Monday, January 30, 2012
Mr. Armchair Speaks: I Sit and Wonder, Is It Too Much?
Mr. Armchair Speaks: I Sit and Wonder, Is It Too Much?: If you know me, I love football. I love everything football. I love everything NFL football and I love everything college football. An...
I Sit and Wonder, Is It Too Much?
If you know me, I love football. I love everything football. I love everything NFL football and I love everything college football. And now, I introduce to you my new football obsession: Recruiting and National Signing Day. I've followed recruiting and National Signing Day for the last few years, but this year, I'm all about it. If you are unfamiliar with National Signing Day, let me lay it out for you. February 1st is known in the college football world as National Signing Day, the first day of the year where prominent high school football players can sign Letters of Intent (LOI) to go play college football at the school of their choice, hopefully the school that you root for. LOI are basically college football’s form on a contract. These players are agreeing to spend the next 4-5 years of their lives at a particular university. If a player wishes to transform at any point after he signs his LOI, the school must first grant them their release, and then after picking a new school to transfer to, they must sit out a full year before they can start participating in team functions, practices, and games. For a high school player this is a long and strenuous process that, especially if you are a highly rated and touted player, starts from when you are a freshman in high school and ends with National Signing Day. When it does end and they do finally make that tough decision, a press conference is called for the announcement and much fan fare is made. It all culminates with the final decision, the signature selection of the school’s hat of his choice and wearing it for photo ops.
Through the players prior year, and basically their entire high school playing career, they are being wooed, glamoured, showed power-point presentations, and some are even given *cough, cough – lucrative incentives – wink, wink* from coaches of a particular university as a way to entice them to go play at their university. Players are constantly receiving phone calls, text messages, emails, facebook post, and in-home visits from recruiters / coaches persuading, sometimes bagging, players to come play at their school. Recruits also take recruiting trip to campuses so they can be shown the stadium and facilities they would be using as a member of the team. Players who are already on the team “host” the potential recruit and show them where all of the happening spots are around the school and campus, selling them on what a great place the university and town is. The recruit soaks this all in, goes back home and assesses which school and football program best fits him the best. A highly touted recruit will visit 5-6-7 campuses his senior year alone.
To a college football fan, National Signing Day is their NFL Draft, their Christmas. For weeks and month, maybe even years, recruits play and toy with the emotions of coaches, players, and fans, leading them on that they will attending their university, when all along, there are multiple schools they are choosing from. We hang onto every word they say, or now tweet. We follow their recruiting process and see what universities they take recruiting trips too. We read exit interviews and articles after those trips to see what the recruit will say about the trip, hoping that it’s nothing too grand as to displace your football program as his school of choice. All this in the hopes that in the end they will sign that LOI to play at the university you root for.
Landing a good recruit, or having a good recruiting class (the group of incoming freshman players), can set your football program up for years to come. It’s a whole domino effect. One good recruit can entice other good recruits to follow him to play for your football program, which will lead to your program having a good recruiting class overall, which can lead to your football program having a good record, which will attract more good recruits to want to play for your football program the following year, which will hopefully lead to an even better recruiting class than the year prior, which will lead to an even better record, and so on. It is essentially how good football programs are built and have staying power. And vice versa, a bad recruiting class can lead to a bad year, and the same domino effect happens in reverse.
A recruit will take multiple things into his consideration when picking his school. They will site relationship with coaches and players, facilities, winning program and school tradition, opportunity to play and playing time, and most importantly (or should be in most people’s eyes) academics. I am one who actually believes that high school football players do take academics seriously when picking their school, but there is also one unsaid consideration. If you are a highly recruited football player with national predominance and are projected to be a very good player, the university that gives you the straightest path to the NFL I think will ultimately win out. You can’t blame them for taking that route, as they are gifted athletes with dreams of playing in the NFL. Why wouldn’t you go to the school that will showcase your talents the best while also having the most NFL connections? It’s brutal to say, but its reality.
Take schools like Cal, Stanford, and Notre Dame. While these schools have very good football programs and have gotten their players into the NFL, they have very high academic standards that hinder recruiting for their football program. The school’s academic standards might be too difficult for a recruit to either qualify for entrance, or keep up with while in school. So nationally rated recruits may shy away from these schools and coaches at these schools won’t recruit these players. Others who do qualify may embrace the challenge, realizing that their football career may not pan out, so they will have a degree from a highly respected academic institution they can fall back on.
