I was pulling for Chris Weidman to beat Anderson Silva for a second time in a row, and he is rather quickly becoming one of my favorite fighters. It's pretty good timing considering, George St. Pierre, has now just retired, and relinquished his welterweight title, whether it be temporary or permanent.
Again, I was hoping that Weidman would beat Anderson Silva, and retain the middle weight title. I was hoping he would do it in dramatic fashion. I was hoping he would have to dig deep, fight through adversity, and arise victorious in one of those fights where it's a shame that somebody has to be called the loser, and the other the winner, because in a great fight, neither fighter loses. All major fight fans have witnessed such fights (Griffin-Bonner, Henderson-Shogun, and most recently Big Foot Silva-Hunt). Such a fight becoming a reality, with all the hype surrounding UFC 168 would have been indescribably enormous. That's what I hoped for, and even anticipated.
But that is not what we received. What we received was worse than a dud of a fight. I still have a pit in my stomach, because of the way Anderson Silva went out. For those of you who haven't heard yet, I am talking about Anderson Silva's gruesome leg injury.
The pit comes from not only the gruesomeness, but also the sorrow, and empathy that I felt. Anderson Silva is the greatest fighter of all time, and a hero. I use the expression, "larger than life" a lot, and Anderson certainly is that. His injury shows us that although he is the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, who toyed with his opponents on his way to glory, he is also a man, just like all of us.
He is a man, imperfect, fallible, and who is capable of feeling pain. I saw his face in the weigh-ins. During the stare down portion, he was still playing the hero character. He was unflinching, unwavering, and unafraid. When it was over, and it was time to look away from Weidman, I saw a subtle look of ominousness. That unmistakeable look was in his eyes. I saw it also and more prominantly after the press conference staredowns.
The look in his eyes became abundantly clear to me in the walk out, especially after he kneeled for what seemed to be like a really long time, and when he got up to continue walking out, his expression said it all. "I am unable to escape from whatever horrible thing will happen to me today." I saw it in his eyes, because I recognized that particular emotion. I recognized it, because I felt it before myself. When I saw it in his face, I began to feel that same feeling of ominousness with him. I felt it all over again.
As a high school football player at Slidell High in my hometown of Slidell, Louisiana, I was an outside linebacker. During my junior year of high school, one of my teammates fell on my leg while I was chasing the ball carrier. I tore three ligaments in my knee, and also my hamstring tendon. It was a rather severe knee injury, so much so, that I was unable to play football again, and my knee still isn't the same to this day fourteen years later, and it will never be.
In the hours leading up to my injury, I remember feeling that ominous feeling while putting on my shoulder pads. I wouldn't wish that feeling on anybody. I felt it even more when I sat down on the bench outside to lace up my cleats. I remember when I finished, and it was time to walk out onto the field, all I could do was stare out into nothing feeling sorrow and fear, as all my friends were carrying on laughing, and goofing off as they always do before the start of practice. I had a severe pit in my stomach. I knew something terrible would happen, but I just didn't know what.
We were having a major intersquad scrimmage that day, and it was during August camp, and I thought that if I played well, it would go a long way in determining whether or not I would eventually start later in the season. I wasn't a spectacular player, but I really wanted to play with the first team. I thought that ominous feeling was telling me that I would play terribly, feel the coaches ire, and sit on the bench for the fest of the year, because of it.
Maybe Anderson mistook that feeling much the same way I did. Maybe he mistook it as a fear of losing, a fear of fighting terribly, a fear of appearing cowardly, and/or a fear of embarrassing himself in one of the biggest events in UFC history.
Regarding my particular thoughts and experiences, I was wrong about my premonitions, as I'm sure Mr. Silva was wrong about his. I'm fairly sure there is no way he would have known that he would break his leg, as there was no way I would have known about my injury prior to mine happening.
When I got on the field, the terrible pit in my stomach was gone, much the same way, it probably left Anderson Silva the moment the bell rung, and the fight started. I was playing, and playing well, then all of a sudden, *crack*. I was writhing in pain, and my leg was never the same.
Again, prior to the fight, I was able to recognize the look in Anderson Silva's eyes, because I felt that same exact feeling myself. And when I saw the injury, I relived mine. I felt all the same feelings that he felt, and that he is currently feeling.
I just want to say, Mr. Silva, you'll probably never read this, but God bless you. My thoughts are with you, and I'm praying for you.
Monday, December 30, 2013
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Weidman Silva
I can't remember being this excited about a fight, at least recently. I remember being really stoked about BJ Penn-St. Pierre 2, Evans-Machida, and Lesnar-Velasquez. But Chris Weidman's knockout of Anderson Silva in UFC 162 was one of those moments where you remember exactly where you were when you witnessed it.
I remember watching it from my apartment on a Sunday morning, Korea time. It was sunny, and the weather was beautiful here. The broadcast was in Korean, but it still effectively captured the enormity of the moment.
When it happened, I remember wondering whether or not it was real, and I was waiting for Anderson Silva to get up, continue fighting, and knock Weidman out. But when the reality of the moment was set in my mind, I jumped up, and started yelling in excitement and astonishment. I must have tweeted, numerous times, "I can't believe that just happened."
It was easily the biggest moment in MMA that I have ever witnessed. Anderson Silva, at the time, was thought to be invincible, untouchable, and unbeatable. I saw him toy with Forrest Griffin, Stephen Bonner, and suddenly and powerfully knock out Vitor Belfort. He previously toyed with fighters, and easily finished them. Anderson Silva was, and still is larger than life.
Contrary to popular thought, the "showboating," and the theatrics that Anderson Silva did in the first fight were not unique to the Weidman fight. After the fight, I remember hearing so much criticism of Silva from people who seemed to never see him fight before. He does that to most of his opponents in order to gain a mental edge, and to intimidate them. And it worked, as all of them, except Weidman, would freeze, and play right into his hands.
Anderson wasn't "showboating." And even if he was being "unsportsmanlike," who cares? This is fighting. It's a sport where the object of the game is to physically injure your opponent. The object of the game isn't to be "sportsmanlike." The object is to win by any means necessary, and if "showboating," and being "unsportsmanlike" gives a fighter an edge, then so be it.
It just so happened that Chris Weidman, became more determined to hit Anderson Silva in the face, instead of freezing in fear. It just so happened that Weidman wasn't intimidated by Anderson before stepping into the octagon. Weidman won the fight mentally, and that is why he won the fight physically.
Make no mistake about it, that win was no fluke. Weidman was just as quick as Silva in the first fight. He dodged numerous Silva strikes, which can't be understated. Silva usually has a significant quickness advantage on his opponents, and that wasn't that case with Weidman.
Weidman took Anderson Silva down rather easily in the beginning, landed punches while on top, and nearly landed a submission. Throughout the fight, he landed significantly more strikes. He was the one moving forward most of the time. Make no mistake about it, Weidman won every phase of the previous fight.
I expect to see a more confident Weidman tonight, but a similar version of him, as that of the previous fight. Anderson will not have the mental edge, and the previous fight proved that he will not have the edge in quickness either. Weidman seems to be rather predictable, but still extremely tough, quick, intelligent, and difficult to defeat.
It will be extremely interesting to see how Anderson Silva carries himself tonight. Will he "showboat" and taunt Weidman again? Or will he find another way to gain a mental edge. The one thing that the world, and especially Chris Weidman knows is that he is no longer invincible.
Much like Mike Tyson, after his loss to Buster Douglas, Anderson will no longer carry that aura with him. His aura was based on the fact that he was undefeated in the UFC. And now we will see a previously defeated, and previously knocked out Anderson Silva step into the octagon. How will he react?
It's ridiculous how fired up about this fight I am.
I remember watching it from my apartment on a Sunday morning, Korea time. It was sunny, and the weather was beautiful here. The broadcast was in Korean, but it still effectively captured the enormity of the moment.
When it happened, I remember wondering whether or not it was real, and I was waiting for Anderson Silva to get up, continue fighting, and knock Weidman out. But when the reality of the moment was set in my mind, I jumped up, and started yelling in excitement and astonishment. I must have tweeted, numerous times, "I can't believe that just happened."
It was easily the biggest moment in MMA that I have ever witnessed. Anderson Silva, at the time, was thought to be invincible, untouchable, and unbeatable. I saw him toy with Forrest Griffin, Stephen Bonner, and suddenly and powerfully knock out Vitor Belfort. He previously toyed with fighters, and easily finished them. Anderson Silva was, and still is larger than life.
Contrary to popular thought, the "showboating," and the theatrics that Anderson Silva did in the first fight were not unique to the Weidman fight. After the fight, I remember hearing so much criticism of Silva from people who seemed to never see him fight before. He does that to most of his opponents in order to gain a mental edge, and to intimidate them. And it worked, as all of them, except Weidman, would freeze, and play right into his hands.
Anderson wasn't "showboating." And even if he was being "unsportsmanlike," who cares? This is fighting. It's a sport where the object of the game is to physically injure your opponent. The object of the game isn't to be "sportsmanlike." The object is to win by any means necessary, and if "showboating," and being "unsportsmanlike" gives a fighter an edge, then so be it.
It just so happened that Chris Weidman, became more determined to hit Anderson Silva in the face, instead of freezing in fear. It just so happened that Weidman wasn't intimidated by Anderson before stepping into the octagon. Weidman won the fight mentally, and that is why he won the fight physically.
Make no mistake about it, that win was no fluke. Weidman was just as quick as Silva in the first fight. He dodged numerous Silva strikes, which can't be understated. Silva usually has a significant quickness advantage on his opponents, and that wasn't that case with Weidman.
Weidman took Anderson Silva down rather easily in the beginning, landed punches while on top, and nearly landed a submission. Throughout the fight, he landed significantly more strikes. He was the one moving forward most of the time. Make no mistake about it, Weidman won every phase of the previous fight.
I expect to see a more confident Weidman tonight, but a similar version of him, as that of the previous fight. Anderson will not have the mental edge, and the previous fight proved that he will not have the edge in quickness either. Weidman seems to be rather predictable, but still extremely tough, quick, intelligent, and difficult to defeat.
