There's been a lot of talk lately about these new NFL rules and bans that have been decided and lay on the fringe of whether or not to pass it. I think have heard just about everything now from that they will make the NFL a much more efficient league to that these new changes will somehow kill the league. Seriously, I heard a guy on the radio just today say that all these changes to the game will "kill" the NFL. So just what are some of these changes that will more likely help than "threaten" the league? Well, lets just take us a look.
- Raising the goal post uprights from 30 to 35 feet
One of the changes that makes sense to me was proposed by the New England Patriots and says that the goal post uprights should be extended from 30 feet to 35 feet. To me, it does seem to be a smart move mostly based on those moments when a kicker sends his extra point of field goal just over the middle of one of the posts. Then the refs need to take like somewhere between 5 to 10 minutes to make ruling on whether or not it counts. The change to taller goal posts will now make it clear was to whether or not a kicker makes his extra point/field goal or not. I see this rule to be beneficial to the game.
- The "NaVorro Bowman Rule"
This is another rule that does make sense to me. The rule says that all plays in which a loose ball is recovered can be subjected to replay review. The rule came to light when San Francisco 49ers' linebacker NaVorro Bowman had clearly recovered a fumble from Seattle Seahawks' wide receiver Jermaine Kearse in the NFC Championship game last year, the play could not go under review. The rule will definitely help with deciding whether or not a fumble has been recovered, which has been a problem in the past in other games besides the NFC Championship game last year. I see it as a very beneficial ruling.
- Goal post dunks are no longer allowed
This is a rule that puts me on the fence as it takes away one of the more exciting celebrations I think. The rule is just as it says: dunking on the goal post is now a penalty and fineable offense in the NFL. The celebration has been done in the past, but was brought to popularity when former NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez used to leap to incredible heights and clear the ball over the post. It was always spectacular to see it from Tony, and then again by guys like Detroit Lions' wide receiver Calvin Johnson and New Orleans Saints' tight end Jimmy Graham. IT is an electrifying celebration that shows off a player's athleticism and helps stir up the crowd some as like a side show in a sense. But, the NFL have made it clear that dunks on the goal posts are now banned. some of their reasons is that it has no place in the game and is showboating. The NFL may also be trying to stop people from possibly hurting themselves. There have been times when players in the NFL, college, and even high school have tried it, only to hit the goal post and fall to the ground right on the backs or heads which can cause serious injury. There's no doubt that this rule has more upside than down, but I still feel it somewhat takes away one of the things that people love about this game.
- Moving the extra point from the 2-yard line to the 25-yard line
This rule has yet to pass, but my feeling on this rule is quoted best as, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". This rule was also proposed by the Patriots and states just as it says: move where extra points are snapped from by going from the 2 to the 25-yard line, essentially making extra points as a 37 yard field goal. Now to me, I just do not see the point of changing something that has been in football since the days of the 1920s and 30s. It seems that the NFL may want to create more exciting games by making the extra points longer or just look at kickers in the NFL and see that most have the ability to hit that distance with ease. I mean, if you kick in the NFL and cannot hit a field goal from 30 yards and accurate, then you should maybe consider another career. It seems ridiculous to change the distance, especially when they once even talked about the elimination of the extra point completely from the games. Though the NFL has not made a ruling yet on whether or not the etra point will move, they have stated that they will "test drive" the rule in the first two preseason in 2014. So I guess we all just got to wait and see what happens.
- Extending the playoffs in 2014
This ruling has not ok'd yet, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said that the idea of extending the NFL's playoffs' system is still a possibility. Extending the playoffs schedule is a hard one to make a call on, but it seems like it would make things a little more interesting for the football season. The thing that I keep thinking is that the rule's biggest supporter has to be the Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones. After all, his Cowboys have continued to be on the fringe of the playoffs year in and year out, so it makes sense as to why Jones would be behind it. But, the NFL's Players' Association has continued to back its stance against the extension because of the possible extended season that could come to follow causing the players to be concerned of work period and time that would be used. If that does become the case that they continue to stand by, them they should take a second look at themselves. TO be able to play in the NFL is one of the greatest honors you could ask for. Only seems right that if these players "love" the game so much, as many of them have stated time and time again, then the extended season and playoffs would be the best blessing to their careers. Besides, it's not like they would play those extra games for free.