For a football honk and fan like myself, I sit and wonder if I’m going too far. I sit and follow blogs and read recruiting update on ESPN Recruiting Nation and Rivals.com to see where these kids will go, wondering if they will commit to play for the school I root for (CAL Bears). I sit and listen to podcast of other recruiting analysis, getting their take on where these kids will commit too. These kids are essentially kids. They are 18 year old athletes and I hang onto their last word and following their recruiting process like a hawk. Some, most, won’t even live up to expectations. They, I, glorify them before they even suit up or take a class. Its been causes me headaches and drives me crazy not knowing if my football program will land that nationally touted recruit (ie: Shaq Thompson of Grant High School, Sacramento, #2 Safety in the nation). My football program hangs in the balance of these 18 year old kids decision. I sit and wonder, is it too much?
Mr. Armchair Speaking
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Mr. Armchair Speaks: A Man Can Be Destroyed But He Can’t Be Defeated
Mr. Armchair Speaks: A Man Can Be Destroyed But He Can’t Be Defeated: HHHHMMMM…..yeah, that sucked!! Before I start my analysis on why the San Francisco 49ers are not going to the Super Bowl, I’m going to go ...
A Man Can Be Destroyed But He Can’t Be Defeated
HHHHMMMM…..yeah, that sucked!! Before I start my analysis on why the San Francisco 49ers are not going to the Super Bowl, I’m going to go off on a little tangent; just something I need to get off my chest.
To the New York Giants football players, coaches, and fans, you get no congratulations from me. You did not deserve to win that game. You do not deserve to play in the Super Bowl. I was not impressed by your play, nor do I think you will win the Super Bowl. I do not believe you were the better team on that field. That game was gifted wrapped to you and if anything, we as part of the 49er family deserve a thank you for giving you the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl. While you may have played hard, I give you no credit. You did not win that game, the 49ers lost it. I hope you guys get smoked by Tom Brady, the hoody, and the rest of the Patriot nation.
Ok, I’m done. That felt good.
In retrospect, it truly was a great season for the 49ers. You can say that all along the 49ers were playing with house money, but it’s hard to see it from that prospective when you get that close, you played that hard, you know you were the better team, and you know that you played well enough to win. Settling for just having a great season isn’t good enough anymore at that point. You want it all! So while I will acknowledge that no one expected the 49ers to be in the position they were in, it’s hard knowing that they deserve to be in the Super Bowl.
Now on to how the 49ers lost this game. Going into the game, the 49ers needed to do three things in order to win the game, and they didn’t accomplish any of them. Here’s the breakdown:
1. Need for another contributor – One of my key’s to the game was that someone else not named Gore, Crabtree, and definitely Davis, needed to step up and be a contributor. The player I was referring to and hoped would shine in this moment, Kyle Williams. He came on late in the season for injured receiver Josh Morgan and surpassed Ted Ginn and Braylon Edwards on the WR depth chart. He played so well, Edwards was cut from the team by week 14 and the coaching staff felt it wasn’t a priority to rush Ginn back from injury for this playoff game. This was Kyle William’s moment. The result: zero catches, two muffed punts, and a fumble on a botched reverse.
2. 3rd down conversions – Going into the playoffs, the 49ers were one of the worst teams in the NFL at 3rd down conversions at 29%. In the playoffs, they were even worst at 18%. On Sunday, the 49ers were 1 for 13 on 3rd down conversions. That won’t win you a lot of football games. The only 3rd down conversion for the 49ers came on the last play of regulation when Alex Smith just threw the ball down the field to an open Delanie Walker in a desperate attempt to win the game on a Hail Mary. When you look at that stat, it’s amazing that they were even able to be in the game late, move the ball down field, and even score 17 points in the game.
3. Alex Smith can’t be ordinary – For the entire season, Alex Smith has been an average quarterback. But in his defense, that is what he was asked to do. He was asked to be a game-manager quarterback; someone who doesn’t turn the ball over and does just enough to win you the game. What was so great about Smith’s performance in the win over the New Orleans Saints was that he finally broke out of that shell and became a difference maker. The 49ers don’t win that game if Alex Smith doesn’t play the way he does or make the throws that he does. For the 49ers to beat the NYG, they needed a similar performance. Unfortunately, they didn’t get that from Smith. Smith reverted back to his old self, completing 12-26 passes for 196 yards, and worrying too much about turning over the ball and doing just enough to win the game.
