Thursday, June 26, 2014
I'M NOW WRITING FOR OREGON SPORTS NEWS!!!!!
I AM WRITING FOR OREGON SPORTS NEWS NOW!!! www.oregonsportsnews.com Look for me once to twice a week! Thank you all for the support, this is one step closer to my dream!! I will still try and post on here every once and a while, but my dedication is with OSN for now! CONTINUE TO READ !!
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Hello ALL!! I need to apologize. I have been on a hiatus from posting on the blog. I am in the process of moving into a new place, and internet is sketchy. At the end of the month. I will be writing for Oregon Sports News!!! I owe this opportunity to all of my readers, as they have helped me get recognized! I will be writing again soon. Check back in at the end of the month!!!
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Why You Mad?
Before I start, I want to apologize for the brief Hiatus. I have been moving into a new house this last week, and internet hasn't been set up yet, so I have to use it at work on my lunch break... and usually I use that for... well... eating lunch. Enough of my boring life, back to sports. This topic subject has been on my mind for a number of years, and was brought up again recently in a discussion, so I have decided to put my two cents in and see what y'all think about it.
The topic that has been burning my brain has to do with Professional athletes, primarily NBA players, their salaries, and how they are perceived by the general public ( I know Baseball players are paid higher amounts, but thats mainly due to the lack of a salary cap, I hear the most complaining about Basketball players so I'll stick with them ). What I really want to discuss is how much these players make, how the public perceives their salaries, and if the perception is justified. I could make some more witty remarks, but lets get to the topic.
I took the salaries of Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James, three of what I perceive as the most popular athletes in the NBA. After averaging their 2014 salaries out, the average salary for those superstars was about $23 Million for the year of 2014 ( this doesn't count endorsements, this is for their NBA contract ). Now, most people stop there and say " really... 23 Million dollars for someone who plays a game for a living?!... thats like $20,000 an hour, we should be paying firemen/policemen that much". Now, I understand this feeling, and I can get how someone would think that by simply looking at that figure... lets dig a little deeper though.
I decided to look at the businesses ( teams ) that these players work ( play ) for, the New York Knicks, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Miami Heat ( I realize that virtually everyone reading this article already knew what teams they played for... but what the heck ). I looked at these teams, and figured out what their revenue is on an average year. Why did I do this? Well.. I look at these teams as a business, and I look at the players as employees because, although the media doesn't play it out that way, that is exactly what these two things are. The Knicks 2012 Revenue was $243 Million dollars, the Lakers were at $255 Million, and the Heat were at $180 Million. This number includes many things such as food sales, parking, luxury seating, drinks etc.... but all of those things are directly related to one thing... TICKET SALES. If you sell less tickets, less people park, less people eat, less people drink, because, there are less people at your games ( see: Milwaukee Bucks ).
We now know what each of these businesses ( teams) make, and how much their top employee ( player ) earns as well. Lets look at the percentages.. Carmelo's salary ( $21.4 Million ) is 8.7 % of the Knicks revenue, Kobe ( $30.4 Million ) is earning about 12 % of his teams revenue, and Lebron ( $19.1 Million ) is at about 10.5 % of his respective teams earnings ( these may seem like just a whole bunch of numbers, but I promise it will come together ). I will now pose a question, if ANY of these three teams stayed exactly how they were, meaning they don't bring in other superstars etc, and lost any one of these three players, how much of a hit do you think their revenue would take? ( I know I would be much less inclined to go to a Lakers game without Kobe, this year was proof ). Obviously, we don't know the answer unless it happens.. but I would guess that it would be AT LEAST 8-12 %, and that is being modest.
What I am really trying to say with this whole argument is that these players are simply employees that bring in A LOT of revenue for their respective teams or businesses, if you will, and they get paid accordingly. As harsh as it sounds, if we wanted to pay public workers such as police and firemen upwards of $1 Million a year, where would that money come from? Would the tax payers support it? Because that is where their salaries come from. Instead of questioning these guys, we should really question people that sit on the bench and make $500k+ a year... because I guarantee those particular players don't bring in $500k+ worth of revenue a year ( who goes to a game to see Meyers Leonard?... most of you probably don't even know who that is ).
I must get back to my real job, but I will leave it at this. If you want to complain about how much someone is making, do a little research first, and see if your complaints are warranted. I will admit, no sports player should be making 30$ Million a year to play sports, but we continue to buy tickets, and continue to support these businesses ( teams.. for those who haven't got the point yet ), so complainers, whos really to blame here? Comment, Criticize, Complain! I love the 3 C's, I can't wait to hear your thoughts!!!
The topic that has been burning my brain has to do with Professional athletes, primarily NBA players, their salaries, and how they are perceived by the general public ( I know Baseball players are paid higher amounts, but thats mainly due to the lack of a salary cap, I hear the most complaining about Basketball players so I'll stick with them ). What I really want to discuss is how much these players make, how the public perceives their salaries, and if the perception is justified. I could make some more witty remarks, but lets get to the topic.
I took the salaries of Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James, three of what I perceive as the most popular athletes in the NBA. After averaging their 2014 salaries out, the average salary for those superstars was about $23 Million for the year of 2014 ( this doesn't count endorsements, this is for their NBA contract ). Now, most people stop there and say " really... 23 Million dollars for someone who plays a game for a living?!... thats like $20,000 an hour, we should be paying firemen/policemen that much". Now, I understand this feeling, and I can get how someone would think that by simply looking at that figure... lets dig a little deeper though.
I decided to look at the businesses ( teams ) that these players work ( play ) for, the New York Knicks, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Miami Heat ( I realize that virtually everyone reading this article already knew what teams they played for... but what the heck ). I looked at these teams, and figured out what their revenue is on an average year. Why did I do this? Well.. I look at these teams as a business, and I look at the players as employees because, although the media doesn't play it out that way, that is exactly what these two things are. The Knicks 2012 Revenue was $243 Million dollars, the Lakers were at $255 Million, and the Heat were at $180 Million. This number includes many things such as food sales, parking, luxury seating, drinks etc.... but all of those things are directly related to one thing... TICKET SALES. If you sell less tickets, less people park, less people eat, less people drink, because, there are less people at your games ( see: Milwaukee Bucks ).
We now know what each of these businesses ( teams) make, and how much their top employee ( player ) earns as well. Lets look at the percentages.. Carmelo's salary ( $21.4 Million ) is 8.7 % of the Knicks revenue, Kobe ( $30.4 Million ) is earning about 12 % of his teams revenue, and Lebron ( $19.1 Million ) is at about 10.5 % of his respective teams earnings ( these may seem like just a whole bunch of numbers, but I promise it will come together ). I will now pose a question, if ANY of these three teams stayed exactly how they were, meaning they don't bring in other superstars etc, and lost any one of these three players, how much of a hit do you think their revenue would take? ( I know I would be much less inclined to go to a Lakers game without Kobe, this year was proof ). Obviously, we don't know the answer unless it happens.. but I would guess that it would be AT LEAST 8-12 %, and that is being modest.
