Mar 29 2013
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NFL

Tony Romo and his extension

The news broke earlier today that Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys have agreed on a 6-year $108 million contract extension. Oh, and $55 million of that is guaranteed. Romo is having a great Friday, but not as good as Buster Posey or Justin Verlander who also signed huge contract extensions today. If you’re on Twitter, then you should know that there are quite a few people that are bashing the Cowboys for this extension. Should the Cowboys have done the extension with Romo? Yes, they should have done the extension. They should have had this done before free agency even began.

With the extension, it opens up some cap space and allows Dallas to sign more players if they choose to. Of course, most of all the top free agents are already off the board, but that’s okay. They shouldn’t be signing anymore top free agents anyways. They already have their own top players locked up for years to come and they don’t need to commit big money to free agents. Free agents are there for a reason. Not all of them are worth signing to big deals. The Cowboys need to focus on getting players through the draft. Great teams find their players through the draft and not through free agency.

Be happy Cowboy fans. The Cowboys needed to get this extension done. Yes, it is a lot of money. They probably overpaid a bit, but a solid NFL quarterback is what a team needs to win in this league, and Romo is one of them. If you don’t like the extension and you’re a Cowboys fan, then answer me this. Who would you choose to replace Romo? And don’t say Kyle Orton. He’s a good quarterback, but not Super Bowl winning quarterback, especially with this defense the Cowboys have. You think there is somebody to replace him through the draft? Take a look at the quarterbacks in this years draft and name me one quarterback that will for sure succeed in the NFL. You can’t answer that because you don’t know. I don’t even know if there even is one in this years draft. And even if there was one, you really think they would get one with the 18th pick? Yes, Romo has thrown a lot of interceptions and has only one playoff victory, but Romo is not the problem. The problem with this team is the defense and the offensive line. Give Romo a decent offensive line and a running game, and he’ll make this a consistant playoff team. Give Romo a great defense, and he’ll win you a Super Bowl.

This is a great move and Romo really has been a great quarterback for the Cowboys. Without him, this team would be terrible. Romo haters, be realistic for once. You know that this is the best quarterback option that will win this organization another Super Bowl. Good things will happen with him being this teams quarterback for the next seven years.

 

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Feb 01 2013
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NFL

Is the ‘traditional’ QB era over in the NFL?

A few years ago, I played fantasy college football for the first time. I had played fantasy football before, but never a college fantasy football. I wasn’t completely sure what I was doing because there were so many players to choose from. Most of the players I had never even heard of. The fantasy QB I drafted that year was Texas Tech QB Taylor Potts. Who at the time, was suppose to have a huge year being the successor of Graham Harrell. Well, Potts had an up-and-down season, but wasn’t putting up the points he was projected to. So, I went to free agency and picked up the best QB available. A guy by the name of Colin Kaepernick out of Nevada. I had never heard of him, but he was putting up monster numbers, so I took the chance. I ended up winning it all, and it was all because of Kaepernick.

There was nothing Kaepernick couldn’t do. He ran. He passed with accuracy. He did it all. When he was drafted in 2011 by the San Francisco 49ers, I was happy for him. I know that sounds weird since I have never met the guy, but he helped me win a championship. Well, a fantasy championship. I guess what I’m trying to say, is that I would root for him because I came to enjoy his game by playing fantasy football. But if you would have asked me back then what he would be in the NFL. I would have told you that he would be a decent back-up QB. His game would not transition to the NFL level, but he would be able to win you a few games if your starting QB went down for an extended amount of time.

I was wrong.

His game has transitioned just fine, and he’s not the only one doing it in the NFL. Cam Newton. Robert Griffin III. Russell Wilson. They’re all doing just fine in the NFL. Three out of the those four QB’s have already sniffed the playoffs and now Kaepernick is in the Super Bowl. Oh, and don’t forget that none of those QB’s that I mentioned have played more than two years in the NFL. And if you watched any college football this season, there’s another one coming to the NFL soon. Johnny Manziel, or better known as, Johnny Football.