All season I have been proclaiming the 49ers defense as being “Super Bowl Caliber”, and I still believe that. Their front seven (or eight in this case) of Ray McDonald, Isaac Sopoaga, Justin Smith, Aldon Smith, Parys Haralson, Ahmad Brooks, NaVarro Bowman, and of course, the GREAT Patrick Willis, are the best front line defense in the league, maybe even since the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. The 1986 Bears, the 2000 Ravens, the 2012 49ers; they were all built in the same mold: average QB play, great RB, little WR help, major TE contributions, great coaching, and most importantly, Super Bowl Caliber defense. The 1986 Bears got the chance to prove how great their defense was, and so did the 2000 Ravens. The 2012 49ers, they won’t get that chance. And it’s a shame.
Really quick, I wanted to touch on the passing of Joe Paterno. I understand that people are still disgusted with JoePa and will never forget the passing of the buck and/or lack of follow-up he gave to the Jerry Sandusky incident; and that is their right. Some people will always choose to remember first that character about JoePa’s life and will always think of that when his name is brought up. I’m not saying that we should erase it from his life book or that he gets a free pass because of his passing. But for one day, especially the day of his death, I choose to remember JoePa as a great coach and an even better man, and I hope others will do the same. He was someone who stood for high moral, for what he believed in, and importantly, he acted on it. He had an impeccable graduation rate and ran a near clean program. He was a major positive influence on so many people’s lives not just related to his football teams, and for one day, he should be remembered for that.
He will undoubtedly go down as the greatest head coach in college football history. There will never be another Joe Paterno in college football. No one will ever come close to having the type of stature or longevity in the game like he did. College football won’t be the same without JoePa, but it will go on.
After the game, at the end of his press conference, coach Jim Harbaugh said, “A man can be destroyed but he can't be defeated as long as his team knows that there's hope.” I think that holds true for both the 49ers and JoePa.
Mr. Armchair Speaking
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
My Words Do Them No Justice
Before I get into the obvious, the great W by the San Francisco 49ers over the New Orleans Saints this past weekend, I wanted to say a little something about two very heroic people. It's a pretty special week when you have the opportunity to honor a couple of national heroes.
Monday of course was Martin Luther King, Jr. day; a day where we honor his contributions to the ever continuing fight for equality and social justice. He was the first to recognize these injustices and stood up against the establishment and social norm when no one else would; and fight for many you couldn't fight for themselves. He gave people a voice and empowered them to rise above and fight back. And while I use the word fight, it's in terms of a metaphor; for it was Martin Luther King himself who preached and urged non-violence against others. He used marches and sit-ins to prove his point and send his message, not punches. A life taken too quickly, for it would have been nice to see that, with the inauguration of a black United States President, that his dream has in some way became a reality. He paved the way for us and as a society, we have made great strides.
Also today, we honor another pioneer. Today is Muhammad Ali's birthday; he turns 70. A true polarizing figure not only in the boxing ring and in sports, but also to our nation. He stood tall not only against his opponents in the ring, but also as a social activist, fighting for what he felt was right. In a time when our country was entrenched in a war with Vietnam and enlisting our youth to fight via the draft, Muhammad Ali stood up and said enough was enough. He refused to enlist and join the Army when his number was called, and our government sought legal action against him. His reasoning was not only religious, but also why would I give up everything I have to go fight a senseless war? He paved the way for others to stand up and fight back against the establishment that was sending over its youth to war. Congress and the government would later abolish the draft and make joining the armed services voluntary.
These are two pioneers in modern American history; both fighting for social justice and standing up for what they believed in. While I'm sure I can sit here and go on about their influence on our nation and how it effects us today, I feel that part should be left to someone more qualified than I am. So I will continue on to what I do best, talking some football.
HOW 'BOUT THEM 49ERS!!!! YES, MY 49ERS!!!!! WHO HAS IT BETTER THAN US???? NOBODY!!!!