What I am really trying to say with this whole argument is that these players are simply employees that bring in A LOT of revenue for their respective teams or businesses, if you will, and they get paid accordingly. As harsh as it sounds, if we wanted to pay public workers such as police and firemen upwards of $1 Million a year, where would that money come from? Would the tax payers support it? Because that is where their salaries come from. Instead of questioning these guys, we should really question people that sit on the bench and make $500k+ a year... because I guarantee those particular players don't bring in $500k+ worth of revenue a year ( who goes to a game to see Meyers Leonard?... most of you probably don't even know who that is ).
I must get back to my real job, but I will leave it at this. If you want to complain about how much someone is making, do a little research first, and see if your complaints are warranted. I will admit, no sports player should be making 30$ Million a year to play sports, but we continue to buy tickets, and continue to support these businesses ( teams.. for those who haven't got the point yet ), so complainers, whos really to blame here? Comment, Criticize, Complain! I love the 3 C's, I can't wait to hear your thoughts!!!
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Is There a Wrong Answer?
I like to start my morning off with a nice dose of Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless, it is like my kickstart, my coffee if you will. Although in recent years their arguments have seemed to be quite more staged and dramatic than what might be necessary, I still enjoy listening to their opinions and forming my own based around what I do ( or don't ) hear from the two of them. I bring this up because, as most First Take viewers know, they had a recent mini-debate a couple days ago about if Lebron James had reached, or even surpassed, the man that keeps all white peoples' NBA dreams alive. Of course, I am talking about Larry Bird. The farm boy from Indiana who just so happens to be considered one of the best Basketball players to ever play the game. The Skip V. Stephen debate only lasted about 10 minutes, so I figured I would try and get to the bottom of this to have a better idea of how these two greats stack up against each other. Here it goes.
First I'll start with Larry Bird, hes the older player, and I am all about respecting my elders so that is the only reason he gets talked about first.... don't worry we will get to Lebron. Larry Bird played basketball at Indiana State, and took a team with, frankly , a whole bunch of nobodies, to an NCAA championship game against Magic and the Spartans. They would end up losing that game, but that is beside the point, we are looking at Larry v. Lebron so this argument will have to do with NBA successes only. Bird average 24 PPG 6 Assists 10 Rebounds 2 Steals and almost 1 block for his career, and he did it while USUALLY being guarded by the opposing teams top defender in a time where defense was emphasized much more than in todays game. He shot 50 % from the field and 38 % from the 3 Pt line for his career ( I was actually surprised, thought his 3 Pt percentage would have been in the low 40s ). They didn't really have all the advanced statistics such as PER and True Shooting % during Larrys time, so we will stick to things that we can compare. In the playoffs, Bird averaged 24 PPG 7 Assists 10 Rebounds 2 Steals and 1 Block, while shooting 47 % from the field and 32 % from the 3 Pt line ( once again less efficient from 3 than I would have guessed ). Larry won 3 championships, had 3 MVP awards, and made the All Star Team every year he played except for 1 ( 1989 Season ). Mr. Bird is also a member of the 50-40-90 club, which means he is one of the few players to shoot 50 % from the field, 40 % from 3 Pt, and 90 % from the FT line for an entire season.
I've mentioned all of the individual statistics that we might need to look at when comparing players, so now lets look at what he had around him. If I looked at his entire career, this article would put many people to sleep, so I'll stick to his championship teams. I couldn't find much reliable information on the '81 team, so I am looking at the '83-'84 and '85-'86 Championship teams. For '83-'84 Birds complimentary options were Kevin Mchale and Robert Parish, not bad company at all. In '85-'86 the supporting cast was pretty much the same, but Danny Ainge was starting to produce quite a bit more compared to his production on the previous team. So Larry Bird wasn't going to the NBA finals with scrubs on his team ( See: 2001 76ers ), but he wasn't necessarily surrounded with the best of the best either.
Larry Bird seems to have stats in every category that would put most players out of the comparison discussion.... Lebron James isn't most players.
Lebron jumped onto the scene faster than perhaps any Basketball player ever has. Coming out of High School in Akron at St Vincents- St Marys, Lebron was basically touted as a future star before he even stepped foot on an NBA court. He was supposed to be the savior of Cleveland, but we all know how that turned out. This post isn't about opinions of Lebron though, it is about his NBA successes, of which there are many. Lebron has averaged 28 PPG 7 Assists 7 Rebounds about 2 Steals and 1 Block for his career... Un-human numbers. He also does so while usually being guarded by the opposing teams best defender, and lets be honest, even though defense isn't as emphasized today, anyone in their right mind knows Lebron is athletic enough and strong enough to be able to do those things in pretty much any era. James has shot 50 % from the field 34 % from 3 Pt line for his career, so slightly higher field goal percentage, and slightly lower 3 Pt percentage then Larry... thats to be expected. In the playoffs Mr. James ( that has a good ring to it ) has posted numbers of 28 PPG 7 Assists 9 Rebounds almost 2 steals and almost 1 block. He has shot 47 % from the field and 32 % from 3 Pt during his playoff career as well. James has elevated his game slightly more than Larry in terms of playoffs, but by such a small margin that it can barely be discussed. King James has 2 Championships ( 3 pending ), 4 MVP awards, and 10 All-Star apperances. He is not a member of the 50-40-90 club, but that is a huge accomplishment and with Lebrons inconsistent free throws, he will almost definitely never be able to accomplish that feat.
Now, lets look at Lebrons supporting cast. James has gotten a lot of crap for going to a team with many good players ( never understood that argument, haven't all stars done that?... isn't that the point? ). While the Miami Heat are indeed stacked with talent in D-Wade, Veboshiraptor, Ray Allen and don't forget my home state kid in Mario Chalmers ( who I believe to be quite under rated ), Lebron still leads the show and seems to carry a majority of the load for that team. While I will say that the Bird era championship teams weren't QUITE as loaded with talent outside of Larry, I wouldn't go on to say that there is a huge discrepancy in the surrounding talent in those teams compared to the present day Miami Heat. Ray Allen has definitely been a difference maker in Miami ( See: 2012-13 Game 6 ), but he hasn't " Saved Lebrons Legacy" as Mr. Skip Bayless put it, not even close.
I've tried to break down some core statistics of these two superstars. I wish I could dive deeper into all of the little things that could be thrown into the debate, but with a 40 hr work week outside of writing, that makes things a bit harder... so deal with it. The argument is up in the air, and will be until Lebron has finished his career... and probably after that as well. After looking at the numbers and situations, I will say that Skip Bayless is drunk for saying that Lebron is " no where near " Larry, and while I am reluctant to put James above Mr. Bird at the moment I do believe that when all is said and done Lebron may get the slight nod. My real question is though, can you really go wrong with either of these guys on your team? I think not.
