Father Time creeping up on the Phillies

            With Major League Baseball’s Opening Day looming just two short weeks away, Philadelphia Phillies fans can start to get excited for another year of championship-caliber baseball.

            The Phillies’ organization and their followers should be ready to dive head-first into another hardball campaign when they consider the talent on the roster.

            However, unlike the last few seasons, this year’s Phillies baseball renewal brings some added skepticism.

            Phillies fans may not want to hear it, or admit it, but one can’t deny that there is a rather big – and aging – pink elephant in the room.  Regardless if anyone wants to acknowledge it, the fact remains that the Phillies’ core group of star players, the majority of which brought the city its first baseball championship in nearly 30 years back in 2008, are getting older with each passing season and are quickly approaching the down-side of their careers.

            As a die-hard Phillies fan, this isn’t an easy topic to write about, but it has become one that can not be ignored.  It has become apparent that time is running out.

            Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard – four of the Phillies’ top hitters over the last five years – are all in their 30s.  Rollins and Utley are both 33, while Howard and Victorino are 32 and 31 respectively.

Now, other contributing players such as Jayson Werth and Pat Burrell have come and gone in that time, but these four have remained constant.  Since 2008, these four batsmen have combined to account for 45.9 percent (1,426 of 3,104) of the team’s runs and 43.9 percent (1,307 of 2,979) of the team’s RBIs.  There is no denying that as they go, so does the franchise.

Sadly, there has been an obvious dip in their production over the last two years.  Whether it was because of injuries, or just becoming further removed from their prime, the numbers have become downright staggering.  In 2008 and 2009, the four combined for roughly 50 percent of the team’s runs and 48 percent of the RBIs.  Over the last two years, those two percentages drop to 41 and 40 respectively.  Kind of scary, right?  Sure, Utley and Rollins were injured for some time over the last two seasons, but injuries are a part of the game and have been known to end a career or two.  Hopefully that isn’t the case here, but there is no doubt that injuries will only speed the aging process.

Utley’s situation is becoming more frightening by the day.  On Monday he was sent to see a knee specialist after plateau-ing in his rehabilitation.  It is the same knee problem that caused him to miss the first month and a half of last season.  A problem like this could easily cut short a player’s career and it may actually be in the process of happening.

Utley has missed significant time the last two years (106 games).  He broke his hand in 2007 after getting hit by a pitch and missed 30 games, sprained his thumb in 2010, and developed some severe knee tendonitis last season that caused him to play his fewest amount of games since 2004.  Whether they are a freak accident or not, nagging injuries will eventually catch up with a player’s physical ability – not to mention their psyche.

While Rollins played in only 88 games in 2010, he did bounce back and played in 142 last year despite landing on the DL early in the year.  It was only his second ever DL-stint when he landed on the list in 2010, but has now been on it two years in a row.

Howard has never been one to miss games with severe injuries, but will now have to do so for the first time in his career.  As fate would have it, Howard ruptured his Achilles tendon on the Phillies’ last at-bat of the season last year.  Achilles injuries are never beneficial to a power-hitting 250-pounder.  His return has since been delayed due to an infection and there is currently no timetable for his return.  The most recent reports are saying late May to early June.  Jim Thome, picked up this off-season with the intention of being a pinch hitter, will have to man first base until Howard returns.  He is 41 years old.

Victorino, the youngest of the bunch, has seemed to stay away from the injury bug and should still have five good years ahead of him (knock on wood).  As for the other three, only time will tell.

             Other notable players that are over 30 include catcher Carlos Ruiz (33), third baseman Placido Polanco (36) and newly acquired utility man Ty Wigginton (34).

            As for the pitching staff, the Phillies’ No. 1 and No. 1-A aces in Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are 34 and 33 respectively.  They are still two of the top-ten pitchers in the game today, but they aren’t getting any younger.  Halladay is reportedly already showing signs of diminished velocity this spring.  Now velocity isn’t everything – just ask Greg Maddux – but it sure doesn’t hurt.

            Ruben Amaro Jr. and the Phillies’ brass took a page out of the Boston Celtics’ book and somewhat mortgaged the future for the present when they acquired these two hurlers via trade.  In December of 2010, the Phils gave up promising prospects Travis D’Arnaud, Kyle Drabek and Michael Taylor for Halladay  Drabek and Taylor were probably going to be on the major league roster relatively soon had they not been dealt.  A year prior the Phils sent Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, Lou Marson and Jason Knapp to the Tribe for Lee.  Now Amaro would end up dealing Lee to Seattle a year later for three prospects and assumed cap room to land Halladay, however none of the prospects we acquired have seen the bigs yet.  Obviously the Phils got Lee back before 2011 in free agency, but they didn’t get any of their original prospects back.

            Now, I am pretty sure 95 percent of Phillies fans were more than happy to deal all those prospects for Halladay and Lee with the hopes of winning now.  However, all Philadelphia has to show for these two studs is three post-season series wins and zero World Series titles. Lee helped the Phils win two playoff series in 2009 before being traded, while Halladay helped the team to the NLCS in 2010.  2008’s World Series title came thanks to the arm of Cole Hamels. 

