success throwing the ball was without Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates for most of the year and those two will be back in action this year starting in Week 1.

The Chargers missed out on the playoffs last year even though they had the No. 1 ranked offense and defense. They will be out for vengeance.

San Diego wins.

Carolina at Arizona

Rookie quarterbacks don’t tend to do well. No team with a rookie starting at quarterback has ever won the Super Bowl. And Cam Newton will have his work cut out for him with the Panthers who, even though they had only two wins all of last year, kept their roster mostly intact from last year.

Arizona gets Kevin Kolb in at quarterback. His sample size isn’t very big, but he’s had a little bit of success in the league and Larry Fitzgerald loves catching passes from him.

Arizona wins.

Dallas at New York Jets

Two years with Rex Ryan as their head coach (and Mark Sanchez as their starting quarterback) and the Jets have two trips to the AFC Championship game. They just haven’t won the division, gotten a bye in the first round, or made the playoffs. They need to get a bye to make the process a little easier on themselves.

Dallas should have a nice bounce-back season with a healthy Tony Romo leading the way and contend in the NFC East, but at the newly christened MetLife Stadium the fans will be going nuts for the Jets.

New York wins.

New England at Miami

Miami’s starting quarterback has been booed by the home fans in the preseason, their head coach was given an extension only after the owner tried to pursue a different coach while the incumbent was still under contract and the Wildcat, which made this team unique offensively, lost its top guy when the team let Ronnie Brown go. They also went 1-7 at home last season.

Oh, and they went 0-2 against the Patriots last year and lost the two games by a combined 58 points.

New England wins.

Oakland at Denver

Oakland won only eight games last year and lost its top receiver in tight end Zach Miller and its top defender in corner Nmamdi Asomugha.

Kyle Orton threw for 3,653 yards and only nine interceptions last season but many fans will still begging for Tim Tebow to start and he was on the trade block. He’ll be out to prove his value this season, to the Broncos or any other team.

Denver wins.

2010: 155-96

2009: 151-73

Photo Credits.
Aaron Rodgers: AP Photo/Mike Roemer

Boston Blazers Suspend Operations, Leave a Hole in the Boston Lacrosse Scene

2011-09-03T17:21:00.012-04:00

The professional lacrosse teams in Boston are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

The fact that one plays the field version of the game in Major League Lacrosse and the other was part of the indoor National Lacrosse League isn’t the only thing that separates the two teams.

Four days after the Boston Cannons won the MLL championship—their first in franchise history—management for the Boston Blazers announced that the team would suspend operations for the 2012 season. While not participating in the league, management will look for a place to relocate the Blazers for the 2013 season, in a local and national search.

In both leagues the Boston franchises were top draws. This past year the Cannons finished the regular season with a league-best record of 9-3 in addition to their championship. They had a total attendance of 51,971 and an average of 8,661 fans per game, both good enough for second-best in the six-team league.

The big draw for the Cannons is midfielder Paul Rabil, who is arguably the best lacrosse player in the world today and is also the most marketable. The Johns Hopkins alumnus and is a two-time MLL MVP.

Joining him on the field is local-product Max Quinzani, who grew up in nearby Duxbury, Mass. and was a familiar face to lacrosse fans playing his college ball at Duke.

The championship was long overdue for the Cannons, a member of MLL since the league’s inception in 2001. In the past two seasons the Cannons, although a favorite to win it all, lost in the semifinals both years. They’ve made the playoffs nine seasons out of 11 (including this season) however they only reached the championship twice, finally winning it all this year.

Watching Rabil lift the championship trophy was a joyous moment for Boston lacrosse fans. It is unfortunate for such a passionate fan base that darker winter days lay ahead.

In three seasons since joining the NLL, the Boston Blazers never were able to make it out of the first round of the playoffs, losing in round one all three years. Despite the lack of success in comparison to the Cannons the Blazers were still a big attraction in the league.

In the 2010 season they averaged 8,712 fans per game which was 51 more fans than the Cannons and an increase from the 2009 season, where the Blazers had an average attendance of 6,620 fans.

The Blazers made headlines last year when they added star power to their lineup. The team already had Dan Dawson, the 2009 league MVP, and All-Star goalie Anthony Cosmo. They then went out and acquired Josh Sanderson, an NLL veteran who eclipsed the 1,000 point mark this past season, and 2010 MVP and lacrosse legend Casey Powell.

Powell, Dawson and Sanderson—nicknamed “The Big Three”—all finished in the top three in voting for the league MVP in 2010 making it the first time in professional sports history that the top three candidates for league MVP one season were teammates the next.

Expectations were high and ultimately the team disappointed, unable to break .500 during the regular season (8-8) and not winning a championship. Fans still came out and supported the team however and were excited to see what would happen in 2012 when the players would have even greater chemistry after playing a full season together.

The Blazers fans now face a lose-lose situation, in addition to missing out on the upcoming NLL season.

A major reason for the team’s financial woes is because they rented space from the TD Garden (where the Celtics and Bruins play) at a high cost but did not see any of the money made off of parking and concessions. So team president and general manager Doug Reffue will conduct a six-month search to evaluate potential new venues that are more economically beneficial to the team.

The search could mean that the team moves outside of the Boston or New England area all together. This would leave the fans with no team at all, which is never a happy thing.

The Blazers could also potentially stay local to Boston. However, while lacrosse fans would still have the team it wouldn’t be THEIR team, the one they made personal connections with so many players, the one that made headlines.

All players on the current roster will not be retained by the Blazers; rather they will go into a dispersal draft and spread around the league. That means no Dawson, who has been with the team all three years of its existence and been a fan favorite with his series of YouTube videos dubbed “The Danger Zone”.

That means no Powell, Sanderson, and Cosmo. They’d be without Kyle Rubisch, the team’s 2010 first round draft pick that was named to the NLL All-Rookie team last season.

The fans would also miss Kevin Buchannan, Greg Downing and Jack Reid, all prominent Blazers that also play for the Cannons.

It’s a better option than losing the team all together, but it won’t be the same.

So while the Cannons rejoice after finally lifting the trophy, the other side of Boston professional lacrosse will go dark with the long Boston-winter nights.

Happy days for Boston lacrosse fans have come to a stop in such an abrupt fashion. But maybe that will make them yearn for the Cannons even more come May and help them avoid the same fate as the Blazers.

2011 Boston Blazers Video Introduction from YouTube.

Photo Credits.
Dan Dawson: photo from the New England Lacrosse Journal, www.laxjournal.com
Paul Rabil: Larry French/Getty Images

Jozy Altidore Remains the Best Forward for the United States National Team

2011-09-03T14:23:00.008-04:00

While the United States Men’s National Team failed to score against Costa Rica on Friday, Jozy Altidore—the starting striker whose primary job is to score goals—proved that he still is the top forward on the depth chart.

Under former head coach Bob Bradley Altidore was the starting forward—sometimes with a partner, other times alone—but due to a lack of goals with the national team and a lack of scoring and playing time at the club level many wondered how much longer that would last.

Some, albeit prematurely, labeled the 21-year-old a bust and longed for a better striker to come along.

Then came the emergence of Juan Agudelo. The 18-year-old scored two goals in his first three matches with the National Team. His energy and work rate when he entered matches brought the team’s play to another level and he exuded confidence. Many labeled him the next best thing, even though Agudelo has failed to score a goal in his past eight games with the United States.

While Agudelo is a promising prospect, Altidore, in his first game playing for new head coach Jürgen Klinsmann, showed that he is the better option up top for the time being.

Altidore has 39 caps compared to Agudelo’s 11 and the elder forward showed his age, experience and skill set are more valuable to the team than what Agudelo brings to the table, especially considering the sample of both players from the Costa Rica game.

Altidore likes to take on his opponents one-on-one from time to time, but he is at his best when he is playing as a target forward with his back to the goal. He is a very strong forward with broad shoulders. Defenders cannot outmuscle him. Altidore’s greatest goal of his career came against Spain in the 2009 Confederation’s Cup when he turned defender Joan Capdevilla off the ball and blasted a shot into the back of the net.

Against Costa Rica Altidore did a good job of making himself a target to his teammates and creating passing lanes. His ability to hold off defenders helped the team get more players involved in the attack. His passing was good and he linked up very well with his teammates, especially Brek Shea and Landon Donovan, which created a number of close chances.

Altidore was active and his presence helped other players get involved which made the U.S. very dangerous in the first half.

Agudelo came on as a second half substitute for Altidore, and although he played with much energy, like he usually does, the offense seemed to stall a bit.

As a lone forward it wasn’t all Agudelo’s fault. The defensive back four, Maurice Edu—the holding midfielder—and the rest of the midfield seemed to tire a bit causing a break in the transition and smooth passing from defense to offense.

Agudelo, however, has a smaller frame than Altidore and got pushed off the ball a bit, especially when the game grew more physical as it dragged on.

While Agudelo seems to have a good partnership with Shea—evident in the tying goal against Mexico in Klinsmann’s first game—his biggest fault is that he can become a bit individualistic.

Part of it is inexperience but Agudelo holds onto the ball for too long. His decision making isn’t always the best and he has a tendency to try and dribble his way out of trouble. This causes teammates to start standing and watching, draws more defenders to Agudelo and causes turnovers.

Agudelo still has his moments of brilliance and he is dangerous when he slips behind the defense. A partnership with Agudelo and Altidore would be one to watch and develop.

But at the current stages of the careers of both players Altidore is the guy who belongs at the top of the depth chart.

Photo Credits.
Jozy Altidore: AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
Juan Agudelo: AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Chris Konopka Makes Solid Spot Start in Goal for the New York Red Bulls

2011-08-14T01:08:00.006-04:00

Chris Konopka, a 26-year-old alumnus of Toms River High School East (Toms River, NJ) and Providence College, got the opportunity of a lifetime Saturday night. After spending three years in Ireland, the six-foot-five-inch goalkeeper made his first ever MLS start for his hometown New York Red Bulls in front of a sold-out crowd of 25,177.

“I grew up watching the MetroStars. I grew up watching Tony Meola, Tim Howard,” Konopka told the media. “They were the guys that I watched.”

The only other thing he could’ve asked for was a win.

Konopka made three saves as the Red Bulls came from behind to earn a point in a 2-2 draw against the Chicago Fire.

He was a surprise start to begin with. Konopka is an MLS pool goalkeeper, a resource available to teams in the league to bring in goalies in case of emergency. New York starter Frank Rost was ruled out earlier in the week due to a quadriceps injury. Former starter Bouna Coundoul was thought to be the logical replacement, but his flight back to the States after playing for the Senegalese National Team was late and didn’t arrive until late Friday night.

So it was down to Konopka, who had been training with the club, and Alex Horwath, who had made one start earlier in the season and didn’t surrender a goal in a 0-0 draw. Even though Horwath had the edge in “experience” and had been with the club longer, Konopka did enough to become the fifth goalie used by the Red Bulls this season and earn his first MLS start (Konopka spent 2007 with the then-Kansas City Wizards—now Sporting Kansas City—but did not make a regular season appearance with the team).

“Konopka has been outstanding this week,” head coach Hans Backe said. “He’s looked very sharp. That’s why we have him over Alex Horwath.”

Konopka didn’t do terribly. There were two goals allowed, but the team’s defensive effort was subpar and he was put in a difficult spot on both goals as the Fire’s speedy forwards beat the Red Bull’s backline multiple times.

On the first goal, Patrick Nyarko got free on the left side and sent in a cross in front of the net to former-Red Bull Dominic Oduro, who had gotten between the two centerbacks—who seemed to not notice Oduro made a cut to goal and was open. Konopka got a piece of the shot, but it trickled underneath him and into the back of the net.

The second goal came on a fast break. Once again, Nyarko got behind the defensive thanks to a through ball from Marco Poppa. Nyarko attempted to chip the ball over Konopka but the tall keeper was able to knock the shot down. The ball fell in front of Fire midfielder Sebastian Grazzini, however, who then put the rebound away.

“It’s a little bit unfortunate about it but it is what it is,” Konopka told reporters after the game. “I just had to turn and keep my head up and play the rest of the match.”

Konopka did make a nice save in the second half to preserve the tie. With some good passing from the Fire, Orr Barrouch slipped behind the defense after receiving a through ball (a recurring motif for the night) and dribbled in one-on-one with the goalie. Konopka came out, stayed low, cut off the angle and made a point-blank save.

While it was a story-book setting for Konopka, the total result probably wasn’t the kind that Konopka dreamed of in his ideal situation, especially when the Red Bulls could’ve really used a win as they make a push for the playoffs. Still he may have done enough to earn another chance.

Rost is out for a month. Coundoul is inconsistent and has fallen out of favor with club management. Greg Sutton was loaned out to the Montreal Impact. So, for at least one more week, if Konopka can continue his strong practice sessions, he may be given at least one more opportunity to start between the posts ahead of Horwath.

“You just gotta’ try and stay positive,” Konopka told the media after the game. “There’s nine games left till the end of this season. I’m a part of this team through and through till the end.”

Given the revolving door that has been the Red Bulls goalkeeper position this year, it certainly isn’t far-fetched to think that the big and athletic keeper will be seen again.