It will be extremely interesting to see how Anderson Silva carries himself tonight. Will he "showboat" and taunt Weidman again? Or will he find another way to gain a mental edge. The one thing that the world, and especially Chris Weidman knows is that he is no longer invincible.
Much like Mike Tyson, after his loss to Buster Douglas, Anderson will no longer carry that aura with him. His aura was based on the fact that he was undefeated in the UFC. And now we will see a previously defeated, and previously knocked out Anderson Silva step into the octagon. How will he react?
It's ridiculous how fired up about this fight I am.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Notes on the Pelicans
1. Anthony Davis is among the elite players in the NBA, and not many people outside of New Orleans knows this, but he still has a ways to go. Tim Duncan and Lamarcus Aldridge both seem to be a lot stronger, more savvy, and to put it simply, meaner. There were instances where Davis seemed to be guarding them well, and seemed to be in good position against them in the low post, but yet, they seemed to be able to make baskets out of sheer will. I'm looking forward to seeing Anthony Davis dominate hot-shot big men in the NBA, but he isn't quite there yet. Those days are coming. He will be a great one.
2. I like that Monty finally inserted Ryan Anderson into the starting lineup, but many times, I've noticed him guarding the opposing team's best post player. Against the Clippers, he was usually defending Blake Griffin, which he did a good job doing, and against the Kings, he was the primary defender of Demarcus Cousins. The question I ask is, "Why?" Is Monty protecting Anthony? Does Monty feel like Anthony isn't ready for it? Does the defensive system simply call for the player playing Anderson's position to guard the player playing Cousins' and Griffin's position? I don't know.
3. As season progresses, I find myself loving Jrue Holiday's game progressively more. He doesn't have the flash that a lot of the more popular point guards have, but he is just as effective. To me, his game is rather quiet, and almost goes unnoticed. That's because he always seems to make the right decision, but doesn't look spectacular doing so. Last year, I found myself sighing in annoyance every time Greivis Vasquez dribbled, then hoisted a bricked shot without getting his teammates involved. I never feel that way when Jrue shoots. Every time he shoots, even in misses, I always feel like it's the right decision. I love his three point shot, and feel like he needs to shoot those more.
4. Eric Gordon needs to be more aggressive in the second half of games. He always seems to start games on a tear, driving to the basket, and making three pointers from the catch and shoot, and looks awesome doing so, but he seem to disappear in second halves. I would like to see him get more aggressive, and I would like to see him get the ball more, but I can understand why he doesn't, because many times, he is sharing the court in the second half with Tyreke Evans, which he doesn't do in the first half, and Tyreke needs his touches also, as does Jrue Holiday. In the second half of games, I would love to see more spot up threes from Gordon, off of Tyreke's dribble drives. Gordon is a fantastic shooter, and that aspect of his game is under utilized.
5. Again on Eric Gordon. Is it just me, or does he get screwed by the refs? Eric is so aggressive going to the hoop, and many times, he is absolutely mauled by defenders, but the refs rarely call fouls, so it seems to be rare to see him go to the line. Is it because he is shorter? I'm not exactly sure why, but it's an absolute travesty, because many times that can be the difference in a close game.
6. Brian Roberts is annoying. I can't explain it, but bad things happen, and the second team always seems to lose their lead when he is in the game as a point guard. I'll give it to him, we have seen significantly less of his "dribble-dribble-dribble-dribble-dribble-dribble-dribble-dribble-dribble-dribble-dribble, shoot (a mid range shot)" while other guys stand around. He deserves a small bit of credit for that. But still, he never seems to pass it to the right guy. And when he does, it does nothing to set them up for a decent shot, or does nothing to enable them to make a play. He is a poor defender, and it's never uncommon for an opposing point guard to simply blow by him for a basket. Brian Roberts is a solid contributer for a bad team, but should never be playing on a good team.
I just don't understand why Monty Williams likes Brian Roberts so much. I acknowledge that Austin Rivers is not as much of a scoring threat, but at least, he would get out of the way on offense, and allow Tyreke, Ryan Anderson, Jason Smith, and Anthony Morrow do their things. At least Austin Rivers is capable of guarding somebody at an acceptable level. The second team offense seems better able to hold leads when Austin Rivers is in the game, instead of Brian Roberts.
7. I like Alexis Ajinca. He just needs to foul less. I like his passing from the low post. He snags a lot of rebounds. Unlike Steimsma, he is actually capable of making a basket when he has the ball in his hands, so that's already a significant upgrade. If Steimsa gets minutes when he is healthy again, somethings wrong.
2. I like that Monty finally inserted Ryan Anderson into the starting lineup, but many times, I've noticed him guarding the opposing team's best post player. Against the Clippers, he was usually defending Blake Griffin, which he did a good job doing, and against the Kings, he was the primary defender of Demarcus Cousins. The question I ask is, "Why?" Is Monty protecting Anthony? Does Monty feel like Anthony isn't ready for it? Does the defensive system simply call for the player playing Anderson's position to guard the player playing Cousins' and Griffin's position? I don't know.
3. As season progresses, I find myself loving Jrue Holiday's game progressively more. He doesn't have the flash that a lot of the more popular point guards have, but he is just as effective. To me, his game is rather quiet, and almost goes unnoticed. That's because he always seems to make the right decision, but doesn't look spectacular doing so. Last year, I found myself sighing in annoyance every time Greivis Vasquez dribbled, then hoisted a bricked shot without getting his teammates involved. I never feel that way when Jrue shoots. Every time he shoots, even in misses, I always feel like it's the right decision. I love his three point shot, and feel like he needs to shoot those more.
4. Eric Gordon needs to be more aggressive in the second half of games. He always seems to start games on a tear, driving to the basket, and making three pointers from the catch and shoot, and looks awesome doing so, but he seem to disappear in second halves. I would like to see him get more aggressive, and I would like to see him get the ball more, but I can understand why he doesn't, because many times, he is sharing the court in the second half with Tyreke Evans, which he doesn't do in the first half, and Tyreke needs his touches also, as does Jrue Holiday. In the second half of games, I would love to see more spot up threes from Gordon, off of Tyreke's dribble drives. Gordon is a fantastic shooter, and that aspect of his game is under utilized.
5. Again on Eric Gordon. Is it just me, or does he get screwed by the refs? Eric is so aggressive going to the hoop, and many times, he is absolutely mauled by defenders, but the refs rarely call fouls, so it seems to be rare to see him go to the line. Is it because he is shorter? I'm not exactly sure why, but it's an absolute travesty, because many times that can be the difference in a close game.
6. Brian Roberts is annoying. I can't explain it, but bad things happen, and the second team always seems to lose their lead when he is in the game as a point guard. I'll give it to him, we have seen significantly less of his "dribble-dribble-dribble-dribble-dribble-dribble-dribble-dribble-dribble-dribble-dribble, shoot (a mid range shot)" while other guys stand around. He deserves a small bit of credit for that. But still, he never seems to pass it to the right guy. And when he does, it does nothing to set them up for a decent shot, or does nothing to enable them to make a play. He is a poor defender, and it's never uncommon for an opposing point guard to simply blow by him for a basket. Brian Roberts is a solid contributer for a bad team, but should never be playing on a good team.
I just don't understand why Monty Williams likes Brian Roberts so much. I acknowledge that Austin Rivers is not as much of a scoring threat, but at least, he would get out of the way on offense, and allow Tyreke, Ryan Anderson, Jason Smith, and Anthony Morrow do their things. At least Austin Rivers is capable of guarding somebody at an acceptable level. The second team offense seems better able to hold leads when Austin Rivers is in the game, instead of Brian Roberts.
7. I like Alexis Ajinca. He just needs to foul less. I like his passing from the low post. He snags a lot of rebounds. Unlike Steimsma, he is actually capable of making a basket when he has the ball in his hands, so that's already a significant upgrade. If Steimsa gets minutes when he is healthy again, somethings wrong.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
The Saints' Chances
I'm not going to say that the Saints' chances of making it to the Super Bowl are completely gone. Anything can happen, evidenced by the fact that the Seahawks lost to the Cardinals in Seattle. That point is also evidenced by the fact that the Saints have lost three of their last four games, and now have a chance at both the second seed in the playoffs, and missing the postseason all together, after they started out the season 9-2, which at the time, everybody thought they would run away with the NFC South title, and ultimately, be a shoe-in for a first round bye.
Again, anything can happen, but the Saints' chances of winning out in the playoffs, and going to New York are not good. First of all, in order to have the easiest route to the Super Bowl, the Saints need that first-round-bye, and for that first game to be in the Super Dome. It can happen, but the chances are extremely small, because the Panthers have to lose to the Atlanta Falcons this week in order for that to happen. And it goes without saying that the Saints must beat the Bucs, which will not be an easy task. I am a huge Saints fan, but I am also a realist, and honestly, I will be really surprised if the Panthers lose to the Falcons.
If the Saints win this Sunday, they are in, but recent history indicates, that when the Saints have something to play for, they have not played well. They got crushed in the game against Seattle when they were essentially playing for the top seed in the NFC. They were embarrassed in St. Louis by the Rams when they were playing for that all important first round bye, the second seed, and the division championship. They couldn't bring home the win when the same things were on the line against a surging division opponent in Carolina against the Panthers. Recent history indicates that the Saints have not responded played well in important games.
Recent history also indicates that the Saints have not responded well on the road. If the Panthers beat the Falcons, which on paper, is what in all likelihood should happen, and if the Saints beat the Bucs, which is not a given, the Saints will probably open the playoffs on the road, either in Dallas, or Philadelphia, then they will have to go to either Carolina, or Seattle, and finally the NFC championship will probably be on the road also. The Saints have not responded well in meaningful games. Each playoff game will be more significant and more meaningful than any game played in the regular season, and each will probably be on the road. Again, I am being objective, and I don't like the Saints' chances.
The Saints' secondary has been decimated by injuries starting early in the year with the loss Patrick Robinson, then Jabari Greer, and now Kenny Vaccaro. The Saints look to be getting Raphael Bush back and that may help, but it seems almost futile.