After seeing some of these rules that have passed, one that is up for debate, and rest of the rules, I don't see how this league could be destroyed. Sure, it may be more annoying and longer because of all the new replay and such, but some of these rules could really prove to be beneficial to the NFL in trying to grow and make the game more understanding for the fans. But, only time will tell if they will stand up to the challenge on the field and in the season. All I know is that I cannot wait for the 2014 NFL season to commence already.
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Saturday, March 29, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Jay Cutler: The Other Tony Romo
As a long time Chicago Bears fan, I have grown up with the stories and seeing the film of some of the greatest players that ever stepped on the grid iron. I always get a kick out of seeing and hearing about just how elusive a runner Gale Sayers was in his short career in the NFL, or how the most iconic middle linebacker Dick Butkus would almost devour anyone who came within his sites, or how a man that was drafted from Jackson State University by the name of Walter Payton was able to run into the hearts of the city and bring home the Bears' only Super Bowl victory so far. Yes, there have been a number of great players throughout history that have been Chicago Bears. Even today, there are players that we may look back on and say that they were one of the great Chicago Bears. One man that already captured the title of "Greatest Returner of All Time" is the now former Bears and current Falcons punt/kick returner Devin Hester, who currently times Deion Sanders' all time return touchdowns record at 19. Another, although already retied, is former Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, who gave the Bears' defense represented the mean and nasty presence that was once brought by the Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus. One of the rising young stars on the team currently is Alshon Jeffery, who was a second round steal in the draft for the Bears after he was seen by scouts as "too slow" and "inconsistent in catching ability", and yet shocked everyone with his amazing ability to find the ball in the air and come down with it and blaze past the competition. But there is one man that never escape the writers of the Sun Times, Daily Herald, and Chicago Tribune. That man is "star" quarterback of the Chicago Bears Jay Cutler.
Now, if you are a Bears fan like me, then that name just puts a bad taste in your mouth. Course it didn't always use to be like that. There was a time when we found out that we had traded two first and second round picks for the then great Denver Broncos' quarterback. It seemed like it was an amazing deal that we could not pass up, especially after our last couple of guys before Cutler were a mix between Rex Grossman, Brian Griese, and Kyle Orton. So of course, the people and myself were ready to see a star quarterback come in and take control of such a dismal offense. There's no doubt he passed the eye candy test as looking the part of a starting quarterback in the NFL. The real question was: How will he, Lovie, and the offensive coordinator be able to click? Well, they never really did. It got even worse when offensive coordinator Mike Martz entered the Bears' organization in 2010 and tried to take over everything. He was even seen as being the one responsible for the Bears trading the greatly-loved and versatile tight end Greg Olsen to Carolina in 2011. On the field, he seemed disinterested (still does) about what happens in the game, lacked a sense of leadership for the offense to pull toward (still does), and just continues to get injuries coming to him year after year after year. And the injuries is where many people have begun to draw the line as to whether or not they actually like Jay Cutler or will hate him until something changes. As for me, I just cannot stand the guy at all because of that attitude that he shows of "I do not care" and just not being able to stay healthy or get it done in crunch time. Yes, he reminds so much, and I hate to say it, of another Tony Romo.
My biggest beef with Jay Cutler probably was the moment in the 2010 NFC championship game against Green Bay Packers where Cutler decided to come out of the game because something was hurting with hand or fingers I think. All the sudden, we now have Caleb Hanie in the game and he starts to lead the Bears on a roll back to possibly win the game for a chance to get back to the Super Bowl, but came up short losing 21-14. All I kept thinking was that if Cutler would have just stuck it out and played through the pain like a real starting quarterback in one of the biggest games in his career, then maybe we would be going to the Super Bowl instead and then have our second trophy for our case. But it didn't happen, and it was just too easy to point the blame at Jay because of the fact that he just walked off and came out of the game like as if he was just tired or something. It was almost as if he had given us, the fans, the finger essentially. Which now leads to the overall reason that I have issues with Jay: the injuries just keep coming. I'm not 100% sure on this, but I do not remember a season yet since we have had Jay Cutler as our starting quarterback that he has not been hurt or injured with something and unable to play for a week or more. And to make it worse, they are simple sprains and bumps that other quarterbacks, like Ben Roethlisberger, who play through serious bumps and bruises all the time. But when Cutler isn't playing, his backups sure do like to rise to the occasion. No backup liked to shine in the limelight of success more than veteran QB Josh McCown, who this past 2013 season completed 66% of his passes, threw for just 1,829 yards while piling up 13 touchdowns with only one interception, and posted a QBR of 85.1 and rating of 109.0 all within just eight games as a starter. As for Cutler, he was able to complete 63% of his passes, threw for about 2,621 yards while scoring 19 touchdowns with his usual 12 interceptions, and posted a QBR of 66.2 and rating of 89.2 all over the spam of 11 games that he played in.