First I'll start with Larry Bird, hes the older player, and I am all about respecting my elders so that is the only reason he gets talked about first.... don't worry we will get to Lebron. Larry Bird played basketball at Indiana State, and took a team with, frankly , a whole bunch of nobodies, to an NCAA championship game against Magic and the Spartans. They would end up losing that game, but that is beside the point, we are looking at Larry v. Lebron so this argument will have to do with NBA successes only. Bird average 24 PPG 6 Assists 10 Rebounds 2 Steals and almost 1 block for his career, and he did it while USUALLY being guarded by the opposing teams top defender in a time where defense was emphasized much more than in todays game. He shot 50 % from the field and 38 % from the 3 Pt line for his career ( I was actually surprised, thought his 3 Pt percentage would have been in the low 40s ). They didn't really have all the advanced statistics such as PER and True Shooting % during Larrys time, so we will stick to things that we can compare. In the playoffs, Bird averaged 24 PPG 7 Assists 10 Rebounds 2 Steals and 1 Block, while shooting 47 % from the field and 32 % from the 3 Pt line ( once again less efficient from 3 than I would have guessed ). Larry won 3 championships, had 3 MVP awards, and made the All Star Team every year he played except for 1 ( 1989 Season ). Mr. Bird is also a member of the 50-40-90 club, which means he is one of the few players to shoot 50 % from the field, 40 % from 3 Pt, and 90 % from the FT line for an entire season.
I've mentioned all of the individual statistics that we might need to look at when comparing players, so now lets look at what he had around him. If I looked at his entire career, this article would put many people to sleep, so I'll stick to his championship teams. I couldn't find much reliable information on the '81 team, so I am looking at the '83-'84 and '85-'86 Championship teams. For '83-'84 Birds complimentary options were Kevin Mchale and Robert Parish, not bad company at all. In '85-'86 the supporting cast was pretty much the same, but Danny Ainge was starting to produce quite a bit more compared to his production on the previous team. So Larry Bird wasn't going to the NBA finals with scrubs on his team ( See: 2001 76ers ), but he wasn't necessarily surrounded with the best of the best either.
Larry Bird seems to have stats in every category that would put most players out of the comparison discussion.... Lebron James isn't most players.
Lebron jumped onto the scene faster than perhaps any Basketball player ever has. Coming out of High School in Akron at St Vincents- St Marys, Lebron was basically touted as a future star before he even stepped foot on an NBA court. He was supposed to be the savior of Cleveland, but we all know how that turned out. This post isn't about opinions of Lebron though, it is about his NBA successes, of which there are many. Lebron has averaged 28 PPG 7 Assists 7 Rebounds about 2 Steals and 1 Block for his career... Un-human numbers. He also does so while usually being guarded by the opposing teams best defender, and lets be honest, even though defense isn't as emphasized today, anyone in their right mind knows Lebron is athletic enough and strong enough to be able to do those things in pretty much any era. James has shot 50 % from the field 34 % from 3 Pt line for his career, so slightly higher field goal percentage, and slightly lower 3 Pt percentage then Larry... thats to be expected. In the playoffs Mr. James ( that has a good ring to it ) has posted numbers of 28 PPG 7 Assists 9 Rebounds almost 2 steals and almost 1 block. He has shot 47 % from the field and 32 % from 3 Pt during his playoff career as well. James has elevated his game slightly more than Larry in terms of playoffs, but by such a small margin that it can barely be discussed. King James has 2 Championships ( 3 pending ), 4 MVP awards, and 10 All-Star apperances. He is not a member of the 50-40-90 club, but that is a huge accomplishment and with Lebrons inconsistent free throws, he will almost definitely never be able to accomplish that feat.
Now, lets look at Lebrons supporting cast. James has gotten a lot of crap for going to a team with many good players ( never understood that argument, haven't all stars done that?... isn't that the point? ). While the Miami Heat are indeed stacked with talent in D-Wade, Veboshiraptor, Ray Allen and don't forget my home state kid in Mario Chalmers ( who I believe to be quite under rated ), Lebron still leads the show and seems to carry a majority of the load for that team. While I will say that the Bird era championship teams weren't QUITE as loaded with talent outside of Larry, I wouldn't go on to say that there is a huge discrepancy in the surrounding talent in those teams compared to the present day Miami Heat. Ray Allen has definitely been a difference maker in Miami ( See: 2012-13 Game 6 ), but he hasn't " Saved Lebrons Legacy" as Mr. Skip Bayless put it, not even close.
I've tried to break down some core statistics of these two superstars. I wish I could dive deeper into all of the little things that could be thrown into the debate, but with a 40 hr work week outside of writing, that makes things a bit harder... so deal with it. The argument is up in the air, and will be until Lebron has finished his career... and probably after that as well. After looking at the numbers and situations, I will say that Skip Bayless is drunk for saying that Lebron is " no where near " Larry, and while I am reluctant to put James above Mr. Bird at the moment I do believe that when all is said and done Lebron may get the slight nod. My real question is though, can you really go wrong with either of these guys on your team? I think not.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Numbers Not Enough?
Hello all.... Hopefully everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend, and the hangovers are mostly gone by now. I'm back at it today, but before I start I have a little side-note. Some readers have been asking about why I haven't been covering things like the NBA playoffs and current happenings in the world of sports. I reference all of those readers to a site called www.espn.com , if you want recaps, and Twenty different articles on Lebron James' press conference, then that site has you covered. I am here to write opinion based posts on things that are a little... "outside the box", if you will.
Enough of that, this brings me to todays topic aka my 20 minute break from work. My mind is slowly but surely making the transition from Basketball to Football. Looking back at all 32 teams drafts, I have been thinking a lot about the Andy Dalton dilemma. Most people probably don't even know what the Andy Dalton dilemma is, and thats OK because I don't think its ever been mentioned as so before now. The dilemma that I am talking about is a somewhat underground discussion that is seemingly ongoing, that is, do numbers stop mattering if you don't perform at a high level when it matters most?
Andy Dalton went from a guy with pretty low expectations, to one of the bigger surprises in the 2011 season. Dalton's numbers weren't breathtaking his Rookie year ( 3,400 Yards 20 TD and 13 INT with an 80.5 rating ), but they definitely exceeded what anybody had thought he might do, outside of maybe a couple TCU fans, and were good enough to win the starting QB job in Cincinnati ( having AJ Green didn't hurt ). On an even more positive note for Dalton, now in his third year, his REGULAR SEASON numbers have increased each year he has been in the league, and last year he posted 4,300 Yards 33 TD and 20 INT with an 89 rating, definitely respectable numbers for a starting QB. The Bengals have increased by one win each year, finished first in their division in 2013-14 season, and Dalton has been to the playoffs every year since joining the league. This is where the problem starts.
When stating that an NFL QB has made the playoffs every year since joining the league, it is rarely followed by stating that there may be a problem brewing. Andy Dalton's case is a little bit different from most though. It is indeed true that Dalton has helped his team get to the playoffs Three years in a row, and it's also true that his numbers have increased at a gradual level from year to year... in the regular season. 718 Yards 1 TD 6 INT, with a rating of 54.4.... no, I did not just decide to write out Blaine Gabbert's season numbers for the heck of it, these are the numbers of the same QB who is gradually increasing in the regular season, and seemingly starting to look like a very capable QB in this league. To say the least, Andy Dalton has struggled MIGHTLY in essentially every aspect of the playoffs. He looks like a different player out there, and he most definitely doesn't look like a QB who has any business being on the field in a playoff game.