The Saints' offensive line has been deplorable this year, evidenced by the fact that it was announced that Drew Brees' knee is not 100% healthy. I've never seen Drew Brees hit, and sacked more than he has been this year. In cold-weather games, the running game will be important, and Ben Grubbs has been getting killed by interior defensive linemen throughout the year, and Jahri Evans has had far too many holding penalties. Brian De La Puente has done all he could, but let's face it, we need an upgrade at the center position.
So many things are against the Saints favor, but they do have Drew Brees, and one of the best coaches in the business in Sean Payton. We just have to beat the Bucs first, and hopefully the Falcons, who, at the beginning of the year, we never thought would be this bad, can pull an upset at home against Carolina. Again, anything can happen.
Again, anything can happen, but the Saints' chances of winning out in the playoffs, and going to New York are not good. First of all, in order to have the easiest route to the Super Bowl, the Saints need that first-round-bye, and for that first game to be in the Super Dome. It can happen, but the chances are extremely small, because the Panthers have to lose to the Atlanta Falcons this week in order for that to happen. And it goes without saying that the Saints must beat the Bucs, which will not be an easy task. I am a huge Saints fan, but I am also a realist, and honestly, I will be really surprised if the Panthers lose to the Falcons.
If the Saints win this Sunday, they are in, but recent history indicates, that when the Saints have something to play for, they have not played well. They got crushed in the game against Seattle when they were essentially playing for the top seed in the NFC. They were embarrassed in St. Louis by the Rams when they were playing for that all important first round bye, the second seed, and the division championship. They couldn't bring home the win when the same things were on the line against a surging division opponent in Carolina against the Panthers. Recent history indicates that the Saints have not responded played well in important games.
Recent history also indicates that the Saints have not responded well on the road. If the Panthers beat the Falcons, which on paper, is what in all likelihood should happen, and if the Saints beat the Bucs, which is not a given, the Saints will probably open the playoffs on the road, either in Dallas, or Philadelphia, then they will have to go to either Carolina, or Seattle, and finally the NFC championship will probably be on the road also. The Saints have not responded well in meaningful games. Each playoff game will be more significant and more meaningful than any game played in the regular season, and each will probably be on the road. Again, I am being objective, and I don't like the Saints' chances.
The Saints' secondary has been decimated by injuries starting early in the year with the loss Patrick Robinson, then Jabari Greer, and now Kenny Vaccaro. The Saints look to be getting Raphael Bush back and that may help, but it seems almost futile.
The Saints' offensive line has been deplorable this year, evidenced by the fact that it was announced that Drew Brees' knee is not 100% healthy. I've never seen Drew Brees hit, and sacked more than he has been this year. In cold-weather games, the running game will be important, and Ben Grubbs has been getting killed by interior defensive linemen throughout the year, and Jahri Evans has had far too many holding penalties. Brian De La Puente has done all he could, but let's face it, we need an upgrade at the center position.
So many things are against the Saints favor, but they do have Drew Brees, and one of the best coaches in the business in Sean Payton. We just have to beat the Bucs first, and hopefully the Falcons, who, at the beginning of the year, we never thought would be this bad, can pull an upset at home against Carolina. Again, anything can happen.
Monday, December 23, 2013
So Disappointing
Wow. Such a disappointing loss for the Saints. After that total dud against the Rams a week before, I thought a Sean Payton coached team, led by Drew Brees would come out focused against the Carolina Panthers, look impressive, and win. I was wrong.
It's so disappointing. At one point, the Saints were 9-2 and four games ahead of the Panthers for the lead in the NFC South. I used to think the Saints were good enough to play in the Super Bowl, and the Seahawks were a sham. I was wrong.
I thought Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, and the initial impressive play of the defense would be enough to overcome the inept play by the offensive line. I was wrong.
After seeing the Saints bounce back with a fury after getting their a**es kicked by the Jets, I thought they were a championship caliber team. I was wrong.
Let's face it. Let's "call a spade a spade." The Saints woes on the offensive line are holding the team back. I've never seen Drew Brees get sacked, and hit more than he has this year. I've never seen a Sean Payton coached Saints get physically manhandled the way the offensive line has by certain teams in pivotal games this year.
The Saints are sorely lacking in offensive linemen with a nasty streak. Too many times have I seen Ben Grubbs just get absolutely obliterated by opposing defensive tackles. Too many times have I seen the same happen to Brian De La Puente. Too many times have I seen pass rushers burn Charles Brown. Too many times has Jahri Evans gotten called for crucial holding penalties.
As a result, too many times, have the running backs gotten absolutely killed, and too long has our running game not been a threat. And too many times has Drew Brees been running for his life, and getting hit brutally, and showing he is vulnerable.
A vulnerable Drew Brees throws interceptions, instead of bombs for touchdowns. And when Drew Brees throws interceptions, the Saints lose. Period.
Let's face it, I should have known that the Saints weren't a contenders when they were absolutely embarrassed in Seattle. I should have known the Saints weren't contenders when they got their a**es kicked by the Jets in New York. I should have known the Saints weren't contenders when they got embarrassed by a mediocre Rams team.
Now that the Saints have played so poorly when so much was on the line for two weeks in a row, we now know that they aren't contenders. Next weeks game is not going to be easy to win either. Tampa Bay is a different team than the team we beat earlier in the year. And if they lose in the dome to Tampa, they will be out of the playoffs. My, how the mighty have fallen!
The way this Saints team has played when a home field advantage, a bye week in the playoffs, and a division championship were on the line has been so disappointing. I wouldn't have expected that from a Sean Payton coached team.
It's so disappointing. At one point, the Saints were 9-2 and four games ahead of the Panthers for the lead in the NFC South. I used to think the Saints were good enough to play in the Super Bowl, and the Seahawks were a sham. I was wrong.
I thought Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, and the initial impressive play of the defense would be enough to overcome the inept play by the offensive line. I was wrong.
After seeing the Saints bounce back with a fury after getting their a**es kicked by the Jets, I thought they were a championship caliber team. I was wrong.
Let's face it. Let's "call a spade a spade." The Saints woes on the offensive line are holding the team back. I've never seen Drew Brees get sacked, and hit more than he has this year. I've never seen a Sean Payton coached Saints get physically manhandled the way the offensive line has by certain teams in pivotal games this year.
The Saints are sorely lacking in offensive linemen with a nasty streak. Too many times have I seen Ben Grubbs just get absolutely obliterated by opposing defensive tackles. Too many times have I seen the same happen to Brian De La Puente. Too many times have I seen pass rushers burn Charles Brown. Too many times has Jahri Evans gotten called for crucial holding penalties.
As a result, too many times, have the running backs gotten absolutely killed, and too long has our running game not been a threat. And too many times has Drew Brees been running for his life, and getting hit brutally, and showing he is vulnerable.
A vulnerable Drew Brees throws interceptions, instead of bombs for touchdowns. And when Drew Brees throws interceptions, the Saints lose. Period.
Let's face it, I should have known that the Saints weren't a contenders when they were absolutely embarrassed in Seattle. I should have known the Saints weren't contenders when they got their a**es kicked by the Jets in New York. I should have known the Saints weren't contenders when they got embarrassed by a mediocre Rams team.
Now that the Saints have played so poorly when so much was on the line for two weeks in a row, we now know that they aren't contenders. Next weeks game is not going to be easy to win either. Tampa Bay is a different team than the team we beat earlier in the year. And if they lose in the dome to Tampa, they will be out of the playoffs. My, how the mighty have fallen!
The way this Saints team has played when a home field advantage, a bye week in the playoffs, and a division championship were on the line has been so disappointing. I wouldn't have expected that from a Sean Payton coached team.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Little Nicky
Nick Saban is a lot of things. He is among the elite of truly great college football coaches. He is a mastermind. He is driven. He is detail-oriented. He is extremely competitive. He is a great recruiter. He's even short. But one thing he is not is loyal.
As an LSU alum, and being a student there while Nick Saban was the head coach of the Tigers, I saw his work first hand. LSU went from being the joke of the SEC West to becoming a football winning machine who was perennially in contention for an SEC Championship. Little Nicky was signing the nation's best high school talent to come to Baton Rouge, and play football for the Tigers.
Blue chip prospects like Marquis Hill, Jamarcus Russell, Marcus Spears, Ben Wilkerson, Glen Dorsey, and Dwayne Bowe, among numerous others were bought in by Nick to become Tigers, and wholeheartedly bought into his philosophy, better known as "the process."
It didn't take long for LSU football players to take on the personality of their coach. They were focused. They were driven. They learned Nick's "one game at a time" mentality, became winners, and spewed "the process" to the media, just like Nick.
As an LSU alum, and being a student there while Nick Saban was the head coach of the Tigers, I saw his work first hand. LSU went from being the joke of the SEC West to becoming a football winning machine who was perennially in contention for an SEC Championship. Little Nicky was signing the nation's best high school talent to come to Baton Rouge, and play football for the Tigers.
Blue chip prospects like Marquis Hill, Jamarcus Russell, Marcus Spears, Ben Wilkerson, Glen Dorsey, and Dwayne Bowe, among numerous others were bought in by Nick to become Tigers, and wholeheartedly bought into his philosophy, better known as "the process."
It didn't take long for LSU football players to take on the personality of their coach. They were focused. They were driven. They learned Nick's "one game at a time" mentality, became winners, and spewed "the process" to the media, just like Nick.
They were tough. Their toughness and focus was almost inhuman, because every single one of the other football teams simply didn't have it game in and game out, like Nick's Tigers did.
It seemed like Nick Saban was the perfect football coach. When a person praised him, they were able to call him many things, but "loyal" was never one of them. That is one thing Nick is most certainly not. At LSU, it seemed like every single year, around bowl season, Nick was rumored to be interested in NFL jobs. I remember rumors about the Chicago Bears, New York Giants, and the Miami Dolphins, which was the one that turned out to be the truest.
I vehemently believed Nick whenever he said, "Terry and I are happy in Baton Rouge." I used those words in emails to various national reporters, like Chris Mortensen, and I berated them for their "irresponsible journalism," because how could these rumors be possibly true, if Nick is happy in Baton Rouge? How dare they start up unfounded rumors about a coach who is "happy" at LSU!