What a great game that was on Saturday. Most people in the sports world gave the 49ers little chance of beating the Saints. For example, on the Fox pregame show, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson and the host Curt Menefee all picked the Saints to win this game. Only The Gap, Michael Strahan picked the 49ers to win. I could hear my inner Bart Scott after that miraculous win:
"To all the non-believers!! To all the non-believers!! Especially you Terry Bradshaw. Way to have our backs Michael Strahan"
And now, the 49ers are one game away from playing in the Super Bowl. They will take on a mighty opponent in the New York Giants, who soundly beat the Green Bay Packers; but with the game being at home in San Francisco and the way our defense and special teams are playing, and if Alex Smith can keep riding his confidence high from last game, I like our chances. More analysis to come later in the week. But as of right now, see you on Sunday NYG. CAN'T WAIT!!!
The fact is that everyone discredited how good the 49ers really are, especially their defense and special teams; and everyone assumed that since the NFL has now morphed into a passing league and that the Saints have one of the best QB's in Drew Brees, the Saints would roll. The fact is that defense still wins championships; and the 49ers have a Super Bowl caliber defense. Going into the game, I said the 49ers needed to do three things in order for them to beat the Saints:
1. Stop the Saints on third down - This may sound simple and a "no-brainer" analysis, but it's the absolute truth. The 49ers were able to stop the Saints on 3rd down. Throughout the regular season, the Saints converted 56.7% of the time on third downs. That is insane. They also converted 41% of the time on 3rd and 10. In Saturday's defeat to my 49ers, the Saints 3rd down efficiency was 5-14. The 49ers were able to stop drives and not let the Saints offense sustain drives.
2. Shut down the Saints running game - I know, again with another "no-brainer" analysis, but hear me out. While the 49ers have the #1 rushing defense in the league, the Saints - while having a potent passing attack - also have the #6 rushing offense. It was important for the 49ers to make the Saints abandon the run and not let them use the running game to set up the pass. The result, 14 rushing attempts (I know, it didn't hurt that Pierre Thomas got leveled, but they still had Sproles and Ivory).
3. Passing the ball efficiently - It's no secret that the 49ers are a ground and bound team. They like to run the ball till it kills you. They are the 8th best team in the league at it. It is because they run the ball so effectively that they have asked QB Alex Smith to only be a game manager QB, and as a result
This was a game and win of redemption for the 49ers. It was redemption for Alex Smith and all of the nay-sayers who have slammed him for being a failure and not living up to the status of being the #1 pick QB that he was suppose to be when the 49ers drafted him. After Saturday, and this season, Alex Smith has a new lease on his football life. It was also redemption for Vernon Davis. It wasn't too long ago that we saw Vernon Davis crying on the sideline and getting kicked off the field and sent to the locker room early because he was being a malcontent. We all remember the infamous, "I WANT WINNERS" speak by then head coach Mike Singletary. That whole rant was directed at Vernon Davis. Now, after making that marvelous game winning catch, there were only tears of joy coming from Vernon Davis as he was coming off the field.
In honoring MLK, the great Muhammad Ali, and the 49ers victory on Saturday, I feel like I should have had a poet write this post. My words do them no justice.
Mr. Armchair Speaking
Monday of course was Martin Luther King, Jr. day; a day where we honor his contributions to the ever continuing fight for equality and social justice. He was the first to recognize these injustices and stood up against the establishment and social norm when no one else would; and fight for many you couldn't fight for themselves. He gave people a voice and empowered them to rise above and fight back. And while I use the word fight, it's in terms of a metaphor; for it was Martin Luther King himself who preached and urged non-violence against others. He used marches and sit-ins to prove his point and send his message, not punches. A life taken too quickly, for it would have been nice to see that, with the inauguration of a black United States President, that his dream has in some way became a reality. He paved the way for us and as a society, we have made great strides.
Also today, we honor another pioneer. Today is Muhammad Ali's birthday; he turns 70. A true polarizing figure not only in the boxing ring and in sports, but also to our nation. He stood tall not only against his opponents in the ring, but also as a social activist, fighting for what he felt was right. In a time when our country was entrenched in a war with Vietnam and enlisting our youth to fight via the draft, Muhammad Ali stood up and said enough was enough. He refused to enlist and join the Army when his number was called, and our government sought legal action against him. His reasoning was not only religious, but also why would I give up everything I have to go fight a senseless war? He paved the way for others to stand up and fight back against the establishment that was sending over its youth to war. Congress and the government would later abolish the draft and make joining the armed services voluntary.