The truth is, a QB that runs and throws can make it in the NFL, but there is one characteristic that every one of them needs. Accuracy. Griffin completed 65.6% of his passes this season and only threw five interceptions. Wilson completed 64.1% of his passes and threw 10 interceptions. Kaepernick didn’t play the entire season, but he completed 62.3% of his passes and threw three interceptions. Newton, who’s the one who hasn’t been to the playoffs, completed 57.7% of his passes this season and threw for 12 interceptions. The key to winning in the NFL is still needing a QB that can pass the ball with accuracy, but it helps to be able to run the ball and make things happen with your feet.

So, is the traditional pocket passer QB over in the NFL? No, it’s not. It’s too early to say that, but NFL teams don’t necessarily need the ‘traditional’ pocket passer to win in the NFL now. Just ask the Seahawks, the Redskins or the 49ers. Wilson, Griffin and Kaepernick are proving otherwise. They can make things happen with their legs, but also possesses the traits to be a pocket passer. So far in the beginning of their careers, they have what it takes to win in the NFL, the accuracy. But being able to pick up the first down on a 3rd and 11 when everyone down field is covered. Well, that’s just an advantage they have that other QB’s don’t.

Plus, they’re just fun to watch. Forward to .51 for Kaepernick highlights.

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Oct 13 2012
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MLB

And then there were four…

This season marked the first time that the MLB playoffs would have a one-game playoff between two wild card teams. Also, the first time that the home-field advantage team would begin the series away from home. The first two games would begin away, and the remaining three would be at home. MLB was under heavy scrutiny because many thought that it wasn’t fair for the home-field advantage team to begin on the road. What would happen if they lost those two games? Would they have won those two games at home? I was one of those people. But this year’s playoffs have been one of the most exciting ones we’ve ever seen, and I believe it’s because of the new format.

All four first round series’ were decided in the series deciding game 5. That’s the first time that has happened since 1995, when the wild card teams were introduced.  The San Francisco Giants became the first team to comeback from being down 0-2 and win their series. The New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles series had two of the final three games go into extra innings. The Detroit Tigers were able to stop the Oakland Athletics magical season with Justin Verlander going the distance in game 5. And the Washington Nationals had their hearts broken by the St. Louis Cardinals, who never seem give up.

And then it was down to four.

St. Louis Cardinals vs San Francisco Giants

The battle of the past two World Series winner’s. The Cardinals had yet another amazing comeback to win a playoff game despite being down two runs and down to their final strike. Is it a coincidence that in both games, they were down 5-7? Or how about that they beat Washington, and the Texas Rangers came from Washington?  Of course those facts have nothing to do with it, but I find facts like that interesting. But the Giants are no easy foe and shouldn’t be taken lightly. The Giants came back from down 0-2 to win their series to a tough Cincinnati Reds team that I had going to the World Series. Great pitching and timely hits are the way both of these teams get their win’s and when it comes down to it, defense wins championships. This series could take all seven games before a winner can advance to the World Series, but no matter how many games it takes, give me the Cardinals. The Cardinals are the best team I’ve ever seen that find ways to win when they have their back’s against the wall. I have the Cardinals in six games and the defending champs will find themselves back in the World Series looking to repeat, without Albert Pujols.

Detroit Tigers vs New York Yankees

In the National League you have the past two World Series champions. While in the American League, you have the past two ALCS losers. In my opinion, the Yankees have been the most interesting team in this year’s playoffs. Alex Rodriguez has struggled in the postseason (though you shouldn’t be surprised) and Raul Ibanez has been the Yankees post-season hero. Rodriguez has been struggling so much, that Joe Girardi benched him in the win or go home game 5. How much playing time will A-Rod see in the ALCS? That remains to be seen, but Rodriguez is back in the Yankees lineup for today’s game 1, batting sixth. The Tigers were able to finally beat the Athletics when it seemed like nobody would be able to and the Tigers have the best pitching rotation left in the playoffs. They have the best pitcher in baseball with Verlander. With the Yankees struggling and Tigers playing well, I have the Tigers winning in five games. The Yankees will be the team most affected by having to play a game 5. They would’ve really liked having C.C. Sabathia going out there for game 1.