As a young, brash, and misguided college student, I believed in Nick, and blindly believed him, simply because he was winning. I theorized that the national media hated Louisiana and LSU so much that they would start rumors of Nick Saban leaving for the NFL in order to stop these blue chip prospects from signing with the Tigers, and ultimately bring down the LSU program.
I was wrong. Nick is who he is, and I was unable to see it at the time. I should have known that as the old saying goes, "Where there is smoke, there is fire." And Nick ultimately took the job as head coach of the Miami Dolphins. I was heart broken. I felt betrayed. I felt like an idiot for vehemently standing on the statement, "Terry and I are happy in Baton Rouge."
It is quite fascinating to see it play out all over again in Tuscaloosa from the outside looking in as a man who is a little older, wiser, less brash, and more realistic. Make no mistake about it, just like the Tigers of the early 2000's, and even more so than the Tigers were, the University of Alabama football program is a football winning machine. Everyone associated with that program has the same drive that those at LSU had. The best high school football players in America are all signing to play football at the University of Alabama to play for Nick, because they know it is their ticket to millions of dollars playing in the NFL.
Alabama players all have Nick's focus, and spout "one game at at time," and other Nickisms from "the process" to the media the same way LSU players did.
And also, unfortunately for Alabama fans, as LSU fans in the early 2000's did, they have to deal with rumors of Nick being interested in other jobs. I laugh every time I hear an Alabama fan proclaim in a thick southern accent, "Nick and Terry are happy in Tuscaloosa."
They had to deal with it last year with the Cleveland Browns rumors, and they are currently dealing with it with the University of Texas rumors, and even if Nick ultimately turns down the Texas job, Bama fans will have to deal with it next year, because make no mistake about it, Nick is always looking for more money, greener pastures, and the next challenge, and the past has proven that he has Terry's full support in that pursuit.
If he leaves for Texas, he will build them into a powerhouse a lot faster than he did at LSU, and at Alabama, which means UT supporters will have to deal with rumors of him going to the NFL that much quicker, because for being such a small man in stature, he has such an enormous ego, and I believe it eats him alive knowing he has that blemish from the NFL on his resume, while former peers like Pete Carroll, and Jim Harbaugh are succeeding.
He would have to coach a lot longer at Alabama for that NFL blemish to be forgotten, or overlooked by NFL gm's and owners. The move to Texas, although lateral in terms of prominence, sort of speeds that process up, and brings him closer to rectifying that blemish, because his previous job, before Bama was the Miami Dolphins, where at Texas, his previous stint would be Alabama, so that would make him look a lot better.
It's easier for front office people to say "What have you done for me lately?" when he has turned two consecutive programs into football winning machines, instead of one. As the coach who put Texas where it should be perennially, with a previous stint of domination at Bama, Nick Saban would look like less of a risk as an NFL head coach, and people in NFL front offices would be more inclined to take another chance on him.
Nick Saban: One of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and a program savior? No question. Nick Saban: Calculated? No question. Nick Saban: Loyal? He is most certainly not.
It seemed like Nick Saban was the perfect football coach. When a person praised him, they were able to call him many things, but "loyal" was never one of them. That is one thing Nick is most certainly not. At LSU, it seemed like every single year, around bowl season, Nick was rumored to be interested in NFL jobs. I remember rumors about the Chicago Bears, New York Giants, and the Miami Dolphins, which was the one that turned out to be the truest.
I vehemently believed Nick whenever he said, "Terry and I are happy in Baton Rouge." I used those words in emails to various national reporters, like Chris Mortensen, and I berated them for their "irresponsible journalism," because how could these rumors be possibly true, if Nick is happy in Baton Rouge? How dare they start up unfounded rumors about a coach who is "happy" at LSU!
As a young, brash, and misguided college student, I believed in Nick, and blindly believed him, simply because he was winning. I theorized that the national media hated Louisiana and LSU so much that they would start rumors of Nick Saban leaving for the NFL in order to stop these blue chip prospects from signing with the Tigers, and ultimately bring down the LSU program.
I was wrong. Nick is who he is, and I was unable to see it at the time. I should have known that as the old saying goes, "Where there is smoke, there is fire." And Nick ultimately took the job as head coach of the Miami Dolphins. I was heart broken. I felt betrayed. I felt like an idiot for vehemently standing on the statement, "Terry and I are happy in Baton Rouge."
It is quite fascinating to see it play out all over again in Tuscaloosa from the outside looking in as a man who is a little older, wiser, less brash, and more realistic. Make no mistake about it, just like the Tigers of the early 2000's, and even more so than the Tigers were, the University of Alabama football program is a football winning machine. Everyone associated with that program has the same drive that those at LSU had. The best high school football players in America are all signing to play football at the University of Alabama to play for Nick, because they know it is their ticket to millions of dollars playing in the NFL.
Alabama players all have Nick's focus, and spout "one game at at time," and other Nickisms from "the process" to the media the same way LSU players did.
And also, unfortunately for Alabama fans, as LSU fans in the early 2000's did, they have to deal with rumors of Nick being interested in other jobs. I laugh every time I hear an Alabama fan proclaim in a thick southern accent, "Nick and Terry are happy in Tuscaloosa."
They had to deal with it last year with the Cleveland Browns rumors, and they are currently dealing with it with the University of Texas rumors, and even if Nick ultimately turns down the Texas job, Bama fans will have to deal with it next year, because make no mistake about it, Nick is always looking for more money, greener pastures, and the next challenge, and the past has proven that he has Terry's full support in that pursuit.
If he leaves for Texas, he will build them into a powerhouse a lot faster than he did at LSU, and at Alabama, which means UT supporters will have to deal with rumors of him going to the NFL that much quicker, because for being such a small man in stature, he has such an enormous ego, and I believe it eats him alive knowing he has that blemish from the NFL on his resume, while former peers like Pete Carroll, and Jim Harbaugh are succeeding.
He would have to coach a lot longer at Alabama for that NFL blemish to be forgotten, or overlooked by NFL gm's and owners. The move to Texas, although lateral in terms of prominence, sort of speeds that process up, and brings him closer to rectifying that blemish, because his previous job, before Bama was the Miami Dolphins, where at Texas, his previous stint would be Alabama, so that would make him look a lot better.
It's easier for front office people to say "What have you done for me lately?" when he has turned two consecutive programs into football winning machines, instead of one. As the coach who put Texas where it should be perennially, with a previous stint of domination at Bama, Nick Saban would look like less of a risk as an NFL head coach, and people in NFL front offices would be more inclined to take another chance on him.
Nick Saban: One of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and a program savior? No question. Nick Saban: Calculated? No question. Nick Saban: Loyal? He is most certainly not.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
The Current State of LSU Football
It's impossible to dispute that the win against Texas A&M was a great one. The defense played it's best game of the year. The defensive line did an incredible job of putting pressure on Johnny Manziel all afternoon/night. Zach Mettenberger didn't play his best game, but he found ways to get the ball to Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry when it mattered.
West Monroe native, Cameron Robinson, has already committed to Alabama. It use to be a given that all the West Monroe boys would eventually become Tigers. He would definitely help our O-Line in that crucial battle of the trenches against Bama, which they dominated in the last meeting. I hope we don't find ourselves asking "What if?"
The Running game was downright awesome. It's always a thing of beauty when a team is able to run the ball, despite the fact that the other team knows it's coming, and is still be able to churn out huge chunks of yards. That's what happened in this particular game.
Everything in this game was beautiful. It was a great win. The question I now raise is, where was this LSU Tiger team against Ole Miss? The loss to Ole Miss was every bit as bad as this win was great. These two games only prove how inconsistent LSU has always been under Les Miles.
I couldn't help but feel rather frustrated after this particular win, because had we beaten Ole Miss, which in all actuality, isn't a very tall order, this win would have been enormous. If our defense had put up a reasonable fight against Georgia, this win would be huge.
I'm now ashamed to say that we're at a point where conceding the SEC West to the University of Alabama is a given. I hate saying this, but the butt-whooping that Alabama gave us was what many Tiger fans unfortunately have come to expect, which is a shame.
Imagine how enormous this win would be, if it had come off of a bye week after defeating the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Many Tiger fans will say, "What about the win against Auburn?"
The Tigers looked like world beaters against Auburn, and that win would be even more enormous, had we won just one of the games that we lost. It leaves you asking, "What if?"
We've already lost Louisiana native, Landon Collins, to Alabama. I've found myself asking, "What if he had been patrolling the LSU secondary against Georgia?" Maybe we would have won.
West Monroe native, Cameron Robinson, has already committed to Alabama. It use to be a given that all the West Monroe boys would eventually become Tigers. He would definitely help our O-Line in that crucial battle of the trenches against Bama, which they dominated in the last meeting. I hope we don't find ourselves asking "What if?"
Kenny Bell was a Louisiana prospect that numerous universities wanted. What if he had been our third receiver, and Kadron Boone been our forth?
"What if...?" has unfortunately become a rather frequent question asked by Tiger fans under Les Miles' tenure as head football coach at LSU.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Saints - Falcons
It was another great win for the Saints. No matter how bad they are, and how good we are, it always feels good to get a win against the Falcons.
The Falcons played well throughout the entire game right up until their only turnover, which proved to be the difference. They were able to move the ball consistently against the Saints defense. Matt Ryan was hitting different receivers.
Kudos to the Saints, because as well as the Falcons played, the Saints played better. That's a credit to their discipline, their focus, and their mental toughness. Drew Brees was a little off by his standards. As Bobby Hebert pointed out, bad passes are so rare with Drew, that when he throws one, it is so easy for fans to nitpick them, but as always, an awesome game by him.
It seems like anytime Drew Brees completes at least one long touchdown pass of over forty yards in a game, whether it be Devery Henderson (I realize he isn't a part of the team anymore, but he was on the receiving end of a lot of them), Jimmy Graham, Robert Meachem, or Kenny Stills, the Saints win. Today was no different. Drew connected on that long touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham. That, and the turnover were the differences in the game.