This brings me back to my original question, do regular season numbers matter if you can't perform on the bigger stages ( Playoffs )? Some people would say that if he hadn't performed at such a good level in the regular season then they wouldn't be in the playoffs in the first place ( that argument has many holes, but thats for a different day... or the comment section ). First off, it would be a different argument if Dalton's numbers went from, lets say, a rating of 90 to somewhere in the low 80s or high 70s, but Andy Dalton literally goes from looking like a top 12-15 QB during weeks 1-16, to someone who wouldn't make it on an average college team. Believers may say that teams know how to game plan for him during the playoffs ( aka double and triple AJ Green ). This is probably true to an extent, but that is true with any team, they are going to make it tough to get the ball to your best playmakers, thats the idea anyway. Great/succesful QBs find a way to make plays happen, use pump fakes, find other options etc. The Bengals are far from equivalent to the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers, meaning they don't have a single superstar and then drop off to D-league players. Cincinatti might not have the most depth of playmakers, but they do have Giovanni Bernard, Jermaine Gresham, Tyler Eifert etc. These guys are all capable of making some plays, and should be able to take at least a little pressure off of AJ Green, right? Andy Dalton obviously doesn't seem to think so, or maybe Green has made him look a lot better than he really is?
It seems to really stem down to a mixture of my latter statement, and confidence, when it comes to Andy Dalton. AJ Green has definitely made Dalton appear to be a lot better than he is, and when teams take Green away, we are starting to see that rapidly. Also, when Green gets taken away, Dalton seems to lose all confidence in his team and himself. So to answer my question, I personally think that regular season numbers to take a back seat to playoff numbers in a big way. If you are barely serviceable in the regular season, and numbers sky rocket in the post season, then I'll take you on my team, but not the opposite. I believe Andy Dalton's days as a starter are already numbered, and AJ Mcarron could possibly push him for that job sooner rather than later. That is todays NFL, one year the guy is blowing up expectations, a couple years later we are having this discussion. You have to get to a high level, and STAY there... especially on the stages that matter most. Good luck Andy, may confidence find you, or may you be blessed with another AJ Green. Neither Seem likely to happen.
Enough of that, this brings me to todays topic aka my 20 minute break from work. My mind is slowly but surely making the transition from Basketball to Football. Looking back at all 32 teams drafts, I have been thinking a lot about the Andy Dalton dilemma. Most people probably don't even know what the Andy Dalton dilemma is, and thats OK because I don't think its ever been mentioned as so before now. The dilemma that I am talking about is a somewhat underground discussion that is seemingly ongoing, that is, do numbers stop mattering if you don't perform at a high level when it matters most?
Andy Dalton went from a guy with pretty low expectations, to one of the bigger surprises in the 2011 season. Dalton's numbers weren't breathtaking his Rookie year ( 3,400 Yards 20 TD and 13 INT with an 80.5 rating ), but they definitely exceeded what anybody had thought he might do, outside of maybe a couple TCU fans, and were good enough to win the starting QB job in Cincinnati ( having AJ Green didn't hurt ). On an even more positive note for Dalton, now in his third year, his REGULAR SEASON numbers have increased each year he has been in the league, and last year he posted 4,300 Yards 33 TD and 20 INT with an 89 rating, definitely respectable numbers for a starting QB. The Bengals have increased by one win each year, finished first in their division in 2013-14 season, and Dalton has been to the playoffs every year since joining the league. This is where the problem starts.
When stating that an NFL QB has made the playoffs every year since joining the league, it is rarely followed by stating that there may be a problem brewing. Andy Dalton's case is a little bit different from most though. It is indeed true that Dalton has helped his team get to the playoffs Three years in a row, and it's also true that his numbers have increased at a gradual level from year to year... in the regular season. 718 Yards 1 TD 6 INT, with a rating of 54.4.... no, I did not just decide to write out Blaine Gabbert's season numbers for the heck of it, these are the numbers of the same QB who is gradually increasing in the regular season, and seemingly starting to look like a very capable QB in this league. To say the least, Andy Dalton has struggled MIGHTLY in essentially every aspect of the playoffs. He looks like a different player out there, and he most definitely doesn't look like a QB who has any business being on the field in a playoff game.
This brings me back to my original question, do regular season numbers matter if you can't perform on the bigger stages ( Playoffs )? Some people would say that if he hadn't performed at such a good level in the regular season then they wouldn't be in the playoffs in the first place ( that argument has many holes, but thats for a different day... or the comment section ). First off, it would be a different argument if Dalton's numbers went from, lets say, a rating of 90 to somewhere in the low 80s or high 70s, but Andy Dalton literally goes from looking like a top 12-15 QB during weeks 1-16, to someone who wouldn't make it on an average college team. Believers may say that teams know how to game plan for him during the playoffs ( aka double and triple AJ Green ). This is probably true to an extent, but that is true with any team, they are going to make it tough to get the ball to your best playmakers, thats the idea anyway. Great/succesful QBs find a way to make plays happen, use pump fakes, find other options etc. The Bengals are far from equivalent to the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers, meaning they don't have a single superstar and then drop off to D-league players. Cincinatti might not have the most depth of playmakers, but they do have Giovanni Bernard, Jermaine Gresham, Tyler Eifert etc. These guys are all capable of making some plays, and should be able to take at least a little pressure off of AJ Green, right? Andy Dalton obviously doesn't seem to think so, or maybe Green has made him look a lot better than he really is?
It seems to really stem down to a mixture of my latter statement, and confidence, when it comes to Andy Dalton. AJ Green has definitely made Dalton appear to be a lot better than he is, and when teams take Green away, we are starting to see that rapidly. Also, when Green gets taken away, Dalton seems to lose all confidence in his team and himself. So to answer my question, I personally think that regular season numbers to take a back seat to playoff numbers in a big way. If you are barely serviceable in the regular season, and numbers sky rocket in the post season, then I'll take you on my team, but not the opposite. I believe Andy Dalton's days as a starter are already numbered, and AJ Mcarron could possibly push him for that job sooner rather than later. That is todays NFL, one year the guy is blowing up expectations, a couple years later we are having this discussion. You have to get to a high level, and STAY there... especially on the stages that matter most. Good luck Andy, may confidence find you, or may you be blessed with another AJ Green. Neither Seem likely to happen.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
What Do You Expect?
Is the NBA lottery rigged? If you want to find out, then you can read of the other 50k articles on the web about if it is or isn't. This post actually has nothing to do with that, just thought I would throw you for a loop. I am actually writing about something that has still been talked about a fair amount, but not by me... so prepare to have your mind blown. I am talking, of course, about what kind of behavior we have come to expect out of professional athletes off the field, if those expectations are fair, and my reasoning for why they may or may not be. This topic has been on my mind for a good.. 7 years or so ( Since the whole Mike Vick debacle.... we will discuss him individually a different day... PETA, close your eyes for that post ), and I figured it was finally time to get my oh so important opinion out into the public.
If I asked you to tell me what Mario Rodriguez, Willis Hawkins, and Brenden Treman had in common with Hines Ward, Charles Barkley, and Justin Blackmon, could you? As Mr. Katt Williams always says, Don't worry.... I'll wait. The answer is that all 6 of these people have been arrested for suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol. The first three names are every day citizens that were pulled over after sipping back on grandpas old cough syrup ( Dumb and Dumber fans will understand... non Dumb and Dumber fans... you're dead to me ), the latter three were also arrested under the suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.... but we all knew that already, because it was all over the news since they happen to be professional athletes. Same crime, completely different views and treatment.