I can’t wait to see what the rest of the playoffs have in store for us. Even if your favorite team is out, like mine, continue to watch because this could be one of the post-season’s everybody will be talking about for years.

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Apr 28 2012
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NBA

What does Derrick Rose injury mean for the Bulls?

Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls injured his left knee on Sat., April 28 in a playoff victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. An MRI discovered that Rose tore his ACL and he’ll sit out the remainder of the 2012 NBA Playoffs. Do the Bulls have what it takes to win without their All-Star?

First round:

The Bulls ended the season as the best team in the Eastern Conference, finishing with a record of 50-16. Rose has been dealing with injuries the entire season and he’s only played in 39 games this season. In the 27 games the Bulls have played without Rose, they’ve finished with an above .500 record. The good news for the Bulls is that they have a good enough team to beat the 76ers without Rose. Richard Hamilton is a good enough point guard to take them past the first round. Hamilton has won a championship before with the Pistons. The playoffs should bring out a different player  in Hamilton, now that he’s the leader. I had the Bulls sweeping the 76ers. Without Rose, I see them closing the series out in six games.

Second round:

The Bulls will either have to play the Atlanta Hawks or the Boston Celtics. If your a Bulls fan, you want the Hawks in the second round. The Bulls match-up better with the Hawks and will have a better chance to defeat them. As for the Celtics, I don’t think that they would be good enough to beat the veteran Celtics. The Bulls wouldn’t have an answer for the young Rajon Rondo, who has become one of the best point guards in the NBA.

Third round:

If the Bulls get past the first two rounds, there is no way they’ll defeat the Miami Heat. The Bulls would have been able to make it a great series if they had Rose, but without him, they have no shot. Without Dwight Howard and Rose in the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Heat now have a clear path to the NBA Finals.

It’s hard to see a star player go down with a 12 point lead and 1:10 left to play in the fourth quarter, especially in the playoffs. You can’t just point your finger at Tom Thibodeau. Every coach in the league would have had their starters still playing in that situation. Anything could have happened in the last minute of the game. It just so happens that this time, it was a season ending injury to last year’s league MVP.

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Apr 14 2012
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MLB

Joe Nathan worries?

It’s still the beginning of the MLB season and teams are still trying to figure things out. Texas Rangers fans have had a lot to cheer about so far this season. Their only worry, closer Joe Nathan.

It’s very easy to panic this early into the season. Especially since we all know what happened at the end of game 6; one strike away, twice. So it’s no surprise why Rangers fans are ready to dump Nathan out of the closer role after the Rangers two losses came in the hands of Nathan.

Should the Rangers be worried? No, absolutely not, not yet at least. It’s only eight games into the young 2012 season. Rangers fans need to give Nathan a chance to figure things out. He’s a veteran closer that won’t let a couple of blown games phase him. He’s the type of closer the Rangers need to close out games. That’s one of the reasons why Jon Daniels signed him and he’s pulled all the right strings in the past few years.

Nathan has run into problems on the second night of pitching in back-to-back nights. Nathan is still going out there and throwing 94 mph., that’s the good sign. As long as he keeps throwing 94 mph, then there is nothing to worry about. Give Nathan more then the five games he’s pitched to judge what he’s going to do this season. If he can figure things out pitching in back-to-back’s, then he’ll save more games for the Rangers then he’ll lose.

If you’re worried, it’s okay to go buy yourself a panic button. Just make sure you keep it in the packaging and stuff it in a drawer because you are far from needing to push it. The Rangers are off to a great start and don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

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Apr 03 2012
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MLB

What to expect in the National League

Spring training is just about over and the MLB regular season is just around the corner. Technically, it has already begun with the Oakland Athletics and the Seattle Mariners beginning the season in Japan with a two-game series, but for the rest of the league it begins in a few days.

What exactly can you expect from each team in the National League?