So how is it that Romo and Cutler are the same? It is best shown in two places of their careers: post season success and getting a big contract with nothing to back up why they received it. Now, those two things may not be enough for some of you to try and draw a comparison between the two men. But there is no denying that they both have poor postseason records and unnecessary large contracts with no way to back it up in their game. For Tony Romo, it has and will continue to be highlighted that he has yet to be the guy that the Cowboys can look toward to take them to the promise land. Romo's playoff record currently stands at 1-3. That's not what people want to see from their "star" quarterback. What really blew people's minds was when last year, owner and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys Jerry Jones, offered Romo a six year extension worth... ready?... $108 million! What's the word I'm looking for, oh yeah, What?! But it's true. Romo's large contract was just one of the many $100 million contracts being handed out to NFL quarterbacks. Then came this season, and the soon the Cowboys realized that they were over the cap space limit for this year, mostly thanks to the ridiculously large contract of Tony Romo. This caused Jones and the Cowboys to sit down with Romo and have to restructure his deal in order to make sure that they could have enough cap room for this year. Yet, they were still forced to let star linebacker/defensive end Demarcus Ware go in order to make more room for cap. Now the Bears' Jay Cutler has only played in two playoffs games and has a current record of 1-1. That isn't even anything when you realize that Cutler is a seven year veteran in the NFL and a five year veteran with the Chicago Bears. And what really shocked the entire NFL, football, and sports world was when the Bears gave Cutler a 7 year deal worth... wait for it... $126 million! Are you kidding me?! Where in this man's career is that kind of money even supported in any type of way, shape, or style? I mean seriously?! These two guys get deals with three figures while Russell Wilson has a better playoff record then both of them and also won the Super Bowl this year. Cutler demonstrates how Romo-like he truly is when the Chicago Bears announced yesterday that Cutler's deal had been restructured in order to clear up $4 million in cap space.
As I said before, I love Chicago and that they are starting to make moves that will ensure the Bears will be competitive for some years to come. I just have never been able to see Jay Cutler as a champion quarterback. The same goes for Tony Romo. At least they have both been able to do something amazing in one category: they both have dated some of the absolute hottest celebrity women.
Now, if you are a Bears fan like me, then that name just puts a bad taste in your mouth. Course it didn't always use to be like that. There was a time when we found out that we had traded two first and second round picks for the then great Denver Broncos' quarterback. It seemed like it was an amazing deal that we could not pass up, especially after our last couple of guys before Cutler were a mix between Rex Grossman, Brian Griese, and Kyle Orton. So of course, the people and myself were ready to see a star quarterback come in and take control of such a dismal offense. There's no doubt he passed the eye candy test as looking the part of a starting quarterback in the NFL. The real question was: How will he, Lovie, and the offensive coordinator be able to click? Well, they never really did. It got even worse when offensive coordinator Mike Martz entered the Bears' organization in 2010 and tried to take over everything. He was even seen as being the one responsible for the Bears trading the greatly-loved and versatile tight end Greg Olsen to Carolina in 2011. On the field, he seemed disinterested (still does) about what happens in the game, lacked a sense of leadership for the offense to pull toward (still does), and just continues to get injuries coming to him year after year after year. And the injuries is where many people have begun to draw the line as to whether or not they actually like Jay Cutler or will hate him until something changes. As for me, I just cannot stand the guy at all because of that attitude that he shows of "I do not care" and just not being able to stay healthy or get it done in crunch time. Yes, he reminds so much, and I hate to say it, of another Tony Romo.
