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! 

12-Team, PPR Fantasy Football Team

QBs: Josh Freeman (TB), Donovan McNabb (MIN)

RBs: Chris Johnson (TEN), Matt Forte (CHI), Mike Tolbert (SD), Tim Hightower (WASH), Rashad Jennings (JAX), Javon Ringer (TEN)

WRs: Calvin Johnson (DET), Mike Williams (TB), Mario Manningham (NYG), Lee Evans (BAL), Steve Breaston (KC)

TEs: Jason Witten (DAL), Brent Celek (PHI)

K: Neil Rackers (HOU)

D: Baltimore

Scoring: Pass TD – 4, 50 yds passing – 1, INT – -2, Rush/Rec TD – 6, 25 yds rush/rec – 1, rec – .5, fum – -2.

QBs: My string of first overall picks finally came to an end this year. This time I had the third pick in the draft and selected Chris Johnson. By the time it was my pick again at 22, Tony Romo and Matt Schaub were the only ‘top-tier’ quarterbacks left and I wasn’t going to overdraft like I may have in the past. Thankfully I was able to put my Dallas fandom aside and decided it was too early to take either one of those guys. With that in mind, I chose to wait on a QB since about nine of the 11 teams had already selected theirs. I’m not sure exactly which round I took Freeman, but I know I had already selected my top three RBs and WRs as well as Witten. Considering I got Freeman in the 8^th round (or later), and some people are projecting him to have a breakout season, I can live with my starting QB. He only had one monster game last year, but had a nice split of 25 TDs to only six INTs. He finished eighth in scoring amongst QBs in our league in 2010 and I’ll gladly take it if he can do that again this year.

I took McNabb a few rounds later for some insurance. Although I like Freeman, he isn’t the prototypical stud that you are going to start every single week without hesitation. I feel McNabb is a viable backup (hopefully) and is capable of spot-starting for me if the matchup calls for it. Fantasy Football has become very QB-driven over the last few years. Looks like I will be going against that trend this year.

RBs: As you can probably guess, I am very in-tune to the on-going contract situation with Johnson. At the time of the draft, I felt there was no way the Titans would enter Week 1 without their best player. Their fan base would have to revolt, right? While I still feel that way, the talks aren’t progressing at a friendly rate and you never know what is going to happen. I may have taken a risk, but I feel it is justified. Adrian Peterson and Arian Foster were gone and I wasn’t sold on putting Jamaal Charles or Ray Rice ahead of him. Perhaps I could have chosen Charles since it is a PPR league, but Johnson is just as dangerous on screens and short passes – if not more. I probably would have even taken Johnson second overall if I had the chance. I don’t trust RBs with knee issues (Foster), especially in the first three picks. And I couldn’t tell you the last time a RB was the No. 1 scorer two years in a row. Either way, it looks like I get to play the waiting-game with Johnson. I’ll be sure to leave him some comments on his Twitter feed about how I would be willing to raise his $12M contract to a $12,000,020 contract.

            I was then between Forte and Vincent Jackson in the third round. With the Johnson twins already on my team, I had to decide which position I wanted to solidify. As you can see I went with the RB. I really debated taking Jackson. He is a flat-out stud and will probably receive 45 percent of the targets from Philip Rivers. Although Jackson is a beast, WRs are a dime-a-dozen. You can always find a WR along the way to plug in. He may not be of Jackson’s caliber, but WRs can be quite hit-or-miss on a week-to-week basis. With this being a PPR league, and Forte being a tier 1-2 RB, I felt that he was the right choice. Plus he will touch the ball 15-20 times a game whereas Jackson may see the ball eight times at the most. Forte may loose some touches to Barber at the goal-line, but I don’t see that becoming a long-term problem regardless of what everyone else is saying. As a Cowboys fan I have seen Barber lose a step over the last two years and know he isn’t the same back he was in 2007. Forte also has big-play ability and can take a screen the distance at any given moment. Not many people can say that about both of their RBs. Other than a Charles-Ryan Grant combo, and perhaps Foster and Ahmad Bradshaw, I feel that I have the best RB tandem in our league.