Photo credits.
Chris Konopka: photo from Waterford United, waterford-united.ie

Jürgen Klinsmann and the German feel of the United States Men's National Team

2011-08-09T13:24:00.009-04:00

The United States Men’s National Team is going through an identity crisis. All that’s left is changing the flag from red, white and blue to the black, red and gold of Germany.

The signing of Jürgen Klinsmann as head coach of the senior team gives this team an increasingly strong German presence, one that had already begun to develop prior to the new skipper’s arrival.

Klinsmann is a former World Cup winner for Die Mannschaft, as well as a player for a European Championship winning team and a German Footballer of the Year award winner in 1994. He is one of the most famous and well-respected players in Germany’s soccer history. And as a manager he revamped the nation’s playing style and helped them finish third in the 2006 World Cup, when they hosted the tournament.

As he writes in his manifesto, Klinsmann transformed the German National Team into an offensive minded squad; attacking, being aggressive and “proactive”. To help the senior team accomplish this transformation, Klinsmann reached out to many of the German Bundesliga coaches to help implement that style of play throughout the country, creating a national identity through style of play.

It’s a style many USMNT supporters have wished their country would adopt and it seems that Klinsmann plans to implement. And he’s relying on players with strong ties to the German game to introduce it to the rest of the USA.

The team already has midfielder Jermaine Jones. He grew up in Frankfurt-Bonames with his mother and his father was an African-American soldier stationed in Germany. He played professionally in Germany from 2000-2011 before being loaned to EPL side Blackburn Rovers. Jones even made three appearances for the German National Team (under Klinsmann’s assistant-turned head coach Joachim Löw) before using a FIFA rule change to allow him to switch eligibility to the USMNT.

There is also the tantalizing prospect, Timothy Chandler. He was born in Frankfurt—also to an African-American soldier and German mother—lived in Germany his entire life and has played professionally only in Germany. He plays right fullback, but can also play on the wing.

Fans want to see more of Chandler, already labeling him the next starter at right fullback, but he was not named to the Gold Cup roster (left off due to concerns from his club team) and was an injury scratch for the Mexico friendly. Still, he figures to play a large role on the team moving forward.

Also, Steve Cherundolo and Michael Bradley, while they are not German citizens, have played in the Bundesliga during the time of Klinsmann’s influence on the club level.

Don't forget that Klinsmann was also the coach of Bayern Munich when American star Landon Donovan was on loan there in 2009.

All five players were named to Klinsmann’s first roster as head coach of the USMNT, but there’s even more ties to his German background lurking on the team, and they are with some surprising players.

DaMarcus Beasley, Ricardo Clark and Edson Buddle have all thought to be completely out of the National Team picture after the 2010 World Cup. All three, to the shock of many USMNT supporters, have been placed on the 22-man roster for the Mexico friendly, earning a chance to prove their worth to the new coach.

What do all three have in common, other than thought to be finished with the USMNT? They all have played club ball recently in Germany.

Clark has played both midfield and center fullback for Bundesliga 2 side Eintracht Frankfurt and Edson Buddle has scored three goals in 17 league appearances since joining fellow Bundesliga 2 team FC Ingolstadt 04 last summer. Beasley, though he just joined Mexican –side Puebla this summer, was a member of Bundesliga club Hannover 96 the past two seasons.

One would imagine all three are in an “Impress now or forever hold your peace” situation with the USMNT, but it isn’t far-fetched to imagine that their experiences in German soccer have earned them all one last chance.

Don’t expect the parade of German-Americans (or those playing professionally in Germany) to end soon either. Some other options still exist.

Goalkeeper David Yelldell, a German-American who has made one career appearance for the USMNT, signed with Bundesliga club Bayern Leverkusen this summer. He was briefly named the team’s starting goalkeeper in July, although he did not play in the team’s first game of the season. He could emerge as a No. 2 keeper behind incumbent starter Tim Howard.

Alfredo Morales is a 21-year-old German-American defender for Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin. Young players on top-tier teams usually get a good amount of hype from the American soccer media (think Eric Lichaj), so Morales’ name could get mentioned frequently in the upcoming years.

Luis Robles is another goalkeeper who plays in Germany. He plays for Bundesliga 2 team Karlsruher (previously with FC Kaiserslautern) and has made one appearance for the USMNT in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

So Klinsmann (and USMNT fans) wants the team to play more offensive-mindedly, more aggressive and with more technical skill. He wants them to play more like the German National Team. So to do that he’s bringing in players with ties to Germany who have experienced the style of play Germany plays, a style Kilnsmann influenced onto German teams with support from their soccer federation in 2004.

And how bad a model could the German National team be for the United States? Historically they are one of the most successful nations to participate in the FIFA World Cup and have finished third in two straight editions of the tournament (not to mention a second-place finish in 2002, pre-Klinsmann).

The Mexico friendly will usher in a new era for the American team, the “German era”. Now it’s time to see if Klinsmann can replicate that success of Die Mannschaft in the “land of the free and the home of the brave.”

Photo Credits.
Jürgen Klinsmann: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer
Jermaine Jones: AP Photo/Stephan Savoia

Pieces of Jürgen Klinsmann's introduction as USMNT head coach. Video from YouTube.

Hunter Pence Should Be the Top Trade Target for the Philadelphia Phillies

2011-07-19T12:53:00.006-04:00

While the Philadelphia Phillies will be looking for bullpen help at this summer’s MLB trade deadline, as they do most seasons, but their biggest weakness is their offense.

After being a feared lineup before last season the team’s offense has sputtered. They went missing in the NLCS against the San Francisco Giants and this season are 18th in all of baseball in home runs (81, a shame in their supposedly hitter’s ballpark), 19th in OPS (.700), 21st in batting average (.248) and 22nd in slugging percentage (.379).

The man they should target is Hunter Pence, an outfielder with the Houston Astros.

Outfield is the position that the Phils could upgrade and Pence is a righty, which will help balance their lefty-heavy middle of the order (Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez).

Pence is enjoying a great year. He has 11 home runs this year and 61 RBI and those totals would be third and second-best on the Phillies right now. His .318 average would lead the team and he’d also be in the top few in on-base percentage (.359) and OPS (.843).

This season the Phillies have mostly used a right-field platoon of Dominic Brown and Ben Francisco. Combined those two have hit 11 home runs and only 47 RBI. Add John Mayberry Jr.’s 24 RBI and that total just eclipses Pence’s total by 11. And none of those three are hitting above .243.

It isn’t just his hitting that makes Pence the perfect fit in Philly though. He’s a good fielder who has never committed more than six errors in a season, has a career fielding percentage of .986 when playing right field (he spent some of his rookie season in center field) and has a good arm. Pence also has good speed and runs the bases well (he would be fourth on the Phillies with seven steals and he hasn’t been caught stealing yet).

His contract situation is also suitable. He’s making a manageable $6.9 million this season and, more importantly, is signed through 2013. He won’t just be a rental player.

Having Pence would also let Brown develop on his own pace better this year with less pressure, as the rookie looks has struggled this year after missing the beginning of the season due to an injury.

The Astros should be sellers at the trade market, owners of the worst record in MLB (30-63). Word from Houston’s management is that they aren’t terribly interested in trading Pence, but that’s not to say the Phils don’t still have a chance to swing a deal.

Philadelphia and Houston are familiar trade partners. Astros General Manager Ed Wade previously held the same position with the Phillies, and he has swung some nice deals with his old employer. Before the 2008 season he sent Brad Lidge and Eric Bruntlett to the Phillies and both played big roles in helping the Phillies win the World Series that year. Last season Wade shipped long-time Astro-ace Roy Oswalt to Philly.

It’s not like the Astros haven’t received anything in return either. The Lidge trade netted them Michael Bourn, a speedy centerfielder who is enjoying a career year with a .287 batting average, 60 runs, seven triples and 35 stolen bases. In exchange for Oswalt Houston received J.A. Happ, a solid middle of the rotation guy.

And while the Phillies farm system has been depleted over the past few years with trades for Joe Blanton, Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and Oswalt they still do have some young talent that would be available to move.

Brown came in the season as the Phillies top-ranked prospect. He would be a major-league ready prospect that the Astros could slide into the lineup immediately. Another young player on the Phillies major league roster that could interest the Astros is starting pitcher Vance Worley. He is 5-0 this season with a 2.15 ERA filling in for injuries on the pitching staff. When Oswalt and Blanton come back off the DL however he will most likely be the odd-man-out.

Other prospects that interest teams are first baseman/outfielder and slugger Jonathan Singleton (currently blocked at first base by Ryan Howard), catcher Sebastian Valle and pitchers Brody Colvin, Jarred Cosart, Jesse Biddle, Trevor May and Phillippe Aumont.

Pence may cost the Phillies more than some of the other available outfielders on the market—Josh Willingham, Ryan Ludwick and Jeff Francoeur—would. But look at those names. None of them have been more consistent throughout their careers than Pence. Francoeur leads those three in career batting average (.267) but doesn’t come close to Pence’s (.292). Their power numbers this year aren’t even that much different from Pence. Willingham and Francoeur have 12 home runs while Ludwick has 11 and all three have fewer RBIs.

Also, are any of those three really that much better than Dominic Brown? Pence is a significant upgrade, but the other three don’t improve the position that much more to merit making a trade.

The Phillies championship window is getting smaller and smaller with guys like Howard, Utley, Rollins, Halladay and Lee all in their 30’s. Now is the time to take advantage of their talents by adding equally talented players to the roster to complement them.

Pence fits the bill. All other options are just cheap substitutes.

Photo Credits.
Hunter Pence: AP Photo/Dave Einsel
Dominic Brown: AP Photo/Tom Mihalek

Hunter Pence video diary. Video from YouTube.

MLS All-American Starting XI

2011-07-04T02:19:00.007-04:00

AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

Independence Day is the USA’s birthday and a great opportunity to celebrate being an American.

Not all the best American soccer players play in MLS, and not all the best players in MLS are American. So in honor of this great nation here is a starting XI of the best American players in MLS so far in the 2011 season.

The list features one goalie, three defenders, five midfielders and two forwards. To be eligible for this list the player has to be eligible to play for the United States Men’s National Team.

Goalie

Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake

Goalie is a position of strength for Americans, and MLS has its share of talented American keepers. Rimando is at the top of the class.

Compared to other goalies that have played in 10 or more games, the 5’8” net minder is third in winning percentage (43%), second in save percentage (79%), second in goals against average (0.64) and second in shutouts.

He missed a few games due to his inclusion with the USMNT in the Gold Cup, but with Rimando in net RSL is one of the stingiest defensive teams in the league. They currently have allowed only nine goals all season.

Defense

Omar Gonzalez, Los Angeles Galaxy

At 6’4”, Gonzalez towers over the opposition and he uses his size and strength to his advantage. He is the defensive centerpiece for the Western Conference-leading Galaxy. The team has allowed only 15 goals against—second in MLS—and is first with a plus-10 goal differential.

Because of his height Gonzalez can also be used in set pieces in front of the goal, registering one so far this season.

Jay DeMerit, Vancouver Whitecaps

He was the high-profile signing for the Whitecaps for their inaugural season and, when healthy, provides great leadership for one of two expansion teams.

The captain, as he has his whole career, is aggressive and a fighter and that rubs off on his teammates. The key for him is to just stay healthy, playing in only 10 games due to a groin injury. Still, when he plays he makes an obvious impact on the game.

Tim Ream, New York Red Bulls

National team duty is the only way the Red Bulls can get this promising prospect off the field.

Since joining the team as a second-round draft pick last year, Ream has played every single minute of every possible game he was active for. No injuries, no substitutions and no suspensions; the only reason Ream has missed time this year is because he was taken away to play with the USMNT in the Gold Cup.

Durability is not his only special trait. Ream has a great calmness on the ball and plays with much poise out of the back. He is a crisp passer and his ability to successfully begin the transition from defense to offense is not only perfect for the possession-obsessed New York Red Bulls, it is rare amongst most American centerbacks.

Midfield

Benny Feilhaber, New England Revolution

The 26-year-old made a huge splash in the league when he was signed by the Revolution in April. Attendance at New England games has increased thanks to Feilhaber’s presence, but that is the only thing that has improved about this club.

In the seven games he’s played in he has played every single minute. He has two assists this season, his first coming within his first 12 minutes of his debut. He’s an offensive-minded player and he has helped the struggling Revolution do a much better job of moving the ball around and push the ball up the field.

Brad Davis, Houston Dynamo

Brad Davis may be the best-player you haven’t heard of. The midfielder is a master of setting his teammates up. He has tallied 12 assists the past two years, finishing third in MLS last season, and already has nine this season, first in the league. He has two goals of his own this season as well.

He doesn’t get the headlines, he doesn’t get the individual accolades but Davis is very good on the wing and does a lot to help his team get a victory. The number of assists he produces on a yearly basis is quite impressive.

Jack Jewsbury, Portland Timbers

The 30-year-old midfielder is having a career year. As captain of the expansion Portland Timbers, Jewsbury has already tallied six assists (tied for fourth in the league, second-highest total of his career) and four goals (tied for a career-high).

Portland is not high in the standings, but they are a competitive team—especially at home—and it has to do with Jewsbury’s emergence from role player to the main man in the middle of the field.