My biggest beef with Jay Cutler probably was the moment in the 2010 NFC championship game against Green Bay Packers where Cutler decided to come out of the game because something was hurting with hand or fingers I think. All the sudden, we now have Caleb Hanie in the game and he starts to lead the Bears on a roll back to possibly win the game for a chance to get back to the Super Bowl, but came up short losing 21-14. All I kept thinking was that if Cutler would have just stuck it out and played through the pain like a real starting quarterback in one of the biggest games in his career, then maybe we would be going to the Super Bowl instead and then have our second trophy for our case. But it didn't happen, and it was just too easy to point the blame at Jay because of the fact that he just walked off and came out of the game like as if he was just tired or something. It was almost as if he had given us, the fans, the finger essentially. Which now leads to the overall reason that I have issues with Jay: the injuries just keep coming. I'm not 100% sure on this, but I do not remember a season yet since we have had Jay Cutler as our starting quarterback that he has not been hurt or injured with something and unable to play for a week or more. And to make it worse, they are simple sprains and bumps that other quarterbacks, like Ben Roethlisberger, who play through serious bumps and bruises all the time. But when Cutler isn't playing, his backups sure do like to rise to the occasion. No backup liked to shine in the limelight of success more than veteran QB Josh McCown, who this past 2013 season completed 66% of his passes, threw for just 1,829 yards while piling up 13 touchdowns with only one interception, and posted a QBR of 85.1 and rating of 109.0 all within just eight games as a starter. As for Cutler, he was able to complete 63% of his passes, threw for about 2,621 yards while scoring 19 touchdowns with his usual 12 interceptions, and posted a QBR of 66.2 and rating of 89.2 all over the spam of 11 games that he played in.
So how is it that Romo and Cutler are the same? It is best shown in two places of their careers: post season success and getting a big contract with nothing to back up why they received it. Now, those two things may not be enough for some of you to try and draw a comparison between the two men. But there is no denying that they both have poor postseason records and unnecessary large contracts with no way to back it up in their game. For Tony Romo, it has and will continue to be highlighted that he has yet to be the guy that the Cowboys can look toward to take them to the promise land. Romo's playoff record currently stands at 1-3. That's not what people want to see from their "star" quarterback. What really blew people's minds was when last year, owner and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys Jerry Jones, offered Romo a six year extension worth... ready?... $108 million! What's the word I'm looking for, oh yeah, What?! But it's true. Romo's large contract was just one of the many $100 million contracts being handed out to NFL quarterbacks. Then came this season, and the soon the Cowboys realized that they were over the cap space limit for this year, mostly thanks to the ridiculously large contract of Tony Romo. This caused Jones and the Cowboys to sit down with Romo and have to restructure his deal in order to make sure that they could have enough cap room for this year. Yet, they were still forced to let star linebacker/defensive end Demarcus Ware go in order to make more room for cap. Now the Bears' Jay Cutler has only played in two playoffs games and has a current record of 1-1. That isn't even anything when you realize that Cutler is a seven year veteran in the NFL and a five year veteran with the Chicago Bears. And what really shocked the entire NFL, football, and sports world was when the Bears gave Cutler a 7 year deal worth... wait for it... $126 million! Are you kidding me?! Where in this man's career is that kind of money even supported in any type of way, shape, or style? I mean seriously?! These two guys get deals with three figures while Russell Wilson has a better playoff record then both of them and also won the Super Bowl this year. Cutler demonstrates how Romo-like he truly is when the Chicago Bears announced yesterday that Cutler's deal had been restructured in order to clear up $4 million in cap space.
As I said before, I love Chicago and that they are starting to make moves that will ensure the Bears will be competitive for some years to come. I just have never been able to see Jay Cutler as a champion quarterback. The same goes for Tony Romo. At least they have both been able to do something amazing in one category: they both have dated some of the absolute hottest celebrity women.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Jets land Vick, and Geno Smith Happiest of All
So even though I am a Bears fan forever I feel that this is a big news topic worth talking about. So if you are like me and love football and/or are a New York Jets fan (and no I am not), then you probably know that the Jets just signed quarterback Michael Vick to a one year, $5 million contract. Most experts seem to be under the assumption that Vick has two roles to play within the organization: one is to be a mentor to the Jets' former 2nd round pick Geno Smith in order to help him grow into a starting quarterback, and the other role is to compete and win the starting job. Now of course, Geno Smith is expected to say that he is happy to have Michael Vick on the team, but I don't think anyone expected Smith to be so ecstatic about Vick's coming to New York. According to an article by Joe Casey of stunnalife.com, Smith was quoted as saying, "Awesome, man. Vick's my guy. We needed to find a guy that was legitimately a guy that could come in and play. I think that's what we did. Mission accomplished." (Casey). Wow, what a quote. Seems like Geno is really happy to have Vick in NYC. Almost a little too happy if you ask me. In fact, I think it is fair to say that Geno is happy to let Vick be the starter for the Jets in order to take a year off to learn a few things and possibly let people try to forget about his horrifying rookie season.
