Instead of working on my Political Science paper, all I can think about is how badly the Broncos messed up with the hire of both Brian Xanders and Josh McDaniels. After yet another disappointing loss to a better team (that they could have beat) in the New York Jets, all I can think about is the 'what if' scenarios where the Broncos didn't hire McDaniels and give him and GM Brian Xanders free reign to tear apart the organization.
I'll start my rant beginning with the day of January 11, 2009- the day Josh McDaniels was hired. Now lets fast forward to February 12, 2009- the day the Broncos hired Brian Xanders as their General Manager. I might not be the only person who finds it odd that the head coach was hired before the GM, but I personally thought it was the beginning of a spiral that now leaves the Broncos in a hole with not a lot of light shining in from above. Here's some bullet-points of moves that the Broncos have made since January 11, 2009:
1. Trade Jay Cutler- I just can't even start to discuss this. Also he kind of looks like a genius right now but there's no way that this will be a good long term decision. Even McDaniels knows this (see #3/5).
2. 2009 NFL Draft- Take RB Knowshon Moreno with the 12th pick of the draft instead of taking OLB Brian Orakpo (a MAJOR position of need) who was then drafted by the Redskins with the next pick. Then in the second round, they traded their 2010 1st round pick for the 37th overall pick that turned into CB Alphonso Smith.
The aftermath of these two picks: Orakpo went on to be the only starting rookie Pro-Bowler by accumulating 11 sacks in as an OLB in a 3-4 defense (that's what the Broncos run). Now that both Elvis Dumervil AND Robert Ayers have gone down to injury, that leaves a gaping hole on the outside that is currently being filled by underachieving former 1st round pick Jarvis Moss instead of what could have been one of the best future pass rushers in the league. It's okay though because Moreno is the 44th best rusher in the league for the worst rushing attack in the NFL. He also has two touchdowns and two fumbles while averaging 3.1 yards per carry. If that pick wasn't bad enough, at least Moreno is still on the Broncos' roster. Alphonso Smith was almost cut before he was traded to the Detroit Lions for superstar TE Dan Gronkowski, who has three catches for 13 yards so far for the Broncos. What does that say after ONE season a guy (who was technically a first round pick) gets traded for a pickle and some baseball cards?
3. Trade Peyton Hillis for Brady Quinn- I'm not really sure which was worse, the fact that they traded Hillis or traded for Quinn. For a reeling run game, a guy like Hillis (who averaged 5 YPC as the starting RB for the Broncos the year before McDaniels was hired and is now one of the top 20 rushers in the league in only four full starts) is desperately needed while Quinn showed almost no improvement in the offseason and is officially destined to be a career backup quarterback now that the Kyle Orton is apparently Peyton Manning and Tim Tebow is the second coming. Once again, this transaction begs to ask the question: why?
4. Trade Tony Scheffler and Brandon Marshall- After pissing off both players due to on-the-field issues and the failure to give them the money they thought they "deserved", the Broncos were forced to trade both players. Thus far, it hasn't seemed to slow down the surprisingly/shockingly prolific passing offense of the Broncos, but there is still no doubt that both of those guys are excellent weapons to have in a passing offense.
5. Trade 3 draft picks for the One-And-Only Tim Tebow- I usually watch almost 95% of the NFL draft yearly despite how boring and tedious it may be, but this year I watched just the first round and spent the next six in my room breaking things and crying. Possibly the worst part about the 1st round of the draft was not the fact that the Broncos drafted Tebow, rather, the fact that they made a SMART MOVE in moving back from #11 to #22 to take WR Demaryius Thomas, (who has shown that he'll be a solid receiver at worst in the NFL) THEN drafted Tebow. I knew coming into the draft that McDaniels loved Tebow and I thought after the Thomas pick that we were out of the woods. I will be honest, one of the most horrifying moment of my life was when the ESPN noise indicated that the Baltimore Ravens just traded their draft pick because I immediately knew that it was the Broncos and they were going to draft Tebow. Why on God's green Earth would the Broncos go out of their way to trade Cutler, botch both of the 1st round picks received in the trade and then make a move to draft maybe the least prepared QB ever to be drafted in the 1st round?
To cap off this summary, I am NOT saying to blame McDaniel or Xanders for the mistakes they made. Rather, I blame the Broncos organization for giving both of them full reign over a once respected and successful franchise and allowing them to run it into the ground.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Pac-10 heat check: Round 2
This one won't be as in depth as two weeks ago, but with the impending #1 Oregon/UCLA matchup, I can't help but laying a few things out on the table. First, my rankings:
1. Oregon- Until they lose, I dare you to argue with me.
2. Stanford- They showed kinks in their armor against Oregon and USC, but I still believe that they are an extremely physical, well coached, Harbaugh team. I would put money down saying they will play in the Rose Bowl this year if Oregon goes undefeated despite the Pac-10 spot going to an at-large bid. This is just a good football team.