Kyle Beckerman, Real Salt Lake

The dreadlocked one has been a mainstay in the Real Salt Lake lineup now for the past four years. He serves as the team’s captain and is tenacious on the defensive end of the field.

It’s hard to imagine there being a 50-50 ball or a tough tackle that Beckerman has ever shied away from. He maintains a positive attitude and has a strong will to win. He is the heart and soul of Real Salt Lake and a big reason for their transformation into one of, if not the most well-rounded team in MLS.

He hasn’t lost a step this season.

Brek Shea, FC Dallas

Always recognizable for his long blonde hair, Shea’s play has been just as noteworthy this season. He has a tremendous amount of talent and this year he is doing a good job showcasing it.

Currently he is one of four players tied for the league lead in goals scored (8). He has four goals in his past four games and is taking up the slack left behind by injured 2010 MVP David Ferreira. He also leads the league with four game-winning goals. He also puts a lot of pressure on opposing defenses, taking 42 shots this season, sixth in the league.

Shea’s dominance on the field has helped FC Dallas climb the standings to second place in the Western Conference, sitting only one point behind the Galaxy. He’s an early candidate for league MVP.

Forwards

Charlie Davies, D.C. United

Every American soccer fan’s favorite story, someone it seems like everyone is rooting for, Charlie Davies is making a remarkable comeback for his first action on the pitch since that heavily-publicized car accident in October of 2009.

He is tied for the league lead in goals (8), even though he has only started eight games and played in 14. While his speed still may not be at the same level it was pre-injury, Davies is fast enough to get behind defenses and really cause trouble on the offensive end of the field.

For most, it has been fun to watch Davies resurgence. A number of his goals have come from the penalty spot rather than in the run of play and he still is not quite ready to make his return to the USMNT, but Davies is taking advantage of every opportunity he gets for D.C. and is enjoying a very good first season in MLS.

Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy

Donovan is not only the face of the Galaxy, not only the face of MLS, but he is also the face of American soccer. His play on the field this year is once again top-notch and the perennial MVP-candidate is making another run for the trophy this season.

In only 11 games (missing time with the USMNT in the Gold Cup) he has eight goals, also one of four players tied for the league lead. He is the team’s captain, longest tenured player, and its leader. His team has the most points in the entire league and with no National Team matches coming up he should be on the field for the remainder of the Galaxy games, creating goals.

He’s a versatile player, which allows him to slide up as a forward in this starting lineup. He only has one assist this season, which is unusual for Donovan, but with more games and more time to get acclimated with his teammates he should improve on his assist number.

Bench

Kasey Keller, GK, Seattle Sounders; Todd Dunivant, D, Los Angeles Galaxy; Chad Marshall, D, Columbus Crew; Robbie Rogers, M, Columbus Crew; Jeff Larentowicz, M, Colorado Rapids; Teal Bunbury, F, Sporting Kansas City; Chris Wondolowski, F, San Jose Earthquakes

Is Oguchi Onyewu No Longer a First-Team Choice for the United States?

2011-06-08T15:25:00.003-04:00

AP Photo/Elise Amdendola

When the United States took on Canada in their opening match in the Gold Cup on Tuesday, the U.S. put their A-team on the field.

That is, their A-team minus one usual starter: Oguchi Onyewu. The mainstay in the Yanks starting lineup since 2005 was benched for Tuesday’s match.

Onyewu has had Gold Cup success before, scoring an extra time winner in the semifinal match in 2005 and being named to that tournament’s Best XI. However the past two years have not gone smoothly for the mammoth defender, and now his time with the National Team may have come to an end.

Once the cornerstone of the defensive back line, Onyewu’s career has taken a turn for the worse since 2009. He signed with AC Milan, one of the top teams in Italy, in July and has made zero Serie A appearances with the club and only one (brief) Champions League appearance. Much of that lack of playing time stems from an injury suffered with the USMNT.

In an October World Cup Qualifying match against Costa Rica, Onyewu leapt up for a header only to fall in a heap, suffering a patellar tendon rupture in his left knee. He recovered, rehabbed and came back in time for the 2010 World Cup, but with so much time off it was obvious to the media, fans and coach Bob Bradley that “Gooch” was extremely rusty. He started the first game of the group stage, was subbed out of the second one and was benched for the remainder of the tournament.

After the World Cup there were some bright spots that some thought meant he was returning to form. In an October friendly against Poland, wearing the captain’s armband, he scored a goal to put the team ahead 2-1 (they would eventually settle for a draw, 2-2).

In November he got into a skirmish during practice with teammate and world-superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic, which if nothing else, suggested that the big man still had some fight left in him.

Then in January he was loaned to Dutch club FC Twente, where he was a regular in the starting lineup, albeit at left fullback rather than his normal central defense position. Still, the playing time was what everyone thought he needed.

However after he started the recent team’s friendly against Spain (when they were thrashed, 4-0) Onyewu was benched for the first game of a very important Gold Cup.

People have been highly critical of Onyewu in the past two years. He has looked slow, out of sync with the rest of his team and unfit. He has had opportunities with the National Team to prove to the coaching staff that he has recovered but he has not looked comfortable on the field in the majority of games.

Finally Bradley has benched him, and his status with the National Team does not look good. In a game featuring the USMNT’s top lineup, Onyewu was benched in favor of Clarence Goodson and Tim Ream.

Goodson is a tall defender who is very good in the air, gets forward on set pieces and scores as well as Onyewu did in his prime and is a key player for his club team.

Ream is considered to be the next big thing for the U.S. defense. He is very calm and poised on the ball. His best skill is his passing ability out of the backfield. This allows for the team to actually obtain possession and gets the transition going the other way going much faster and smoother. Thos two things are instrumental in the USMNT’s scheme and helping the team improve against some of the better teams in the world.

Also on the depth chart is Jay DeMerit, a tenacious defender with a very good work ethic (currently recovering from an injury) and prospects Omar Gonzalez and Ike Opara. Maurice Edu played the position in the 2008 Olympics, Jonathan Spector can play any position along the back line and other players with National Team experience (Ricardo Clark, Heath Pearce and Marvelle Wynne) have moved positions and are playing centerback for their clubs. There is also the possibility that other young fullbacks that we haven’t heard of yet get hot, much like how Edson Buddle and Herzulez Gomez did before the previous World Cup.

Bob Bradley was patient with Onyewu’s recovery, but now it seems, with other options becoming available, that his patience has worn thin.

There was a time where an average or hurt Onyewu was still head and shoulders the best defender in the U.S. player pool.

If the game against Canada is any indication, those days, as well as his days playing with the first-choice team, are over.

Athletes Tweeting About Shaq

2011-06-05T02:51:00.012-04:00

AP Photo/John Raoux

Shaquille O'Neal is the reason why I fell in love with basketball. He was incredibly talented, charismatic, humble, personable and entertaining. I saw "Kazaam" and "Steel" and I cried when he left my favorite team--the Orlando Magic (simply because he played for them)-- for the Los Angeles Lakers. I always remained in awe when he would throw down an amazing slam dunk. I laughed during almost all of his press conferences and was impressed when he danced at the All-Star game with the Jabbawockeez.

I will have so many fond memories of The Diesel and will thank him for them and for getting me excited about basketball.

However, I am not the only one to appreciate The Big Shaqtus/Shamrock. So many others respected him, especially fellow professional athletes. Here's how some of them paid tribute to The Big Aristotle (@SHAQ) on their Twitter pages.

Scottie Pippin, Hall-of-Fame NBA player, most notably with the Chicago Bulls: @ScottiePippin "Congrats to @SHAQ on a Hall of Fame career. He is truly one of the game's most dominant big men to ever play."

LeBron James, NBA, Miami Heat: @KingJames "What a career for Shaq Diesel!! The most dominating force to ever play the game. Great person to be around as well. Comedy all the time!!"

Dwyane Wade, NBA, Miami Heat: @dwadeofficial "I'm honored and truly humbled to have been a teammate of the GREAT @SHAQ..this game will not be the same without him..respect"

Steve Nash, NBA, Phoenix Suns: @SteveNash "Congratulations @SHAQ on your quadruple platinum hall of fame career. I know you're not riding off into the sunset...what's next?"

Grant Hill, NBA, Phoenix Suns: @realgranthill33 (2 tweets) "Congrats to my former teammate, friend and neighbor @SHAQ on a Hall Of Fame career. 1 of the best ever. Also, 1 of the only rappers to" "to have a song with both JayZ and Biggie Smalls. #respecttweet"

Tracy McGrady, NBA, Detroit Pistons: @TheReal_TMAC "#salute to the big fella from LSU... dominant, charming, funny, and a true NBA legend.. i will miss shaquille o'neal... #retiring"

Andy Roddick, tennis player: @andyroddick "i will miss shaq.... he is the best quote in sports"

Paul Rabil, professional lacrosse player, Boston Cannons and Washington Stealth: @PaulRabil "This Shaq retirement conference is the most entertainment I've seen associated with the NBA since MJ was playing. #MadRespect #BigAARP"

Chad Ochocinco, NFL, Cincinnati Bengals: @ochocinco "#OCNN - All the best to my good friend @SHAQ. Truly one of the greatest of all time!!!"

Michael Strahan, former NFL player, New York Giants: @michaelstrahan "Congratulations to @SHAQ on retiring after 19 years in the game. Dominant force....."

Jozy Altidore, professional soccer player, Bursaspor (Turkey) & USA @JozyAltidore17 "@SHAQ u the man"

Giuseppe Rossi, profesonal soccer player, Villarreal (Spain) & Italy: @GiuseppeRossi22 "Who agrees with me that @SHAQ is one of the best all time? #dominance #power #champion"

John Cena, professionoal wrestler, WWE: @JohnCena "CeNation. Watching Shaq's retirement address. Class act. He has great personality and relationship with media. Truly one of the greatest."

Shaquille O'Neal Retires, Leaves Behind Larger Than Life Legacy

2011-06-05T02:02:00.011-04:00

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

While the stats are impressive, it’s almost a shame they commanded so much attention during Shaquille O’Neal’s retirement press conference. Because Shaq was so much more than just the 28,596 points he scored, the 13,099 rebounds he grabbed, or the 2,732 shots he blocked.

Even the various MVP awards and, yes, the four NBA Championships he won are only a small part of the giant man’s career.

There were many other things that set Shaq apart from the rest of the players in the NBA.

The first thing that fans noticed about Shaq, the first thing that drew me to the sport of basketball, was of course his unique skill set. He was, in the first half of his career, a beautiful blend of power and finesse. Power dominates the equation, for sure, but Shaq Fu could run the court and was fairly athletic, especially for his immense size.

But really, who was able to stop Shaq? He would bowl over anybody in the post that tried to stop him. His size and strength made him a sheer force. It became so hard to stop him that teams began employing the “Hack-a-Shaq” tactic, fouling him deliberately in the hope (and often times the likely outcome) that he would miss his free throws.

It wasn’t just his opponents O’Neal would go after with tenacity either; he attacked the basket with an unseen amount of power.

After Darryl Dawkins ripped the rim off the backboard a few too many times, the way the basket was built was changed. So Shaq he couldn’t take the rim down the court with him? No problem, he just took the entire basket down to the court.

Another O’Neal staple was his smile, one that stretched across his entire face and sparkled like something out of a toothpaste commercial. Shaq appreciated the opportunities he had thanks to basketball and he enjoyed every single one of them. While he came up with an incredible amount of nicknames for himself, another that would seem fitting for him is “The Big Kid”. He celebrated big plays with a memorable candor. He joked around with teammates and played pranks on them.

He also was cooperative and playful with the media. He was always good for a sound bite and really enjoyed the attention. Shaq even mentioned that one reason he wanted to have his press conference at his house was so he could host the media and feed them, thanking them for a 19-year relationship.

Most importantly though, Shaq was one of the most accessible players to the fans—the ones who helped make him as big a superstar as he was—and was one of the most charitable players in the league.

Shaq was one of the first athletes to really use Twitter to connect with his fans, offering contests to meet him and win tickets to games.

His charity efforts often get overlooked. He helped supply and distribute necessities to victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. He gets involved in countless charity events and his “Shaq-A-Claus” routine, delivering toys to less fortunate children on Christmas, is a huge hit.

O’Neal doesn’t isn’t charitable because it’s good for his image, he does it—often times without any fanfare—because, it seems, that he honestly thinks it’s the right thing to do. Fitting that such a large man would also have such a large heart.

Sure Shaq had his moody moments or questionable comments, but he was a true role model. He was never in trouble with the league or the law. He valued education and went back to school, finishing his undergrad degree, obtaining his Master’s and beginning the process of earning a PhD. He is a family man and, backed by his examples of charity and forays into law enforcement, always looks out for the good of others.

After 19 seasons in the NBA there are many fond memories of The Diesel. It’s hard to imagine someone that will capture the attention and entertain the fans as well as O’Neal did, and he will be terribly missed.

That being said, it’s also hard to believe that this will be the last we hear of him. Because once an entertainer, always an entertainer.

Clips from Shaq's retirement press conference. Video from ESPN.