When a professional athlete becomes a professional athlete, and this day in age, if hyped enough, when they are in College or High School (See: Lebron James, Jameis Winston, Kobe Bryant.. you get my point ), a good chunk of their private life starts to seem not so private anymore. They are scrutinized for every move, and aspects of their every day life start making headlines all over the world. One might say, "these guys are paid millions, so they have more responsibility resting on their shoulders", really, do they? What makes their DUI any more damaging than, lets say, an insurance agent, or maybe an architect? I am not arguing either way, yet..... just posing the question as a general thought ( my views will be out in the open soon enough ).
First, lets look at why these athletes make all the headlines, and why any slip-up is all over social media within 5 minutes of it being leaked. The answer is pretty obvious, so no need to think to hard about it, it is because they are famous, superstars, whatever you want to call it; some might say that they are icons. I'm fine with that concept, and I do believe that, to an extent, PART of the reason that these people are paid so much is because they are so highly scrutinized, they are agreeing to sell away a little of their privacy when they sign the contract to become a professional athlete, I'm just not so sure they all know exactly what they're getting into. Think of it this way, many of these kids... yes... KIDS are coming from poor/middle class families, and signing a contract that gives them upwards of 2-5 million dollars a year at the ages of somewhere between 19-23. Ask yourself this question before you read on, when you were that age, or if you are currently in that age range, what would you do if somebody handed you a signing bonus check of $1,000,000 dollars and proceeded to say " there ya go, now be good, you're an icon/role model now" ? Anyone, other than possibly a few saints that read my posts, would probably not make the smartest decisions, I know I wouldn't.
Now, I understand that there are orientations, and seminars that are supposed to prepare these young adults for their transition into stardom, but if these orientations are anything at all like some of the ones I've been through when starting a new job.. I can promise you that most of the information will go in one ear and out the other. Even if these orientations were highly beneficial and informational, many 19-23 year olds' minds would be quite distracted during a seminar if they knew that they had upwards of $1,000,000 in their bank account after never having much more than MAYBE $2,000-$4,000 tops. This is a major flaw in the system, and quite frankly, it might be a damn near impossible one to solve. I'm not sure what methods would successfuly stop the type of "on top of the world" feeling when receiving that much money... I know that not much advice could stop me from making at least a few questionable decisions if I had that handed to me, but who knows, maybe my self-control just isn't there.
When thinking of professional athletes being held to a higher standard, social media has started to come into play in a BIG way the past few years. Athletes are fined, suspended and analyzed over every post that they make. I'll admit, some people shouldn't have social media. I am a firm believer that if you can't keep yourself from saying idiotic things ( Just look at Mike Pouncey's Twitter if you don't follow ), then there is no reason for you to have a social media account. That being said, I know many people, myself included, have moments when we say something that we later regret on social media. The difference between every day citizens, and professional athletes is that if I say something dumb I can go in and delete it with little to no backfire, within 1 minute of a professional athlete posting something dumb, it will most likely be on ESPN and retweeted etc. as many as tens of thousands of times. What I am trying to say is that these athletes don't get the luxury of going back and simply deleting what they said with little to no repercussions. Social media scrutiny is something that doesn't sit well with me. If you go on idiotic tangents all the time, then that is one thing, but for the most part, you choose to "follow" these athletes so you are willingly exposing yourself to whatever it is that they want to say on their account. Of course, derogatory and offensive statements should not be tolerated by the leagues, but other than that, you're social media should be free reign.. keep it up Ochocinco.
Now, I've gone over a few ways that professional athletes are scrutinized, and analyzed in different ways that they may not be used to. When it comes down to the hard facts, I do believe that athletes should be held to a slightly higher standard than your every day Joe, they do make millions of dollars, and are somewhat expected to be a role model to society. I am not sure if that is fair, but it is what it is. On a side note though, I do think that the media today has started to hold these athletes to an extreme standard, something that may not be warranted. Every little slip up shouldn't be on ESPN for 2 weeks after, and we shouldn't be talking about what so and so said on social media during the playoffs... these athletes get paid, for the most part, to show off the talent that they have and to play sports. Lets start focusing more on what they do on the field, and just a little bit less focus on what they do in their private lives.
If I asked you to tell me what Mario Rodriguez, Willis Hawkins, and Brenden Treman had in common with Hines Ward, Charles Barkley, and Justin Blackmon, could you? As Mr. Katt Williams always says, Don't worry.... I'll wait. The answer is that all 6 of these people have been arrested for suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol. The first three names are every day citizens that were pulled over after sipping back on grandpas old cough syrup ( Dumb and Dumber fans will understand... non Dumb and Dumber fans... you're dead to me ), the latter three were also arrested under the suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.... but we all knew that already, because it was all over the news since they happen to be professional athletes. Same crime, completely different views and treatment.
When a professional athlete becomes a professional athlete, and this day in age, if hyped enough, when they are in College or High School (See: Lebron James, Jameis Winston, Kobe Bryant.. you get my point ), a good chunk of their private life starts to seem not so private anymore. They are scrutinized for every move, and aspects of their every day life start making headlines all over the world. One might say, "these guys are paid millions, so they have more responsibility resting on their shoulders", really, do they? What makes their DUI any more damaging than, lets say, an insurance agent, or maybe an architect? I am not arguing either way, yet..... just posing the question as a general thought ( my views will be out in the open soon enough ).
First, lets look at why these athletes make all the headlines, and why any slip-up is all over social media within 5 minutes of it being leaked. The answer is pretty obvious, so no need to think to hard about it, it is because they are famous, superstars, whatever you want to call it; some might say that they are icons. I'm fine with that concept, and I do believe that, to an extent, PART of the reason that these people are paid so much is because they are so highly scrutinized, they are agreeing to sell away a little of their privacy when they sign the contract to become a professional athlete, I'm just not so sure they all know exactly what they're getting into. Think of it this way, many of these kids... yes... KIDS are coming from poor/middle class families, and signing a contract that gives them upwards of 2-5 million dollars a year at the ages of somewhere between 19-23. Ask yourself this question before you read on, when you were that age, or if you are currently in that age range, what would you do if somebody handed you a signing bonus check of $1,000,000 dollars and proceeded to say " there ya go, now be good, you're an icon/role model now" ? Anyone, other than possibly a few saints that read my posts, would probably not make the smartest decisions, I know I wouldn't.
Now, I understand that there are orientations, and seminars that are supposed to prepare these young adults for their transition into stardom, but if these orientations are anything at all like some of the ones I've been through when starting a new job.. I can promise you that most of the information will go in one ear and out the other. Even if these orientations were highly beneficial and informational, many 19-23 year olds' minds would be quite distracted during a seminar if they knew that they had upwards of $1,000,000 in their bank account after never having much more than MAYBE $2,000-$4,000 tops. This is a major flaw in the system, and quite frankly, it might be a damn near impossible one to solve. I'm not sure what methods would successfuly stop the type of "on top of the world" feeling when receiving that much money... I know that not much advice could stop me from making at least a few questionable decisions if I had that handed to me, but who knows, maybe my self-control just isn't there.