            I took Tolbert in the sixth round or so because I feel like he will eventually be the starter in San Diego. I had Ryan Mathews last year and saw how that turned out. Tolbert is the goal-line back and tackling him is like tackling a bowling ball with legs. He, along with Tim Hightower – who is the starter and is having a great preseason for the Redskins, is great backups in my eyes. Either one of these guys is capable of starting if an injury or bye week crop up. Ringer is solely a handcuff for Johnson. Too bad it looks like rookie Jamie Harper may be pushing him for the backup duties. It doesn’t really matter because neither of them is going to see the field on my fantasy team.

WRs: Calvin Johnson was staring me in the face at pick 22 and I couldn’t see myself passing him up. He is a top-tier WR – third behind Andre Johnson and Roddy White on most boards – and made the most sense at the time. The QB and RB pool wasn’t worthy of the second round pick and he probably fell further than he should have. I am pretty sure Andre, White and Fitz were gone at the time so in my eyes he was the best player available.

            I was elated to get Mike Williams at the end of the fourth round. I had him on one of my fantasy teams last year and all he seemed to do was catch touchdowns. He is Freeman’s go-to-guy and has shown the ability to make some acrobatic catches. He is a top-of-the-line WR2 and gives me a QB-WR combo. Sure its Tampa’s combo, but it could work. Now, instead of getting 7.5 points for a 25-yard touchdown, I will be getting 12.

            If Williams doesn’t pan out to be as great as I think he will be, then Manningham will be a nice second option. Eli Manning has shown trust Manningham and is not hesitant to throw his way. Heck, he nearly had 1,000 yards and nine TDs last year as the team’s No. 3 WR. This year he will be the No. 2 and should benefit from teams rolling covering Hakeem Nick’s way. A lot of analysts are predicting a big year from him. I am just hoping it doesn’t become a problem trying to decide who to play every week. Nothing frustrates a fantasy owner more than beating his brains out trying to figure out which player to play – and then watching the guy he benched blow up for 130 yards and two TDs.

            Evans and Breaston are fill-ins. I think Evans will have some value throughout the year as Baltimore’s No. 2. He should be the deep threat and could have some big weeks – although they will probably be on my bench. Breaston is a stretch. He is Kansas City’s No. 2, but the Chiefs are a run-first offense. And when they do throw, it is usually in Dwayne Bowe’s direction.

TEs: I was fortunate enough to snag Witten early in the fifth round. I already had my starting RBs and WRs and Witten was the last of the top-tier TEs available. The pick was basically made for me. I actually had my eye on him when I took Williams, but I passed and prayed that he would last four more picks. Thankfully he did. It’s funny because he may be the best fantasy TE at the end of the day. Antonio Gates and Dallas Clark are studs, but have become somewhat injury prone. Vernon Davis has no QB. Jermichael Finely may be the next safest TE, but even he is coming off on knee surgery. Witten, on the other hand, has only missed one game in his career and that was in 2003.  As long as he stays healthy this year, he will start every week for me.

K: Some boards have Rackers at the top of the list. I don’t really care since you are usually splitting hairs when it comes to picking a kicker. All an owner wants is a kicker who is a part of a powerful offense and has a leg to hit some 50-yarders. Rackers possesses both. Considering he wasn’t even one of the first five kickers off the board – I’ll take him.

D: I am content with Baltimore as my defense. Pittsburgh, Green Bay, New York and Philly were all off the board by the time I decided it was time to pick a defense. Much like Witten, the pick was made for me. I look at the Ravens’ schedule and see six teams that can possibly score more than 20 points on them. The Steelers (twice), the Jets, the Texans, the Colts and the Chargers. Even then the Pittsburgh games can be low-scoring. The Jets too. Plus the Jets and the Colts are at home. We get 20 points for a shutout in our league. Those 20 points can go a long way in deciding whether you win or lose. Add in the fact that Ed Reed likes to return picks, fumbles and missed field goals for touchdowns and you have a potentially high-scoring defense.

Looking over my team as a whole, I am very pleased. I feel as if I have a solid 1-2 punch at both RB and WR and possess a top-tier TE, K and D. QB will be the only question, but again I am hoping Freeman can live up to the hype. If all else fails, perhaps I can package one of my backup RB and WR for a QB. Hopefully I won’t have to worry about that.

            We started our league back in 2005. I haven’t made the playoffs since 2007 and have yet to win a playoff game. It is time I ended my playoff drought and this is the team to do it. CRACKBABY FOOTBALL ALL THE WAY!!!