Certainly with the addition of Michael Vick, this does mean that there will be a competition between the two quarterbacks for the starting job, but after reading that quote by Smith, it just seems that he just may not be up to the task of being the starting quarterback for the Jets this season. And who wouldn't think that after last season when Smith threw for a little over 3,000 yards and had 12 touchdowns with 21 interceptions. Now for a rookie quarterback to start his first season in the NFL, the speculation that some analysts have is that they will not have any instant success. Especially in Geno Smith's situation in New York where the offensive line was inconsistent and the wide receivers were constantly bumped and bruised. So not all of what happened last season was his fault. And the Jets have made some good moves by signing former Denver Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker in an attempt to improve to the receiving corp and are also thought to be the team that will make a trade for wide out Desean Jackson which would up the teams offense immensely. But the key point here is to find the best quarterback that will lead the Jets back to the playoffs as Mark Sanchez did in 2009 his rookie season when he took them all the way to the AFC championship game. Luckily for Geno, he was not being asked to do so his rookie season, but I think everyone was thinking he would at least have some nice solid stats.
Of course, many would probably say that Geno Smith's comments on the Jets getting Michael Vick are just for the media and cameras; it's something that he just has to say in order to come off supportive of the decision. The way I think of it is that if were the Coach Ryan or the GM of the team and heard my starting quarterback say something like that, I would think that he is definitely not the man for the job or the kind of guy I would look to as the future of the franchise. I know it's easy to say that, but every time I read or hear what he said, it just makes me think that he is not the guy to look toward when you need someone to start. So what would be his best option if being the starter is not in the cards this season? Probably to sit back and learn all he can from Michael Vick and the coaching staff, like he should have done last year and should do this year, to allow him to grow as an NFL quarterback and be ready for next year. But, we'll just have to see what happens this coming season. Regardless of who becomes the starting quarterback for the New York Jets, hopefully they will be able to take advantage of their draft picks and get themselves some talented offensive weapons for both Smith and Vick to use and protect them. Who knows, we might even get to see them back in the post season once again.
Certainly with the addition of Michael Vick, this does mean that there will be a competition between the two quarterbacks for the starting job, but after reading that quote by Smith, it just seems that he just may not be up to the task of being the starting quarterback for the Jets this season. And who wouldn't think that after last season when Smith threw for a little over 3,000 yards and had 12 touchdowns with 21 interceptions. Now for a rookie quarterback to start his first season in the NFL, the speculation that some analysts have is that they will not have any instant success. Especially in Geno Smith's situation in New York where the offensive line was inconsistent and the wide receivers were constantly bumped and bruised. So not all of what happened last season was his fault. And the Jets have made some good moves by signing former Denver Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker in an attempt to improve to the receiving corp and are also thought to be the team that will make a trade for wide out Desean Jackson which would up the teams offense immensely. But the key point here is to find the best quarterback that will lead the Jets back to the playoffs as Mark Sanchez did in 2009 his rookie season when he took them all the way to the AFC championship game. Luckily for Geno, he was not being asked to do so his rookie season, but I think everyone was thinking he would at least have some nice solid stats.
Of course, many would probably say that Geno Smith's comments on the Jets getting Michael Vick are just for the media and cameras; it's something that he just has to say in order to come off supportive of the decision. The way I think of it is that if were the Coach Ryan or the GM of the team and heard my starting quarterback say something like that, I would think that he is definitely not the man for the job or the kind of guy I would look to as the future of the franchise. I know it's easy to say that, but every time I read or hear what he said, it just makes me think that he is not the guy to look toward when you need someone to start. So what would be his best option if being the starter is not in the cards this season? Probably to sit back and learn all he can from Michael Vick and the coaching staff, like he should have done last year and should do this year, to allow him to grow as an NFL quarterback and be ready for next year. But, we'll just have to see what happens this coming season. Regardless of who becomes the starting quarterback for the New York Jets, hopefully they will be able to take advantage of their draft picks and get themselves some talented offensive weapons for both Smith and Vick to use and protect them. Who knows, we might even get to see them back in the post season once again.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Giving the Finger to the Rules
If you live in the state of Illinois and love the game of basketball, particularly at the high school level, then you probably have a good idea of who I am talking about when I say the name Jalen Brunson. For those who do not know him, Brunson is a 6"1' 175lbs point guard that plays for Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, IL. He is one of the state's top players and one the country's top juniors this year. He has everything you look for in a star studded high school player: amazing ball handling skills, very quick and agile, pure jump shot, drives to the basket hard, great leaping ability, can grabs rebounds, can steal the ball with ease, and those are just some of the talents that he possesses.