These are two pioneers in modern American history; both fighting for social justice and standing up for what they believed in. While I'm sure I can sit here and go on about their influence on our nation and how it effects us today, I feel that part should be left to someone more qualified than I am. So I will continue on to what I do best, talking some football.
HOW 'BOUT THEM 49ERS!!!! YES, MY 49ERS!!!!! WHO HAS IT BETTER THAN US???? NOBODY!!!!
What a great game that was on Saturday. Most people in the sports world gave the 49ers little chance of beating the Saints. For example, on the Fox pregame show, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson and the host Curt Menefee all picked the Saints to win this game. Only The Gap, Michael Strahan picked the 49ers to win. I could hear my inner Bart Scott after that miraculous win:
"To all the non-believers!! To all the non-believers!! Especially you Terry Bradshaw. Way to have our backs Michael Strahan"
And now, the 49ers are one game away from playing in the Super Bowl. They will take on a mighty opponent in the New York Giants, who soundly beat the Green Bay Packers; but with the game being at home in San Francisco and the way our defense and special teams are playing, and if Alex Smith can keep riding his confidence high from last game, I like our chances. More analysis to come later in the week. But as of right now, see you on Sunday NYG. CAN'T WAIT!!!
The fact is that everyone discredited how good the 49ers really are, especially their defense and special teams; and everyone assumed that since the NFL has now morphed into a passing league and that the Saints have one of the best QB's in Drew Brees, the Saints would roll. The fact is that defense still wins championships; and the 49ers have a Super Bowl caliber defense. Going into the game, I said the 49ers needed to do three things in order for them to beat the Saints:
1. Stop the Saints on third down - This may sound simple and a "no-brainer" analysis, but it's the absolute truth. The 49ers were able to stop the Saints on 3rd down. Throughout the regular season, the Saints converted 56.7% of the time on third downs. That is insane. They also converted 41% of the time on 3rd and 10. In Saturday's defeat to my 49ers, the Saints 3rd down efficiency was 5-14. The 49ers were able to stop drives and not let the Saints offense sustain drives.
2. Shut down the Saints running game - I know, again with another "no-brainer" analysis, but hear me out. While the 49ers have the #1 rushing defense in the league, the Saints - while having a potent passing attack - also have the #6 rushing offense. It was important for the 49ers to make the Saints abandon the run and not let them use the running game to set up the pass. The result, 14 rushing attempts (I know, it didn't hurt that Pierre Thomas got leveled, but they still had Sproles and Ivory).
3. Passing the ball efficiently - It's no secret that the 49ers are a ground and bound team. They like to run the ball till it kills you. They are the 8th best team in the league at it. It is because they run the ball so effectively that they have asked QB Alex Smith to only be a game manager QB, and as a result
This was a game and win of redemption for the 49ers. It was redemption for Alex Smith and all of the nay-sayers who have slammed him for being a failure and not living up to the status of being the #1 pick QB that he was suppose to be when the 49ers drafted him. After Saturday, and this season, Alex Smith has a new lease on his football life. It was also redemption for Vernon Davis. It wasn't too long ago that we saw Vernon Davis crying on the sideline and getting kicked off the field and sent to the locker room early because he was being a malcontent. We all remember the infamous, "I WANT WINNERS" speak by then head coach Mike Singletary. That whole rant was directed at Vernon Davis. Now, after making that marvelous game winning catch, there were only tears of joy coming from Vernon Davis as he was coming off the field.
In honoring MLK, the great Muhammad Ali, and the 49ers victory on Saturday, I feel like I should have had a poet write this post. My words do them no justice.
Mr. Armchair Speaking
Monday, January 9, 2012
Mr. Armchair Speaks: Tebow 3:16 – I Wish I Was Writing This Movie
Mr. Armchair Speaks: Tebow 3:16 – I Wish I Was Writing This Movie: It's official; Tim Tebow is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Ok, I’m smart enough to not go that far, but I will say that I am a firm bel...