NL East: The National League is an intriguing division. It could be a toss up between four out of the five teams.

Miami Marlins: The Marlins have improved drastically with their off-season additions of Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell and Carlos Zambrano. It’ll a tough to beat, but the team’s post-season success remains on the arm of one person, Josh Johnson. If Johnson is able to stay healthy throughout the season, this Marlins team could go deep into the playoffs.

Philadelphia Phillies: We all know about the Phillies’ starting rotation. It’s one of the best in the league. The real concern is the team’s offense. With Ryan Howard being sidelined for the beginning of the season, the Phillies are going to struggle trying to score runs. This is the team that couldn’t overcome a 1-0 defeat in the playoffs. The Phillies still remain a contender because of the depth it has in its starting rotation.

Atlanta Braves: Everybody remembers the Red Sox and its huge collapse in the last month of the season to miss the playoffs, but the Braves’ collapse was just as bad. The team was made up of  young players who can learn from their mistakes. They may not be able to overcome the veteran Phillies or Marlins, but they will make some noise.

Washington Nationals: The team will have Stephen Strasburg to begin the regular season and the GM traded for Gio Gonzalez to bulk up the team’s starting pitching. I still believe that they were a Prince Fielder away from really getting over the hump. The Nationals will improve from last year, but still aren’t good enough.

New York Mets: When was the last time the Mets were actually good? The Mets’ slogan for this year should be “Well, there’s always next year.”

NL Central: The NL central really took a hit in losing both Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder. Who will take advantage?

Cincinnati Reds: After missing the playoffs last year, the Reds will look to get back on track and what better year to take advantage when the two top teams in the central have lost their main power hitters. Even though Cincinnati took a hit when its free agent signee, Ryan Madson got hurt in spring training, it still has a great bullpen. Mat Latos was a great pick-up and the Reds have another year to develop Aroldis Chapman,who will start the season in the bullpen, but has the potential to be the closer or work his way into the starting rotation. This Reds team has what it takes to win the central.

St. Louis Cardinals: The defending World Series Champions will take the diamond without Albert Pujols for the first time since 2001. (That was hard for me to write!) Without Pujols in the middle of the lineup, the Cardinals could struggle this season. Lance Berkman will do a fine job taking over 1B, but a team will struggle when its biggest offensive threat leaves. Good news for the Cardinals: Adam Wainwright is back after missing the entire 2011 season, which could put them back in line for another wild card berth.

Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers are another team that could struggle without the presence of Prince Fielder. The brew crew did get a break when Ryan Braun‘s 50-game suspension was overturned. If that suspension would’ve stayed, the NL Central champions could’ve missed the 2012 playoffs entirely.

Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates had a great first half of the season last year, but after the all-star break they atescame back down to earth. The Pirates still don’t have what it takes to really take over the division, but it certainly will be a fun team to watch and root for (if your favorite team isn’t in the NL Central). Who wouldn’t want to see a team that has been bad for the past 30+ years have a good season? They certainly would be a great underdog story, much as they were in the first half of the season last year.

Chicago Cubs: It’s Theo Epstein’s first year in Chicago and the team is in complete rebuilding mode. Cubs fans can’t expect much this year for the lovely cubbies. Give Epstein a few years and the Cubs could become great again, but don’t expect the curse of the billy goat to end this year.

Houston Astros: It’s their last season in the National League before reuniting with Pujols in the AL West. Astros are continuing to rebuild. Not much excitement going in Houston. They are still years away from contending. It doesn’t help that they will be joining a division that holds the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels, who look to own the AL West for years to come.

NL West: Another division that will come down to three teams.

Arizona Diamondbacks: The Diamondbacks are  looking more and more like they will repeat as the NL West champions. They have the best overall team and will look to get even better with their additions of Trevor Cahill. They are a good, young team and I don’t see them taking a step back.