It is my opinion that just by watching his playing style and how he is able to handle himself on the court as a leader and player that he should be next year's No.1 high school point guard recruit in the country and possibly the No.1 overall high school player recruit in the country, which would make him the third straight player from the state of Illinois to be the No.1 overall recruit since this year's Jahlil Okafor of Whitney Young High School (currently committed to Duke) and former Simeon Academy and current Duke Blue Devil Jabari Parker. But what makes Brunson unique from both Okafor and Parker is the position he plays and how he plays it and his height.
Jabari Parker is a 6"8' forward that won multiple state championships at Simeon Academy. Parker is regarded as one of this year's best college freshman basketball players. He has also been tabbed as the possible No.1 overall pick for this year's NBA Draft. Jahlil Okafor is a 6"11' center whose a dominate force inside the paint and under basket both on offense and on defense, which he demonstrated when he faced Brunson's Stevenson Patriots in the semifinals of the Class 4A Illinois State Tournament and then again just yesterday to capture the Class 4A State Championship. Yes, that is impressive and shows that they are probably dominate players, but Brunson stands just as tall (game wise) and plays just as well as they do.
It is my opinion that just by watching his playing style and how he is able to handle himself on the court as a leader and player that he should be next year's No.1 high school point guard recruit in the country and possibly the No.1 overall high school player recruit in the country, which would make him the third straight player from the state of Illinois to be the No.1 overall recruit since this year's Jahlil Okafor of Whitney Young High School (currently committed to Duke) and former Simeon Academy and current Duke Blue Devil Jabari Parker. But what makes Brunson unique from both Okafor and Parker is the position he plays and how he plays it and his height.
Jabari Parker is a 6"8' forward that won multiple state championships at Simeon Academy. Parker is regarded as one of this year's best college freshman basketball players. He has also been tabbed as the possible No.1 overall pick for this year's NBA Draft. Jahlil Okafor is a 6"11' center whose a dominate force inside the paint and under basket both on offense and on defense, which he demonstrated when he faced Brunson's Stevenson Patriots in the semifinals of the Class 4A Illinois State Tournament and then again just yesterday to capture the Class 4A State Championship. Yes, that is impressive and shows that they are probably dominate players, but Brunson stands just as tall (game wise) and plays just as well as they do.
So after all this praising of how good Jalen Brunson is, why the title you may ask? Well, here's the thing: when Jalen Brunson's Stevenson Patriots met Jahlil Okafor's Whitney Young Dolphins in the Class 4A State Tournament semifinals, it was a game for the ages. The game ended with the Dolphins edging out the Patriots 75-68. Though Okafor scored 33 points and demonstrated his ability to be a great big man, it was Jalen Brunson's record shattering 56 points performance that stood as the highlight, that is until he decided to give the fans of Whitney Young a nice "salute" if you will. That's right. Jalen Brunson gave the fans of Whitney Young the middle finger on both hands after they had lost, making his stellar performance seem like almost nothing.
Now, as a guy that is not but 3 years graduated from high school and played football, I can understand the feeling and emotion that comes with losing such a big and important game. Sometimes, without even thinking about it, you react in a way that is not appropriate because of the frustration built up and anger you feel that you couldn't get it done. Believe me, I can sympathize with that. It's the act done by the IHSA's Board of Directors in overturning a suspension given to Jalen Brunson for his classless act toward the fans after an appeal hearing. Now again, the argument can be made that he is "just a kid" and that with the emotional blow of losing a big game like that can drive a kid to do some unexpected and stupid things. But when I watch the videos and see the photos, it looks to me like Brunson knows exactly what he is doing, and if that is the case, then I cannot overlook that action.