Fantasy Baseball: 2011’s Good and Bad Surprises

Whoever is into fantasy baseball can probably name this year’s positional MVPs without having to think very hard.

It’s relatively obvious that Brian McCann, Adrian Gonzalez, Jose Reyes, Jose Bautista and Matt Kemp are the best players fantasy-wise at their respective positions. They were the no-brainers on draft day.

But what fantasy owners like just as much as a ‘sure thing’ is pleasant surprises. After all, who doesn’t like surprises? Owners become overjoyed when they find value where they thought they might have little or none.

            Conversely, disappointing players can cost owners dearly. Owners may take a player earlier than expected due to a lack of position depth, only to have them get injured or post career-low numbers. I’m talking to you Geovany Soto and Shin-Soo Choo. If an owner is unlucky enough to have two or three of these players on their team, they probably aren’t going to see any winnings.

            Below are my good and bad surprises of the 2011 Fantasy Baseball season. These players have either made their owners feel smart for getting them when they did… or really, really dumb for the same exact reason.

            *** All rankings/stats are taken from Yahoo Fantasy Sports. ***

            *** The ‘slash’ line refers to a player’s average and on base percentage as of August 2. Some fantasy experts like to use slugging percentage as well, but I have yet to run into a league that plays with it. So I don't pay much attention to it. ***

Catcher

Good: Miguel Montero (AZ) – Ranked pre-season at No. 9, this guy is first in runs and second in RBIs amongst catchers. He is also fifth in hits and carries a .273/.347 slash. His 61 Ks won’t kill you either.  After McCann and Victor Martinez, he has been the next best at such a thin position.

Bad: Joe Mauer (MN)/Geovany Soto (ChiC) – Mauer’s injuries have once again killed his fantasy value and he may be becoming ‘injury pro-.’ Notice I stopped short of saying it just yet. Soto has also been on the DL and has yet to show any signs of prolonged power. I don’t like his 77 Ks either. And I guess if we are talking about injuries then Buster Posey has to be here too. Sometimes luck isn’t on your side.

First Base

Good: Michael Morse (WASH) – Morse has basically come out of no where to record 17 HRs and 59 RBIs through 97 games. He boasts a solid .314/.365 slash to boot. He is the epitome of a pleasant surprise and has paid dividends for anyone that missed out on a big-time 1B in deeper leagues.

Bad: Adam Dunn – (ChiW) – I never felt he had much fantasy value to begin with, and never wanted him on my team, but I never thought Dunn would have ZERO value through July. He is currently ranked 61^st of all 1B-eligible players thanks to his measly .165 average and 138 Ks. Dunn has three hits in 77 at-bats versus lefties.

Second Base

Good: Michael Cuddyer (MN) – Although Cuddyer is 1B/2B/3B/OF eligible, he is ranked fifth amongst both 2Bs and 3Bs. His 115 hits, 16 HRs, 55 RBIs and .295/.341 numbers are all very solid.  Considering he was ranked close to 20 before the season, he has definitely helped at a thin position. The Pirates’ Neil Walker gets some love too.

Bad: Chone Figgins (SEA) – The pre-season No. 14 2B is hitting just .188 through 81 games. He showed a drop in production last year, but I don’t know if anyone thought he would be this bad. Figgins is now on the DL and should not be owned.

Short Stop

Good: Asdrubal Cabrera (CLE) – Everyone has been waiting for this guy to fall off the map, but he seems to be here to stay in 2011. Cabrera is second in HRs and RBIs, third in hits and is hitting right around .300. Not bad for a guy ranked outside the top-10 coming into the season.

Bad: Hanley Ramirez (FLA) - Because of his top-2 pick status, HanRam has been a bust. Hitting just .242/.333, he is on pace to set career-lows in hits and runs and may come close in HRs and RBIs. He now has a sprained shoulder and may not awaken from his season-long slump until next year.

Third Base

Good: Alex Gordon (KC) – I always thought Gordon was below average and overrated, especially when you look at his career numbers. However, this year Gordon has been raking for the most part. He is currently hitting .302 and has yet to see his average drop below .275. He has provided owners with consistency and that is all they can pretty much ask for.

Bad: Evan Longoria (TB) – The universal pre-season No. 1 3B is having one of those career-low years. He is hitting a measly .232 with 53 RBIs and has only one stolen base. He was hurt to start the year, and unless he is still hurt, has no reason to still be doing this poorly. Unfortunately, with the high pick owners used to get him, he is practically unbenchable.