Tebow 3:16 – I Wish I Was Writing This Movie
It's official; Tim Tebow is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Ok, I’m smart enough to not go that far, but I will say that I am a firm believer in both. After witnessing what I did on Sunday, a 29-23 overtime victory by the Denver Broncos over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tebow making beautiful passes to his wide receives as if he were a real quarterback – none better than the line he threaded to Demaryius Thomas on the first possession of overtime and Thomas taking it to the house for the winning score – Tebow is slowly showing signs that he can play the position of quarterback in the NFL, and play it well. There is no doubt in my mind that we are truly watching something special. Nike had it all wrong, we were NOT all a witness to LeBron; we are to Tim Tebow. I’m still waiting for Nike to erect a billboard in Denver of Tebow “Tebowing” like the iconic billboard they made of LBJ in Cleveland where he was throwing his chalk in the air and his arms are spread out. But unlike LBJ, Tebow is clutch in the 4th quarter, and also a winner, in his game and life. I know, cheap shot.
I understand people see Tebow as a “Jesus Freak,” and that rubs people thewrong way. But what is wrong with an athlete who openly admitted that he is a follower of Jesus Christ and worships him? In this day and age where athletes hype up shoes, sports drinks, hip-hop music, their own clothing line; what’s wrong with Tebow giving a little shout out and love to the man upstairs? I think it’s kind of refreshing. I also think that the media plays up his belief in Jesus Christ, and then turns around and uses it to criticize him. If the media wasn’t constantly asking him about his faith and good deeds, would we even be hearing about it at this time of the season? If you don’t want the man to constantly talk about his religion, than stop asking him about it. So what at the end of games he starts his pressers by giving thanks to God and Jesus Christ, but most athletes do so at some point. It’s not like he was the first athlete to do this.
Now onto the actual game that was played. Tebow was magnificent! It was arguably the best game he’s played in his short career. He completed 10-21 passes for 316 yards and 2 TDs. He also ran for another 51 yards and a TD. It was probably also the best game that Broncos Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy has called in his entire career. And from what I saw on Sunday, I am not afraid to make this blanket statement: Tim Tebow is a phenomenal QB and will be a top 10 QB in the NFL. Here is why I think that.
For a QB like Tebow, everyone knows that you have to get him into open spaces via rollouts and play-action pass to give him that run-pass option. He is at his best when there is open space and he can survey the field and read coverages. From there, he can either make the easy pass dump off pass to a crossing receiver, or a leaking running back, or scramble for yardage. That is where he is most effective. But what I’m telling you is no secret, everyone knows this about Tebow. What was most impressive about yesterday’s game and Tebow, and what has me knowing that he will be a successful QB in the NFL, the three big plays he made in the game all came from within the pocket. Example: In the beginning of the second quarter, they rolled Tebow out to the left and he throw a nice pass to Eric Decker in which he dropped, but only because he was leveled by Steelers linebacker James Harrison in the knee, injuring him for the rest of the game, maybe the playoffs. But even though the pass was incomplete, it gave Tebow confidence that he could complete passes and make good throws; and on the next two passes, one was a 58 yarder to Demaryius Thomas, and the other a 30 yard touchdown pass to Eddie Royal, made from within the pocket. And the rest is history; literally.
He is gaining the confidence in the pocket, which was something he lacked prior to Sunday’s game. His two touchdown passes were both on three or five step drops, and his running touchdown was a run over the right guard. But in Sunday’s game, it was as if they were using rollout passes to gain his confidence and set up his throws from within the pocket. And more importantly, he made them. He is proving that he is not just a gamer, a winner, a grinder, or any other adjective used to describe Tebow as a QB that is not affiliated with “good”. Tebow has always played with the mindset that he will always make the play and get it done, but recently, he has struggled. I think Phil Simms said it best about Tebow's mindset of late - at the beginning of the first quarter when Tebow misfired on a couple of his early passes – that a little bit of doubt started to creep into his mind. That those plays weren't going to be made. That he wasn't going to be able to make the throws. But then it clicked for him.
Call it luck, call it magical, call it what you want; all I know is this. If you don’t think Tebow is a polarizing figure and that people aren’t paying attention to what he is doing, or if you think his act is getting old and that he will eventually fade away, I’ll just say this; when Tebow completed that beautiful pass to Demaryius Thomas to win the game for the Broncos, Tebow set the sport Tweets per second record with 9,420, surpassing the US Women’s World Cup final. Tebow 3:16, I wish I was writing this movie.