Once again the Saints defensive line was dominant. Akiem Hicks had a terrific game for the second straight week. He is difficult to block against the run, and he is able to rush the passer, and is a really good football player. Cam Jordan once again proved that he is among the elite defensive linemen in the league. Junior Gallette was rushing the passer as well. The defensive line is the reason why the defense has been such a pleasant surprise this season, and is a big reason why the Saints are playing winning football in 2013.
I am a little concerned with the play of Corey White. Matt Ryan was throwing the ball to the man that he was covering quite frequently, and it wasn't like he was covering the class of the NFL. He was covering Harry Douglas. Despite his difficulty, he seems to be at the right place at the right time to pick up fumbles, and get interceptions. But he needs to step up his play, and be a player that Rob Ryan can rely on, rather than be a liability.
The Saints are going to Seattle next week. This game is huge for two reasons. If the Saints win, they will be in position to grab home field advantage in the playoffs. Much like the Superdome, Centurylink Field in Seattle is a notoriously difficult place to play, and it would be huge if the Saints go up there, and steal a win, and also steal home field advantage in the playoffs.
It is also huge, because the Carolina Panthers are breathing down our necks. We have two games against them in this second half of the season, and both games will be enormously huge. They are one game behind us in the NFC South standings, and a loss can be the difference between home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a first round bye, and a wild card birth.
Make no mistake about it. This Seattle game that is coming up is HUGE. We have to win this one. I think we can go up there, and make it happen. Believe, Who Dat Nation.
Who dat?!
The Falcons played well throughout the entire game right up until their only turnover, which proved to be the difference. They were able to move the ball consistently against the Saints defense. Matt Ryan was hitting different receivers.
Kudos to the Saints, because as well as the Falcons played, the Saints played better. That's a credit to their discipline, their focus, and their mental toughness. Drew Brees was a little off by his standards. As Bobby Hebert pointed out, bad passes are so rare with Drew, that when he throws one, it is so easy for fans to nitpick them, but as always, an awesome game by him.
It seems like anytime Drew Brees completes at least one long touchdown pass of over forty yards in a game, whether it be Devery Henderson (I realize he isn't a part of the team anymore, but he was on the receiving end of a lot of them), Jimmy Graham, Robert Meachem, or Kenny Stills, the Saints win. Today was no different. Drew connected on that long touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham. That, and the turnover were the differences in the game.
Once again the Saints defensive line was dominant. Akiem Hicks had a terrific game for the second straight week. He is difficult to block against the run, and he is able to rush the passer, and is a really good football player. Cam Jordan once again proved that he is among the elite defensive linemen in the league. Junior Gallette was rushing the passer as well. The defensive line is the reason why the defense has been such a pleasant surprise this season, and is a big reason why the Saints are playing winning football in 2013.
I am a little concerned with the play of Corey White. Matt Ryan was throwing the ball to the man that he was covering quite frequently, and it wasn't like he was covering the class of the NFL. He was covering Harry Douglas. Despite his difficulty, he seems to be at the right place at the right time to pick up fumbles, and get interceptions. But he needs to step up his play, and be a player that Rob Ryan can rely on, rather than be a liability.
The Saints are going to Seattle next week. This game is huge for two reasons. If the Saints win, they will be in position to grab home field advantage in the playoffs. Much like the Superdome, Centurylink Field in Seattle is a notoriously difficult place to play, and it would be huge if the Saints go up there, and steal a win, and also steal home field advantage in the playoffs.
It is also huge, because the Carolina Panthers are breathing down our necks. We have two games against them in this second half of the season, and both games will be enormously huge. They are one game behind us in the NFC South standings, and a loss can be the difference between home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a first round bye, and a wild card birth.
Make no mistake about it. This Seattle game that is coming up is HUGE. We have to win this one. I think we can go up there, and make it happen. Believe, Who Dat Nation.
Who dat?!
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Rewatching Georges St. Pierre vs. Johnny Hendricks
I just finished watching the GSP-Hendricks fight for the second time. Here are my observations, after taking it in.
Round 1: Pretty much even. That round could have gone either way. GSP had a take down, and a guillotine submission attempt. Hendricks landed a few hard elbows and upper cuts in the clinch. GSP landed some shots standing up, as did Hendricks.
Round 2: Hendricks rocked GSP. GSP's legs were wobbling as he was standing, after being hit. Hendricks smelled blood, and continued to punch him. The referee stopped the fight, so Hendricks could put his mouthpiece back in. That may have saved GSP, because he regained his composure, finished the round strong, and landed some punches. But still, Johnny Hendricks hurt GSP, and won that round.
Round 3: GSP continued the work that he did to end the second round, and landed a variety of strikes. He won that round.
Round 4: Hendricks got a big takedown, and did some significant damage with some punches while he was on top. GSP's face was really messed up after that. Besides that, both traded strikes. Hendricks won that round.
Round 5: That round could have gone either way. People say GSP stole that round, but I can't say definitely either way.
Rounds one and five could have gone either way. The crucial round was round 2. GSP was nearly knocked out. If the referee didn't stop the fight, because of Johnny Hendricks' mouth piece, it could be argued that Hendricks could have continued his barrage of punches while GSP was still dazed, and finished the fight with the KO. GSP showed a lot of heart, and finished that round out strong, and landed some big strikes. People say he won the fight in rounds one and five, but I disagree. He won the fight at the end of round two, and in round three.
Like it or not, ties go to the champ, so rounds 1 and 5 went to GSP. Hendricks didn't do enough to separate himself in those two rounds. Although GSP finished round 2 out strong, and although that is what won him the fight, Hendricks won that particular round, because of the damage he did to GSP.
After rewatching the fight with no emotions, unbiased, and with no allegiances, both fighters could have won that fight, and if the decision would have went to Hendricks, I would not have seen it as an injustice. Likewise, now that the decision went to GSP, he deserved that win.
People argue to look at GSP's face as evidence that Hendricks clearly should have won that fight, but as they said on the MMA hour earlier this week, GSP's face seems to easily cut and bruise, and some people get cut more easily than others. GSP is obviously one of those people. He clearly beat Carlos Condit, Jake Shields, and Nick Diaz, and his face looked pretty bad after those fights also. GSP's facial injuries should have no bearing on the outcome of the fight.
It boils down to the fact that Hendricks didn't do enough to take the belt from George St. Pierre. If he would have done a little more, especially in round five, he would probably be the champion.
Round 3: GSP continued the work that he did to end the second round, and landed a variety of strikes. He won that round.
Round 4: Hendricks got a big takedown, and did some significant damage with some punches while he was on top. GSP's face was really messed up after that. Besides that, both traded strikes. Hendricks won that round.
Round 5: That round could have gone either way. People say GSP stole that round, but I can't say definitely either way.
Rounds one and five could have gone either way. The crucial round was round 2. GSP was nearly knocked out. If the referee didn't stop the fight, because of Johnny Hendricks' mouth piece, it could be argued that Hendricks could have continued his barrage of punches while GSP was still dazed, and finished the fight with the KO. GSP showed a lot of heart, and finished that round out strong, and landed some big strikes. People say he won the fight in rounds one and five, but I disagree. He won the fight at the end of round two, and in round three.
Like it or not, ties go to the champ, so rounds 1 and 5 went to GSP. Hendricks didn't do enough to separate himself in those two rounds. Although GSP finished round 2 out strong, and although that is what won him the fight, Hendricks won that particular round, because of the damage he did to GSP.
After rewatching the fight with no emotions, unbiased, and with no allegiances, both fighters could have won that fight, and if the decision would have went to Hendricks, I would not have seen it as an injustice. Likewise, now that the decision went to GSP, he deserved that win.
People argue to look at GSP's face as evidence that Hendricks clearly should have won that fight, but as they said on the MMA hour earlier this week, GSP's face seems to easily cut and bruise, and some people get cut more easily than others. GSP is obviously one of those people. He clearly beat Carlos Condit, Jake Shields, and Nick Diaz, and his face looked pretty bad after those fights also. GSP's facial injuries should have no bearing on the outcome of the fight.
It boils down to the fact that Hendricks didn't do enough to take the belt from George St. Pierre. If he would have done a little more, especially in round five, he would probably be the champion.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
I Hate the falcons
I hate the atlanta falcons. I hate them more than any other team in any sport, or any league. I hate them, simply because they should never be good, and proper order is restored in the universe when they suck.
Imagine my dismay whenever they beat the Saints, or even when they play them closely. I go crazy when that happens.
I am so happy that the falcons are 2-8 this year. Moreover, I am downright giddy, because many people predicted that they would go to the Super Bowl. In my world, all would be well, if they were 0-10, so I am still annoyed by the two games that they won.
Let's start with their quarterback. It takes a lot for me to acknowledge that Matt Ryan is good. I really hate admitting it, but he is a decent quarterback. But it annoys me to no end when people try to say that he is elite, a la Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rogers. Although he is good, he certainly isn't anywhere close to being elite.
I would say he is of a similar caliber, and has a similar impact on a game that Joe Flacco, Tony Romo, Alex Smith, and maybe Matt Schaub all have. All are decent quarterbacks, but all lack something significant that would make them great, and put them in the elite status. It annoys me every time when an ESPN NFL analyst tries to say Matt Ryan is among the elite qb's in the NFL, and they have tried to do it right up until around week three of this current season. I'm so glad that is over for now.
Another thing that annoys me about the falcons is that they have the most hideous uniforms in all of the NFL, with the exception of maybe the Carolina Panthers, and the Jacksonville Jaguars. It's the hideous design on the shoulders, the "modern font" and the "modern" striping on their uniforms, and it's the "modern" aggressively fast determined falcon on their helmets. Their uniforms, like most modern uniforms, scream, "I'm trying way too hard to be cool, and really really want everybody to like me." Their uniforms are really annoying. What else would you expect from such an annoying franchise?