Outfield

Good: Melky Cabrera (KC), Lance Berkman (STL), Curtis Granderson (NYY), Brennan Boesch (DET), Jeff Francoeur (KC) – None of these guys cracked the top-30 coming into the season, with Granderson being ranked the highest at 33. Now they are all inside the top-20. Cabrera has been solid all year long and currently sits as the seventh best OF. Berkman and Francoeur are having great bounce-back seasons.  Both have slowed down as of late, but Berkman has a great OBP (.396) while Francoeur has over 100 hits and 18 stolen bases. Boesch is showing youthful talent and hitting around .300. And there isn’t much more to can be said about Granderson. It is safe to say nobody saw this kind of power coming. He has since tailed off a little, which was expected, but he is still ranked as the second best OF.

Bad: Carl Crawford (BOS), Shin-Soo Choo (CLE), Jason Heyward (ATL), Alex Rios (ChiW), Jayson Werth (WASH) – All of these guys were ranked inside the top-20 at the end of March. Today you might have to scroll all the way down to the 59^th OF to find Werth. He may be the biggest bust of them all considering his expectations (and contract). The same thing can be said for Crawford, except I will give him a slight break due to injuries. Still, he was one of the first OFs taken and has not lived up to his pick. Choo was a huge disappointment before he got hurt. His injury only helped owners decide to finally cut him. Perhaps he should have tried hitting drunk. It couldn’t have hurt. Heyward has been injured as well, but we will chalk it up to the ‘sophomore slump.’ I was high on Rios, but right now he couldn’t leg out a single even if he was hitting off a tee (.206 average). All of these guys are hitting under .245 at the moment.

Starting Pitchers

Good: Ian Kennedy (AZ), Justin Masterson (CLE), Alexi Ogando (TEX), Michael Pineda (SEA), Brandon Beachy (ATL), Ryan Vogelsong (SF), Jeff Karstens (PIT), Vance Worley (PHI) – Everyone likes to look at a pitcher’s ERA and WHIP. While the two paint a good picture of how much a pitcher gets knocked around, I like to look at the batting-average-against (BAA). If the opposition can’t hit him then he probably won’t give up that many hits/runs. All eight of these guys have a BAA of .242 or below. Shockingly, Pineda and Worley lead the way at .205 and .207 respectively. Of the eight guys mentioned, only two were ranked in the top-80 before the season. Obviously some of these guys got called up during the season and weren’t on the radar at the beginning. But then again, these are supposed to be surprises.

Bad: Ubaldo Jimenez (CLE), Francisco Liriano (MN), Mat Latos (SD), Chris Carpenter (STL), Roy Oswalt (PHI), Ryan Dempster (ChiC) – Five out of six of these guys have a BAA over .251, while three of them at .276 or above. That’s a decent average against. All six have a WHIP over 1.30 as well. While that is the league average, these guys are supposed to be better than that. Jimenez and Liriano walk too many guys to stay out of trouble. Latos too. Oswalt has been hurt and Carpenter and Dempster have become very hittable. Of course I own/have owned three of these guys.

Closers

Good: Craig Kimbrel (ATL), Mariano Rivera (NYY), Joel Hanrahan (PIT) – Kimbrel is the odds on favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year this year. He was shaky for a little bit, but now leads all closers with 84 Ks. Rivera is on here because of his productivity at such an old age (41). His WHIP is below one and he has a walk-to-strikeout ratio of 1:7.4. The closer’s job is to not let anyone on base and that’s exactly what he does. Two years ago Hanrahan wouldn’t be able to save himself if he was drowning in a kiddy-pool, let alone save a game for the Nationals. This year he is a staggering 30-for-31 with the Pirates.

Bad: Ryan Franklin (STL), Jon Broxton (LAD), Matt Thornton (ChiW) – These guys weren’t hard to choose. Franklin gave up a hit in all but two of his 21 appearances and had an ERA (8.46) and WHIP (1.84). That is unheard of for a ‘top-20’ closer. He is no longer in the major leagues. Broxton has been hurt all season and can’t be justified as a top-10 closer. He has a .283 BBA in 12.2 innings. Who knows if he will be back this season. Thornton, a top-10 closer in March, blew his first four saves and lost his job before the end of April.