Mr. Armchair Speaking
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Mr. Armchair Speaks: New Year, New Era!!!
Mr. Armchair Speaks: New Year, New Era!!!: First off, I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I am geared up and ready to hit the blogosphere world with more Mr. ...
New Year, New Era!!!
First off, I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I am geared up and ready to hit the blogosphere world with more Mr. Armchair post. Let's get it on.
So.....the new era of Sacramento Kings basketball I was talking about at the end of my year-in-review, that lasted all about 11 days. Today, the Sacramento Kings fired their head coach Paul Westphal, and named assistant coach Keith Smart as new head coach. At the end of a 2-year plus stint, Westphal posted an overall record of 51-120. He started this season, 2-5; but it was an ugly 2-5, with the team in the midst of a 3-game losing streak and looking disinterested and dysfunctional. And to top it off, Westphal got into a public spat with the Kings highly talented, yet highly immature center, DeMarcus Cousins; issuing a public statement suspending Cousins for a game sighting an argument between the two, a disagreement in philosophy, and demanding a trade. Cousins has since refuted Westphal's account of the incident. This course of action, one which I disagreed with, was the ammo the Kings needed to pull the trigger on firing Westphal. It doesn't matter who you believe was right or wrong in their dispute, the coach can't go public with matters that should be resolved in-house. Westphal over-reacted to the situation, and his handling of it only signified that he lost control of this team.
Kings fan knew that eventually, with the way the Kings were playing, that somewhere down the road Westphal would be fired; it just wasn't clear how long it would be. Some thought mid-season, others thought maybe he would last the season and just not have his contract renewed. But me, I saw this coming a lot sooner. When watching the debacle of a game the Kings played against the Denver Nuggets were they lost by 27 points, I turned to the current Mrs. Armchair and said "Paul Westphal will be fired in 3 days." It didn't even take Kings management one day to make the move. While Paul Westphal may be a great person off the court, and I'm sure he knows a thing or two about the game of basketball, this was a move that was necessary and should have been made. Westphal had completely lost control of the team and it was apparent that the players started to tune him out. The play on the court reflected that, and it was time for a change.
The Kings are now in the hands of Keith Smart, who last year was the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, accumulating a record of 36-46 in one season. While some will look at this as just being a 10-game under .500 record, I'm hear to tell you that that is an impressive 10-game under .500 record. Warriors fans won't admit this, but the Warriors were an over-achieving team last season, and it was a direct effect of the coaching by Keith Smart. His running style of offense was taylormade for the Warriors talent, and he got the most out of that team. Now, the reason Smart is still not the coach of the Warrior is because the Warriors are under new ownership and they made the decision that they wanted their own guy in as head coach. I respect that decision, but many feel that Smart got a raw deal and should have been retained. Needless to say, I'm also happy about that decision because it enabled the Kings to sign him as their lead assistant coach for this very reason; to take over for Westphal in the event that management had to make a mid-season coaching move. The writing was on the wall for Smart to take over this team.
Smart gets thrown into the fire tonight with a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. After listening to his press conference on the way home from work, even I was ready to grab my Jordan's and go lace them up for him. Smart sounds confident, reassuring, energetic, and pun intended, smart. I found myself having a renewed sense of energy and enthusiasm for Kings basketball, and I hope the players will feel the same. Judging by the 103-100 Kings victory over the Bucks, overcoming a 21 point deficit, and the big three of Cousins, Thorton, and Evans playing well together and having good games; my assessment is that the players did.
Even while watching the Kings fall to that 21 point deficit, I noticed that the offense and ball movement was much better, and the extra pass was being made, maybe even too many passes. This coming from a team that is last in the league, and I mean last by a good amount, in assist per game. There was extra effort made when going after loose balls and defensive rebounding, and the energy level was noticeably high. Now the question is: will this carry over to the next game or just be a one-game infusion due to the coaching change? I'm hoping that is not the latter.
There is no denying that this Kings team was too talented to have been playing the way it was under Westphal. And I don't want this to come across as if Westphal is a bad coach; I just think that he wasn't the right coach for this team, and I am dating myself back to when he was first hired. While I respected Westphal's knowledge of the game and his cred, I questioned rather he would be able to relate to a younger generation of player.