Virginia Men's Lacrosse Team Shows Resiliency, Wins NCAA Championship

2011-05-31T14:11:00.004-04:00

AP Photo/Gail Burton

Call it perseverance. Or possibly stubbornness. But even through so much roster turmoil the Virginia men’s lacrosse team would not go away. They stuck together and despite the doubts and constant changing won the NCAA Division 1 championship.

Last season the Cavaliers made it to the Final Four before losing to eventual champion Duke. But the craziness began before then when defender George Huguely was charged with the murder of Virginia women’s lacrosse player and ex-girlfriend Yeardley Love. This weekend as his teammates celebrated, Huguely sat in a jail cell waiting for his trial, set for February 6.

The turnover continued this season. Star defender Matt Lovejoy underwent season ending shoulder surgery after playing in 10 games this season.

A pair of All-American midfielders—twins Shamel and Rhmael Bratton, considered the best players on the team—were suspended multiple times this season. Rhamel was suspended before the regular season finale and was ruled inactive for every game following.

Shamel was suspended three times total this season, his third the same team as Rhamel’s and leading to his dismissal from the team. Shamel finished the season fourth on the team in points (despite playing in only 11 games) and Rhamel finished sixth.

Before Virginia beat the University of Pennsylvania in a NCAA tournament tune-up, the team had lost four of its final five games, including getting bounced out of the ACC Tournament in the first round.

Even in the playoffs, things did not get any better. They needed overtime to come-from-behind and beat first round opponent Bucknell. The offense took another hit when third-leading scorer Colin Briggs was also suspended for the team’s NCAA semifinal game.

Somehow, though, the team made it work.

Having a young defense without Lovejoy, Virginia changed schemes. Notorious for having a pressure-packed man-to-man defense, the Cavaliers converted, mid-season, to playing mostly zone defense. In the NCAA Tournament Virginia surrendered double-digits in goals only once (the Bucknell game).

With the Brattons, the majority of the team’s offense relied on its midfield production. When both were gone from the team, the offense morphed and changed to get more production from its attack and work the ball from behind the net. Much like how the defense was successful, the offense scored double-digits in all its tournament games except for the championship round, when they scored nine goals.

And who was the hero of the championship game? None other than the previously suspended Briggs. The senior midfielder scored a career-high five goals.

“I definitely disappointed myself and let down the team on Saturday. I wanted to come back today and give everything I had,’’ Briggs told the media after the big win. “I got some open looks and was able to finish some shots.’’

It was very unlikely, all things considered, that Virginia would be hoisting the championship trophy at the end of the season. They were the lowest-seeded team (No. 7) to win the title and the first to do so with five losses (Virginia finished the season 13-5).

None of that matters though, because they are, in fact, champions. And they did so by overcoming adversity through teamwork. Instead of whining, the team banded together, adapted to every new situation, bought in to what head coach Dom Starsia taught them and executed.

What Virginia did was a true lesson in taking responsibility for one’s own mistakes and fixing them.

Stop Calling for a Soccer Savior in the United States

2011-05-09T14:19:00.006-04:00

Editorial

I recently read an article that asked if Juan Agudelo was the savior of U.S. soccer. The thought behind the piece began, as it always does, listing the names of players who have not lived up to expectations but that maybe this time we had found the one.

Agudelo is an impressive player, and hopefully he continues to play well. But this style of writing needs to end. It’s lazy writing and accomplishes nothing. It is in fact the type of writing that makes the audience resent the media: building a character up in order to tear him down even harder.

The article linked to above isn’t the only one that deploys this technique, it is just the most recent I’ve seen. The names of “failures” are the typical ones mentioned: Charlie Davies, Jozy Altidore, Eddie Johnson and, of course, Freddy Adu. This isn’t to say they haven’t been disappointing, or that we shouldn’t expect more from them. But why must every young, talented American soccer player be a savior? The writers make knee-jerk reactions to good and are just as quick to criticize and devalue through times that are not as fortunate.

The first problem with the “soccer savior” story is how it originates. Far too often a potential savior is pulled from an extremely small sample size.

The majority of Juan Agudelo’s mainstream hype has come from an entire three games with the U.S National Team; his third appearance against Argentina in March was, at the time, one more game than he had played in with the New York Red Bulls total. Jozy Altidore made 43 total appearances with the Red Bulls, his first professional club team. That’s just over one full MLS season. Eddie Johnson’s most impressive run with the National Team was for his seven goals in six World Cup qualifiers. And Freddy Adu, he never played in a professional match in his life when the media firestorm anointed him the chosen one.

How can greatness be judged in a handful of games? You can learn some things about a player, but his eventual career path has so many active variables that you just can never tell that soon. The media justifies these responses by saying things like, “The American public is hungry for its own soccer superstar.” Really, it is sports writers hungry for a quick easy story. One that is framed around little information and could very well turn out wrong, but even then it would create another story.

There is a good reason the sample size is so small—the age of the players. Adu and Altidore are 21-years-old, Davies is 24 and Agudelo is only 18. Johnson is the oldest of the aforementioned players, at 27, but even so the tipping point of his success came roughly seven years ago (making Johnson a mere 20-years-old).

The point is all these players burst onto the scene at a very young age—they couldn’t even legally buy a beer. Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney became superstars at equally young ages and have become the biggest name in the sport. But that doesn’t mean that if these American players haven’t reached their peak at the same age then they are failures.

For starters the youth development programs in the country are notoriously not as strong as those overseas. Places like the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida and MLS academies are helping to close the gap, but it’s not there yet. Therefore it takes more time for players to properly develop.

Bob Bradley, the head coach of the USMNT, has brought players like Altidore, Adu and Agudelo in for developmental purposes. In order to make the team more successful (and in doing so helping the sport become more popular in the country) Bradley’s philosophy was to make the available player pool deeper. That has meant expanding the pool to bring in younger players and bring them along at the senior level. Some, like Agudelo, flourish in the early stages. It is a process, however.

By no means is Agudelo a complete player because of his good showings in three international matches. And Adu not making a World Cup team thus far does not mean he never will. There is still a lot of time for both of these players to hit their primes and until then they will be learning the game, improving their skills and becoming good soccer players, regardless of the superstardom they achieve.

One thing that halts these players is the moves they make in the transfer seasons. With a little help from the media hype that surrounds them, the players’ profiles grow attracting them to big name teams. They move but are not ready to see the field and get buried on the bench.

Bought by Fulham in 2008, Johnson has only made 20 total appearances for the English Premier League club. He’s been loaned out three separate times. Altidore, after signing with Spanish giant Villareal, is on his third loan and Adu is on his fourth loan from parent club Benfica in Portugal.

The problem is that the players aren’t allowed to develop at the proper rates. Even the teams they are loaned to are in top flight leagues around the world and are looking to win games, not develop other team’s talents.

While these young players are training at high levels and learning what it means to be a professional, at the end of the day they have to crack the lineup and see the field. Otherwise they are no longer fit for games, their confidence gets shaken and they get rusty, dulling their once dazzling talents.

Then the media swoon over them like vultures, declaring their careers all but over.

The media is not at fault for player’s choosing the wrong team to transfer to. But for some reason the lack of proper time to develop gets lost in the coverage.

There is nothing wrong with being excited for a young player’s success. And if that player will help lead soccer to a higher status on and off the pitch then that’s great. But expectations need to be kept in
check.

The soccer savior theme needs to be put to an end. It’s beyond hyperbole now, it’s a cliché. Anytime a young player has a good run of form, even for only a handful of games, he becomes the new flavor of the week. And then when the hot streak cools and the player must work through adversity—an essential part of a player’s development—the media turns their back on him, labeling him a failure.

It’s a tired form of writing and accomplishes nothing other than squeezing as many headlines out of a buzz worthy player as possible. It makes it look like writers are not out to cover the beautiful game but rather essentially create and manipulate their own stories.

Besides, with the USMNT improving its quality of play on the pitch, MLS becoming a financially stable establishment and pure interest in the global game on the rise (i.e. sales for the FIFA video game, TV ratings for the World Cup and English Premier League matches) is a savior really needed?

Photo Credits.
Juan Agudelo and Teal Bunbury: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Freddy Adu: AP Photo/Nick Wass

Teemu Tainio Will Be Missed When New York Red Bulls Face the Los Angeles Galaxy

2011-05-07T15:05:00.005-04:00

AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

When the New York Red Bulls square off against the Los Angeles Galaxy offense will be at a premium.

Landon Donovan, Thierry Henry, David Beckham, Juan Agudelo, Juan Pablo Angel and Luke Rodgers are all names that should see action and they all bring it in the attacking third.

Good offenses are fueled by teams that are capable of playing good defense, transitioning to offense, and possessing the ball. So New York not having Teemu Tainio is a huge loss and could have a great effect on the outcome of the match. He did not travel with the club to Los Angeles because of a groin injury.

The Finnish International was signed by the Red Bulls before the season started in March and has a long history of playing soccer at the highest level. He’s played in the UEFA Champions League with Auxerre, a club he spent eight years with making 150 appearances with the team. Then he moved onto the English Premier League with Tottenham for three years. He rounded out his European career with Sunderland and Birmingham City in England and Ajax, the famous club from Amsterdam.

The signing with New York was a quiet one, and he had to go on trial with them before the club would commit to him. But he may be the best signing in the entire league.

Tainio has started and played every league match at defensive midfield for the Red Bulls so far this season. He played every minute of every match until he was subbed out at halftime of last week’s game against Sporting Kansas City with a groin injury.

He’s a hard worker who plays strong, tenacious defense. He’s also been the link from the defense from the offense. His passing has been crisp and he had been the key to the Red Bulls being one of the cleanest passing teams in the league. They’ve been a very good possession team, something head coach Hans Backe has been very proud of.

Tainio only has one assist this season and more times than not if the announcer is not saying his name, he’s having a good night. But the impact he has on the field was felt when he was removed from the Kansas City game.

“He’s a very important piece of the team,” Rafael Márquez said to the press. “He is the one that balances the entire squad on the field so when he is not around, we always miss him.”

Carl Robinson, Tainio’s replacement, did not hold his own. The team’s time of possession was way down in the second half and as a result, Kansas City’s attack was more potent and dangerous.

It’s unfair to say it was all Robinson’s fault, or that he won’t be able to get the job done adequately, it’s just that you can tell the kind of difference Tainio makes on the field.

His replacement as well as the entire team have their work cut out for them against the Galaxy.

Red Bulls Insider: Meet Teemu Tainio. Video from YouTube.

NFL Draft 2011: New England Patriots' Plan All About Flexibility

2011-05-06T19:19:00.002-04:00

AP Photo/Winslow Townson

When the New England Patriots entered the 2011 NFL Draft the team held six picks in the first three rounds. The fans and the media expected the team to really cash in.

The most publicized need for New England was a pass rush. Lucky for them, with so many top picks, this year was a deep class of defensive ends and outside linebackers. Names like Ryan Kerrigan, Muhammad Wilkerson, Cameron Heyward and Cameron Jordan filled the Big Board.

When all was said and done the Patriots didn’t draft any of those names. In fact, they didn’t select someone that plays in the front seven until they selected OLB Markell Carter out of Central Arkansas in the sixth round.

It’s not to say the players they drafted won’t be any good or that they don’t fill needs or depth. But why ignore a supposed glaring hole? It’s become the theme of the draft, possibly the theme of the Patriots, was not, in fact, address need but rather flexibility.

Flexibility and the mantra of the New England Patriots explain what happened during the draft. The Patriots are notorious for “putting the team first” and not overpaying for talent are ways the ownership manages the team, and has also helped make them as successful as they have been in this century. Randy Moss, Richard Seymour, Ty Law and Willie McGinest all experienced it. It’s the business.

So the first round selection of OT Nate Solder puts Matt Light on notice. Light has started at the left tackle position when he was drafted in 2001 and is looking for a new contract. But history and the draft tell us that if Light wants to be a Patriot he should temper his demands.

Solder may not be ready in Year 1, but he’s a promising prospect. Give Light one more year, develop Solder, and if Light’s contract demands are too steep to merit giving to the 32-year-old, let him walk and you have a capable player ready to step in.

Depth along the offensive line was something that needed to be addressed and Solder gives them flexibility at this position currently and moving forward.

Skip down to when the Patriots select running backs with their second pick in the second round and their first in the third round. Again, current starter BenJarvus Green-Ellis is coming upon free agency. Maybe his productive 2010 priced him out of the Patriots range.

People speculated the Pats would take one running back at some point because they like having a lot of depth at that position. But two back to back? Green-Ellis may be on his way out of Foxborough.

So if they were planning on going running back, why trade down in the first round and let the Saints select former Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram?

While it’s no certainty he’ll be a successful player, he does have a higher profile. As a first-round pick his salary would be much higher than backs drafted in later rounds. So why pay him more for backs that, while they may not have the hardware Ingram does, could be successful in the system?

With the trade, the Patriots also picked up an extra first-rounder next year. Will they trade down like in most of the drafts in recent years? Possibly. But having two picks gives New England flexibility in making decisions. They can package the two to move up, or trade down again, gaining more picks and more future flexibility in potential trades.