According to an article written by CSNChicago.com's Scott Phillips, in a closed-door meeting with Brunson and his family, IHSA executive director Marty Hickman had suspended Jalen from Saturday's game against Edwardsville for third place. Just this past Saturday, as Edwardsville began to warm up and with about eight minutes left to do so, Brunson was greeted by cheers and roars as he stepped on the court. Jalen Brunson's suspension was overturned and he was allowed to participate in leading Stevenson to a win over Edwardsville for third place in the IHSA Class 4A Tournament.
Now, as a guy that is not but 3 years graduated from high school and played football, I can understand the feeling and emotion that comes with losing such a big and important game. Sometimes, without even thinking about it, you react in a way that is not appropriate because of the frustration built up and anger you feel that you couldn't get it done. Believe me, I can sympathize with that. It's the act done by the IHSA's Board of Directors in overturning a suspension given to Jalen Brunson for his classless act toward the fans after an appeal hearing. Now again, the argument can be made that he is "just a kid" and that with the emotional blow of losing a big game like that can drive a kid to do some unexpected and stupid things. But when I watch the videos and see the photos, it looks to me like Brunson knows exactly what he is doing, and if that is the case, then I cannot overlook that action.
According to an article written by CSNChicago.com's Scott Phillips, in a closed-door meeting with Brunson and his family, IHSA executive director Marty Hickman had suspended Jalen from Saturday's game against Edwardsville for third place. Just this past Saturday, as Edwardsville began to warm up and with about eight minutes left to do so, Brunson was greeted by cheers and roars as he stepped on the court. Jalen Brunson's suspension was overturned and he was allowed to participate in leading Stevenson to a win over Edwardsville for third place in the IHSA Class 4A Tournament.
Now, this is just ridiculous. This is the real world we are talking about. I mean, think if it was just an average, nobody player who had done something like this. There would probably be no doubt that he would stay suspended. This is more of a case where the state of Illinois has an opportunity to put a star athlete on a platform and showcase his talents in order to create the drawing card of the state's athletic talent. The IHSA Board of Directors gave Jalen Brunson the chance to speak on the situation and looking at other pieces of evidence. The Board eventually came out saying, "After doing so, the Board agreed that the gesture could have been inappropriate. However, without additional supporting evidence, we could not make the determination that the gesture was intended as an unsportsmanlike action and chose to overturn the ruling"(Phillips).
Now, this is just unbelievable. The gesture "Could have been inappropriate"? Are they serious? Whether an accident or not, it IS an inappropriate gesture that means what it means regardless of Brunson's intentions, age, and the other factors that would fall in with it. Something like this should not have been allowed because we can all see that it was what it was. this is just another case where the star athlete of a school is given some kind of special treatment and allowed to get away with something where, if say the simple average person such as myself, were to do something like what he had done, I would've been suspended and that would have been that more than likely, even with an appeal. It is just so unfair to see a young man who is regarded as a star athlete and is looked at by others as a model kid and student on and off the court would not stop and have the presence of mind to just keep his cool and understand that to react like that is wrong and just keep himself under control.
Now, this is just unbelievable. The gesture "Could have been inappropriate"? Are they serious? Whether an accident or not, it IS an inappropriate gesture that means what it means regardless of Brunson's intentions, age, and the other factors that would fall in with it. Something like this should not have been allowed because we can all see that it was what it was. this is just another case where the star athlete of a school is given some kind of special treatment and allowed to get away with something where, if say the simple average person such as myself, were to do something like what he had done, I would've been suspended and that would have been that more than likely, even with an appeal. It is just so unfair to see a young man who is regarded as a star athlete and is looked at by others as a model kid and student on and off the court would not stop and have the presence of mind to just keep his cool and understand that to react like that is wrong and just keep himself under control.
But Jalen Brunson, after all, is "just a kid" and does not apparently know any better about what he had done. You know, I think I have heard an excuse like that before. Oh yeah, Johnny Manziel aka Johnny Football on everyone of his little off field antics like getting kicked out of a frat party at Texas University and, oh I don't know, the time he was accused of signing off on Texas A&M merchandise and was reported to have been paid $7500. If I remember correctly, I think he was only suspended the first half of a game for that and received no long term suspension for the action because they could find no evidence that Manziel was paid for the signing autographs. But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there is no favoritism and that the system is not corrupt and broken and favors those that create substantial revenues for the associations. Maybe I am wrong about it all, but I think I have be just in my opinion. I leave you to make your thought.