            Sure, one World Series is nice, but that was won without either of these two pitchers.  Having had one of the largest pay rolls in baseball over the last few years, one World Series doesn’t justify everything.  Having recently mortgaged the future for the present, one ring is out of the question.  I feel this team must win at least one more title in order for this group to be considered a success.  One title with this roster is simply not enough.

This recent group will probably go down as the best Phillies team ever assembled, and rightfully so considering they have made the playoffs and increased their win total each of the last five years, including a franchise-best 102 games last year.

Unfortunately, history doesn’t care about regular season wins.  World Series titles are what make a team legendary.  So far the franchise’s greatest team has only one, and that came with arguably the least-talented bunch of the last four years.

The last thing the Phillies want to do is be grouped in with the Atlanta Braves of the 1990s.  The Braves had arguably one of the best pitching staffs in baseball history, along with a decent lineup, and went 1-4 in their five World Series appearances.  Yeah they went to a handful of championships, but they will only be remembered for one.

This Phillies group still has time to write its legacy.  I would like to think this team still has three or four great years left in them.  Baseball is a sport where most men can play into their mid-to-late 30s.  It’s just that right now, the Phils are nearing that fine line between championship-quality and over-the-hill and are doing so rather quickly.  If they are fortunate enough to win one or two more titles within the next few years, all the deals and signings will be considered a success and this team will go down in Philadelphia lure.  However, if they continue to come up empty handed, they may go down in lure for all the wrong reasons.  For everyone’s sake, let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

You've Got To Be Kidd-Lin-G Me

Over the last couple of weeks or so, one athlete has garnered a lot more attention in the media than anyone else on the planet.  If you don’t pay attention to sports, or don’t follow them as closely as I do, you would have had to have been living in a cave in the middle of the jungle to have not heard about this guy.  Even Marlee Matlin has heard of him, and she can’t hear a thing.

That person is Jeremy Lin.

Lin has become a sensation in the sports world thanks to his recent success as the Knicks’ point guard in their run-and-gun system.  I’m sure it didn’t hurt that he was able to be successful under the microscope that is the New York media (and without Sr. Chucks-A-Lot Carmelo Anthony), but he has become a fan-favorite throughout the world practically overnight.

Is it because of his Asian-American nationality?  It is because of his basketball story, where he averaged less than ten minutes in 29 games with Golden State last year and was forced to sleep on his teammate’s couch?  Is it because he has done this with the Knicks, who have been irrelevant for the last decade or so?  Who knows which it is exactly.  But what can’t be argued is the fact that he has become the sports world’s number one story over the last two months.

Now I am not here to offer my opinion on his situation per say, but a situation that has arisen from his instantaneous success.

Recently, an ESPN editor was fired for typing an ‘inappropriate and possibly racist’ headline on the side of the screen.  While trying to think of a headline for Lin and the Knicks’ struggles in which they alternated wins and losses after going on a tear and winning seven straight, the editor used perhaps one of the most cliché phrases in the English language: “Chink in the armor?”

Makes sense right?  After a few weeks of the Knicks playing well and stringing together a bunch of wins, was it possible that the other teams had caught on to what they were doing and may have exposed some weaknesses?  I am sure that is what the editor was thinking.

But no.  America, who in my opinion has become entirely too race sensitive in a time where race shouldn’t really matter – at least with my generation - picked out one word from that headline and immediately related it negatively to Lin’s Asian heritage.

Now if that is the first thing that pops into someone’s head upon reading that headline then I am ashamed of our culture.  We are supposed to be 60 years removed from all the racial hate in this country and yet it still somehow finds its way into almost any topic.

At first glance of that headline, in no way shape or form do I immediately say to myself, “Oh my, they said chink.  Are they making fun of him?  Are they saying he wears armor?  Are they basically saying he has ancient ancestors that were once a part of the Ming Dynasty?  Is he secretly a ninja?” (Stereotypical comments made in jest).

No.  Being the level-headed person that I am, I listen to the context in which the headline is being used and understand what point the editor is trying to get across.  I don’t see the word next to Lin’s face and instantly stop comprehending what is going on and think there is some underlying racial plot.

Asians are stereotypically known for being good at math.  Are they?  I have no idea.  If they are then good for them.  But say the Knicks get eliminated from the playoffs and ESPN uses a headline that reads, “Mathematically eliminated” and they show Lin turning the ball over (again)?  Are people going to flip out and say it is a racial comment?  Or will they be smart enough to know that there is no pun intended and the Knicks are simply out of the playoff run?  I would hope the latter, but who can really tell considering the recent turn of events.

In the end, I just find it ridiculous that everything is immediately turned into a racial issue.  Was it maybe a bad choice of words and should the editor have probably noticed a possible problem?  Yes.  But even so, look at the phrase in its context.  It obviously wasn’t meant to defame anyone and shouldn’t have cost the man his job.

NBA rule that turns winning into losing

            Two weeks ago I was watching the end of the Dallas Mavericks-Oklahoma City Thunder game on TNT.  The two teams had gone back-and-forth all night and had it come down to the final seconds.

            Down two, Vince Carter buries a clutch three-pointer from the top of the key with 1.4 seconds remaining to give the Mavs a one-point lead.  Only 1.4 ticks?  It’s game over, right?