When thinking of professional athletes being held to a higher standard, social media has started to come into play in a BIG way the past few years. Athletes are fined, suspended and analyzed over every post that they make. I'll admit, some people shouldn't have social media. I am a firm believer that if you can't keep yourself from saying idiotic things ( Just look at Mike Pouncey's Twitter if you don't follow ), then there is no reason for you to have a social media account. That being said, I know many people, myself included, have moments when we say something that we later regret on social media. The difference between every day citizens, and professional athletes is that if I say something dumb I can go in and delete it with little to no backfire, within 1 minute of a professional athlete posting something dumb, it will most likely be on ESPN and retweeted etc. as many as tens of thousands of times. What I am trying to say is that these athletes don't get the luxury of going back and simply deleting what they said with little to no repercussions. Social media scrutiny is something that doesn't sit well with me. If you go on idiotic tangents all the time, then that is one thing, but for the most part, you choose to "follow" these athletes so you are willingly exposing yourself to whatever it is that they want to say on their account. Of course, derogatory and offensive statements should not be tolerated by the leagues, but other than that, you're social media should be free reign.. keep it up Ochocinco.
Now, I've gone over a few ways that professional athletes are scrutinized, and analyzed in different ways that they may not be used to. When it comes down to the hard facts, I do believe that athletes should be held to a slightly higher standard than your every day Joe, they do make millions of dollars, and are somewhat expected to be a role model to society. I am not sure if that is fair, but it is what it is. On a side note though, I do think that the media today has started to hold these athletes to an extreme standard, something that may not be warranted. Every little slip up shouldn't be on ESPN for 2 weeks after, and we shouldn't be talking about what so and so said on social media during the playoffs... these athletes get paid, for the most part, to show off the talent that they have and to play sports. Lets start focusing more on what they do on the field, and just a little bit less focus on what they do in their private lives.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Is This Really Happening?
I'm finally giving into the self-pressure, and writing my first NFL post ( I'm sure my 3 or so readers have been anxiously awating this moment ). This post will appeal to the cast aways, the less fortunate, and the fans who are usually looking ahead to the draft by mid November ( and sometimes sooner ). I've got my sights set on three teams that are perenially known as bottom feeders. Since the year 2002, these three teams have a COMBINED 4 playoff appearances ( thats less than a good majority of single teams have over that time span ). Now, that being said, this article will not be your run of the mill, lets bash the bottom feeders' article, it will be more about hope and possibly the smallest hint of light poking out at the end of the tunnel; and even if that light doesn't end up amounting to anything... well.. us bottom feeders will take any glimmer of hope that we can get.
The teams I am talking about, as you may have already guessed, are the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Oakland Raiders ( this articles popularity level just automatically decreased by about 85 percent ). As crazy as it may sound, but as the title hints at, I believe that this draft may be looked back upon as the first steps of these three teams turning the corner to become relevant again in the NFL, and not just stepping stones and extra exhibition games for Peyton Manning and Co. Brace yourself... here comes the rare praise of the Jackland Braiders ( my weak attempt to mix the names of all three teams ).
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns haven't been relevant for as long as I have been alive ( they actually lost their franchise for a while there ), and the last time they were relevant they had a man with the same last name as their team carrying the load, literally, for them ( if I have to say out his real name then your'e not a real football fan..and please stop visiting my site now.. or I will hunt you down... Jay and Silent Bob Style ). The Browns have been laughed at, booed, and pretty much forgotten about with their patchwork teams, and egregious lack of effort when it comes to building a contender to blame.
They may be on to something though. Last year, the Browns shipped off Trent Richardson to a running back desperate Indianapolis team, this rendered them a second first round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft ( they entered the draft with pick 4 and 26 ). By the time the draft was over, the Browns had added Justin Gilbert, Johnny Football, and another future first rounder from Buffalo, which now gives them two first rounders AGAIN next year ( pending they don't trade one away before then ), and if the Bills don't improve rapidly then that pick might be a lot higher than No. 26.
Cleveland has already built a formidable defense, even with the loss of TJ Ward ( they did acquire Donte Whitner ). The main problem is that their offense has been so bad ( mainly due to lack of QB talent ), that the defense was so winded by the time the 3rd quarter rolled around from lack of sideline time that there wasn't much they could do about it. With an improved offense though, this defense is going to look like a powerhouse in the near future. The secondary consists of Joe Haden, and two new comers in Justin Gilbert( considered to be a top 2 cornerback by many in this draft ) and Donte Whitner, while the defensive front has two young emerging pass rushers in Paul Kruger and Barkevious Mingo. They also have a solid veteran in Karlos Dansby shoring up the linebacking corps. The bottom line is, with some help, this defense could be dangerous.
With the defense being in place, the Browns really needed to do some work on the offensive end.. because they have absolutely nothing going for them there, right? Wrong! The Browns have Joe Thomas, and Alex Mack, who are both at the top of their respective position, shoring up the offensive line ( so whatever QB they choose should have plenty of protection ). Jordan Cameron, and Josh Gordon, a superstar if he can stay on the field, are both considered up and coming, and damn near elite at their positions of TE and WR. With recently acquired Earl Bennett, and Miles Austin ( not huge threats, but great additions if you already have elite pieces in place ), it seems that the main weaknesses of Cleveand are now only QB and RB ( bet this is the first time in... ever that you have heard someone say the Cleveland Browns only have 2 major weaknesses ).
Quarterback might be able to be crossed off that list of weaknesses, and put on the list of positives sooner rather than later. The jury is obviously still out on Johnny Football as he hasn't even taken a preseason snap yet, but by drafting him the Browns may have solved two problems, their lack of relevancy, and their lack of a capable signal caller. If Johnny becomes the player that I think he can be, then the Cleveland Browns could be a force in the not so distant future.. words I never would have pictured myself saying. Going back, I don't want to completely disrespect Ben Tate, so I will admit that they did add him, and if there isn't a whole lot of pressure to perform on Tate, he may be just the serviceable back that they need. At the end of the day, it seems that the Cleveland Browns might be turning a corner, and after the 2015 draft, where they hold 2 more first round picks, football fans in Cleveland may actually have something to cheer about come playoff time in January.
Jacksonville Jaguars
What do the Jackonville Jaguars have in common with the Cold War, Nazi Germany, and the U.S.A. landing on the moon? You've guessed it... it's been a while since any of those things have been relevant. The Jaguars haven't been seriously discussed in a positive light since the Mark Brunell, Jimmy Smith, Fred Taylor era ( they had a brief run in 2007 when they beat the Steelers, and played the Patriots tough... but that's about it ).
Jacksonville has been plagued by bad management, and TERRIBLE first round drafting. Their last 8 first round draft picks before the new regime took over were Justin Blackmon, Blaine Gabbert, Tyson Alualu, Eugene Monroe, Derrick Harvey, Reggie Nelson, Mercedes Lewis, and Matt Jones. Many of these players aren't even in the league anymore, and of the ones that are ( Gabbert, Alualu, Monroe, Lewis, and Nelson ), only Monroe, and arguably Nelson and Lewis are even somewhat relevant. If you miss on 8 straight 1st round picks ( many of them top 10 ), then it will be tough trying to find wins in the NFL.
That was the bad for Jacksonville... and they pretty much hit the bottom in terms of relevance and competitive play, but they too seem to be following the trend of the Browns and heading in the right direction. New Owner Shad Khan brought in GM David Caldwell from the Atlanta Falcons, who then sought out Gus Bradley from the Seattle Seahawks branch, and those three seem to be major reasons that the Jaguars are seemingly digging themselves out of this mammoth hole they previously dug themselves into.