Their history really annoys me. I hated Chris Miller. I hated Jeff George. I hated Jamal Anderson, and his dirty bird dance. I hated Jerry Glanville, June Jones, and the Run and Shoot offense. I hated it when MC Hammer stood on their sidelines. I love him now, but I despised Deion Sanders when he played for the falcons. I hated Andre Rison. I hated Jesse Tuggle. I hated Ray Buchanon. I had such a bad taste in my mouth when they beat the Vikings in the NFC championship round, but that didn't last long, because I enjoyed every minute of watching the Broncos run the score up on them in Super Bowl 33. I even hated Bobby Hebert during the short time that he was the QB of that team, but he has since been forgiven for his sins.
The atlanta falcons are so annoying. A huge reason why I love Sean Payton so much is because he is 11-3 against them. Proper order is restored when the Saints are first place in the NFC South, and contending for a Super Bowl, and when the falcons are 2-8, and contending for the number one pick in the draft.
I will argue that you are not a true Saints fan, unless you loathe the atlanta falcons. It's pretty much a requirement.
GSP
Georges St. Pierre is one of my favorite fighters. I love his desire to be the best. I love his work ethic. I love the fact that he isn't as naturally talented as fighters like Jon Jones and Anderson Silva, but he prepares so hard and so intelligently, and in such a way that he is able to beat anybody he fights.
With that being said, GSP was dominated last night, and Johnny Hendricks was robbed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Johnny beat him down from the end of round one to the end of round five. It was a total annihilation. I didn't have the exact punch count, or the exact significant strikes count, but I, and everybody who watched that fight, knew that Hendricks beat GSP's butt, and was robbed by of the UFC Welterweight title.
Hendricks legitimately hurt GSP in the second round. He landed a huge punch, and GSP was barely able to stand up, as his legs literally looked like Jello, as he fought to keep his equilibrium and balance after getting absolutely rocked. Georges even admitted in post-fight interviews that he didn't even remember much of that fight after round 2.
Hendricks continued to land punch after punch, and knee after knee. He took GSP down. Hendricks landed shots while they were down, and Hendricks hurt him. Total annihilation.
I realize that the scoring system of the judges may be conducive for a GSP victory. Any scoring system that has GSP fairly winning that match after getting beat down as badly as he did needs to be reformed, because no intelligent person who saw that fight was able to honestly say he won. No intelligent person who saw that fight was able to say that GSP beat Hendricks up, which is the whole object of the game. But the contrary was certainly true. So why is it that the opinions of the ones that matter most, the judges, did not reflect that?
The scoring system needs to be reformed. For starters, take downs themselves, need to be worth less. Takedowns should be worth nothing, if nothing is done by the fighter who gets the take down, or if the fighter on top gets hit by the fighter on the bottom, which happens quite frequently. The punches that are landed, and the submissions that are attempted after a takedown should be worth significant points, not the takedown itself. Takedowns are worth far too much on a scorecard.
Punches and kicks that injure a fighter should be worth significantly more than any other strike. By injure, I mean anything that causes a fighter lose his footing because of a loss of equilibrium. Johnny Hendricks' punch in the second round effected GSP for the rest of the fight. So how is it that that is unable to be reflected on a scorecard?
GSP is my favorite fighter, but that doesn't prevent me from "calling a spade a spade." Hendricks should be the champ.
With that being said, GSP was dominated last night, and Johnny Hendricks was robbed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Johnny beat him down from the end of round one to the end of round five. It was a total annihilation. I didn't have the exact punch count, or the exact significant strikes count, but I, and everybody who watched that fight, knew that Hendricks beat GSP's butt, and was robbed by of the UFC Welterweight title.
Hendricks legitimately hurt GSP in the second round. He landed a huge punch, and GSP was barely able to stand up, as his legs literally looked like Jello, as he fought to keep his equilibrium and balance after getting absolutely rocked. Georges even admitted in post-fight interviews that he didn't even remember much of that fight after round 2.
Hendricks continued to land punch after punch, and knee after knee. He took GSP down. Hendricks landed shots while they were down, and Hendricks hurt him. Total annihilation.
I realize that the scoring system of the judges may be conducive for a GSP victory. Any scoring system that has GSP fairly winning that match after getting beat down as badly as he did needs to be reformed, because no intelligent person who saw that fight was able to honestly say he won. No intelligent person who saw that fight was able to say that GSP beat Hendricks up, which is the whole object of the game. But the contrary was certainly true. So why is it that the opinions of the ones that matter most, the judges, did not reflect that?
The scoring system needs to be reformed. For starters, take downs themselves, need to be worth less. Takedowns should be worth nothing, if nothing is done by the fighter who gets the take down, or if the fighter on top gets hit by the fighter on the bottom, which happens quite frequently. The punches that are landed, and the submissions that are attempted after a takedown should be worth significant points, not the takedown itself. Takedowns are worth far too much on a scorecard.
Punches and kicks that injure a fighter should be worth significantly more than any other strike. By injure, I mean anything that causes a fighter lose his footing because of a loss of equilibrium. Johnny Hendricks' punch in the second round effected GSP for the rest of the fight. So how is it that that is unable to be reflected on a scorecard?
GSP is my favorite fighter, but that doesn't prevent me from "calling a spade a spade." Hendricks should be the champ.
Notes on the Pelicans
Here are some notes on the New Orleans Pelicans:
1. Eric Gordon needs to be the man when the first team is on the court. I love his explosiveness. I love his ability to beat defenders, and take the ball to the hole. I love his ability to spot up, and shoot from the three. He has the ability to take over ball games, but the Pelicans simply don't need him to, because of players like Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, and etc. I would love to see Jrue get him the ball more in close ball games in the fourth quarter, and allow him to take over some games. Had he not been hurt for the last two seasons, he would be a star in this league.
2. Anthony Davis is incredible. He can take over a game on defense. He is a shot blocking machine. He gets steals. He intercepts passes. He gets crucial rebounds. My favorite thing to see in a Pelicans game is an Anthony Davis block, followed by him rebounding that blocked shot. Anthony Davis is surprisingly silky smooth for being such a big guy when handling the ball on the break. I am never worried when he is on the free throw line. When he is on the receiving end of an alley-oop, it is absolutely electric. Davis could stand to shoot less mid range jumpers, but he is, no doubt, a special player.
3. Tyreke Evans needs to be more assertive when he is on the floor with the second team. The only person he should be deferring to is Ryan Anderson. It annoys me so much when Brian Roberts dribbles for ten seconds at the top of the key, then bricks a mid range jumper. That should never happen when Tyreke is on the floor.
Austin Rivers should be playing in Brian Roberts' spot with the second team, because at least, proper order and chemistry would be established. Brian Roberts doesn't defer to Tyreke, but Austin would, and not to mention his defense is better.
The only time Tyreke should not be taking the ball up the floor is when Jrue Holiday is in the game.
But when he is in the game with the second team, the ball should go through his hands on every single possession. He should be the man penetrating and scoring, and also distributing to shooters like Ryan Anderson and Anthony Morrow for spot up threes.
When Brian Roberts stands at the top of the key for ten seconds, or when he passes the ball to useless players like Stiemsma, other guys seem to stand around, and all chemistry is lost in the game.
Tyreke is paid to be the man on that second unit, make things happen, and extend leads. And that rarely happens when Brian Roberts is in the game. It is so annoying.
4. The Pelicans seem to be a lot better now that Ryan Anderson is back, and the team is fully healthy, even though it was just one game against the 76ers. It was great seeing him drain threes, and take the ball to the basket.
I am excited about these next few games. Eric Gordon, Jrue Holiday, and Anthony Morrow need to shoot more threes. Tyreke needs to demand for the ball on the second unit, and take the ball to the hole. The Pelicans, as a whole, need to defend the three point line better.
I am hoping my previous article about Monty Williams is wrong, and the Pelicans play well, go on a run, and play winning basketball. They are certainly capable of it.
They may not be able to win a seven-game series against some of the elite teams, but they can certainly beat them on any given night.
1. Eric Gordon needs to be the man when the first team is on the court. I love his explosiveness. I love his ability to beat defenders, and take the ball to the hole. I love his ability to spot up, and shoot from the three. He has the ability to take over ball games, but the Pelicans simply don't need him to, because of players like Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, and etc. I would love to see Jrue get him the ball more in close ball games in the fourth quarter, and allow him to take over some games. Had he not been hurt for the last two seasons, he would be a star in this league.
2. Anthony Davis is incredible. He can take over a game on defense. He is a shot blocking machine. He gets steals. He intercepts passes. He gets crucial rebounds. My favorite thing to see in a Pelicans game is an Anthony Davis block, followed by him rebounding that blocked shot. Anthony Davis is surprisingly silky smooth for being such a big guy when handling the ball on the break. I am never worried when he is on the free throw line. When he is on the receiving end of an alley-oop, it is absolutely electric. Davis could stand to shoot less mid range jumpers, but he is, no doubt, a special player.
3. Tyreke Evans needs to be more assertive when he is on the floor with the second team. The only person he should be deferring to is Ryan Anderson. It annoys me so much when Brian Roberts dribbles for ten seconds at the top of the key, then bricks a mid range jumper. That should never happen when Tyreke is on the floor.
Austin Rivers should be playing in Brian Roberts' spot with the second team, because at least, proper order and chemistry would be established. Brian Roberts doesn't defer to Tyreke, but Austin would, and not to mention his defense is better.
The only time Tyreke should not be taking the ball up the floor is when Jrue Holiday is in the game.
But when he is in the game with the second team, the ball should go through his hands on every single possession. He should be the man penetrating and scoring, and also distributing to shooters like Ryan Anderson and Anthony Morrow for spot up threes.
When Brian Roberts stands at the top of the key for ten seconds, or when he passes the ball to useless players like Stiemsma, other guys seem to stand around, and all chemistry is lost in the game.
Tyreke is paid to be the man on that second unit, make things happen, and extend leads. And that rarely happens when Brian Roberts is in the game. It is so annoying.
4. The Pelicans seem to be a lot better now that Ryan Anderson is back, and the team is fully healthy, even though it was just one game against the 76ers. It was great seeing him drain threes, and take the ball to the basket.