            Wrong.  The Thunder call their final timeout, draw up a play, and come out of the huddle ready to go.  Kevin Durant runs off one or two screens, catches the ball about five feet outside of the three-point line and lets it fly… Whap!  Or ‘straight koofies’ as they say in the 570.  The Chesapeake Energy Arena (really?) erupts as the Darantula’s three swishes through the net for the two-point victory.  Watch it here.

            It was quite the scene to watch unfold and made for some gripping athletic drama.  However, Durant’s game-winning triple wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for one unexplainable, illogical rule that goes unnoticed by most NBA viewers.

            During the final two minutes of an NBA game, a team is allowed to advance the ball to half court following a timeout.  Why this is allowed I have no clue.

            As a fan, the rule makes for some intense endings.  As a junior high coach and a journalist, I completely hate the idea.  I know the NBA has the rule in place to add to the drama and make for more game-winning shot attempts - and it definitely does the job - but it makes no sense what-so-ever.

The first question that pops into my head is why?  Why is the advancement of the ball not allowed at any other point in the game, but once the contest gets heated it can happen?  That is the first and most obvious problem I have with the rule.  One way or another, the rule should be the same at all times.  Either advance the ball all the time or don’t do it at all.  No rule should be altered just because the clock reads a different time or quarter.  Remember when you were a kid and your friend tried adjusting the rules mid-play.  That’s what this feels like to me. 

It’s almost like Major League Baseball saying that if a team takes a lead in the eighth or ninth inning, the losing team’s base runners are allowed to advance one base following a hit.  Or the NFL instilling (another dumb) rule pronouncing that if a team takes a lead with less than a minute to go, the losing team automatically gets the ball at the 50-yard-line.  Sounds nuts right?  Still, they are (illogical) examples of a team gaining extra ground/court with no time elapsing.  Sure it makes for a more exciting atmosphere, but there is no reason for it when one considers the basic rules of the game.

I find it hard to believe that any coach, NBA included, would like this rule.  First of all, this rule does not exist at any other level of basketball.  Only the NBA, but that shouldn’t be surprising.  Professional leagues seem to make any rule they want whenever they want.  But, I can tell you that this rule dramatically changes a team’s chance of winning (or losing depending on how you look at it).

Say my team scores with two or three seconds left.  As a coach, I am feeling pretty good about my chances of winning.  The other team will only get one or two dribbles and then have to chuck (and make) a long-distance, hail-mary shot.  I would say the chances of that happening are about five percent.  I think a 1-in-20 chance of a young man/kid making that shot in those circumstances seems about right.

However, if I had the lead with a few seconds left, and the opposing team was able to call a normal timeout and automatically advance the ball to half-court, I would need to have a diaper on because I would be...  You get the idea.

I think the rule takes away a lot of the advantage of scoring late in games.  Now the other team doesn’t have to waste time going at least half the court.  As I see it, the chance of them making the shot only goes up with every free foot they get.

As was the case with the Mavs, it only takes one second for winning to be turned into losing.  Thanks to this rule, the Thunder went from needing a miracle to (apparently) having a good shot at stealing away the victory.  I know some will say that it works both ways, but I don’t think it should work any way.

It all stems back to the timing of the rule.  Why does the rule only apply at the end of games?  If Carter hits that three at the end of the first, second or third quarters, the Thunder have to chuck up a shot from three-quarters court.  Yet, for reasons unknown to mankind, OKC now gets a chance from mid-court because VC hit the three toward the end of the fourth.

Looking at it from the other side, without this rule we wouldn’t have seen Derek Fisher and the Lakers sprint off the court following his game-winning shot with .4 seconds left in Game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference semis.  MJ doesn’t hit the infamous “Shot” on Cleveland’s Craig Eloh in Game 5 of the 1989 Eastern Conference first round.  And if you haven’t seen this ending between the Rockets and the Blazers in 2008, you definitely need to.  That took all of 1.9 seconds.

Like I said, as a fan it is great.  But as a person who believes in common sense, the rule either needs to be removed or made consistent throughout the entire game. 

My Perception Has Become Reality

Over the last week or so, some things in the sports world have become apparent to me.  In the past I probably wouldn’t have been able to tell if these things were a figment of my imagination or if my thoughts actually made sense outside of my own head.  Now, after viewing these recent incidents, I am convinced that they are in fact 100 percent true.

            No. 1 – NFL Officials are terrible. I could probably include NBA officials as well, but fortunately for them they haven’t been able to prove me right in the last six months.

            Two weeks ago I saw Lance Moore of the Saints grab a defenders’ arm, fall down while flailing his arms, and get a pass interference call. It was utterly ridiculous and turned out to be the straw that broke the camel’s back for me.

            Earlier in the day, Dallas’ Orlando Scandrick was called for a block in the back on a punt return. It was clear in real-time and on the replay that he had his hands extended over his head so that he wouldn’t get called for a penalty. Didn’t matter. He barley touched the would-be tackler as the guy fell and got called. The call negated a big return that may have saved head coach Jason Garrett from calling his now infamous timeout.