Friday, March 21, 2014
My Hello
Alright, so I finally got the guts to make my own blog in order to give my insight on all things that I find big in sports these days. Especially now this the 2014 NCAA Tournament going on right now. Man oh man, what a tournament right? I mean, how many people are like me now and tearing up those brackets that took you an hour or two for the hardcore fans to make because of those losses to Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Cincinnati? Probably a lot I would bet.
But who saw today's big time upset coming when the Duke Blue Devils were unable to take the charge against the Mercer Bears and losing 78-71. Again, I repeat: The Duke Blue Devils have LOST in the first round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. With each basket that drove Mercer closer to beating Duke, I felt the 7 different brackets I had made myself tear more and more until there was nothing left but small pieces within my hands. Kind of sounds crazy right? Well if you had money on the tournament and saw Duke playing Michigan in the Elite Eight like I had, then you know how I feel. Especially if it was multiple brackets for money.
This is just proof alone that shows how this can truly be March "Madness" when upsets are happening all over the board to major name college teams. And do not be surprised at all if we see more to come. It is just a very nerve reckoning feeling to even think that by the time we reach the Final Four, we could be looking at teams that are not Florida, Louisville, Arizona, or Michigan State along with the other major name schools that have been chosen t make the Final Four in brackets. I mean just think: the 2014 NCAA Tournament's Final Four consisting of teams like North Dakota State or Mercer?! If you say it out loud, it sounds even crazier to think that those schools could have a chance to make it, but even the great experts of college basketball and sports have to think that there is a possibility that they make it.
After all, both North Dakota State and Mercer are now advancing to the next round in the tournament and were able to beat teams that everyone had to have thought at some point, "Oklahoma will be able to take on ND State and pull out a win." and the other thought being, "Duke versus Mercer? Are you serious?! Parker, Hood, and the rest of the Blue Devils will go for like 90 points!" or so you thought. Well, I guess we got nothing else to but sit back, relax, and watch as this year's tournament continues to unravel and show us just what underdogs and no names can do when it is all on the line.
It certainly will be an interesting thing to see just how this all ends and what team will be cutting the nets down in Arlington, Texas on April 2nd. To all who are in pools and did brackets for this year's tourney, I say good luck to you all with the rest of the tournament and hope that fortune smiles down upon us all. Lord knows, we're going to need it.
But who saw today's big time upset coming when the Duke Blue Devils were unable to take the charge against the Mercer Bears and losing 78-71. Again, I repeat: The Duke Blue Devils have LOST in the first round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. With each basket that drove Mercer closer to beating Duke, I felt the 7 different brackets I had made myself tear more and more until there was nothing left but small pieces within my hands. Kind of sounds crazy right? Well if you had money on the tournament and saw Duke playing Michigan in the Elite Eight like I had, then you know how I feel. Especially if it was multiple brackets for money.
This is just proof alone that shows how this can truly be March "Madness" when upsets are happening all over the board to major name college teams. And do not be surprised at all if we see more to come. It is just a very nerve reckoning feeling to even think that by the time we reach the Final Four, we could be looking at teams that are not Florida, Louisville, Arizona, or Michigan State along with the other major name schools that have been chosen t make the Final Four in brackets. I mean just think: the 2014 NCAA Tournament's Final Four consisting of teams like North Dakota State or Mercer?! If you say it out loud, it sounds even crazier to think that those schools could have a chance to make it, but even the great experts of college basketball and sports have to think that there is a possibility that they make it.
After all, both North Dakota State and Mercer are now advancing to the next round in the tournament and were able to beat teams that everyone had to have thought at some point, "Oklahoma will be able to take on ND State and pull out a win." and the other thought being, "Duke versus Mercer? Are you serious?! Parker, Hood, and the rest of the Blue Devils will go for like 90 points!" or so you thought. Well, I guess we got nothing else to but sit back, relax, and watch as this year's tournament continues to unravel and show us just what underdogs and no names can do when it is all on the line.
It certainly will be an interesting thing to see just how this all ends and what team will be cutting the nets down in Arlington, Texas on April 2nd. To all who are in pools and did brackets for this year's tourney, I say good luck to you all with the rest of the tournament and hope that fortune smiles down upon us all. Lord knows, we're going to need it.
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