As for the pass rush? The front office must be confident that last year’s draft picks Jermaine Cunningham and Brandon Spikes will continue to develop and free agent signings Eric Moore and Gerard Warren will step up. As we’ve seen before, the Patriots aren’t afraid to take a chance on an older free agent.

So while many fans were left scratching their heads, there is a plan in place. And flexibility is a vital part to it.

Toronto FC 2011 MLS Season Preview

2011-03-19T00:39:00.006-04:00

AP Photo/Darryl Dyck

Is there a team in more disarray than Toronto FC? In the club’s fifth year of existence it will be playing under its sixth different coach. Its star-player wants out and its 2010 team MVP left preseason camp because of a gripe about his contract. The team has still never made the playoffs.

And now there’s another team in Canada to steal talent and fans from the Reds.

Things can only get better from here for Toronto, right?

Aron Winter is the new head coach, a former Dutch National Team member. He promises Toronto fans that the team will play an attacking attractive style of soccer. And after having Preki, who some criticized as a drill sergeant coach, this new system should seem more fun and inspiring, especially as they finished fourth in the league in fewest goals scored (33).

He’ll have arguably one of the best midfielders ever in MLS, Dwayne De Rosario. He’s a two-time league MVP and he’s a clutch performer in both regular season and the playoffs. Last season he scored an MLS career-high 15 goals to go along with three assists. He’s the club’s all-time leading scorer.

The leading man, however, is unhappy. He says he feels he has outperformed his contract and deserves a new, more deserving deal. Part of that dissatisfaction could be because of how he has played and produced far more than Toronto’s two Designated Players (Julian de Guzman and Mista—now released). After scoring a goal in September last year, he mimed signing a check and mouthed “Pay me.”

This offseason he went on trial with legendary Scottish club Celtic. He did so, however, without the knowledge or permission of Toronto FC or MLS. They let him stay on trial once they found out though, but when De Ro asked for a short-term loan they immediately said no.

He isn’t the only one to want more from TFC management. Last season’s team MVP—who made around $65,000 in base salary—left training camp demanding a new contract. He returned eight days later, but there seems to be a problem here between the team’s top players and ownership. Did De Ro’s situation make it easier for Cann to make his statement? This is the kind of off-field extracurricular activity that could tear teams apart.

On the field, apart from these two, the Reds have a great starting goalkeeper in Stefan Frei. A good athlete in net, Frei improved upon his rookie numbers in 2010 posting a 1.32 goals against average and a 70 percent save percentage.

Frei will need to continue to improve because the defense has been pretty weak. Once again TFC allowed over 40 goals throughout the season. The team made a nice move in an attempt to improve its backline, trading for Nathan Sturgis, the 23-year-old defender that was on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.

Along with Sturgis is Nana Attakora. The 21-year-old has been a member of the team since its existence. The hope is that his presence, although a young player, will be a stabilizing force as the team rebuilds and attempts to make the playoffs for the first time ever.

There is talent on this team, but there has been a lot of instability and in-house arguing. De Rosario says he won’t be a distraction, that he will play as if there was no problem, but if the team isn’t winning how happy will he remain?

The team has fallen short and underachieved with some solid lineups. With so much going on off-the-field it’s hard to imagine things straightening themselves out.

Aron Winter talks about taking the Toronto FC coaching job. Video from YouTube.

Vancouver Whitecaps 2011 MLS Season Preview

2011-03-18T23:45:00.004-04:00

AP Photo/Elise Amdendola

One of two expansion teams in 2011—and the second team in Canada—the Vancouver Whitecaps seem to have a squad set-up for more success in the future than right now.
Only three players are in their thirties, and only five more are over the age of 26. The Whitecaps held the first overall selection in the MLS Super Draft and chose a player they were familiar with, but cannot play with them until he turns 18-years-old in September. Also, only five players played in MLS last season.

If Vancouver is going to be competitive, let alone surprise the league and sneak into the playoffs, they will rely heavily on veterans on defense: goalie Joe Cannon and defender and captain Jay DeMerit.

DeMerit has enjoyed a Cinderella-like soccer career. After being turned down by MLS he moved to England and briefly joined teams in the ninth and seventh-tiers of English soccer, until in 2004 he impressed Watford coaches in a scrimmage and was invited to a trial with the team. He signed with the club and was a regular in the lineup until this past summer. He also was a starter for the USMNT during the previous World Cup.

Named team captain, DeMerit brings valuable soccer experience, toughness, determination and will anchor the backline.

Cannon is a 12-year MLS veteran. He became the face of the San Jose Earthquakes the past few years and got them off to a hot start last season, but an ankle injury ended not only his season, but his tenure with the club. He will be a stabilizing force when he is fit to play, but currently he is still recovering from that ankle injury. Jay Nolly will hold down the fort for him.

A lot of players will really need to step up for Vancouver to win games. The corps of forwards is extremely thin. No. 1 draft pick Omar Salgado—who trained with Vancouver last year—has played well in the preseason and is an exciting prospect, but due to FIFA age restrictions will not be able to suit up for the team until September.

The Whitecaps management made Frenchman Eric Hassli its first-ever Designated Player. The forward came from FC Zurich in Switzerland and has a strong build (6’4”, 200 pounds) and seems to be a physical force to be reckoned with, but his ability to score goals is suspect. In the past two seasons he only scored seven goals, which is pretty poor for a forward, let alone one signed as a DP.

John Thorrington and Shea Salinas are midfielders that bring a lot of MLS experience and are solid players, however, like Cannon, have long injury histories that make what kind of impact they have on the field questionable.

The team has retained 11 players from its USSF Division-2 side—including defender Wes Knight, midfielder and former Juventus product Davide Chiumiento and 18-year-old midfielder Russell Teibert—and it will be interesting to see how they adapt to the new league.

With a tremendous lack of experience and the large potential for injuries, opportunities for playing time will be wide open. Will the young guys step up and compete hard for the chance to get on the pitch, or will it be a situation where someone is playing by default because there is no one else?

The learning curve must be quick, or the Whitecaps first season—despite the great support from its fans—could be a rocky road.

Omar Salgado talks after being selected No.1 overall to the Whitecaps. Video from YouTube.

Real Salt Lake 2011 MLS Season Preview

2011-03-18T12:40:00.002-04:00

AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

Los Angeles and New York get a lot of the glitz and glamour, but is there a better team, a team more well-rounded than Real Salt Lake?

The team was unsuccessful in defending its MLS Cup championship, but as a team they looked as dangerous as ever. Finishing second in the Western Conference, Salt Lake had the Newcomer of the Year award winner, surrendered the fewest goals in the league (20) and had the best goal differential (plus-25).

The best thing to like about the 2011 version of this club? It returns practically everyone from the core of last year’s team. Actually, an impact player was added to its roster. An elite team with continuity from year-to-year is very dangerous.

Alvaro Saborio made a huge impact on the team in his debut season in MLS, scoring 12 goals and winning the Newcomer of the Year award. He was rewarded for his efforts with a new Designated Player contract. He’ll need to be just as strong this year, with Robbie Findley leaving and trying his hand in Europe.

Findley wasn’t a major contributor last year, struggling with form and injuries and missing time because of his inclusion on the World Cup squad. But when he was around teams still had to think about him. Now, however, it’s all up to Saborio.

He’ll have plenty of support in the midfield, though. Javier Morales is the stand-out of this unit. He’s a playmaker in the center of the midfielder who can both get his own shot off and create for others. He’s also aided by Andy Williams, a playmaker himself with good pace, and newcomer Arturo Alvarez.

Alvarez is an offensive-minded player who many think will thrive with this club. He’s a bit temperamental at times, but he has been a prominent player on all his teams while in MLS and will only improve RSL.

Backing them up is midfielder and team captain Kyle Beckerman. He is a tenacious player who always goes in hard in his challenges on the ball, and he is a good leader.

The stingy defense is led by goalkeeper Nick RImando. His quick reflexes helped him post the second best goals against average in the league (0.67) and the most shutouts (14). He also finished third in save percentage (78%).

In front of him is as solid a group as any, headed by Jamison Olave. The centerback is the best player on the backline. He is joined by Nat Borchers, Robbie Russell and Chris Wingert.

Like any team, avoiding injury will be the biggest issue this team has. It will be a little more difficult to do with so many games. There are MLS matches and US Open Cup matches. The team also qualified for Superliga and is currently in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Champions League. Depth and overwork will test this team.

A second strike partner will need to be found to support Saborio. Cody Arnoux came to the team in a special draft and he impressed Everton enough to earn a one-year contract with Everton in 2009. Fabian Espindola had a goal and an assist in the team’s recent 2-0 victory over Saprissa in the Champions League. So options are there.

This is a very dangerous team with talent, key players signed to long-term contracts and youth to develop. They won the 2009 MLS Cup as a heavy underdog, but now this club will aim to become a dynasty and win another trophy, this time as a legitimate threat.

Real Salt Lake prepares for the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League. Video from YouTube.

D.C. United 2011 MLS Season Preview

2011-03-17T02:18:00.004-04:00

AP Photo/J. Pat Carter

In 2010 the New York Red Bulls went from worst record in MLS to first place in the Eastern Conference. Their Atlantic Cup rival D.C. United is poised to make a similar ascent up the standings.

After finishing last season with the worst record in MLS, and failing to qualify for the playoffs for a third consecutive year, D.C. made a lot of changes to its roster, picking up some very recognizable names.

Joseph Ngwenya, Josh Wolff, Pat Onstad, Dax McCarty and Charlie Davies will all represent the Black and Red on the pitch this season.

Ngwenya, Wolff and Davies were all brought in to help an impotent offense that was the only team in MLS last season to not score 30 goals (21). All the attention will be on Davies however.

It seems like ages ago Davies was a promising USMNT forward that wowed fans with his blistering speed, earned their respect with his tireless hustle and got their attention with his “Stanky Leg” goal celebration. Then a car accident not only almost took his soccer career, but his life as well.

Davies has persevered, though, and has done his rehab. His parent club, FC Sochaux, thought he was unfit for first team action with them so he needed a fresh start. In a surprising twist he wound up exactly where it all fell apart for him.

Fans around the world, especially American fans, will watch Davies closely; Is he still as fast? Can he score? What’s going to happen if someone comes in with a hard challenge? Can he be the great player we thought he would be before the accident?
It’s a lot to live up to, but leading up to things Davies seems to realize what he’s gotten himself into, relishes it and just wants to focus on getting first-team fit again.

He’ll have plenty of support behind him in the midfield. Last year’s Rookie of the Year Andy Najar will be joined by Designated Player Branko Boskovic, Santino Quaranta and Dax McCarty. Najar was the team’s leader in goals scored last season and the team’s lack of talent really thrust him into a starring role. But it won’t be all up to him this year.

The majority of the team is young, so McCarty will provide the leadership this squad lacked last year. He’s only 23-years-old, but he’s been in the league since 2006 and last year with FC Dallas he made it to the MLS Cup final. He’s getting increased looks from the USMNT and was the team’s captain in its January friendly against Chile.

The big names have come on offense but the defense is a bit thin. It was supposed to be homegrown product Bill Hamid’s time to shine in net, but he suffered a shoulder injury early in preseason. Backup Steve Cronin was also injured, so it’s up to 43-year-old Pat Onstad—who retired and signed with D.C. to be an assistant coach, only to unretire to fill out the goalie position—to lead a relatively unfamiliar unit. Outside of rookie Perry Kitchen, the team’s first round pick, the rest of the defense is a bunch of unknowns.

A big problem for United is that while the additions are of high-profile names, do they still bring talent or are they working on name alone? Teams get rid of players for all different reasons, but make no mistake about it Ngwenya, Wolff and Onstad were all let go by their respective teams. Wolff only scored two goals last season, Ngwenya netted only one goal and Onstad retired. And can Davies stay healthy?

The defense looks to be the weakness but the other positions are full of potential and promise. Things may start out a little rocky, but this team does have the talent to at least sneak into the playoffs.

If anything, this team gives the faithful fans something to be optimistic about despite the performances over the past few years and the possibility that the team may be moved.

Charlie Davies talks about the car accident and D.C. United. Video from Fox Sports.
<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&brand=foxsports&from=sp&vid=ba8677f8-fba1-49b6-af86-3c4086ed48c8&src=FLCP:sharebar:embed" target="_new" title="Exclusive Interview: Charlie Davies">Video: Exclusive Interview: Charlie Davies</a>

New York Red Bulls 2011 MLS Season Preview

2011-03-14T13:46:00.004-04:00

AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

All eyes will be on the New York Red Bulls in 2011. A worst-to-first season in 2010, a great stadium and big name foreign players to go with promising young Americans has everyone talking about the possibilities for this team. But this squad is far from a lock on winning it all.

Consistency has always been an issue for this club. While soccer seems to have more player movement compared to other sports in the country, the Red Bulls—going back to when they were the MetroStars—has had a constantly revolving door of players and coaches.

Born in 1996, current head coach Hans Backe is the twelfth man to lead the club. No coach has lasted more than three seasons, and only two have done that. So while Backe gets another crack at things, assistant coaches Richie Williams—who had been with the team since 2006—and Des McAleenan—the goalkeepers coach since 2002—were fired.