San Francisco Giants: Did the Giants’ offense get any better in the off-season? Kind of. They traded for Melky Cabrera and will have Buster Posey back, but it’s not a huge improvement (better than what they had last year though.) If a team were to take down the Diamondbacks, the Giants are the team to do so. They have always had great pitching, but no offensive power to help.

Colorado Rockies: I like this Colorado team, but I also liked them last year and expected them to make the playoffs. Unlike the Giants, their offense is great, but their pitching is what stands in their way. They added Jeremy Guthrie to the starting rotation, which should help but I believe that they are still an arm away from being a great team. Look out for Jaime Moyer. Remember him? How couldn’t you? He’s been in the league for the past 50 years. All joking aside, what a great baseball player and it will be fun to watch the 49-year-old Moyer in the Rockies’ rotation. As long as the Rockies keep Troy Tulowitzki healthy and away from Ubaldo Jimenez (they will because the Rockies won’t meet the Indians in the regular season), the Rockies have a good chance to challenge the Diamondbacks.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Well, they finally have new ownership and hopefully that will help them in the long haul. But it won’t help them this year. The Dodgers weren’t able to get any better in the off-season and that’s a team that finished 11.5 games back. With everybody around them getting better and the Dodgers staying the same, there’s not much excitement going on in LA, unless you’re rooting for the Angels.

San Diego Padres: The Padres once had a great pitching staff and a decent offensive team. Last year, they traded away Adrian Gonzalez and Mike Adams. This year, they let Heath Bell go to Miami and traded Mat Latos to the Reds. There is no question that the Padres are looking to rebuild more than they are ready to contend. They have already begun this by acquiring young starting pitcher, Edinson Volquez.

Follow my blog to see what to expect in the American League.

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Mar 04 2012
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NFL

$aints were out for blood

The New Orleans Saints made headlines over the weekend, as you may of heard that they’ve been placing bounties on key players of the opposing teams. The bounties have been going on since 2009, when they won their first Super Bowl in franchise history. This hit was the first to pop into my mind upon hearing about this.

We all know that this is wrong and something that shouldn’t be associated with the NFL, especially after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has fined many players for the hits that they’ve committed in recent years. James Harrison may know a thing or two about being fined for his hits. It’s a shame that this has happened, but let’s be real about the situation. The Saints aren’t the only ones to have these types of bounties going on behind closed doors. As a matter of fact, players are always out to hurt players. The only difference is that they probably don’t go as far as placing bounties on them. We don’t have to go back that far when a player admitted in trying to hurt someone.

Let’s go back to the New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. What you may remember from the game is return man Kyle Williams for the 49ers. In overtime, he fumbled the ball on a punt return in which the Giants recovered. The Giants won the game by kicking a field goal and later went on to win Super Bowl XLVI. Williams has had a history with concussions. He’s had four of them in his young career. Giants linebacker Jacquian Williams admitted after the game that the team was aware of Kyle Williams’ history with concussions, so they tried to take him out of the game. The NFL didn’t seem to have a problem with that.

It’s unfortunate that these things happen, but it all starts with the players’ environment. Gregg Williams and Sean Payton didn’t do anything about it, so they thought that it was okay. This can even begin at a young age. Remember The Little Giants? Spike’s dad wanted to win so bad, that he told his son to take a player out of the game. Check out the clip around the 6:37 mark.

The NFL will make an example of the Saints to let the rest of the league know that this won’t be tolerated. The Saints may lose some draft picks. They’ll probably suspend coach Sean Payton for the first four games of the season. St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will most likely miss half of the season and the players that were involved may get fined. I hope they kept some of the bounty money they earned.

Win. That’s the one thing that every sports franchise or anybody that is involved in an individual sport wants to accomplish. People will do anything to win, to be the best in the world, to become a champion. Nobody wants to lose. It’s all about coming in first and people will do anything to come in first, even placing bounties for players if that’s what it takes. I don’t agree with what the Saints did and I do believe that they should be punished for it, but they aren’t the only team. They’re just the team that got caught.