            Perhaps the worst call I have ever seen was the personal foul in the Bengals/Browns game three weeks ago. Bengals receiver Jerome Simpson was nudged by a Browns’ defenseman and went flying in an attempt to get a call. He seriously looked like he was straight out of the WWE. I can’t blame the guy for trying, but I can blame the referee for throwing the flag when he wasn’t even watching. The ref was breaking up a tackle, looked up to see Simpson on the ground, and threw the flag.  Search it on YouTube and watch for yourself.

            This all goes to show that the refs don’t really process what they are seeing. If anything resembles a penalty to them, they call it when it should be the other way around.

Here is a rule the NFL should adopt since it is all about putting in new guidelines. How about the referee must actually see the penalty being committed before he can throw a flag. And they wonder why fans call them blind.

            No. 2 – Jason Garrett did the second dumbest thing I have ever seen when it comes to icing your own kicker. As if icing your own kicker wasn’t dumb enough in the first place, it has been taken to a whole new level this year.

            By now everyone has seen Garrett’s indescribable move. If the play clock was in fact running out, then okay. I can understand calling a timeout. What I don’t understand is not calling a timeout – when he had two left – with 20-plus seconds left and perhaps gaining a few more yards for an easier field goal attempt. I actually applauded when LaRod Stevens-Howling (PITT alum) scored the game-winner. That meant Garrett would be eaten alive by the media and rightfully so. If ever there was a time where I could pick anyone I wanted, and they had to sit down and listen to everything I had to say for five minutes without being interrupted – that was it.

            Still, believe it or not, someone has done worse. Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel actually managed to ice his kicker earlier this year by calling two consecutive timeouts.

            With the score tied at 30 against Arizona State, Pinkel called not one, but two timeouts with his kicker lining up for a 48-yard game-wining attempt. Why? I haven’t the slightest clue. As it turned out, the kicker missed the kick and Mizzou eventually lost in overtime. I was lying in bed watching the game and was completely stunned by what I had just witnessed. I figured there was no way anyone could every do that again. Silly me.

            Personally, I blame Bill Parcells for all of this. Jerry Jones brought him in in 2003 with hopes of resurrecting the franchise. To me, he didn’t do anything but make things worse. The only good thing he did was draft DeMarcus Ware.

            Parcells gets praise for finding Tony Romo, however it was Sean Payton that told Parcells about Romo and had him bring him in. All Parcells did was finally put Romo in when Drew Bledsoe couldn’t do any worse. Parcells’ other QBs before finally deciding on Romo: Quincy Carter and Vinny Testaverde. Good choices huh?

Then, if Parcells would have left when he should have (after his third of four seasons in 2005), Payton would have been our head coach. Not Wade Phillips or Garrett. Today Dallas would have an offensive mastermind in Payton as head coach. I’d say he has done pretty well with Drew Brees in New Orleans. Furthermore, Parcells decided to pass on Steven Jackson in the ’04 draft to move back, get more picks and select Julius Jones. Instead of taking a big, strong, fast running back and not having to search for one for the next six years, we take a small back who went over 1,000 yards once in his seven-year career. Jones is now out of the league.

Parcells has won only three playoffs game since 1990. Not to mention the Dolphins look much better too since he became a ‘consultant.’ Thanks for everything ol’ wise one.

            No. 3 – Ten-year MLB contracts never work out. Whether it is because it financially straps the ballclub, the player gets traded, or the player never produces at that level for that long, ten-year contracts rarely make sense in the end.

            I understand that the club may be trying to space out the money over a longer period of time and offer more guaranteed money, but zero of the previous six ten-year contracts have worked out.

            Alex Rodriguez signed two ten-year deals, one for $252M and another for $275M. Looking back, he wasn’t worth either deal. Derek Jeter got $189M. For a leadoff man? Not worth it. It was more about keeping him in the pinstripes. Troy Tulowitzki is in the midst of a $158M deal that he signed last year. For as injury prone as he has become, I have doubts that will work out. Todd Helton (11-years, $151M) hit for average, while Dave Winfield’s ten-year, $23M deal in 1981 seems almost laughable.

            Albert Pujols is the most recent person to join this list. He just signed with the Angels for $254M. He will be 41 by the time his contract ends. That’s a lot of money for a guy who has already played for 11 years and has had some nagging injuries pop up.

            The $150M deals aren’t that bad. They don’t handcuff the team as much, as they would only be about $15 a year. The $250-plus deals are the sticklers. Pujols may be the best hitter in the game, but is he worth strapping your club financially for the next decade? I guess only time will tell, but I wouldn’t put my money on it.

            No. 4 – The Miami Marlins will be serious contenders in the National League. The Phillies will have their hands full defending their NL East crown. The recent acquisitions of Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell have greatly improved the Marlins’ roster.

            Reyes will almost assuredly leadoff next year. He is arguably one of the best leadoff men in the game, not to mention one of the best defensive shortstops. Reyes hit .337, stole 39 bases and scored 101 runs in the Mets’ below average lineup last year.  He is the definition of a game changer.

