Bleacher Report - Articles by Francis Parkman

162 Games Not Enough, Twins and Tigers to Decide AL Central Tuesday

Francis Parkman — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:32:24 -0400

Sept. 6, 2009: the Minnesota Twins sat at 68-68 and trailed the Detroit Tigers, who were currently on a six-game winning streak, by seven games. Just nine days later, the Twins learned that they would be without first baseman Justin Morneau for the remainder of the season.

The Twins responded the only way that they know how, they won, won, and won some more.

Since learning of the loss of Morneau, Minnesota has gone 13-3, including a 13-4 drumming of the Kansas City Royals Sunday afternoon. The Twins got two home runs from both Jason Kubel and Delmon Young Sunday, and Michael Cuddyer added a two run shot in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Followed by Detroit's 5-3 win over the Chicago White Sox earlier Sunday, Minnesota Twins fans enjoyed a farewell to the Metrodome after the game knowing that there was more baseball to be played.

Due to the Vikings Monday Night Football game against the Packers, Detroit and Minnesota will break the tie atop of the AL Central Tuesday at 4 p.m. CDT, with the winner earning an ALDS meeting with the New York Yankees.

Minnesota will turn to ace Scott Baker(15-9, 4.36 ERA), to vault them to the postseason, while Detroit will counter with rookie Rick Porcello(14-9, 4.04 ERA), to keep the Tigers atop the division, a spot that they have held on their own since early May.

2009 Tennesee Titans Season Preview

Francis Parkman — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:46:36 -0400

After a suprise 13-3 season last year from the Tennessee Titans that ended with a Divisional Playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, head coach Jeff Fisher(pictured), and company seem to have all of the tools needed to make another run at the AFC South title and Super Bowl XLIV in Miami. Lets take a look at some of the questions, position battles, and schedule for the 2009 Titans.

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Steve McNair: Most Valuable Player, Most Valuable MAN

Francis Parkman — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 03:26:14 -0400

The phrase "leader by example" is tossed around lightly in the sports world, but no one is more deserving of every letter of that phrase than Steve McNair.

As a kid growing up and being a fan of the Titans, I learned a lot of life lessons by just watching his style of play from the quarterback position.

He taught me to never give in when failure is looking you straight in the face, even if you don't feel that you can fight anymore. He taught me how to be humble after every victory and defeat, no matter how big or small. Despite my mom and dad's many attempts to teach me this, it was the crafty quarterback from Alcorn State that taught me respect for all things, no matter how minuscule or intimidating.

It is very rare that an athlete can change the personality of friends, family and communities. Steve was one of those athletes.

Although his stats may not warrant induction into the Hall of Fame, his style of play and his sheer will to win should get him in. People a generation older than me reminisce of John Elway and "The Drive."

Steve McNair was my John Elway.

Every team that goes on an inspiring game-winning drive with a quarterback that has played lights out all game and is literally running on fumes will remind me, and hopefully all of you, of Steve McNair.

My heart goes out to his friends and family, and I mourn the loss with all Titans fans.

Rest In Peace Steve McNair.

The Top 10 Twins During the Metrodome Era

Francis Parkman — Sat, 16 May 2009 03:35:59 -0400

This is the final year of the Metrodome, home to the Minnesota Twins since 1982. There have been many memorable moments in Metrodome history. From Kirby Pucketts game winning homerun in the World Series to Minnesota winning the AL Central on the last day of the 2006 season. Along the way, many great names in the gam called Minneapolis home. From Puckett to Morneau, Blyleven to Santana, the list goes on and on. Here are the top 10 Twins players to call the "Homerdome" home.

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New Team, Same Colors: Cutler Traded To Bears

Francis Parkman — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:05:30 -0400

Yes, Bears fans, you finally have a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback. The best part is it only took about 30 years.

As recently as 4:40 CT, the Chicago Bears acquired disgruntled Jay Cutler form Denver in exchange for incumbent starter Kyle Orton, this year's first round pick (18th overall), their 2010 first round pick, and a third round pick. The Bears will also receive a fifth round pick.

Wednesday night however, Cutler was quoted at UFC Fight Night as saying, "I really didn't want this. I love Denver. I really like my teammates. I didn't want it to get this far."

New head coach Josh McDaniels had attempted to make a trade with the New England Patriots for quarterback Matt Cassel, whom McDaniels groomed into one of the top players at his position last year. Cassel was later dealt to the Kansas City Chiefs, along with linebacker Mike Vrabel.

After the Cassel trade, McDaniels and Cutler met to try and resolve their differences. The next day, Cutler had his agent Bus Cook formally ask Denver to deal him.