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Feb 29 2012
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NBA

Dallas Mavericks keys to repeat

The second half of the season has begun, and this is the time when teams begin to stand out from the rest of the pack. This years Dallas Mavericks team looks completely different than last years championship team. The five keys to a Mavericks repeat are as followed.

1) Defense wins championships

Head coach Rick Carlisle has preached defense since day 1. Their defense was noticably better last season and has continued throughout this season despite loosing a key element in, Tyson Chandler. Last years defense was ranked tenth in the league allowing 96 ppg. The Mavs have moved up this year, ranked fifth in the league in defense allowing 91 ppg. The key for the Mavericks success on defense lies heavily on Shawn Marion who has said that the season has worn him out. The Mavericks will need to keep him fresh the rest of the season because he will be responsible for guarding all the superstars in the playoffs (Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul to name a few) and that’ll be no easy task in a seven game series.

2) Get healthy and stay healthy

The Mavericks have had a few injuries this year. Dirk Nowitzki was out for a week due to his knees. Vince Carter missed some time due to a foot injury that almost cost him the entire season. Lamar Odom and Rodrigue Beaubois have missed some time to handle family matters. And, most recently, Delonte West is missing time due to a finger laceration. It’s still early, so missing these players now isn’t a huge deal, but they need to all get healthy and stay healthy if they want to make a long run into the playoffs.

3) Will the real Lamar Odom please stand up

Lamar Odom missed the final game before the All-Star break and will miss the first two games after the break. There is definitely something going on with Odom behind closed doors that we as a fan base don’t know. He has not looked like the “sixth man of the year” he was last year. When you watch him play, he doesn’t have the competative edge that he has had his entire career. It’s almost as if he doesn’t have the desire to play anymore. Mavericks fans need to look at Odom real close when he comes back because if he comes back to form, the Mavs will have a great chance to repeat. If he continues to struggle, then what you see is what you’re going to get for the rest of the season and it’ll probably be best to leave him out of the playoff rotation entirely. Best case scenario for the Mavericks if that happens, with the playoffs coming soon it changes his game due to the desire to win.

4) Offense

They have Dirk Nowitzki, who was clearly the best player of the NBA playoffs last year.  The offense will always be there and the rest of the team just need to hit wide-open shots when Dirk is being double-teamed. When this team is hitting on all cylinders offensively, they can’t be beat. The Mavericks need to focus on their defense, great defense leads to turnovers, fast break points and more offesnsive oppertunities.

5) Stay under the radar

Last year, the San Antonio Spurs were the team that got all the praise going into the playoffs. They seemed unbeatable and were the team with the best overall record. But not all the #1 seeds make it to the NBA Finals, let alone win it. The Mavericks are the defending champions and teams will recognize that once the playoffs begin. But, since they are a completely different looking team, some may take them lightly. If that’s the case, advantage Mavericks. Everybody wanted to face the Mavericks last year in the first round because they were labeled as “soft.” They were disrespected and took advantage of the teams that took them lightly.

The second half of the season will tell a lot about the Mavericks. If they have what it takes, it will begin to show now and leading up to the playoffs.

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Feb 25 2012
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NFL

Where will Vincent Jackson land?

The NFL free agency is one of my favorite parts of the off-season and it’s right around the corner.  This off-season, it looks as if the San Diego Chargers won’t use the franchise tag on wide receiver Vincent Jackson. And, if they choose to get Jackson back, they’ll have to compete against other teams in free agency.

There are really three places where I can see Jackson ending up:

1. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are the team to watch in the chasing after V-Jack. They already have two really good wide recievers in DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, but they’re both the same type of WR. They’re both small with a lot of speed. DeSean Jackson wasn’t happy last year after the Eagles used their franchise tag on him and it showed throughout the season. He had one of his worst seasons since he came into the NFL in 2008. I doubt that the Eagles want to sign him long term after his last season. Vincent Jackson would be a perfect fit in Philadelphia. He is 6’5′ 230 lb and will catch anything thrown his way. Michael Vick would finally have a big target that will catch anything in his area and Maclin on the other side with the speed. If you thought last year’s Eagles offense was scary, it will be 10x scarier with the addition of V-Jack.