I am excited about these next few games. Eric Gordon, Jrue Holiday, and Anthony Morrow need to shoot more threes. Tyreke needs to demand for the ball on the second unit, and take the ball to the hole. The Pelicans, as a whole, need to defend the three point line better.
I am hoping my previous article about Monty Williams is wrong, and the Pelicans play well, go on a run, and play winning basketball. They are certainly capable of it.
They may not be able to win a seven-game series against some of the elite teams, but they can certainly beat them on any given night.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Saints vs 49ers
Throughout the second half of the game, I kept thinking to myself, "This team has no chance at going to a Super Bowl." Drew Brees threw a horrible interception that he had no business throwing. Corey White's fumble after the interception was costly. They weren't busting enough big plays. They fumbled the punt return, and they had far too many significant injuries. They were settling for too many field goals. Sean Payton should have punted the ball when they went for it on fourth and 5, and failed to convert.
I was wrong. I have never seen a team overcome so much adversity in a game, as the Saints did in this one. This game was won on pure determination, and an absolute refusal to lose, and that is a definite reflection of Sean Payton. That is also a mark of a true Super Bowl contender.
The most impressive thing is that this team played this way against the San Francisco 49ers. I was so impressed with Patrick Willis, Navorro Bowman, and Ahmad Brooks. Those guys are absolute studs. I have never seen a defense that tackles as well as them. Against most other teams, the Saints would have scored touchdowns, instead of settling for field goals.
I was also impressed with Donte Whitner, and former LSU star, Eric Reid. On several occasions, Drew Brees had seemingly forever to throw in the pocket, and had nobody to throw it to, and had to settle for dumping the ball off in the flat to the running back. That is a credit to the 49ers secondary, led by those two guys.
The overcoming of adversity was everywhere. I thought the game was over when Drew Brees threw the interception. Corey White's touchback after his impressive interception was costly. And the 49ers scored a quick touchdown after the muffed punt return, by Lance Moore, after Darren Sproles' brief exit because of an apparent injury.
Jabari Greer was hurt, and that injury was costly, but Corey White played well enough. Kenny Vaccaro's absence from the game was felt, but Rafael Bush was his normal scrappy self, and he also played well enough. Roman Harper was back, and that was good to see.
The secondary's play was aided significantly by the ability of our defense to put pressure on the qb without blitzing. Cam Jordan and Junior Galette are absolute studs. Those two guys are big time players. Akiem Hicks was incredible stuffing the run, and that was a huge factor in limiting Frank Gore.
The most impressive overcoming of adversity was done by Garrett Hartley. He had been missing a lot of field goals lately, and I found myself saying, "If he doesn't make this, he should be cut." He made two absolute clutch field goals that won the game for the Saints. I doubted him, more than I doubted the rest of the team, and once again, I was wrong. I should have known that Hartley would be his normal clutch self.
This Saints team is, no doubt, a Super Bowl contender. I am not afraid of the upcoming game against the Seahawks that is looming. This upcoming game is just as big for them as it is for us. I like Drew Brees better than Russell Wilson. I like Who Dat Nation better than the 12th Man. I think we are louder, so the Saints are accustomed to playing in a loud environment. Their apparently hostile environment will be nothing new for the Black and Gold.
There is a lot of adversity to overcome for these Saints in the upcoming season. We have the Seahawks coming up in the near future. We still have to play the Panthers twice. And Jabari Greer's injury will hurt. But after seeing this huge win, I like our chances.
I was wrong. I have never seen a team overcome so much adversity in a game, as the Saints did in this one. This game was won on pure determination, and an absolute refusal to lose, and that is a definite reflection of Sean Payton. That is also a mark of a true Super Bowl contender.
The most impressive thing is that this team played this way against the San Francisco 49ers. I was so impressed with Patrick Willis, Navorro Bowman, and Ahmad Brooks. Those guys are absolute studs. I have never seen a defense that tackles as well as them. Against most other teams, the Saints would have scored touchdowns, instead of settling for field goals.
I was also impressed with Donte Whitner, and former LSU star, Eric Reid. On several occasions, Drew Brees had seemingly forever to throw in the pocket, and had nobody to throw it to, and had to settle for dumping the ball off in the flat to the running back. That is a credit to the 49ers secondary, led by those two guys.
The overcoming of adversity was everywhere. I thought the game was over when Drew Brees threw the interception. Corey White's touchback after his impressive interception was costly. And the 49ers scored a quick touchdown after the muffed punt return, by Lance Moore, after Darren Sproles' brief exit because of an apparent injury.
Jabari Greer was hurt, and that injury was costly, but Corey White played well enough. Kenny Vaccaro's absence from the game was felt, but Rafael Bush was his normal scrappy self, and he also played well enough. Roman Harper was back, and that was good to see.
The secondary's play was aided significantly by the ability of our defense to put pressure on the qb without blitzing. Cam Jordan and Junior Galette are absolute studs. Those two guys are big time players. Akiem Hicks was incredible stuffing the run, and that was a huge factor in limiting Frank Gore.
The most impressive overcoming of adversity was done by Garrett Hartley. He had been missing a lot of field goals lately, and I found myself saying, "If he doesn't make this, he should be cut." He made two absolute clutch field goals that won the game for the Saints. I doubted him, more than I doubted the rest of the team, and once again, I was wrong. I should have known that Hartley would be his normal clutch self.
This Saints team is, no doubt, a Super Bowl contender. I am not afraid of the upcoming game against the Seahawks that is looming. This upcoming game is just as big for them as it is for us. I like Drew Brees better than Russell Wilson. I like Who Dat Nation better than the 12th Man. I think we are louder, so the Saints are accustomed to playing in a loud environment. Their apparently hostile environment will be nothing new for the Black and Gold.
There is a lot of adversity to overcome for these Saints in the upcoming season. We have the Seahawks coming up in the near future. We still have to play the Panthers twice. And Jabari Greer's injury will hurt. But after seeing this huge win, I like our chances.
Friday, November 15, 2013
About Me
I was born and raised in Slidell, LA. Some of my first memories were watching the New Orleans Saints with my dad and brothers. Unlike most Saints fans, my first memories of them were when they were winning. I remember players like Bobby Hebert, Eric Martin, Dalton Hilliard, and Quinn Early. I vividly remember the Dome Patrol defense with Pat Swilling, Ricky Jackson, Sam Mills, and Vaughn Johnson. I remember Wayne Martin, the most underrated player on the entire team.
We used to go to at least one Saints game a year. The most memorable game for me was a Monday nighter when the New York Giants were in town. I was a young boy then. Wade Wilson was our quarterback. He had rather large shoes to fill, because Bobby Hebert was so good, and so beloved for such a long time, and it was obvious that Wade wasn't as good. The team was having a rough year, by the high standards that were set by those very good Saints teams in the late eighties and early nineties.
It was that year that Jim Finks decided to tear the team down, and rebuild. I remember, from the nosebleed section of the Superdome, watching Wade Wilson get absolutely pummeled in a sack by some random New York Giants defenders. He didn't get up. He injured his knee, if I remember correctly. The Superdome erupted with applause, because Saints fans were tired of Wade Wilson's subpar play, and they blamed the Saints losses on him.
I remember the Saints losing that particular game, and we parked in the Superdome parking garage. We waited in the never ending line of cars to exit. Sometimes it took a couple of hours, or at least it seemed like it did. As we did so, I remember waiting for Buddy D's show on WWL 870am to come on. We listened to the post game press conference. Head coach Jim Mora was livid. He was angry with Saints fans for how they treated Wade Wilson. He said very passionately and angrily, "YOU PEOPLE ARE SICK! SICK! SICK! SICK!"
I will never forget that, and for some strange reason, that is my most memorable moment as a Saints fan, with the exception of their Super Bowl win, which will always be one of the greatest moments of my life.
I am a graduate of LSU. We won the national title in 2003 during my third year there. I still say that that was the funnest year of my life. We would start partying on Wednesdays, because Wednesday night was dollar calls night at Bogeys. I remember seeing players like Justin Vincent regularly there. Thursday nights was when everybody at LSU was out, so naturally, my friends and I were also. We were either at Freds in Tigerland, or at Bogeys again. On Fridays, everybody in the US, maybe the world, partied, so we were out again. And Saturdays was game day. It was awesome watching Nick Saban's Tigers led by Matt Mauck and Chad Lavalais dominate the SEC.
It brought about a lot of pride in my university, Louisiana, and where I came from. When LSU football is strong, LSU is strong as a university, and Louisiana is strong as a state.
I regret not working harder at LSU. Technically, my major was history, but my real majors were partying and LSU football, because that was all I cared about.
Also while at LSU, the Charlotte Hornets moved to New Orleans. I was really excited about that also. As a kid, my older brother loved Michael Jordan, and for some reason, that made made me hate him, so Pat Riley's New York Knicks became my favorite team. I used to despise it when Jordan would win championships, but nevertheless, I grew up loving NBA basketball, even though New Orleans didn't have a team.
Naturally, I was really excited when New Orleans got the Hornets, because I now had a real team to pull for, and I didn't have to jump on any bandwagons. The Hornets were bad. I remember watching games with Dan Dickau, JR Smith, and PJ Brown. The basketball was terrible, but I was still happy, because New Orleans had a team. I didn't care that they were losing.
Now that they are named the Pelicans, and now that I feel like the team is truly our own, I have even more of a vested interest in the team. I care about them.
I care about all three teams for different reasons, but the one commonality that I have is they are all from Louisiana. I grew up loving the Saints. I grew up loving LSU. It's my alma mater, so the ties are pretty strong. I grew up loving NBA basketball, and if New Orleans had always had a basketball team, my ties to the Pelicans would be just as big of a part of my life as LSU and the Saints. But now that they are a part of New Orleans, I look forward to them becoming just as big of a part.
I make no bones about the fact that I am biased towards those teams. This blog is for fans of those three teams. This blog is for New Orleanians and Louisianians. Fans are tired of "unbiased" journalists who attend cliched press conferences, and hear cliched quotes from coaches and players. Many of these journalists base their writings on that, and not their passions.