The two have been with the club for long periods of time and have been through it all. Williams, for the past couple of years, has been a hot commodity for a head coaching position in the league. To fire those two only a few weeks before the season begins is a perplexing move and could be indicative of larger issues within the club.

Also not returning is the franchise’s all-time leading goal scorer Juan Pablo Angel. In four seasons with the team he scored 61 goals in all competitions. His contract expired however and the team decided to go in another direction.

As peculiar as it was for the team to so easily get rid of one of its best players ever, there is some consolation in that the expected forward tandem could be the most hyped about duo in the league: Thierry Henry and Juan Agudelo.

Henry was the marquee designated player signing last summer for the Red Bulls. There was a lot of excitement about him coming to MLS after the FIFA World Cup, yet his performance didn’t match it. He scored only two goals in only 11 league games, missing three of the team’s final four games—including the first leg of the playoffs—and coming on as a late-sub in the match that eliminated them from the playoffs.

Henry trained with Arsenal over the winter in order to regain fitness and health. If he can stay healthy, his first full season in the league should be noteworthy.

Agudelo has rocketed to the forefront of the American soccer scene. A rising prospect, Agudelo didn’t actually play in MLS until October, and only played in four games (two regular season and two playoff matches). However, that was enough to make USMNT coach Bob Bradley bring him in for a friendly, in which Agudelo came off the bench and scored the game-winning goal.

With no Angel in New York, Agudelo should get a lot more playing time this season. Also, with no real established forward in the national team pool (with the exception, possibly, of Jozy Altidore) many USA fans will have a close eye on the development of Agudelo.

The team has a similar situation on the backline as well. DP Rafa Marquez will team with 2010 Rookie of the Year candidate and rising national team player Tim Ream.

Marquez brought a lot of presence and patience to the Red Bulls lineup and could be even better moving from defensive midfield to his preferred position of center back. Ream enjoyed a great rookie campaign, showcasing his poise and technical ability on the ball. These two will anchor an otherwise shaky defense.

Left fullback may be the biggest weakness on the club right now. Roy Miller is the incumbent starter, but after a good first half of the season his form dipped drastically towards the end and he was especially rough in the playoffs. If he cannot regain his form, he could very well lose his position to Danleigh Borman.

On the right side, Chris Albright had a solid season but he is 32-years-old with a strong injury history and the club is worried about his durability in the short and long-terms.

The goalie position is still unsettled as well. Last year’s starter Bouna Coundoul had a career year, starting all but three games (which he missed because of national team duty) and setting the franchise record for shutouts (11). However, he sometimes loses focus and makes ridiculous mistakes, and he could be in the dog house for spending January with his national team of Senegal rather than with the Red Bulls.

So Greg Sutton has been seeing a lot of first team action in preseason. He has solid fundamentals, but last time he was the first choice goalkeeper, he had a disastrous season.

Linking the suspect defense with a growing offense is the midfield, a solid group. Joel Lindpere leads the way after having a wonderful season with the team, scoring three times, assisting on a team-best six goals and displaying a tireless work effort. He is joined by Dane Richards, the Jamaican speedster who scored five goals last season (second-best on the team) and seemed to be a revived player with the arrivals of Henry and Marquez.

New to the unit will be international transfers Jan Gunnar Solli and Teemu Tainio. Tainio, a Finish International player, has played at extremely high levels of soccer his entire career, playing for clubs like Auxerre, Tottenham and Ajax.

Solli, a member of the Norway National Team, can play the wing and was very successful at SK Brann. Red Bulls management hopes that these two under-the-radar signings can be just as fruitful as the Lindpere one was last season.

This Red Bulls team is one with a lot of talent, a seemingly high amount of offensive potential and the ability to be one of the best teams in the league.

They will be the favorites to win the East and reach the MLS Cup final.

The franchise, though, has a tough history of not meeting expectations and with some instability, especially in the coaching ranks and on defense, the threat of another lost season still looms over the club.

Hans Backe previews the team's preseason in Mexico. Video from YouTube.

Seattle Sounders 2011 MLS Season Preview

2011-03-11T13:35:00.003-05:00

AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

In the franchise’s second season, the Seattle Sounders proved that its great 2009 season was no fluke and that this team was a true contender. They didn’t improve on their first year campaign, despite all of the preseason buzz.

The team won its second consecutive U.S. Open Cup, the first club to do so since 1983. However, they couldn’t escape the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs for the second straight time.

The season was salvaged after the team started off to a disappointing record of 4-8-3. Over the team’s final 15 games, the Sounders only lost twice.

The biggest addition to last year’s squad didn’t come from a trade or transfer. Instead, the Sounders will be glad to have defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado return to the lineup after spending the majority of last season on the disabled list.

A valuable piece, Hurtado’s presence should solidify the backline and give the team a bit more presence. What was a huge strength in 2009 dipped in form in 2010. The Sounders gave up the most goals out of all eight playoff teams (35). Hurtado should help them get back to form.

Even more discouraging for Seattle was the offense. Seattle scored 39 goals last season, seventh in the league. Four of the five other playoff teams from the Western Conference—including all three that finished ahead of Seattle—scored more goals than they did. Adding insult to injury was the fact that former Sounder Sebastian Le Toux scored 14 goals with the Philadelphia Union.

Again, the Sounders are hoping an entire season from one of their own players helps the cause. After joining the team after the World Cup last season designated player Blaise Nkufo scored five goals in 11 games and became the first player in the club’s MLS existence to score a hat-trick.

Adding him to the ever dangerous Freddy Montero and Steve Zakuani for a whole season should improve the offense. That being said, the three have had to work a lot of kinks out this preseason, failing to score up until the final game when Montero scored twice.

So that, for now, leaves the midfield as the dependable unit. Alvaro Fernandez, another designated player signing that joined the club after the World Cup, will lead the way in his first full MLS season. He is joined by Osvaldo Alonso and Brad Evans, two players that, while unsung, have been crucial to the team’s stability and success.

The midfield unit will be rounded out by rookie Michael Tettah and Swedish signing Erik Friberg.

The biggest question coming into this season will be what kind of depth will the Sounders have?

The team lost defenders Tyrone Marshall and Nate Sturgis and midfielders Peter Vagenas and Sanna Nyassi—who scored both goals in the U.S. Open Cup final victory. It is a difficult time to lose guys who have contributed to the team with an upcoming appearance in the CONCACAF Champions League to go with MLS and Open Cup play.

There is also a sense of urgency to make the most of the team’s talents before Nkufo and goalkeeper Kasey Keller, one of the best Americans to ever play the position, retire at the end of the season.

Seattle seems to be relying on the lack of drama from former DP Freddie Ljungberg and whether he will stay or go as well as getting full seasons of production from Hurtado, Nkufo and Fernandez. They have a smart ownership group and have made smart in-season signings, so Seattle should have enough to get through the beginning of the season.

With a loaded schedule though, will the team be able to stay healthy?

It’s hard to imagine Seattle not making the playoffs for a third straight season, but can they get past the first round?

2011 Seattle Sounders commercial. Video from YouTube.

Los Angeles Galaxy 2011 MLS Season Preview

2011-03-07T15:08:00.002-05:00

AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

The 2010 season was another year the Los Angeles Galaxy fell short.

Again with one of the most loaded teams in the league, the Galaxy was the top-seed in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season and won the Supporter’s Shield. However, they were bounced in the semifinals of the MLS Cup playoffs.

It appears management won’t settle for anything short of the franchise’s third championship, so the team brought in several big-name acquisitions over the offseason.

The team was dealt a rather large blow when breakout star and 2010 leading goal scorer Edson Buddle left Los Angeles for Germany. Who would pick up the goal scoring slack?

The organization acted quickly in not only replacing Buddle, but improving its entire stable of forwards. The Galaxy traded for Adam Cristman and Chad Barrett and acquired Designated Player Juan Pablo Angel—the New York Red Bulls’ all-time leading goal scorer—in the Re-Entry draft.

Angel may be 35-years-old and have some injuries that have bothered him in recent years, but he still was New York’s leading goal scorer not only last season, but all four years he was with the franchise. He is deadly as a penalty-kick taker.

Barrett is a nice-pickup for the squad. He’s only 25-years-old and put together a few solid seasons with Toronto FC and the Chicago Fire. With more experience and a better supporting cast to serve him up top, Barrett could be in store for a big year stat-wise.

The defense also got a new addition this year, adding Frankie Hejduk through the Re-Entry draft. He’s 36-years-old and hasn’t been relied on by the Columbus Crew or the U.S. National Team recently like he was in years past, but he can still play. He should help solidify the backline as well as continue to help young defensive standouts Omar Gonzalez and Sean Franklin mature.

The front office has done extremely well drafting players the past few years and has a good mix of youth and experience on the roster. Make no mistake about it though, the Galaxy are in a win-now mode. Angel, Hejduk and defender Gregg Berhalter are all towards the end of their careers. Landon Donovan, arguably the best player in league history, has been flirting with a move to Europe for a few years now. Also, David Beckham, the league’s first Designated Player, is in the final year of a five-year contract he signed with the team.

Maybe more important than the new additions, though, is the health of Donovan and Beckham. After multiple years of nonstop soccer with the Galaxy, their respective national teams and going on winter-loans, both of them finally slowed down this past offseason.

After playing year-round, Donovan, with his stock higher than ever thanks to his performance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, decided he needed time to rest. He did not go out on another loan and did not play in any of the U.S. National Team’s games. Looking at his Twitter account, one could tell he was itching to be on the field. But the rest should serve his body well, and refresh him for the MLS season.

Beckham didn’t willingly sit out the winter months, but the Galaxy—fearing for his health after he tore his Achilles tendon with AC Milan last year—refused to let him out on loan. Beckham trained with Tottenham and the Galaxy hope the last season of his contract—and maybe with the Galaxy ever—will be his best.

So the team’s leading men are rested and should have their legs under them for the entirety of the season as the team makes one final push to the top.

The Galaxy resemble the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. They should dominate the regular season and be a favorite for the championship heading into the playoffs. What will it take for them to get over the hump though?

They have lots of players with MLS experience on this team and plenty of leadership—Angel and Hejduk were captains of their clubs—to potentially rectify that reoccurring problem.

David Beckham joins the L.A. Galaxy in preseason. Video from YouTube.

MLS 2011 Schedule Preview: Must-See Games

2011-03-05T15:40:00.003-05:00

AP Photo/Alex Gallardo

Anticipation is building for soccer fans in America with the 2011 edition of the Major League soccer season less than two weeks away. There are a lot of new faces in new places as well as two new teams: the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps.

Each team will play 34 games in 2011, with each team playing everybody twice. That means there are a total 612 games. There will be some very entertaining soccer to be played, but here are the top 15 regular season games that you need to watch.

Tuesday, March 15: Seattle Sounders vs. Los Angeles Galaxy

The MLS season kicks off with a great matchup. 2011 opens in Seattle, which has had arguably the best fan support in the league in their short two years of existence. Facing the Sounders will be the media darlings of the league and perennial contenders Los Angeles Galaxy.

Both these teams figure to be favorites to win the West and they should get the season off to a nice bang.

Saturday, March 19: Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Toronto FC

Toronto, you have company. With Vancouver joining MLS through expansion, Toronto is no longer the lone Canadian franchise through the league. Which also means that the underachieving Reds will have competition vying for the Canadian fan base’s approval.

This will also be the first home game for Vancouver and it will be exciting to see how the fans come out to support the new home team.

Saturday, April 9: FC Dallas vs. Colorado Rapids

A rematch of the 2010 MLS Cup. These two teams surprised many to get that far and this season they’ll have to work that much harder to get there since they’ll have targets on their backs, especially Colorado.

With FC Dallas season ticket sales reportedly up 300 percent, the new fans at Pizza Hut Park should make this interesting, supporting their club as they look for revenge for the loss in the title game.

Saturday, April 16: New York Red Bulls vs. San Jose Earthquakes

The New York Red Bulls went from last in MLS in 2009 to first in the East in 2010. Hopes were high heading into the playoffs, and even higher when they went up 1-0 after the first leg of the opening round of the playoffs against the Earthquake.

Then everything went terribly wrong for New York when they returned to Red Bull Arena. A 3-1 loss at the hands of the Earthquake (3-2 on aggregate) knocked them out of the playoffs and left everyone in shock.

This game won’t have nearly as much riding on it that the November one did, but it’s a start for New York to amend what went wrong last year.

Thursday, April 21: DC United vs. New York Red Bulls

One of the oldest rivalries in the league will have a new wrinkle to it this season. DC will be looking to take a page out of the Red Bulls’ book going from worst to first. They made a lot of moves, bringing in some big names to try and help Rookie of the Year Andy Najar win more games. In are Dax McCarty, Josh Wolff, Joseph Ngwenya, Perry Kitchen, Pat Onstad and Charlie Davies.

No matter the records, it’s always a fight between these two teams. The new players thrust into this rivalry will just make it that much more entertaining.

Saturday, May 7: Portland Timbers vs. Philadelphia Union

Not only will this game be two young franchises squaring off, but it will also pit two of the more intriguing young forwards in the league against each other. Last year’s No.1 overall draft pick and Rookie of the Year finalist Danny Mwanga of the Philadelphia Union had a good first year, and with the departure of Alejandro Moreno, his role with the team should increase significantly.