Hanley Ramirez, the team’s previous shortstop and perhaps new third baseman, can’t possibly be any worst than he was last year. Ramirez posted career-lows in every offensive category last year. Having Ramirez, and up-and-comer Mike Stanton (34 HRs), behind Reyes in the lineup will only make the speedster more dangerous. Emilio Bonifazio (.296 avg, 40 SBs), Omar Infante (.276 avg.), Gabby Sanchez (78 RBIs) and Logan Morrison (23 HRs) aren’t exactly slouches either.

As baseball coaches everywhere will tell you, good pitching beats good hitting. The Marlins already have one of the best young arms in Josh Johnson. Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez have also shown signs of being good for stretches. Throw in Buehrle, who had a 3.59 ERA in the AL last year, and the Fish have a rotation that can keep them in ballgames.

While Heath Bell’s strikeout numbers have declined, he has proven to be a solid, consistent closer. He has blown just 14 saves over the last three years. Juan Oviedo, aka Leo Nunez, has blown 21 over the same period.

The Marlins finished 30 games back of the Phillies last year. Are these new guys enough to make up 30 games? Probably not, but it will definitely make things harder on the whole division.

            No. 5 – The New Orleans Saints are practically unbeatable at home. You want to talk about a home field advantage, look no further than the Superdome.

            The Saints are 6-0 at home this year and are a collective 19-5 in Nawlins since 2009. It is a place like no other. Trust me, I have been there.

            I don’t know if I have ever been in a place more louder than the Superdome. Plus, the seats in the upper deck are at such a steep incline that it feels like you are going to fall right down onto to the field. I am sure that doesn’t hurt when it comes to projecting the noise more directly onto the opposing offense.

            Unfortunately for the Saints, it looks like they will be playing the NFC Championship game in Wisconsin – which just so happens to be another place where a team has yet to be beaten this year.

            No. 6 – The BCS is still a joke. I am not going to spend much time on this because it isn’t even worth talking about any more. Look up the word ‘travesty’ in the dictionary and it will tell you to ‘see Bowl Championship Series.’

            I want a BCS official to tell me why Oklahoma State doesn’t deserve a shot at the national title? Or Stanford. Or Boise State. I know OK-State’s loss to Iowa was bad on paper, but it was by six points on the road. Sure, Stanford got routed by Oregon at home, but the Ducks are the sixth ranked team in the country. It’s not like they lost to Northwest Central Montana State.

            Boise State is the team that I feel the most sorry for. The Broncos always seem to get screwed over by the BCS one way or another. This year they lost to TCU, a program that has become very formidable over the years, by one point. The Broncos’ freshman kicker missed a 39-yarder as time expired to win the game. So, had Dan Goodale made the kick, would Boise State be in the championship game? Somehow I still doubt it. I really wish he would have made it because then the BCS would be under even more fire than it is right now.

            BCS supporters like to use the BS excuse that in this system every week is a playoff. Every week is a must-win if you want to have a shot at the end. Then please tell me how Alabama, a one-loss team that lost to LSU, gets another shot in the title game. Because its one loss was to LSU? Too bad. According to the theory, it already lost its ‘playoff’ game earlier in the year. On top of that, why should LSU be asked to beat the same team twice? It won its ‘playoff’ game. Now what if LSU loses to Bama? How can you justifiably call Alabama the ‘best team in college football?’ You can’t.

            The truth is you can’t call any team the best without a playoff system. It is the only fair way to do it. No computers. No polls. It would eliminate the arguments. Every other sport in the world uses a playoff system. Even NASCAR. You know it’s gotten bad when NASCAR has a better system than college football.

            It’s so bad that I still wrote more than I wanted to about it. I hate you college football.

            No. 7 – We are getting to watch some of the best Quarterbacks of all time. Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, New England’s Tom Brady and New Orleans’ Drew Brees are all on pace to break Dan Marino’s single-season passing record of 5,084 yards set in 1984. It hasn’t been broken in nearly 30 years and now three men may do it in the same season.

            I understand the NFL has adjusted its rules, both offensively and defensively, and has made it more of an offensive game. Because of that, teams are passing more now than ever before. Still, it takes special people to do it this consistently at this level for this long of time. Throw in Indianapolis’ Peyton Manning and we may be staring at four of the greatest QBs of all-time when it is all said and done.

            All of these quarterbacks possess the arm strength and accuracy to be some of the best ever. All have taken on offensive tasks (i.e. play-calling and game tempo) never before seen for the position. They have the stats that prove that they are enjoying one of the best seasons ever as a signal caller. To top it all off, I don’t think it is a coincidence that they all have one other thing in common: a Super Bowl ring.

             No. 8 – Cam Newton and AJ Green will be drafted within the first two rounds next year in fantasy football. These two rookies have burst onto the scene in a major way.

            In my current fantasy league, one in which scoring is a little harder than standard leagues (50 yards passing = 1 point, 25 yards rushing = 1 point), Newton is third amongst all scorers behind Rodgers and Brees. His 13 rushing touchdowns obviously help him out a lot, but that’s what makes him who he is.

            After Rodgers, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Newton as the second QB off the board next year. He is definitely first round material. He is essentially Michael Vick from this year, but better, younger and healthier.