What the rest of the season holds for the Kings remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, this team is re-energized and looking to prove some people wrong. So we begin the Keith Smart era of Sacramento Kings basketball with a victory. New Year, New Era!!
Mr. Armchair Speaks!!
So.....the new era of Sacramento Kings basketball I was talking about at the end of my year-in-review, that lasted all about 11 days. Today, the Sacramento Kings fired their head coach Paul Westphal, and named assistant coach Keith Smart as new head coach. At the end of a 2-year plus stint, Westphal posted an overall record of 51-120. He started this season, 2-5; but it was an ugly 2-5, with the team in the midst of a 3-game losing streak and looking disinterested and dysfunctional. And to top it off, Westphal got into a public spat with the Kings highly talented, yet highly immature center, DeMarcus Cousins; issuing a public statement suspending Cousins for a game sighting an argument between the two, a disagreement in philosophy, and demanding a trade. Cousins has since refuted Westphal's account of the incident. This course of action, one which I disagreed with, was the ammo the Kings needed to pull the trigger on firing Westphal. It doesn't matter who you believe was right or wrong in their dispute, the coach can't go public with matters that should be resolved in-house. Westphal over-reacted to the situation, and his handling of it only signified that he lost control of this team.
Kings fan knew that eventually, with the way the Kings were playing, that somewhere down the road Westphal would be fired; it just wasn't clear how long it would be. Some thought mid-season, others thought maybe he would last the season and just not have his contract renewed. But me, I saw this coming a lot sooner. When watching the debacle of a game the Kings played against the Denver Nuggets were they lost by 27 points, I turned to the current Mrs. Armchair and said "Paul Westphal will be fired in 3 days." It didn't even take Kings management one day to make the move. While Paul Westphal may be a great person off the court, and I'm sure he knows a thing or two about the game of basketball, this was a move that was necessary and should have been made. Westphal had completely lost control of the team and it was apparent that the players started to tune him out. The play on the court reflected that, and it was time for a change.
The Kings are now in the hands of Keith Smart, who last year was the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, accumulating a record of 36-46 in one season. While some will look at this as just being a 10-game under .500 record, I'm hear to tell you that that is an impressive 10-game under .500 record. Warriors fans won't admit this, but the Warriors were an over-achieving team last season, and it was a direct effect of the coaching by Keith Smart. His running style of offense was taylormade for the Warriors talent, and he got the most out of that team. Now, the reason Smart is still not the coach of the Warrior is because the Warriors are under new ownership and they made the decision that they wanted their own guy in as head coach. I respect that decision, but many feel that Smart got a raw deal and should have been retained. Needless to say, I'm also happy about that decision because it enabled the Kings to sign him as their lead assistant coach for this very reason; to take over for Westphal in the event that management had to make a mid-season coaching move. The writing was on the wall for Smart to take over this team.
Smart gets thrown into the fire tonight with a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. After listening to his press conference on the way home from work, even I was ready to grab my Jordan's and go lace them up for him. Smart sounds confident, reassuring, energetic, and pun intended, smart. I found myself having a renewed sense of energy and enthusiasm for Kings basketball, and I hope the players will feel the same. Judging by the 103-100 Kings victory over the Bucks, overcoming a 21 point deficit, and the big three of Cousins, Thorton, and Evans playing well together and having good games; my assessment is that the players did.
Even while watching the Kings fall to that 21 point deficit, I noticed that the offense and ball movement was much better, and the extra pass was being made, maybe even too many passes. This coming from a team that is last in the league, and I mean last by a good amount, in assist per game. There was extra effort made when going after loose balls and defensive rebounding, and the energy level was noticeably high. Now the question is: will this carry over to the next game or just be a one-game infusion due to the coaching change? I'm hoping that is not the latter.
There is no denying that this Kings team was too talented to have been playing the way it was under Westphal. And I don't want this to come across as if Westphal is a bad coach; I just think that he wasn't the right coach for this team, and I am dating myself back to when he was first hired. While I respected Westphal's knowledge of the game and his cred, I questioned rather he would be able to relate to a younger generation of player.
What the rest of the season holds for the Kings remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, this team is re-energized and looking to prove some people wrong. So we begin the Keith Smart era of Sacramento Kings basketball with a victory. New Year, New Era!!
Mr. Armchair Speaks!!
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