3. USC- As much as it pains me to say it, Lane Kiffin got his kids going. I don't think anyone can stop talking about true freshman WR Robert Woods (for good reason) and I just wanted to point out the fact that I mentioned him in the previous heat check- no big. Woods beside, 'SC has done an excellent job on the offensive side of the ball and if they get their defense organized (i.e. move Chris Galippo to OLB officially), they could be in contention for a solid bowl appearance this year. Oh wait...
4. Arizona- The loss of Nick Foles might be to much to handle, hence me dropping them in the rankings. The defense is still doing a superb job, holding a respectable Wazzu offense to only seven points. But the big question will be whether they can keep making beautiful music as a team without their conductor. The upcoming Washington and UCLA games will not be easy and the circled Stanford game will be the defining moment in their season. I still think they can win eight games, but my confidence is definitely shaken without the presence of Foles.
5. Oregon State- I swear this is a good team. They have the players on both sides of the ball and the coaching staff to bring out their best, but they just can't seem to come out and be the team they should be. QB Ryan Katz has done an excellent job this season running the offense and while the loss of James Rodgers hurts, there is still enough ammo between Katz, Jaquizz and that solid Beaver offensive line to remain in the top half of the Pac-10.
6. Arizona State- I'm as surprised as anyone else in the nation, but the Sun Devils are a completely respectable team. Dennis Erickson has taken this team from the cellar of the Pac-10 to being one of the biggest surprises of the year. Despite having just a 3-3 record, their three loses came in close games against Wisconsin (who just knocked off former #1 Ohio State), current #1 Oregon and Oregon State while also taking out Washington in Seattle.
7. California- If I could give any sort of insight on Cal, I would give it to you, but I just have no idea what is going on with this team. Shane Vareen is the only consistently good player on this team and although Defensive Coordinator Clancy Pendergast has this team going in the right direction defensively, the Bears straight up got their pants pulled down by Matt Barkley and the USC offense. As of now, I guess I would call them a fringe bowl team, but if they get their act together, they could easily be in the top half of the Pac-10, but at the same time, if they play like they did against 'SC, they will be one of the worst three teams in the conference.
8. UCLA- As I said last time, the Texas game was not a fluke, BUUUUT, there is no way they are going to play that well again. For some reason, the Bruins have a slight sense of entitlement that has led to an apathetic performance on the field which, in combination with some questionably bland defensive play-calling (especially on the defensive side of the ball) led to the complete beating that was the Cal game. If UCLA doesn't come out every week respecting their opponents, they will be destined for a VERY subpar season and a possible shake-up in the coaching staff.
9. Washington- First, they beat USC at 'SC, then they lost pretty handily at home to ASU. That's no knock on either USC or ASU but UW just hasn't shown that they are consistently very good team, especially on defense (I'm starting to get a feel that consistency is a problem in the Pac-10...). They gave up 387 yards to a mediocre Sun Devil offense including 288 through the air. The only reason why I rate UW below UCLA is because I personally believe that UCLA has a better defense than UW and when UCLA goes to Seattle, I will put my money on the Bruins.
10. Washington State- I root for the cougs on a pretty consistent basis. There's something about Paul Wulff that I just feel bad for. I think he's a good coach with just not enough talent on his team and not enough interest in living in Pullman to get elite recruits. I do believe that Jeff Tuel will be one of the top Pac-10 QB's by the end of his career and Washington State will be a respectable team in the conference, but once again, this is not the year.
1. Oregon- Until they lose, I dare you to argue with me.
2. Stanford- They showed kinks in their armor against Oregon and USC, but I still believe that they are an extremely physical, well coached, Harbaugh team. I would put money down saying they will play in the Rose Bowl this year if Oregon goes undefeated despite the Pac-10 spot going to an at-large bid. This is just a good football team.
3. USC- As much as it pains me to say it, Lane Kiffin got his kids going. I don't think anyone can stop talking about true freshman WR Robert Woods (for good reason) and I just wanted to point out the fact that I mentioned him in the previous heat check- no big. Woods beside, 'SC has done an excellent job on the offensive side of the ball and if they get their defense organized (i.e. move Chris Galippo to OLB officially), they could be in contention for a solid bowl appearance this year. Oh wait...
4. Arizona- The loss of Nick Foles might be to much to handle, hence me dropping them in the rankings. The defense is still doing a superb job, holding a respectable Wazzu offense to only seven points. But the big question will be whether they can keep making beautiful music as a team without their conductor. The upcoming Washington and UCLA games will not be easy and the circled Stanford game will be the defining moment in their season. I still think they can win eight games, but my confidence is definitely shaken without the presence of Foles.