Portland has a stable of forwards at its disposal, but their selection of Darlington Nagbe in the 2011 MLS Super Draft has gotten a lot of praise. Nagbe is a top prospect and an early favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award.

Having these two on the field at the same time will certainly be exciting.

Saturday, May 14: Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers

The cities of Seattle and Portland are huge rivals in any sport they play each other in and their experience in MLS will be no different. The Sounders have been a huge success in the league since their inception in 2009 and they’ve become the model all expansion clubs look at now.

Without playing a single game, the Timbers have already intensified the rivalry when they put a billboard up blocks away from Seattle’s home at Qwest Field stating that Portland was “Soccer City, USA.” The many Sounders fans will surely be in full force helping to prove otherwise.

Saturday, May 21: Chivas USA vs. Los Angeles Galaxy

The SuperClasico. The matchup between Chivas and Galaxy is the only true local derby, with both teams playing not only in the same city, but the same stadium. It has been pretty one-sided though: the Galaxy has won five of six derby series, Chivas has won only three times in 21 games and they haven’t beaten the Galaxy since 2007.

This year though Chivas has made considerable improvements along their backline, bringing in Heath Pearce, Jimmy Conrad and rookie Zarek Valentin. The defensive mindset comes from new head coach Robin Fraser, a former MLS defender who has been an assistant coach with the very successful Real Salt Lake squad since 2007.
It remains to be seen if this new backline is really improved and if they can help Chivas in the battle of Los Angeles.

Thursday, June 9: Sporting KC vs. Chicago Fire

The rebranded Sporting Kansas City plays its first 10 games of the 2011 season on the road. It will be a welcome homecoming for the team when they open their brand-new, state-of-the-art $180 million dollar project Sporting Park.

For the second year in a row, Chicago will help a team open their new stadium. Last year Chicago lost in the debut of Red Bull Arena.

Saturday, July 30: Real Salt Lake vs. Columbus Crew

These two teams have been at the top of the MLS standings the past couple of years, and they’ve also made some waves in the CONCACAF Champions League. RSL recently beat Columbus to reach the semifinals of the tournament.

The Crew look like they are set up for a little bit of a down season with the departure of a lot of talent, including midfielder Guillermo Barros Schelotto, but they still have a solid foundation and organization that plays good soccer. It should be a good battle.

Wednesday, August 17: New England Revolution vs. Houston Dynamo

Relocated to Houston, the Dynamo won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in 2006 and 2007. The team they beat both years? The New England Revolution.

Both teams have fallen down the standings a little, with neither making the playoffs in 2010. For this season (and probably this season alone) Houston has moved to the Eastern Conference. This late-summer tilt between two of the league’s best teams will be a good dogfight for a playoff position in the East.

Saturday, August 20: Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps

The two newest MLS franchises won’t face off until the end of August, but a battle of expansion teams will certainly be interesting, especially since they are a part of the Cascadia Cup and have been rivals since the days of the NASL.

Portland gets the honor of hosting the first meeting of the two clubs in MLS, certainly a milestone moment in the rivalry.

Sunday, August 28: New York Red Bulls vs. Los Angeles Galaxy

It seems like MLS has always pushed for these two teams to have a rivalry worthy of the highest stage, something akin to what the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers have in basketball. It has never developed, mostly to the underperformance of the Red Bulls on a yearly basis, but these games are always exciting.

Big markets, star players and entertaining matches on the pitch always make this match up a must see. Add to the mix RBNY All-Time leading goal scorer Juan Pablo Angel making his first appearance at Red Bull Arena as a member of the visiting team and it becomes that much more of an emotionally-charged event.

How will the fans in New Jersey respond to their former idol?

Saturday, September 10: New York Red Bulls vs. Vancouver Whitecaps

This is the first day that Omar Salgado, the Whitecaps No.1 draft pick and first selection ever, will be eligible to play for Vancouver.

Due to FIFA age restrictions, Salgado will be unable to play for the Canadian team until his 18th birthday, which is this very day. Whether he plays or not will depend on how fast the Whitecaps want to integrate him into the lineup as well as what paperwork needs to get done when.

Anticipation for his debut will build as the season goes on.

Saturday, October 1: Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake

The two best teams in the Western Conference the past two seasons will play in a critical late-season matchup that could very well decide the top seed in the Western Conference as well as possibly who wins the Supporter’s Shield.

Both teams added talent to their already stacked rosters and anything short of a championship will be a disappointment. This game will have a great playoff atmosphere.

Trevor Moawad Talks About Freddy Adu

2011-02-09T00:09:00.009-05:00

All photos courtesy of IMG Academies.

Since he entered MLS as the youngest American athlete to sign a contract with a professional sports team, a lot has been said about Freddy Adu—some of it good, some of it bad. Adu has had some highs, and some seemingly low lows. He’s bounced around from club to club, unable to establish himself anywhere.

Still, he’s only 21-years-old, so there’s still time for him to make his mark. During the winter transfer window he was loaned out to Rizespor, a club in the second level of Turkey’s soccer system. With this new opportunity, another chapter in Adu’s career begins.

I had an opportunity to talk to Trevor Moawad, Director of Performance at IMG Academy, who worked with Adu when he was a student at the Academy and still keeps in touch with him. Moawad has spent a lot of time working with Adu and watching him play. He choose to give his own personal opinion and insight on his experiences with Adu, what he thinks has happened to him in his career and what he thinks is still to come.

In what ways have you worked with Freddy?

I handled mental training for all the 1984 and 1988 teams and now I’m Director of Performance. I still do college and professional football and work with programs like the University Alabama and Florida.

I’ve known Freddy for 10 years and I stay in touch with a number of players that came through the residency program. There’s a lot of different things out there. My perception is don’t put a period where there should be a comma, whenever there are young athletes trying. I think the situation with Freddy is much more complicated than people know, and when you’re going on loan it’s a complicated process. I think there are a lot of teams that have had interest but it’s not always easy to get things done or sorted out when you’re dealing with the complex world of European soccer.

I think this kid still has a lot of opportunities to be successful. He came here to work out for three weeks and I saw the hunger, the desire, the athleticism. Christmas Day no one is in the weight room except for Freddy. He knocked out a three-hour workout. I don’t think he’s worried about anything other than trying to establish himself with a club in Europe.

I think he did a great job in Greece, but the economics in Greece affected the players on loan. He played a huge role for Aris to qualify for Europa. He was in a competitive league playing under a lot of pressure and I think if you just follow the Internet you see one step back after another and it’s a little more complicated than that. I think he’s headed in the right direction, for what my opinions worth. The past has been more complicated than people understand… I still think the story has a lot left to be written.

Why has Freddy struggled to latch onto clubs?

I think some of the teams, when you go to certain places on trial whether it’s Switzerland, Germany or Holland—some of these places he’s been in—it’s not necessarily that they don’t want him, but there are a lot of things that have to happen to play in a certain environment when you’re owned by a parent club. It has to also be the right terms of the deal. The team in Germany was extremely interested in him but they wanted him for a longer time than he could go. The Turkish team was excited to work with him for the next five or six months.

It’s tough because a young American soccer player doesn’t have a role model playing in Europe except for goalies, really. Michael Bradley has done an excellent job. Steve Cherundolo has done a tremendous job. The last few years Clint Dempsey has done exceptionally well. But over the least 15 years, it’s not an easy road. It’s not an excuse, but it’s not an easy road. The kid’s fighting and working hard, and he’s doing what he needs to do to continue his career. He knows what people say about him, but he’s focused on controlling what he can control. It’s not an easy process for any of these guys trying to make it. Freddy’s career is in Freddy’s hands. He’s making his decisions. He’s got people that support him, but… he’s not a young kid anymore, he’s making his own decisions.

What role have the heavy expectations to be the “great American soccer player” at such a young age had on him? How has he handled those expectations?

I’ll just take, for example, at the academy they’re always looking for the next young Andre Agassi or the next young American Pete Sampras. Other people’s expectations are important, but there’s none more important than your own. For an athlete trying to make it to the next level, you cannot accept mediocrity and you cannot tell yourself you have time. If you’re saying I don’t need to make it now because I’m young, no. Once you start at the professional level…you start as a professional soccer player at 13, the clock’s on. You’re no different than a 22-year-old stepping in. It’s all about now and that’s difficult for a lot of young athletes. If they think I have time then they’re not going to put their best foot forward.

What I’ll say is the last time I spent significant time with him was before the 2007 U-20 championships. It was clear to me that he knew this tournament was unbelievably important for him and you could see it in the way he prepared and trained. He put himself to be in a position to be signed by Benfica. I saw that same kind of hunger and mentality for three weeks this winter. When he has that hunger he’s extremely capable.

I expect Freddy to do well. Every one of these teams he’s gone to on loan he’s gotten into the lineup and earned a starting spot. It’s just holding onto it. They’re not going to put a guy in there for fun. These are the environments. At Monaco it wasn’t easy but he made the roster. You gotta’ fight your tail off just to get on a roster. These are things he’s learning from, and he knows that. What he’s gone through has made him stronger, it’s made him tougher and he has a sense of urgency with his ability that is extremely positive.

I’m optimistic about his career path and I think I have a good volume of experience with a lot of athletes at a lot of levels. I expect him to take advantage of his situation in Turkey.

He’s not focused on anything other than finding a way to contribute in Turkey. Everything else takes care of itself. Being a pro soccer player in Europe is a tough road. I applaud the fact that for three years he’s hung in there.

What does he have to do to do more than just “hang in there”? What does he have to do to take the next step?

The keys to success is just staying on top of the details, maintaining that sense of urgency and keeping the expectations for himself extremely high. And that’s what I expect he’ll do. When he came here over the winter, I saw a young athlete who’s driven and focused. If the best parts of his career are ahead of him then he’s going to have to pay attention to the details. It’s not ok to take your talent and be average. The details relate to the nutrition and stretching as well.

Every place he’s gone there was no doubt he has the capability. There’s a reason he breaks into the lineup. It’s just the ability to sustain it. I think anyone that’s written him off has done so prematurely. And that doesn’t just go for Freddy. That goes for a lot of these guys: Jozy [Altidore], Eddie [Johnson]. Some guys have success for a little and they go on loan. It’s just an extremely complicated situation. I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for those guys… Coaches come in and go and it’s about reestablishing yourself. It’s a cutthroat environment. Anybody that writes him off, well those people clearly don’t understand the circumstances.

You say for the individual athlete, he or she should never say “I have time.” But on the outside looking in, Freddy is still only 21-years-old. There is still time in his career for him to develop and grow as a player, right?

The reality is there is still time, but from an athletic perspective when you’re a player, you’re a brand. And you have to treat yourself like a brand. When you go to places and don’t do well you’re damaging your brand, and if you do well you’re improving your brand. If you continue to go to places and aren’t performing, well you’re going to get less and less opportunities.

Freddy went to Greece and for large portions of that season he did very well. But he didn’t have control over Greece’s economic situation and what happened to those players on loan. [The club’s] priorities changed. At Aris last year he played well. I think he fully expected to continue playing there and the circumstances changed.

Some of the young athletes who Freddy worked with here, they said I might be 16 but there’s no reason I can’t win Wimbledon. You have to have that expectation that I’m going to come in and I’m going to make a difference. When he was 11, 12, and 13-years-old his expectations any time he was going out to practice or games, they were extremely high. I saw that to some degree before the Olympics. He was the player of the tournament in CONCACAF in the qualification for the Olympics. When he went to Monaco he had built up some momentum, but then he lost it after Monaco, and that was a complicated situation.

At the end of the day if you’re going to help a team win they’re going to play you, but there are also mitigating factors. His job is to go out there and establish himself in Turkey, just like he did in Greece. He’s got to establish him and be consistent.

That’s not something that Freddy’s dealing with alone either, that’s what a lot of athletes in sports are dealing with. It’s why a lot of NFL players don’t get two contracts, and even fewer get three. It doesn’t make you a bust, it just shows how much of a challenge it is. His whole focus is establishing himself as a club player.

As you said, he’s had some success at the international level, especially at the youth level. Is it frustrating to him to do well there but not for a club team?

I think mentally it’s a situation where, you look at it that way it could be frustrating but you should look at it as I know I can do it and what do I need to do to get there.

When there’s value attached to your name, you’re going to get more negative attention then you deserve and when you do well you’ll get more positive attention. Neither of those things are his fault but they are his reality.

Nobody’s going to give him anything, nor does he want to be given anything. He just wants a fair shot and I think he’s going to get that.

What work do you do with the athletes?

I’m the Director of Performance at IMG. My job is to oversee a team of 50 experts, and that’s in strength and conditioning, athletic training, mental conditioning, life skills and communication training as well as vision training. I also work as a mental conditioning consultant for the University of Alabama and University of Florida football teams and the Jacksonville Jaguars football team. I work with athletes individually on their attitude, performance in pressure situations and their ability to recover from setbacks.