In the first year of the rebuild, the front office gauged the talent that they had, released many players that shocked the fan base, and preached competition. They spent little in free agency, and picked up a couple solid pieces in the draft in Luke Joeckel, Jonathan Cyprien, Dwayne Gratz, Ace Sanders, Denard Robinson, and Josh Evans ( many of these players are still developing, but all seem to have shown flashes of potential effectiveness on the next level ). After a terrible start to the 2013-2014 season, Jacksonville turned it around and ended up going 4-4 down the stretch. When free agency hit this year, they were much more aggressive being that they now knew what they had on their team already, and thus knowing what they really needed. Zane Beadles was added to help solidify the offensive line, and players such as Red Bryant and Chris Clemons were added ( guys that coach Bradley had previously worked with in Seattle ) to help out the forgettable pass rush. When the draft rolled around, there were still many holes to be filled, but the Jaguars had the necessary ammunition as they entered the draft with 11 picks. With the first surprise of the draft ( I'm still not exactly sure how I feel about the pick ), the Jaguars selected Blake Bortles 3rd overall. They seem to be extremely high on him, and so is a good majority of the talking heads it seems, as Jacksonville is widely being praised for the pick. In the second round they added Marquise Lee of USC ( thought by many to be a potential top 20 player drafted ), and Allen Robinson of Penn State ( a large, red-zone threat receiver ). They then finished out the draft adding a potential starting offensive lineman, and some depth at the linebacker and running back position.
Overall, the Jaguars are still realistically a year behind the Browns in terms of development, but they too seem to be a team on the rise. They have gotten more media attention since last week than they had in the previous 9 years, and they had 6,500 people attend their rookie minicamp, you heard that right, 6,500 people attended a simple rookie minicamp that usually brings in 500-1,500 fans. Things are looking up in Duval County... turns out patience may finally be paying off.
Oakland Raiders
Last... and maybe least too ( just kidding Oakland fans.... kind of ), I will talk about some good moves that the Raiders have made this offseason. The Raiders have been just about equally as terrible as the Browns and Jaguars.... something went seriously wrong after they got crushed in the Super Bowl in 2003, and they have never been the same since. They have gone through many years of mistaking the fastest player in the draft as the best option for the team, picked busts, and have not used free agency to their advantage at all. After trading a good portion of their near future away for Carson Palmer, it seems that the Oakland Raiders may be heading down the right path again, although they might have the deepest hole of all to dig themselves out of.
During free agency, Oakland signed a couple aging, but still productive defensive players that should be able to come in and help out for at least a couple of years in Justin Tuck, Antonio Smith and Lamar Woodley. None of these guys are really the players that their names state they are, but as I said, they will still improve the defense and make them not so terrible ( it is really to bad that they lost Lamarr Houston, that might have made this defensive front a force ). The Raiders also added another speedster, but this time a proven one, in James Jones and picked up Matt Schaub from the Texans hoping he can provide them with a couple more good years.
When draft day rolled around, nobody expected much from the Raiders, they would probably over draft a player based on speed or prior criminal history.... but they threw us a curveball. The Oakland Raiders actually made a good first round draft choice, and drafted Khalil Mack out of Buffalo ( the person who I believed/hoped the Jaguars were going to draft at #3 ). With this addition, the pass rush might be a formidable one on the "other" bay team as most national media outlets have come to know the Raiders. In round 2 the Raiders made what I think was another surprisingly good choice in drafting Derek Carr out of Fresno State. He had a bad rep coming out of college, and it was a situation where it was mainly because of his name ( brother, David, was a HUGE bust about 10 years ago ). Derek Carr was thought by many to be a mid to late first round talent, and some even had him as the second or third best QB available in a somewhat deep QB class.
The Raiders may be at about the same point as the Jacksonville Jaguars, and if some of the veterans that were brought in through free agency can stick around a while giving the young players time to develop, then we might see the Oakland Raiders claw their way back into relevancy in the next few years.
The Afterthought
Now that I have written about 2,000 words on the three least talked about teams in the league, I have probably lost all chances of establishing a good reading audience outside of those three cities ( way to go Jory ). On a serious note though, I truly do believe that these three teams are finally turning the corner. The next step will be about developing the potential that they currently have on their rosters, hoping that the three drafted QBs turn out to be reliable for years to come, and to string a couple more good offseasons together. My bold prediction leaving this article is that 2 out of these 3 teams will be in the playoffs in 2 years, I won't go as far as to say which two as I have probably already said to much. I must get some Z's in now so I can get up in time for my job that is actually paying me. Thank you for reading NoBetterThanMonroe, comment with your ideas as usual and keep hope alive for the bottom feeders.
The teams I am talking about, as you may have already guessed, are the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Oakland Raiders ( this articles popularity level just automatically decreased by about 85 percent ). As crazy as it may sound, but as the title hints at, I believe that this draft may be looked back upon as the first steps of these three teams turning the corner to become relevant again in the NFL, and not just stepping stones and extra exhibition games for Peyton Manning and Co. Brace yourself... here comes the rare praise of the Jackland Braiders ( my weak attempt to mix the names of all three teams ).
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns haven't been relevant for as long as I have been alive ( they actually lost their franchise for a while there ), and the last time they were relevant they had a man with the same last name as their team carrying the load, literally, for them ( if I have to say out his real name then your'e not a real football fan..and please stop visiting my site now.. or I will hunt you down... Jay and Silent Bob Style ). The Browns have been laughed at, booed, and pretty much forgotten about with their patchwork teams, and egregious lack of effort when it comes to building a contender to blame.
They may be on to something though. Last year, the Browns shipped off Trent Richardson to a running back desperate Indianapolis team, this rendered them a second first round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft ( they entered the draft with pick 4 and 26 ). By the time the draft was over, the Browns had added Justin Gilbert, Johnny Football, and another future first rounder from Buffalo, which now gives them two first rounders AGAIN next year ( pending they don't trade one away before then ), and if the Bills don't improve rapidly then that pick might be a lot higher than No. 26.
Cleveland has already built a formidable defense, even with the loss of TJ Ward ( they did acquire Donte Whitner ). The main problem is that their offense has been so bad ( mainly due to lack of QB talent ), that the defense was so winded by the time the 3rd quarter rolled around from lack of sideline time that there wasn't much they could do about it. With an improved offense though, this defense is going to look like a powerhouse in the near future. The secondary consists of Joe Haden, and two new comers in Justin Gilbert( considered to be a top 2 cornerback by many in this draft ) and Donte Whitner, while the defensive front has two young emerging pass rushers in Paul Kruger and Barkevious Mingo. They also have a solid veteran in Karlos Dansby shoring up the linebacking corps. The bottom line is, with some help, this defense could be dangerous.