My information will not come from that which is cliche. It will come from that which always remains constant, and that which is the source of the most significant info, the games themselves. My info will be based on the actions of executives, the coaches, and the players, instead of their words, because many times words can be "smoke screens."
Allow me also to take this moment to give my definition of the word, fan. Many people associate the word with someone who blindly cheers whenever his team does something good on the field. I am not one of those. I want my team to win as many games as possible. I want to cheer for my team as much as possible. And when I see a coach make a decision that prevents that from happening, I will criticize him. If I see an executive make a decision that inhibits the number of times us fans cheer, and will ultimately make the teams that I love worse, I will criticize him/her. I am a fan who tries to see the big picture. My writings will have the big picture in mind. I will criticize a player, coach, or executive who does something that I disagree with. I will also praise them when they do something that I love.
I look forward to serving you. I hope you find my writing to be enlightening, and inspiring. I will unabashedly share my opinions about the teams, and many of you will disagree with me, but nonetheless, I thank you for reading, and I hope that, despite your disagreement, you will know that I love the teams almost as much as you do.
I love the Saints, LSU football, and the Pelicans. I love football and basketball. They are both beautiful games. My promise to you is that it will show in my writing.
We used to go to at least one Saints game a year. The most memorable game for me was a Monday nighter when the New York Giants were in town. I was a young boy then. Wade Wilson was our quarterback. He had rather large shoes to fill, because Bobby Hebert was so good, and so beloved for such a long time, and it was obvious that Wade wasn't as good. The team was having a rough year, by the high standards that were set by those very good Saints teams in the late eighties and early nineties.
It was that year that Jim Finks decided to tear the team down, and rebuild. I remember, from the nosebleed section of the Superdome, watching Wade Wilson get absolutely pummeled in a sack by some random New York Giants defenders. He didn't get up. He injured his knee, if I remember correctly. The Superdome erupted with applause, because Saints fans were tired of Wade Wilson's subpar play, and they blamed the Saints losses on him.
I remember the Saints losing that particular game, and we parked in the Superdome parking garage. We waited in the never ending line of cars to exit. Sometimes it took a couple of hours, or at least it seemed like it did. As we did so, I remember waiting for Buddy D's show on WWL 870am to come on. We listened to the post game press conference. Head coach Jim Mora was livid. He was angry with Saints fans for how they treated Wade Wilson. He said very passionately and angrily, "YOU PEOPLE ARE SICK! SICK! SICK! SICK!"
I will never forget that, and for some strange reason, that is my most memorable moment as a Saints fan, with the exception of their Super Bowl win, which will always be one of the greatest moments of my life.
I am a graduate of LSU. We won the national title in 2003 during my third year there. I still say that that was the funnest year of my life. We would start partying on Wednesdays, because Wednesday night was dollar calls night at Bogeys. I remember seeing players like Justin Vincent regularly there. Thursday nights was when everybody at LSU was out, so naturally, my friends and I were also. We were either at Freds in Tigerland, or at Bogeys again. On Fridays, everybody in the US, maybe the world, partied, so we were out again. And Saturdays was game day. It was awesome watching Nick Saban's Tigers led by Matt Mauck and Chad Lavalais dominate the SEC.
It brought about a lot of pride in my university, Louisiana, and where I came from. When LSU football is strong, LSU is strong as a university, and Louisiana is strong as a state.
I regret not working harder at LSU. Technically, my major was history, but my real majors were partying and LSU football, because that was all I cared about.
Also while at LSU, the Charlotte Hornets moved to New Orleans. I was really excited about that also. As a kid, my older brother loved Michael Jordan, and for some reason, that made made me hate him, so Pat Riley's New York Knicks became my favorite team. I used to despise it when Jordan would win championships, but nevertheless, I grew up loving NBA basketball, even though New Orleans didn't have a team.
Naturally, I was really excited when New Orleans got the Hornets, because I now had a real team to pull for, and I didn't have to jump on any bandwagons. The Hornets were bad. I remember watching games with Dan Dickau, JR Smith, and PJ Brown. The basketball was terrible, but I was still happy, because New Orleans had a team. I didn't care that they were losing.
Now that they are named the Pelicans, and now that I feel like the team is truly our own, I have even more of a vested interest in the team. I care about them.
I care about all three teams for different reasons, but the one commonality that I have is they are all from Louisiana. I grew up loving the Saints. I grew up loving LSU. It's my alma mater, so the ties are pretty strong. I grew up loving NBA basketball, and if New Orleans had always had a basketball team, my ties to the Pelicans would be just as big of a part of my life as LSU and the Saints. But now that they are a part of New Orleans, I look forward to them becoming just as big of a part.
I make no bones about the fact that I am biased towards those teams. This blog is for fans of those three teams. This blog is for New Orleanians and Louisianians. Fans are tired of "unbiased" journalists who attend cliched press conferences, and hear cliched quotes from coaches and players. Many of these journalists base their writings on that, and not their passions.
My information will not come from that which is cliche. It will come from that which always remains constant, and that which is the source of the most significant info, the games themselves. My info will be based on the actions of executives, the coaches, and the players, instead of their words, because many times words can be "smoke screens."
Allow me also to take this moment to give my definition of the word, fan. Many people associate the word with someone who blindly cheers whenever his team does something good on the field. I am not one of those. I want my team to win as many games as possible. I want to cheer for my team as much as possible. And when I see a coach make a decision that prevents that from happening, I will criticize him. If I see an executive make a decision that inhibits the number of times us fans cheer, and will ultimately make the teams that I love worse, I will criticize him/her. I am a fan who tries to see the big picture. My writings will have the big picture in mind. I will criticize a player, coach, or executive who does something that I disagree with. I will also praise them when they do something that I love.
I look forward to serving you. I hope you find my writing to be enlightening, and inspiring. I will unabashedly share my opinions about the teams, and many of you will disagree with me, but nonetheless, I thank you for reading, and I hope that, despite your disagreement, you will know that I love the teams almost as much as you do.
I love the Saints, LSU football, and the Pelicans. I love football and basketball. They are both beautiful games. My promise to you is that it will show in my writing.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Monty Williams
This is a story that Coach Bob Knight told in his autobiography. I am paraphrasing it, not quoting it, because it's been so long since I've read the book, and it was destroyed in Hurricane Gustav, and I don't feel like paying money for another one. But anyway, Coach Knight spoke very fondly of Coach Clair Bee, and saw him as a mentor, and this story that he told is one of the biggest reasons why.
Coach Bee was a basketball coach back when players shot the ball with two hands, and it was common knowledge that the two-handed shot was the best way to make a basket.
One day, coach Bee's team played a team where the players used a new and strange method to shoot the ball. They shot the ball with one hand, with a motion that stressed using their wrists.
The game was an absolute annihilation. Coach Bee's team was completely outclassed. He immediately noticed how easy it was for the opposing players to make a bucket using the one-handed method, and suddenly, the two-handed method that he taught his players seemed inferior.
That night, coach Bee held a practice, where he taught his players the one-handed shot, and from that moment on his team would never shoot with two hands again. His team continued to consistently win.
The difference between great coaches, and those who merely wish they were great, or those who pretend to be great is stubbornness.
The NBA is becoming a different game. The three-point shot is becoming increasingly more relevant, and the center position is becoming increasingly less important, and great centers who dominate the paint are becoming more rare. The fact that a record number of three pointers were attempted last season, and that in this current season, that record is on pace to be broken, proves that.
Monty's teams are in the bottom of the NBA in terms of defending the three point line, and in terms of attempting three-pointers. They were the same last year when the then Hornets had inferior talent. Now that the talent is significantly upgraded, the team continues to fail to defend the three point line, and continues to take a large amount of mid-range shots, the least efficient shot in the NBA.
So now that the team has better players, and those players are making the same mistakes that the inferior players of last year were making, what does that say? It either says that the players are not properly executing the coach's system, or that the coach's system is inferior. Both problems are problems with the head coach.
The first is a problem with the coach, because at the NBA level, a coach's ability to properly communicate with the players in order to enable them to properly execute his system is the most important skill a coach can have, where in other levels, teaching a player to play is more important. If Monty is not getting through to his players in order to properly execute his system, it's his fault, not the players. Is it a coincidence that all winning teams are able to properly execute a coach's system? Is it a coincidence that players on good teams are able to trust a coach enough to listen to what he says? It isn't.
If that isn't the case with the Pelicans, and the players are able to properly execute his system, and the team is continuing to allow obscure players to have career nights from the three-point line against them, something is wrong with Monty's system, and that's where that stubbornness comes to play.
It can be argued that Monty Williams places an extremely high priority on defending the paint, at the expense of defending the three-point line. This was a sound strategy back when players like Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Alonzo Mourning were playing, and back when the best players in the NBA were post players. This was a sound strategy when the best shooters in the league were Mark Price, Tim Legler, and John Paxson. This was a great strategy when a player like Glen Rice were exceptions, and are in hindsight seen as "before his time." That was a sound strategy when perimeter players were predominantly driving the ball to the rim, feeding the big man, and taking mid range shots.
In today's NBA, the best players are on the perimeter. The best players are point guards. The best players are small forwards who do most of their work on the perimeter. The pace is faster. A lot more players are able to make buckets from behind the three-point line. A lot more three-pointers are attempted. A lot more three-pointers are made. The best big men are no longer post players. The big men in todays NBA are able to make things happen from the perimeter.
Although he would have been a great coach in the 90's, Monty seems to be unable to account for the style of play in today's NBA.
Although he would have been a great coach in the 90's, Monty seems to be unable to account for the style of play in today's NBA.
Coach Clair Bee was able to see that the one-handed shot was superior to the two handed shot, and teaching it to his players was the only way his team would continue to win consistently. Coach Bee did that, because, obviously, winning was more important to him than stubbornly sticking to his preferred style of play.
Winners acknowledge that sometimes, their way isn't the best way, and when they are able to see that, they discard their old way of doing things, and implement the best way of doing things.
Winners acknowledge that sometimes, their way isn't the best way, and when they are able to see that, they discard their old way of doing things, and implement the best way of doing things.
So far, in this young season, I don't see that particular quality in Monty Williams. I am hoping that changes.
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