We have finally reached the finale of "As Denver Turns."

Cutler is in Chicago, Orton goes to Denver and takes three draft picks with him.

Chicago wasn't done on Thursday, however. The team signed seven-time pro bowler and future hall of famer Orlando Pace to a deal. Can you say that the Bears are Super Bowl bound? If not, it might be a good idea to start practicing.

Destination Detroit: The Final Four Are Here

Francis Parkman — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:06:16 -0400

The Final Four is set. Two teams that are in were expected by many to reach it. The other two teams that will be in Detroit weren't picked by the experts or many of the fans, but had Final Four aspirations at the beginning of the season. Now Connecticut, Villanova, Michigan State and North Carolina will battle at Ford Field to see who is this year's national champion. As many of you know, it's time to review and preview this year's final four.

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World Baseball Classic: Good or Bad?

Francis Parkman — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 03:54:58 -0400

With the 2009 World Baseball Classic finally at a close, lets take a trip down memory lane and review.

Baseball fans all over the world experienced many new sensations.

The fall of a baseball powerhouse (Dominican Republic), the rise of a relatively unknown baseball country (Netherlands), and a very memorable championship game.

Throughout the tournament we also saw many rising stars, but perhaps none as big as Yu Darvish of Japan.

In five games, Darvish had a 2-1 record, with 2.08 era. His twenty strikeouts led all pitchers in the tournament.

So is the World Baseball Classic good for the sport? The answer is yes. Although Darvish's teammate Daisuke Matsuzaka was named MVP, Darvish earned something more than awards. He grabbed the attention of baseball fans and general managers everywhere.

The Classic gives players that aren't in major league systems a chance to prove that they are worthy of playing on the world's grandest stage. It also gives baseball fans the opportunity to watch games that have meaning.

Although the USA did not reach the finals for the second Classic, we should all be excited for 2013. Who knows, maybe Japan will three-peat. Maybe the Netherlands will make more noise and take out more teams other than the Dominican Republic. Will 2013 be USA's moment in the sun? All we can do is wait.

Texas-Minnesota: A.J. Abrams, Longhorns Open Tournament With 76-62 Win

Francis Parkman — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:32:42 -0400

Minnesota started their first round game against Texas hot, opening with a 15-8 run in the first six minutes of the game Thursday night in Greensboro, North Carolina.

But as you all know, it's not how you start—it's how you finish.

The Golden Gophers shot 52 percent from the field in the first half, but A.J. Abrams hit a jumper with 6:22 left in the first half to give the Longhorns their first lead of the game at 25-24. Abrams wasn't finished though—he hit a three-pointer with three seconds left to give the Longhorns a 39-35 halftime lead.

The second half belonged to Abrams. The Longhorns guard hit four three-pointers in a span of two minutes to blow the game open for Texas. Poor shooting by Minnesota helped; the Golden Gophers shot 31 percent from the field in the second half.

Abrams led all scorers with 26 points, three steals, and two rebounds. Lawrence Westbrook led the Gophers with 19.

Texas will play the No. 2 seed Duke Blue Devils, who beat Binghamton 86-62 today, in the second round of the tournament's East Region. Tip-off is at 8:15 pm on Saturday in Greensboro.

Martin Brodeur: Simply the Best

Francis Parkman — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 02:37:55 -0400

To many of us in the sports world, the name Martin Brodeur is a relatively unknown one. For those you who don't know who Martin Brodeur is, you should be ashamed to call yourselves sports fans.

Don't fret sports fans, the New Jersey Devils goalie accomplished a feat Tuesday night that will make any sports fan, big or small, remember who he is.

In the Devils' 3-2 victory, Brodeur became the NHL's all-time win leader. With 552 career victories, he surpassed the legendary Patrick Roy of the Colorado Avalanche, who retired after the 2002-2003 season.

During his 19 year career, all with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cups ('95, '00, '03), won the Vezina Trophy three times ('03,'04,'07), and was also named the NHL's Rookie of the Year in 1994.

He has also been a model of consistency for New Jersey. He has averaged 3,640:53 minutes, 34.5 wins, .914 save percentage, 1411.6 saves, and a goals against average of 2.20 over his career.

If that isn't enough, his 100 career shutouts is only three behind Terry Sawchuk's 103. He only needs to appear in 43 more games to break Patrick Roy's record of 1,029 games played.

Plus, he is also 1,580 saves away from taking first place in that category. That number could increase however, because the all-time leader Curtis Joseph, is still an active player with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Martin Brodeur may be a mortal in the eyes of regular human beings, but to us sports jockeys, he should and forever will be, a god and a legend to us. With many more years ahead of him in a Devils' sweater, I hope that all who have read this tribute will join in watching his legend status grow.