5. Oregon State- I swear this is a good team. They have the players on both sides of the ball and the coaching staff to bring out their best, but they just can't seem to come out and be the team they should be. QB Ryan Katz has done an excellent job this season running the offense and while the loss of James Rodgers hurts, there is still enough ammo between Katz, Jaquizz and that solid Beaver offensive line to remain in the top half of the Pac-10.
6. Arizona State- I'm as surprised as anyone else in the nation, but the Sun Devils are a completely respectable team. Dennis Erickson has taken this team from the cellar of the Pac-10 to being one of the biggest surprises of the year. Despite having just a 3-3 record, their three loses came in close games against Wisconsin (who just knocked off former #1 Ohio State), current #1 Oregon and Oregon State while also taking out Washington in Seattle.
7. California- If I could give any sort of insight on Cal, I would give it to you, but I just have no idea what is going on with this team. Shane Vareen is the only consistently good player on this team and although Defensive Coordinator Clancy Pendergast has this team going in the right direction defensively, the Bears straight up got their pants pulled down by Matt Barkley and the USC offense. As of now, I guess I would call them a fringe bowl team, but if they get their act together, they could easily be in the top half of the Pac-10, but at the same time, if they play like they did against 'SC, they will be one of the worst three teams in the conference.
8. UCLA- As I said last time, the Texas game was not a fluke, BUUUUT, there is no way they are going to play that well again. For some reason, the Bruins have a slight sense of entitlement that has led to an apathetic performance on the field which, in combination with some questionably bland defensive play-calling (especially on the defensive side of the ball) led to the complete beating that was the Cal game. If UCLA doesn't come out every week respecting their opponents, they will be destined for a VERY subpar season and a possible shake-up in the coaching staff.
9. Washington- First, they beat USC at 'SC, then they lost pretty handily at home to ASU. That's no knock on either USC or ASU but UW just hasn't shown that they are consistently very good team, especially on defense (I'm starting to get a feel that consistency is a problem in the Pac-10...). They gave up 387 yards to a mediocre Sun Devil offense including 288 through the air. The only reason why I rate UW below UCLA is because I personally believe that UCLA has a better defense than UW and when UCLA goes to Seattle, I will put my money on the Bruins.
10. Washington State- I root for the cougs on a pretty consistent basis. There's something about Paul Wulff that I just feel bad for. I think he's a good coach with just not enough talent on his team and not enough interest in living in Pullman to get elite recruits. I do believe that Jeff Tuel will be one of the top Pac-10 QB's by the end of his career and Washington State will be a respectable team in the conference, but once again, this is not the year.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The NBA is coming! The NBA is coming!
The preseason is upon us and there is excitement in the air in the year that follows the fabled 2010 free agency period. Every sports journalist on the planet had their dreams come true with Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James teamed up in Miami, and that is NOT what I plan on talking about. I want to talk about the Sacramento Kings.
Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Omri Casspi, Jason Thompson and Donte Greene! I know all of these names are completely random and probably could be made up, but all of these young men are cornerstones in the new Sacramento Kings journey to the championship. I will probably do a more in-depth analysis of the team when the season actually rolls around, but for now, I'm going on the record with a prediction of their final record:
32-50
Pretty bold, right? Well this record would actually be a major improvement from last year's 25-57 record and 2008-2009's abysmal17-65 record. I fully expect DMC to compete for Rookie of the year and I would not be surprised if Omri Casspi gets into the discussion for 6th man of the year within the next two or three seasons. Also, if it seems like 32-50 isn't that big of a step in the right direction, look at what OKC did the year after they were the worst team in the league at 20-62. They went 23-59 and then 50-32. I don't expect the Kings to do that kind of damage but it will only be Tyreke Evans' second year in the league, wherein Kevin Durant was in his third year when he got the Thunder to the playoffs. And if you need clarification, yes, I am calling Tyreke Evans the Kevin Durant of the Kings.
Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Omri Casspi, Jason Thompson and Donte Greene! I know all of these names are completely random and probably could be made up, but all of these young men are cornerstones in the new Sacramento Kings journey to the championship. I will probably do a more in-depth analysis of the team when the season actually rolls around, but for now, I'm going on the record with a prediction of their final record:
32-50
Pretty bold, right? Well this record would actually be a major improvement from last year's 25-57 record and 2008-2009's abysmal17-65 record. I fully expect DMC to compete for Rookie of the year and I would not be surprised if Omri Casspi gets into the discussion for 6th man of the year within the next two or three seasons. Also, if it seems like 32-50 isn't that big of a step in the right direction, look at what OKC did the year after they were the worst team in the league at 20-62. They went 23-59 and then 50-32. I don't expect the Kings to do that kind of damage but it will only be Tyreke Evans' second year in the league, wherein Kevin Durant was in his third year when he got the Thunder to the playoffs. And if you need clarification, yes, I am calling Tyreke Evans the Kevin Durant of the Kings.
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