With the defense being in place, the Browns really needed to do some work on the offensive end.. because they have absolutely nothing going for them there, right? Wrong! The Browns have Joe Thomas, and Alex Mack, who are both at the top of their respective position, shoring up the offensive line ( so whatever QB they choose should have plenty of protection ). Jordan Cameron, and Josh Gordon, a superstar if he can stay on the field, are both considered up and coming, and damn near elite at their positions of TE and WR. With recently acquired Earl Bennett, and Miles Austin ( not huge threats, but great additions if you already have elite pieces in place ), it seems that the main weaknesses of Cleveand are now only QB and RB ( bet this is the first time in... ever that you have heard someone say the Cleveland Browns only have 2 major weaknesses ).
Quarterback might be able to be crossed off that list of weaknesses, and put on the list of positives sooner rather than later. The jury is obviously still out on Johnny Football as he hasn't even taken a preseason snap yet, but by drafting him the Browns may have solved two problems, their lack of relevancy, and their lack of a capable signal caller. If Johnny becomes the player that I think he can be, then the Cleveland Browns could be a force in the not so distant future.. words I never would have pictured myself saying. Going back, I don't want to completely disrespect Ben Tate, so I will admit that they did add him, and if there isn't a whole lot of pressure to perform on Tate, he may be just the serviceable back that they need. At the end of the day, it seems that the Cleveland Browns might be turning a corner, and after the 2015 draft, where they hold 2 more first round picks, football fans in Cleveland may actually have something to cheer about come playoff time in January.
Jacksonville Jaguars
What do the Jackonville Jaguars have in common with the Cold War, Nazi Germany, and the U.S.A. landing on the moon? You've guessed it... it's been a while since any of those things have been relevant. The Jaguars haven't been seriously discussed in a positive light since the Mark Brunell, Jimmy Smith, Fred Taylor era ( they had a brief run in 2007 when they beat the Steelers, and played the Patriots tough... but that's about it ).
Jacksonville has been plagued by bad management, and TERRIBLE first round drafting. Their last 8 first round draft picks before the new regime took over were Justin Blackmon, Blaine Gabbert, Tyson Alualu, Eugene Monroe, Derrick Harvey, Reggie Nelson, Mercedes Lewis, and Matt Jones. Many of these players aren't even in the league anymore, and of the ones that are ( Gabbert, Alualu, Monroe, Lewis, and Nelson ), only Monroe, and arguably Nelson and Lewis are even somewhat relevant. If you miss on 8 straight 1st round picks ( many of them top 10 ), then it will be tough trying to find wins in the NFL.
That was the bad for Jacksonville... and they pretty much hit the bottom in terms of relevance and competitive play, but they too seem to be following the trend of the Browns and heading in the right direction. New Owner Shad Khan brought in GM David Caldwell from the Atlanta Falcons, who then sought out Gus Bradley from the Seattle Seahawks branch, and those three seem to be major reasons that the Jaguars are seemingly digging themselves out of this mammoth hole they previously dug themselves into.
In the first year of the rebuild, the front office gauged the talent that they had, released many players that shocked the fan base, and preached competition. They spent little in free agency, and picked up a couple solid pieces in the draft in Luke Joeckel, Jonathan Cyprien, Dwayne Gratz, Ace Sanders, Denard Robinson, and Josh Evans ( many of these players are still developing, but all seem to have shown flashes of potential effectiveness on the next level ). After a terrible start to the 2013-2014 season, Jacksonville turned it around and ended up going 4-4 down the stretch. When free agency hit this year, they were much more aggressive being that they now knew what they had on their team already, and thus knowing what they really needed. Zane Beadles was added to help solidify the offensive line, and players such as Red Bryant and Chris Clemons were added ( guys that coach Bradley had previously worked with in Seattle ) to help out the forgettable pass rush. When the draft rolled around, there were still many holes to be filled, but the Jaguars had the necessary ammunition as they entered the draft with 11 picks. With the first surprise of the draft ( I'm still not exactly sure how I feel about the pick ), the Jaguars selected Blake Bortles 3rd overall. They seem to be extremely high on him, and so is a good majority of the talking heads it seems, as Jacksonville is widely being praised for the pick. In the second round they added Marquise Lee of USC ( thought by many to be a potential top 20 player drafted ), and Allen Robinson of Penn State ( a large, red-zone threat receiver ). They then finished out the draft adding a potential starting offensive lineman, and some depth at the linebacker and running back position.
Overall, the Jaguars are still realistically a year behind the Browns in terms of development, but they too seem to be a team on the rise. They have gotten more media attention since last week than they had in the previous 9 years, and they had 6,500 people attend their rookie minicamp, you heard that right, 6,500 people attended a simple rookie minicamp that usually brings in 500-1,500 fans. Things are looking up in Duval County... turns out patience may finally be paying off.
Oakland Raiders
Last... and maybe least too ( just kidding Oakland fans.... kind of ), I will talk about some good moves that the Raiders have made this offseason. The Raiders have been just about equally as terrible as the Browns and Jaguars.... something went seriously wrong after they got crushed in the Super Bowl in 2003, and they have never been the same since. They have gone through many years of mistaking the fastest player in the draft as the best option for the team, picked busts, and have not used free agency to their advantage at all. After trading a good portion of their near future away for Carson Palmer, it seems that the Oakland Raiders may be heading down the right path again, although they might have the deepest hole of all to dig themselves out of.
During free agency, Oakland signed a couple aging, but still productive defensive players that should be able to come in and help out for at least a couple of years in Justin Tuck, Antonio Smith and Lamar Woodley. None of these guys are really the players that their names state they are, but as I said, they will still improve the defense and make them not so terrible ( it is really to bad that they lost Lamarr Houston, that might have made this defensive front a force ). The Raiders also added another speedster, but this time a proven one, in James Jones and picked up Matt Schaub from the Texans hoping he can provide them with a couple more good years.
When draft day rolled around, nobody expected much from the Raiders, they would probably over draft a player based on speed or prior criminal history.... but they threw us a curveball. The Oakland Raiders actually made a good first round draft choice, and drafted Khalil Mack out of Buffalo ( the person who I believed/hoped the Jaguars were going to draft at #3 ). With this addition, the pass rush might be a formidable one on the "other" bay team as most national media outlets have come to know the Raiders. In round 2 the Raiders made what I think was another surprisingly good choice in drafting Derek Carr out of Fresno State. He had a bad rep coming out of college, and it was a situation where it was mainly because of his name ( brother, David, was a HUGE bust about 10 years ago ). Derek Carr was thought by many to be a mid to late first round talent, and some even had him as the second or third best QB available in a somewhat deep QB class.
The Raiders may be at about the same point as the Jacksonville Jaguars, and if some of the veterans that were brought in through free agency can stick around a while giving the young players time to develop, then we might see the Oakland Raiders claw their way back into relevancy in the next few years.
The Afterthought
Now that I have written about 2,000 words on the three least talked about teams in the league, I have probably lost all chances of establishing a good reading audience outside of those three cities ( way to go Jory ). On a serious note though, I truly do believe that these three teams are finally turning the corner. The next step will be about developing the potential that they currently have on their rosters, hoping that the three drafted QBs turn out to be reliable for years to come, and to string a couple more good offseasons together. My bold prediction leaving this article is that 2 out of these 3 teams will be in the playoffs in 2 years, I won't go as far as to say which two as I have probably already said to much. I must get some Z's in now so I can get up in time for my job that is actually paying me. Thank you for reading NoBetterThanMonroe, comment with your ideas as usual and keep hope alive for the bottom feeders.
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