2. San Diego Chargers

The Chargers will make an offer to Jackson and try and get him back. He’s one of the best WR’s in the league and they can’t afford to lose their playmaker. Patrick Crayton and Malcom Floyd  are behind Jackson in the depth chart. They don’t come close to Jackson’s talent. If the Chargers do lose Jackson, they may try and go after DeSean Jackson, in what could become a WR switch between the Eagles and Chargers. Without a playmaking WR, it allows defenses to put all their focus on Antonio Gates and their offense will struggle.

3. Washington Redskins

You always have to look out for the Redskins when it comes to free agency. They’ve always been known for spending money and they have the same problem the Eagles have. They need a big body receiver to complement their speedsters in Santana Moss and Jabar Gaffney. Rex Grossman began to play better toward the end of the season and has never had that type of playmaking WR. Having Jackson there, Grossman could shine. With the addition of Jackson, they would have a solid defense and could become a “sleeper team” that would have a chance at making the playoffs.

Vincent Jackson is the most interesting free agent this year. If he chooses to leave the Chargers, he could make a team a playoff contender, or put a team over the hump. He is that good. Who wouldn’t want this guy on their team that can do this?

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Feb 19 2012
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NBA

The LIN-sanity continues…

I was able to watch the guy who has taken over the NBA within the past couple weeks today, Jeremy Lin. I thought that he would struggle against the defending champion Dallas Mavericks, but I was wrong. He played extremely well and he has completely turned the New York Knicks‘ season around. They are 8-1 since the debut of Super LIN-tendo, with their lone loss coming against the New Orleans Hornets.

28 points, 14 assists and nine turnovers was Lin’s stat line against a very good Mavericks defense. Shawn Marion started off defending Lin. He picked up his first foul 10 seconds into the game. Jason Kidd also took a shot at defending Lin, but it didn’t matter. Lin was able to find the open man or score himself. The kid straight up knows how to play and will continue to help the Knicks win. They are must see TV as long as Lin continues to perform this way. So the question is, will he?

Many people keep saying that he is a fluke and the NBA will catch up to him eventually. That he is getting all this hype because he is in New York and because he is an Asian-American. That he makes too many turnovers. Well, the hype on this kid didn’t begin with New York, it began with the very team he beat today, the Mavericks. The Mavericks had him as he went undrafted on the summer of 2010. The numbers he is putting up now were the ones he was putting up then. Yes, it was just D-league and not the NBA, but that is where it started. So those saying that it is because he is in New York are wrong.

Now, for those saying that it is just because he’s Asian-American… Some part of that may be true, but it’s time to give credit where credit is due. The kid can straight up play the game of basketball and you are seeing it. Last time that I checked, all you need to play basketball is two legs, two arms, and a head with a brain in it. Some argue that he makes too many turnovers. Yes, he does make a lot of turnovers, but what do you expect when he has the ball so much and he’s the only guy able to run their offense. Young point guards make mistakes. He will continue to make less and less mistakes as the season goes on. He’ll learn how to take care of the ball as he gains more experience. The fact hat the Knicks are winning while he’s making mistakes is what makes this team scary. Imagine what’ll happen when his turnovers go down.

Being able to put up these numbers for this long is no fluke. How many other players have been able to put up these numbers in the NBA and not become a superstar? He has the cast around him that he will be able to continue his success with. The good thing about the position that he’s in, is that once Carmelo Anthony gets back, the pressure of him putting up 20 points a game won’t be there. He just has to find the open man and feed him the ball.

So as the NBA season continues, be prepared to keep seeing Jeremy Lin have success. If you are tired of his story already, it’s probably best not to watch ESPN until the Knicks are no longer playing this season. The way they are playing now, that may be a long time. The Knicks will make the playoffs and they will be a tough out in the playoffs. Basketball is back in New York. Lin has revived the Knicks. Not Amar’e Stoudemire, not Carmelo Anthony, not Tyson Chandler, but a kid from Harvard University.

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