What Colors Will Cinderella's Dress Be This Year?

Francis Parkman — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 03:29:37 -0400

Well, the NCAA tournament is finally upon us. Sorry Duke,UNC, Louisville and UConn fans, but Cinderella got an invitation as well. No one can forget the magical run that Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats went on last year. Nor can we forget about George Mason's Final Four appearance in 2006.

It's only a matter of time before Cinderella she arrives to the "Big Dance" in her carriage. But who is this year's tournament sweetheart? The possibilities are endless.

First, we are going to look at the 14 seed in the Midwest Region, the North Dakota State University Bison. Their first round game happens to be against the No. 3 seed and the defending national champion Kansas Jayhawks.

Easy win for KU, right? Wrong. The Bison as a team rank fifth in the nation in three-point shooting (41.2 percent) and rank third in the nation in field goal shooting (48.9 percent), and also shoot 73.8 percent from the foul line. That's good for 34th in the nation.

They don't rebound particularly well, but their great shooting makes up for that. If Kansas thinks that they can play half-heartedly and still win, they will be sorely mistaken.

The West Region's 11 seed is the Utah State Aggies. They are another interesting team in this year's tournament. The Aggies are the best field goal shooting team in the nation at 49.8 percent. Their 39.8 percent three-point field goal percentage is 15th best in the nation.

They also have the 32nd best free throw shooting team in the nation. They don't score a lot of points, but when they have their crosshairs locked in on the basket, Connecticut, Memphis and Missouri could see their national title hopes dashed.

The West Region has another possible Cinderella. The 12 seed Northern Iowa Panthers shoot 45.5 percent from the field and 75.2 percent from the foul line, good for 83rd and 19th in the nation.

They don't shoot very well from beyond the three-point line, a mere 34.7 percent. They don't turn the ball over very much, 11.6 turnovers per game. That stat would be good for second in the Big East and first in the ACC. If they can play to their strengths and control the clock, Cinderella's dress might be purple with gold accents.

So, who do you think is this year's cinderella story? I've given you my picks for tournament story of the year.

Now I want to hear what teams you think will take on the proverbial role of "David" and take down college basketball's goliaths. Whether it's a 16 seed or one of the teams that I mentioned, please let me know.

Five Reasons Jay Cutler Shouldn't Be Complaining

Francis Parkman — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:44:55 -0400

ESPN reporter Chris Mortensen recently released an article saying that Jay Cutler has formally asked to be traded from the Denver Broncos. The disgruntled quarterback said that he "felt antagonized" by new head coach Josh McDaniels during their meeting on saturday, where he then told his agent Bus Cook to request a trade. Now, I can see why Cutler is upset, but at the same time, he has made this situation far worse than it needed to be. Here are five reasons why I feel Jay Cutler needs to shut up and play football.

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Marvin Harrison: How Is He Still a Free Agent?

Francis Parkman — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:56:37 -0400

As a die hard fan of the Tennessee Titans, I'm glad that Marvin Harrison isn't with the Indianapolis Colts. The only question I have is, "Why hasn't he found another team yet?"

If I was an NFL owner, and I didn't want the services of a future Hall of Famer, I would seriously have to think about why I am in the business. Stop and look at Marvin Harrison's career stats: 1,102 receptions, 14,580 yards, and 128 touchdowns. Sure he is going to be 37 in August, but that should be irrelevant.

There are several teams in the NFL with some sort of issue at wide receiver: the 49ers, Bears, Vikings, and Dolphins come to mind. Adding a Super Bowl champion and one of the games greatest at the position would surely help the team that lands him. Another thing that these teams have in common is that most of them have, for the most part, inexperience at the quarterback position.

Obviously, Marvin is going to want to play for a contender. In this economy, however, he may not have a choice and be forced to sign with one of the aforementioned teams. He still has gas left in the tank and it will be a sad day in the world of football when no one wants a legend.

Personally, I would want Marvin Harrison to play for the Titans. They have quite a few young receivers, and being mentored by him can only make them better players. With Kerry Collins back for at least two more years, the free agent signing of Nate Washington from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the dynamic duo of running backs Chris Johnson and LenDale White, adding Peyton Manning's old "favorite target" would do wonders for that team.

If you haven't figured it out by now, I am openly lobbying for the Tennessee Titans to sign Marvin Harrison to at least a one-year deal, with the hopes that his experience and reliability, when healthy, will spread throughout the locker room, and make the Titans a team to be reckoned with for the second straight season.