            I see Green more as a second or third round pick. He ranks 13^th amongst receivers in my league, but he also missed a game and a half. If he would have averaged his weekly total in the week he missed, he would be pumped up to tenth. Regardless, I would take him over Victor Cruz, Jordy Nelson and Percy Harvin. Perhaps Greg Jennings and Hakeem Nicks as well considering all of the other targets their QBs have.

            While it is not a lock that Green will go in the first two rounds, he should be off the board by the end of the third. Be thankful if you get either of these guys next year because the arrow is pointing up for both of them.

            No. 9 – There is no loyalty in professional sports. This comes off the heels of rumors that Peyton Manning and the Colts may part ways after this season is over.

            Free agency has undoubtedly had the biggest hand in loyalty being thrown out the window. The National Football League adopted a form of free agency in 1989, but it was tweaked to how it is today in 1993. That, and the fact that clubs don’t want to pay declining stars a lot of money, have players changing teams all the time.

            This fact actually slapped me across the face in 2003, when Dallas released Emmitt Smith and he signed with the Arizona Cardinals. He was and still is my favorite athlete of all time and my heart was torn out of my chest when I got back from class and heard the news. By the way, it was Parcells that thought Troy-freaking-Hambrick was going to offer more offense than Smith and talked Jerry Jones into releasing him. In the words of Happy Gilmore, “I hate that Bob Barker.”

            For as long as I can remember, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League have always had free agency, so seeing a super star get cut or traded has never been that uncommon.

            Other football greats who have been cut by the teams that they will always be remembered for include Tony Dorsett, OJ Simpson, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Brett Favre, Ladanian Tomlinson, Eric Dickerson and Marcus Allen.

            Of the top 100 rushers of all-time, 26 have played for only one team. Of the top 100 passers, that number is 27. For wide receivers it is 29. Yes, only 27 percent of the top 300 skill-position players have been with one team for their whole careers.

            No. 10 – Super teams are becoming the new wave in the NBA. People want to immediately blame Lebron James for this, but it technically started with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2003-04.

            Along with having Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, the Lakers signed greats Gary Payton and Karl Malone – albeit they were slightly over the hill at the time. They went on to lose in the Finals to Detroit.

            Then there are the Boston Celtics with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. They actually won a title, but mortgaged the future to do it. Chris Paul wanted to join Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire in New York before ending up with the Clippers. Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are all in Miami. Even today’s Lakers have Pau Gasol with Kobe.

            If you really wanted to, you could even go back to the 80’s with the ‘Showtime’ Lakers and the Celtics with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish. However, I don’t think any of them finagled their way onto the same team.

            Who knows where Dwight Howard will end up, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he end up along side of another superstar or two. It seems to be the way of the world right now.

Bulldogs, Knights meet again in AA final

            Northern Lehigh and Pen Argyl’s match-up this Saturday could be called a couple of things.

            It could be termed ‘The Rematch.’  ‘The Sequel.’  ‘Bulldogs-Knights Part Two.’

            It can also be described as something else: the 2011 District 11 AA Championship Game.

            The Colonial League’s top two teams, Pen Argyl (11-0) and Northern Lehigh (10-1), will face off for a second time this year when the two meet in the district final this Saturday at 1 p.m.  The Bulldogs’ only loss on the year came at the hands of the Knights back on Oct. 8 when they fell 14-8 in a tight one.  As fate would have it, the ‘Dawgs have been granted a shot at redemption.

            “Playing for a district championship is always our goal from the beginning,” said Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout.  “We are very fortunate to be playing in our third straight.  And it’s tough in AA, especially with the run North Schuylkill has made over the last few years.

            “As far as playing Pen Argyl again, and just being a competitor as a player and a coach, it’s what you want.  When you have one close loss all year and you get a second chance – that’s all you can ask for.”

            As was the case in the first meeting, Saturday’s game figures to be a defensive battle.  The two defenses are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in all of District 11 in terms of points-per-game allowed.  Pen Argyl leads the way at a measly 5.6.  Only three teams have scored more than eight points on the Knights all year.  None have scored more than 15.  Last week Pen Argyl’s defense held Pine Grove’s Cameron Conrad, a 1,500-yard rusher, to just 81 yards in a 49-13 win.

            Meanwhile, Northern Lehigh comes in having allowed an average of 7.1 points-per-game and is the only team to hold the Knights to less than 27 points.  They also managed to ‘limit’ Pen Argyl running back Dylan Evans to 108 yards and a touchdown.  Last week the Bulldogs became the first team in three years to shut out North Schuylkill (28-0) and are hoping for a similar effort this week.

            The last time these two teams met, all 22 points were scored within the first four drives of the game.  Northern Lehigh was picked off on its first possession before the teams alternated scores for the next three series.  The Bulldogs jumped ahead 8-7 in the second quarter and are the only team this season to lead Pen Argyl.

            “It is going to be very tough for both offenses,” said Pen Argyl head coach Paul Reduzzi, whose defense is an outstanding plus-27 in turnovers on the year.  “We are similar in the sense that both teams play responsible defense.  We both know our assignments and execute them well.  We are both fast and fly to the ball.  I expect a game very similar to our first meeting where both defenses play extremely well.”

            While Evans (school-record 1,649 yards and 24 TDs) has been Pen Argyl’s workhorse for the majority of the season, lately the Knights have lined up him, quarterback Conor Gum and fellow back Mike Racciato in the shotgun formation at the same time.  Racciato’s carries have gone up over the last three weeks as Pen Argyl has looked to spread the ball around a little bit more.

            “I think (Pen Argyl) is a little different now,” said Tout.  “They have been splitting their backs in the shotgun and have their three best athletes in the backfield.  It’s a smart thing to do.  Now a defense can’t focus on one guy.  We have to account for all three of them at once.  It makes it that much more difficult.”

            Northern Lehigh has a 1,000-yard rusher of its own in Trevor Yashur.  Yashur was able to find some running lanes last meeting, as he totaled 78 yards and a touchdown on the ground.  Quarterback Dylan Hofmann, who has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns himself, only had 69 yards passing.  Then again, those are the numbers one would expect when playing against the district’s top defense.

            The Bulldogs were able to move the ball against the Knights back in early October.  However, in order for the outcome to be different this time around, Tout says his team must finish off drives.

            “We have to be able to score when the opportunity is there,” Tout said.  “We had a drive in the second half where we didn’t convert a third-and-short and ended up giving the ball up on downs.  We moved the ball.  We just didn’t succeed inside the 30-yard-line.  Now I’m not expecting to us to score on every drive, but we are going to need two or three touchdowns in order to win.”

            Saturday will be the first time Northern Lehigh and Pen Argyl have met in the district playoffs since 2006.  The Knights won that first-round matchup 14-13.  Five years later, points will be at a premium once again.

            “I didn’t really understand the Pen Argyl-Northern Lehigh rivalry,” admitted Reduzzi.  “I played for Pen Argyl and never competed against Northern Lehigh.  When I was hired, the whole school was talking about the rivalry.  But I didn’t get it.

            “Over the last five years, I have come to understand what this match-up is all about.  It’s a good rivalry with a lot of tradition and now we get to play each other for a district championship.  I’m sure both teams wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Conference Chaos

     Is anyone else confused about what the heck is going on with all this college realignment like I am?
     Over the last year or so, and especially within the last few months, the college sports world has seen a handful of universities switch conferences. Some experts thought it was only a matter of time before the college landscape was ruled by a few major conferences, i.e. the Denver Post’s Woody Paige - who said he wrote a column in the mid-70s predicting that one day the NCAA would be reduced to a few super conferences. Whether Paige really did write the story or it was just something he wrote on his Around The Horn chalkboard is anyone’s guess. And I wasn’t around in the mid-70s so I wouldn’t know either way. The point is that the idea was already presented a long time ago.
     Obviously this isn’t the first time schools have bolted from one conference to another. Major universities began leaving their conferences in 2004 when Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College all left the Big East for the ACC. Conference USA then lost schools like Cinci, Marquette and Louisville to the Big East. At the time it was somewhat of a big deal, as no major colleges had changed conferences in some time. Regardless of what anyone thought about schools realigning seven years ago, there was no way they could envision what would happen in 2010 and 2011.
     The question I keep asking is why? Why are all of these colleges leaving their current conferences for a new one. I know, it’s all about the money. I get that. It has gotten to the point, and is a whole other topic people can proclaim their dismay for, where money drives everything with the NCAA. But are these colleges really going to make that much more money by changing conferences that they feel like they need to do it now? I just find it a little weird that all of these universities are making these moves at the same time.
     Scott Van Pelt recently had Pete Thamel of the New York Times on his ESPN radio show. Thamel was on talking about Pittsburgh and Syracuse following in the footsteps of the aforementioned universities and leaving the Big East for the ACC. They got on the topic of what this would mean for basketball, but Thamel was quick to point out that all of these moves were being done because of football. He said that football and the money brought in by the sport are the driving forces behind every decision.
     That’s where this Pitt/Cuse move confuses me. If the landscape of college athletics is driven by football, then it makes absolutely no sense as to why the ACC wants to add Pitt and Cuse. Both football programs are mediocre at best. In Cuse’s case, mediocre would be a compliment. Neither school has even been considered a football powerhouse and probably never will be. So why change? For the money? The ACC will be that more lucrative? I mean William Dietrich, a famous Pitt alumni who was the former chairman and president of Dietrich Industries Inc. (a Pittsburgh based steelmaker), is set to donate $125M to the university. I guess no amount of money is ever enough. Regardless, I find it hard to believe that these schools will make that much more money that they are forced to up-root from their current conference and jump to another. Especially in Cuse’s case. They were a founding member of the Big East. And now, as quickly as that, they have bolted with practically no explanation.
     I feel like if a college is going to leave its conference, it must state exactly why it is doing so. If it is leaving for more money, present the data the shows they are better off with the other conference. Show how much more money you will be making. If they don’t think they can compete with the other schools, then show us your records against those other schools. If they think its better for their student-athletes (which would probably be complete BS), then show us how. Don’t just leave without giving a reason why.
     Pitt and Cuse are far from the only two schools leaving their current league. Colorado and Utah officially joined the Pac-10 this year. Big 12 powerhouses Oklahoma and Texas are in serious talks about joining the Pac 10 as well. Talks also suggest that if they leave, so too will Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Nebraska will join the Big Ten in a few years, while Texas A&M is set to join the SEC. TCU also signed with the Big East just a few months ago, but due to the new circumstances may be looking to finagle its way out. UCONN and Rutgers are also trying to be on their way out of the Big East.
     It’s amazing to see what has become of some of these conferences. A few years ago the Big 12 was revered as one of, if not the, best football conferences in all the land. The Big East, with some additions from Conference USA, had become undoubtedly the best basketball conference in the nation. Now both are fighting just to exist. There was talk of the two combining and becoming the ‘new’ Big 12, but those talks have since stalled. Who knows what will end up happening to them.
     “These are independent academic institutions that have enormous amounts of autonomy in everything that they do, including athletics, and we in the NCAA oversee and facilitate and provide a lot of direct decision-making when it’s appropriate,” NCAA president Mark Emmert told the USA Today. “But when it comes to conference affiliations, that’s always been — and I suspect will always remain — decisions that are going to be made by university presidents.”
     In other words, the NCAA doesn’t care what the colleges do as long as they keep bringing in the money for everyone. Weak.
     I wouldn’t be shocked if a few years down the road Paige was 100 percent right. There probably will be four major conferences that rule college sports. Is it good or bad for the athletics? I don’t know. I guess that is yet to be seen.
     The only thing I can hope for is that with all of these schools competing against each other in such few leagues, college football will eventually go to a playoff system. It will be hard to fathom any team going undefeated, or have a fair chance considering all of these teams won’t be able to play each other and schedules will be unbalanced. Then again, that move would make sense. So it probably won’t happen.

Getz does it all for Bears

When Pleasant Valley needs to make something happen on the football field, it looks to get the ball in the hands of one person inparticular.

That person is Robert Getz.

Getz had his hands on the ball for four of the Bears' six touchdowns last Friday night and helped his team to a 40-37 victory over Honesdale. The senior tailback did a lot of everything, as he carried the ball 23 times for 211 yards, caught three passes for 140 yards, and made a key interception in the fourth quarter that sparked Pleasant Valley's comeback. Getz had scoring runs of 8, 1 and 3 yards, with the latter coming with just under a minute to go in regulation to essentially win the game for his Bears. He also took a swing pass, made a couple of defenders miss, and out-raced the rest of the Hornets' defense 50 yards down the right sideline for yet another score.

Thanks to Getz's heroic performance, he has been awarded the TIMES NEWS Football Player of the Week award.

"I have to give a lot of credit to the offensive line," said Getz, who also won the award as a sophomore. "When we watched the film, you could see that they really opened up some holes. The 'Power' was hitting hard and was working really well.

"It's a team effort. You can't just look at me and say I did everything. When it comes down to it, great teams find a way to win at the end. We went down with 1:42 left and won the game."

The game was back-and-forth throughout and came down to the waning seconds. After Honesdale scored to take a 37-33 lead, the Bears found themselves at their own 20-yard-line with 1:42 to play. As if Getz hadn't done enough already, he was about to put his team on his back and shine once again.

Getz took the handoff on the first play from scrimmage and raced 32 yards to get things rolling. After a short two-yard completion from Troy Verway to Andrew Romeo, head coach Jim Terwilliger called another play for Getz. The Bears ran a delayed screen and hit Getz in the middle of the field. The quick, elusive back juked and jived his way through the defense and eventually broke out down the far sideline. He would be pushed out at the three, but punched it in on the very next play to give Pleasant Valley the lead with 42 seconds to go. Getz accounted for 78 of the 80 yards on the drive.

"I knew in my mind, and the same with Troy and all the other leaders, that we were going to score," Getz said. "Our offense was scoring all night. We felt good and we weren't nervous.

"There was no doubt in my mind that we were going to score. I wanted the ball. I knew I had to take it down and score for the team. I had to do anything I could to win that game. I couldn't let us lose our home opener."

Getz is also the Bears' primary kick returner. He returned a kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown in week one against Nazareth and would have had a 61-yard punt return for a score last week had it not been called back on a penalty. After that the Hornets learned their lesson and made sure to kick it away from him. Not only does Getz affect the game on both offense and defense, but he does so on special teams as well.

"I take an ownership in it," said Getz. "I have 'KR' on my varsity jacket too and people laugh at me, but I am proud of my special teams. There aren't many guys out there that run, receive and return kicks. I have fun doing it. It is just another opportunity for me to have the ball in my hands.

"It's one of my favorite plays in the game. It's the first offensive play in a sense. It's a big play in the game and you can't overlook it."

Terwilliger has been around a lot of football players in his time. While he has seen some outstanding players, he has yet to see one that does as much as his current tailback.

"I don't think I have seen anybody as versatile as Robert has been to our football team," said Terwilliger. "I have seen some pretty great players. I have seen some guys do some different things, but in terms of workload - he has an impact in every phase of the game. Whether its offensively, defensively or special teams.

"It is special when you get a player to be able to do that because usually you have a guy who is huge offensive threat, will maybe play some defense, but will not do much on special teams. Robert does it all and that's a special deal because not many guys can do that."

Check it out at tnonline.com!