I’ve seen [Freddy] for a long time. I know his family. I’m not paid by him—he is a client of our when he comes down here and train—but I’ve been able to spend ten years watching this man and I believe what I saw this last three weeks in December, he’s poised to really take some positive steps forward. I was talking with one of his former teammates, Heath Pearce, and he was talking about how he saw a replay of the “60 Minutes” piece when he signed with MLS and he said people forget he was exceptional then. He started in the U-20 Cup at 13 years old. He earned those things. And just as he did then, he’ll have to do that now. And whatever happened in the past has helped prepare him to be better in the future.

And he’s a neat kid. I’ve probably talked to four or five of these kids a week, who are now coaches and firefighters. Some of those kids are still out there fighting and trying to compete. Some of them have had tougher roads than others and that’s ok. I went to Eddie Johnson’s wedding last week. I still keep in touch with John Spector. They may not be famous names now but they were important to what we did in Bradenton. I’m not involved in the world in soccer anymore, but I obviously care about these kids who came in and I wish them the best. I understand the road and it’s not an easy process.

I want to make it very clear that these are my opinions, they are my beliefs. I feel I have a fair perspective about the world of sports. I haven’t talked about [Freddy] in a long time.

How do you feel when you read negative pieces about Freddy?

It’s a little bit frustrating, and I also know the emotional toll it takes on an athlete to hear some of those things or read. But if you’re an athlete you’re responsible for it. We try to make them think “I may not perform well but that doesn’t make me any more or less of a person.” But at the same point you’re still human. It’s going to affect the athlete and when you invest a lot of time in someone you want them to do well. People will say you don’t have an argument because people can point to the facts, but I think the facts are complicated.

I watched him play two games in that Greek league with packed crowds, loud environments and I was extremely optimistic. It was clear to me that there was no doubt he can do that. There’s no doubt he can still do that. Everything is about looking forward and taking care of the details. I’m excited about the prospects for him. At the end of the day it’s about what you do not what you say.

Americans Make Big Moves During Transfer Window

2011-02-02T15:12:00.007-05:00

The January transfer window was an active one, especially for members of the United States Men’s National Team.

Some big names made big splashes in the market, and many made moves in search of more playing time. Michael Bradley’s loan to Aston Villa was the most publicized of any change of teams for Americans and Freddy Adu has found another new team to try and break into.

Then there are the unlucky Americans, the ones who needed a change, or were rumored to switch teams, but nothing panned out for them.

Here’s a look at the pros and cons of the biggest American moves (and non-moves) that went down during the transfer window.

Jonathan Bornstein: to UANL Tigres, leaving Chivas USA

Pros: The Mexican league is slightly better than MLS. The teams are deeper and the rosters aren’t as restrictive as those in MLS. So playing against some tough competition should definitely help the left back.

It also helps that he gets experience playing in Mexico, a place the USMNT has a lot of trouble winning in.

Cons: Mexico isn’t that much of an improvement over the United States. For a guy who started a number of games for the USMNT in World Cup qualifying, the Confederations Cup and the World Cup the move isn’t one that gets a lot of people’s attention. You wonder how little did he showcase himself?

Verdict: Bornstein had done everything he was going to with Chivas and Tigres is better than some other suitors he’s had (Maccabi Tel-Aviv). He isn’t moving to a bad league by any means, and just changing scenery will re-energize him and make him compete just a bit more.

Eddie Johnson: to Preston North End via Fulham (loan)

Pros: Like a lot of guys on this list, playing time was a big factor in Johnson needing a move. He’s played in 11 games for Fulham this year, 10 of them as a sub. That number is three more than the amount of games he had previously played for the team since joining them in 2008.

He’s done alright for Fulham in the limited action he’s gotten this season and hopefully he can ride a little bit of momentum to Preston.

Cons: He just hasn’t had any luck in Europe. He’s bounced around a lot, not ready to become a full-time member for Fulham and not good enough that any of the teams that he’s been loaned out to have wanted to keep him.

He did ok in Cardiff City, playing in 30 league games (25 as a sub), scored two goals and added four assists. Those numbers aren’t great though. He just hasn’t been able to really catch on anywhere.

Verdict: Johnson burst onto the USMNT scene scoring four goals in his first two appearances, but since his breakout year of 2005 things have gone incredibly slowly for him, mostly because of his unsettled club situation. Who knows if he’ll ever get on the field—let alone score—with any regularity, but Preston doesn’t seem like a bad place to try.

Kenny Cooper: to Portland Timbers, leaving 1860 Munich

Pros: Since arriving at Munich in 2009, Cooper made only 15 total appearances for the club across all competitions and he got on the field only seven times as a substitute when he was loaned to Plymouth Argyle. Over those 22 games he scored only three times.

In MLS he will not only be playing regularly once again, but he returns to the league where he was one of the hottest scorers. In 90 league appearances with FC Dallas he scored 40 goals, including 25 goals in his final 45 games.

Cons: Cooper will be coming back to the States with much less confidence then when he left. Every situation is different, and Cooper’s trek to Germany didn’t go over well. It happens. But athletes have a sense of pride in their abilities and Cooper will be coming back having been served a bit of humility.

Verdict: Cooper made a good move to come back to MLS. At one point fans were clamoring for him to get a call-up to the National Team, but now they seem to have moved on. It’s time for Cooper to get back on track and he will get that opportunity in Portland.

Edson Buddle: to FC Ingolstadt, leaving Los Angeles Galaxy

Pros: His paycheck is much bigger now. Going from the salary cap-hindered MLS, to the free-spending scene in Europe, Buddle will earn much more for his services.

Also, Ingolstadt is a club struggling mightily on the offensive end of the field, so if he can keep up the scoring pace he had with the Galaxy in 2010, the team will need him on the field.

Cons: The German Bundesliga 2 is not in any way better competition than MLS. It’s actually a step below. Not only is the league not as good, but his team is in the relegation zone, so it’s a bad team in a league that isn’t that good. He’s lessening his value there.

Verdict: The allure of Europe is strong to any player, and sometimes you have to start in a lower division and move your way up. It looks like Buddle took advantage of maybe his only chance at a big payday in spite of the level of competition.

Robbie Findley: to Nottingham Forest, leaving Real Salt Lake

Pros: 2010 was a rough year for Findley. After finishing 2009 as the leading scorer for MLS champion Real Salt Lake, he lost his touch in 2010, scoring only six goals in 26 games. He was nagged by injuries throughout the MLS season, and even though he was selected for the World Cup roster, he could not find the back of the net, no matter how good some of his chances looked.

He struggled but has enough potential that he still was able to get a transfer to England.

Cons: If he doesn’t rediscover his scoring touch, Findley will wind up on the bench. At least in MLS he would’ve been given the opportunity to play out his struggles.

Verdict: His form hasn’t been anything to be excited about lately, but he does have the skills to bounce back. Maybe he’s been distracted by a potential move to Europe, and now that he has it he’ll be more focused.

Jermaine Jones: to Blackburn via Schalke (loan)

Pros: Jones went from the dog house at Schalke to being revered at Blackburn. He went from the bench to starting in his debut. The team had been looking for a defensive midfielder for some time and manager Steve Kean has praised him.

Also playing in England will allow Jones to sharpen his English, which will help him further integrate himself with the USMNT.

Cons: None.

Verdict: Jones may have secured the best move among American players this winter. He’s gone to a team that really wants and needs him and he’s performed well in the early going. He’s a tough player and should enjoy a good tenure with the club, which also has an option to buy him.

Benny Feilhaber: stayed at AGF Aarhus

Pros: He stays comfortable at a club for which he has shined for all season.

Cons: Feilhaber needs a new challenge. Aarhus is only in Denmark’s First Division, so the competition isn’t as good. He’s proven himself on this level and he needs to move on.

Verdict: Feilhaber is falling on the midfield depth chart for the USMNT and he needs to be playing against better competition to continue to prove himself. He will most assuredly need to move on this summer.

Eric Lichaj: stayed at Aston Villa

Pros: Lichaj, only 22-years-old, is still young and has time to improve. By staying at Villa, he will get to train day-in and day-out with a good EPL side.

Cons: After enjoying a nice five-game stretch being featured in the team’s lineup, and playing pretty well, Lichaj has quickly moved back to the bench. The decision is a little curious. That being said, if Lichaj is going to continue to sit the bench, it would be better to have him at least loaned somewhere where he can get consistent minutes.

Verdict: He’s young, but promising. He’s shown well when he’s appeared for both club and country, so more playing time for him would be nice. For his sake, hopefully a loan can be worked out in the future.

Landon Donovan: staying at Los Angeles Galaxy

Pros: He finally gets to rest. Donovan has been playing nonstop for the past few years, playing for the Galaxy, for the USMNT (in the Confederations Cup and World Cup) and two winter loans. He’s been at it every month it seems, so it’s good for Donovan to take some time to sit back and recharge the batteries.

Cons: Donovan has proved to be one of, if not the best, player for both club and country. After two successful winter loans it’s time for him to take the next step—a full transfer.

Verdict: Donovan has said since the end of the MLS season he needed to rest and wasn’t going anywhere this winter. Expect a move this summer.

Oguchi Onyewu: to FC Twente via AC Milan (loan)

Pros: He finally escaped the Milan bench. He signed with the club in 2009 but has yet to make a league appearance for them (his patellar tendon injury in World Cup qualifying was brutal to his status at the club).

He started and played in his debut for the Twente, so as long as he’s healthy he’ll likely be on the field for them.

Cons: Twente played Onyewu at left fullback. While he did fine for the team, and the USMNT is definitely hurting for a player to man that position, there is no way Onyewu will be the answer there. He doesn’t have the speed to cover the fast wings on the international level, so while it’s nice he’s playing it’s not at a position that he’ll help his country at.

Also, he’s so rusty he injured himself in the second game he played at Twente. He says it is not a serious injury, but the man has a lot of cobwebs to shake out.

Verdict: The move was an absolutely necessary one. Many wonder if Onyewu is really in Milan’s plans, so it’s good he’s someplace else for the rest of the season. If he’s healthy, he’ll play and that really is the most important thing for him right now.

Brad Guzan: to Hull City via Aston Villa (loan)

Pros: Guzan escapes Brad Friedel’s shadow and finally gets his turn to start. He’s been the No.2 for the USMNT without starting a league game since he left Chivas USA in 2008. Now he’s started five games in a row for Hull City, and he’s fared pretty well.

Cons: The loan was originally only for a month, but it has since been extended for another month. That’s a short time to enjoy the spotlight of starting between the pipes. At the end of February he’ll be back to the back at Villa.

Even before then, previous starter Vito Mannone could return for injury and Guzan would have to compete with him for the starting spot.

Verdict: Guzan needed this move. The only other thing he could have asked for was for a longer loan. Friedel’s been rumored to be leaving the club soon though, so he may finally get his chance at Villa sooner rather than later.

Freddy Adu: to Rizespor via Benfica (loan)

Pros: He actually has a team now. Benfica didn’t want him. Aris, the team he actually was still on loan with, didn’t want him. He trialed with Sion, Randers and Ingoldstadt but none of those teams wanted him either.

So someone finally put him on their roster. That’s a plus in his career considering the way things have been going.

Cons: Rizespor is in the second level of the Turkish soccer—not a talented league at all. It’s an improvement he’s on a team, but he could’ve easily come back to MLS and been playing at a much higher level.

What made him think Rizespor was the place he needed to be is an interesting anecdote we’d all like to know.

Verdict: One has to wonder how far Adu’s career has slid so far down to wind up at Rizespor, but you can’t hate on it too much, it is a roster spot. Let’s see if they actually play him.

Jozy Altidore: to Bursaspor via Villarreal (loan)

Pros: Unlike Adu, Altidore wound up in turkey’s highest division, which is a very talented league. Bursaspor is a talented team and Alitdore has a good possibility to get a lot more playing time than he was at Villarreal.

Cons: Playing time won’t just be handed to him. Bursaspor doesn’t have the stable of forwards that Villarreal did, but they do have guys in the mix. They also acquired Scottish international striker Kenny Miller and they still have their previous forwards.

Altidore has played well enough, but he’s struggled to score at all levels since his loan to Hull City last season. He’s going to need to pick up the pace.

Verdict: If Altidore can secure more playing time, it’s a good move. He’s been steadily, quietly, improving, but it won’t mean anything until he’s scoring goals. The move is a good one.

Michael Bradley: to Aston Villa via Borussia Monchengladbach (loan)

Pros: Bradley leaves the basement of the German Bundesliga to the EPL. His career continues to move upwards and this is the latest step up. Aston Villa has had its troubles in central midfield so Bradley should get his opportunities, especially since manager Gerard Houllier has been interested in him since the World Cup.

Cons: It’s the biggest league in soccer and Bradley isn’t going to be handed anything. Aston Villa brought in Jean Makoun and still has Stiliyan Petrov and Nigel Reo-Coker, despite their struggles. So he’ll have competition and he’ll have to push himself to come out on top and stay there.

Verdict: This is a fantastic opportunity for Bradley as he continues his rise to soccer stardom. He’ll have to work hard, but that’s never been an issue for Bradley. It’s an exciting move and a well deserved one.

Photo Credits.
Michael Bradley: AP Photo/Hassan Ammar
Edson Buddle: AP Photo/Elise Amendola
Jermaine Jones: AP Photo/Martin Meissner
Oguchi Onyewu: AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
Jozy Altidore: AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh