Bleacher Report - Articles by Jeffrey Kayer

Mark Martin: The Legend That May Never Be Remembered

Jeffrey Kayer — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:26:28 -0400

A generation from now, when people are watching the 2035 Daytona 500, announcers will talk about legends like Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, and quite possibly Kyle Busch. Drivers who won numerous championships and were always in competition year in and year out.

But for those purists, who lived during the 1980's, 90's and 00's, they'll surely remember the soft spoken, courteous little man from Arkansas, Mark Martin. A driver who never won the most races and most likely will have never won a NASCAR championship.

No, Martin never did win the championship that so eluded him but he will also go down as a person who best exemplified what it meant to be a NASCAR driver.

Someone who loved the sport as much as his many fans loved him.

Someone, who at an age when many of his former rivals left the cockpit for the broadcast booth, worked his tail off to keep himself in better shape than competitors half his age.

Last Saturday's race was just further proof we are continuing to witness the greatness of perhaps the most under appreciated legend in NASCAR history.

Mark Martin, most known for driving the No. 6 Valvoline made his NASCAR debut in 1981, winning his first face in 1987. It would not take long for him to go from his first win to title contender as he finished 2nd overall in 1990.

The runner-up spot would sadly become a place Martin would become familiar with finishing 2nd in the points standings not once, twice but four times, most recently in 2002 when Martin lost to Tony Stewart by just 38 points.

Perhaps his biggest disappointment though was the 2007 Daytona 500, when Martin lost to Kevin Harvick in one of the closest finishes in the race's history, losing by mere hundredths of a second.

While, these agonizingly close defeats would frustrate most drivers—Martin has seldom appeared flustered, keeping himself composed on and off the race track his entire career. He has established a well earned reputation for being one of the cleanest most respectful drivers in the sport. If Martin is the cause of a wreck, his competitors will know it was not intentional.

Martin appeared to retire on several occasions, first leaving Roucsh Racing in 2006 before resuming a part time schedule with Ginn Racing and later DEI. When it appeared he'd ride into the sunset again last year, Hendrick Motorsports offered him a full time ride in the No. 5 Kellogg's Chevrolet...And he hasn't looked back.

Despite being 11th in the current standings, Martin is well on his way to enjoying one of his more successful seasons. In just a half season with Hendrick, Martin has as many wins this year as he had the previous decade.

His current spot in the standings can be attributed to horrible luck of blown engines and wrecks; being at the wrong place at the wrong time on the track.

Still, at age 50, Mark Martin could very well be considered a top contender to win the 2009 NASCAR championship. While this will most likely go to Stewart, Johnson, or Gordon the fact that Martin is even considered to be in that class of drivers says a lot to him, and his team.

If Martin does not win this year, we will surely appreciate the amazing performance he gave the fans. And he's done so well, he'll almost surely be back next year.

But what of 30 years from now? What will we say about Mark Martin then?

The fact his, he ranks just 19th in career wins with 39, and is only one of three drivers in the top 20 of all time wins who have not won a championship. To put that into comparison, Jimmie Johnson already has 40 wins and three titles.

However, one statistic that people should look up, and will show you just how incredibly consistent this man has been is the number of top 10s he has accumulated. In 741 races, Martin has 405 top 10s, not to mention 208 top-5's.

Think about that. Mark Martin has finished in the top 10 in more than half the races he has entered.

I for one hope I am wrong about my predictions of the future.

Mark Martin has always been one of my favorite drivers, choosing to keep his mouth shut and do his talking on the race track. He doesn't go looking for trouble, and respects his fellow competitor, as well as his sport.

He's everything an aspiring NASCAR driver should want to be. And though we can never fully know what people in the future will think of Mark Martin, we can enjoy and appreciate the legend we see on the race track today.

The NFL: Football League or Court TV?

Jeffrey Kayer — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:54:39 -0400

This could not have been an offseason the NFL wished for.

As we get closer to the opening of training camps this month, the powers at be at the NFL front offices surely cannot wait to have people start talking about issues that are on the field. Heck, I'm sure most people would love to hear yet another Brett Favre rumor.

When the 2008 season concluded, football fans were able to watch one of the better Super Bowls, or at least, better fourth quarters played in history. Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner dueled back and forth with the Steelers edging out the Cardinals with a memorable Santonio Holmes touchdown grab.

But that's been just about the last good story the NFL has had this year. Since then, other than Brett Favre's on-again-off-again desire to play with the Minnesota Vikings, the talk revolving around the league and its players has not been who might get signed and for how long, but who might go to prison, and how soon will they be on probation so they can go back to play?

The NFL has had these problems for several years now, and NFL commissioner Roger Goddell has made cleaning up his product one of his primary goals since taking over several years ago. He has instituted stiffer penalties for player misconduct that players like Michael Vick and Adam "Pacman" Jones have felt the wrath of. But it still doesn't seem to be clicking in these players heads.

And because of it, much of the NFL talk you hear on ESPN, Fox Sports, or even Bleacher Report these days revolves around crimes being committed. These are just some of the stories we've had to discuss.

Plaxico Burress

After shooting himself in the hip last November, he has since been released by the Giants. Teams have not signed him yet as he might be facing a trial, not to mention a suspension by Roger Goddell.

Brandon Marshall

Marshall has been arrested numerous times, including once this year facing various domestic abuse charges with his fiancee. He has requested to be traded this year but despite his talent, teams have been reluctant to go after him due to his multiple arrests.

Michael Vick

The saga continues. Though he's now in a halfway house, many people are still protesting the mere mention that he might play in the NFL again. Hundreds of reporters stalked his home paparazzi style when he was released.

Jamal Anderson

Former NFL running back and ESPN analyst Jamal Anderson, known for his "dirty bird" touchdown celebration, was arrested in February on suspicion of cocaine possession.

Donte Stallworth

This was perhaps the worst of all incidents this year. Stallworth is currently serving 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to second degree manslaughter when he struck a jaywalker while being legally drunk. While he will only serve one month in prison, he has been indefinitely suspended.

Steve McNair

This is the most tragic situation to happen this year. Details are still coming out regarding the murder of the former Tennessee Titan great. What we know is he was murdered by Sahel Kazemi, whom he was apparently dating despite the fact he was married with four children. While his death is certainly a tragedy, many NFL fans and certainly the people of Nashville were equally stunned to hear McNair, whom many looked up to for his charitable deeds and good reputation, could have gotten involved in such a situation to begin with.

This is just a small sampling of what has gone on this offseason. I find it a shame. The 2008 season produced a lot of great football action this year, and showed a new sense of parity with the Arizona Cardinals making their first trip to the Super Bowl.

So, how does this get solved? Another question is, did this kind of stuff go on before without us knowing? The fact is, we do live in a 24/7 media now with reporters at every practice field covering a team full time. Is it possible that 30 years ago someone living in Seattle would not have heard of a DUI charge for a player in Dallas? Absolutely.

But that doesn't excuse the fact that the NFL has a major image problem right now. For too long, NFL players were able to abuse a wife, drive drunk, or brandish a gun at a club and get away with their acts nearly unscathed by the league. Commissioner Goddell has done a good job so far to let the players know these acts will no longer go unpunished.

But if the league sees another offseason like this one, perhaps he should go even further with these punishments. Fine players record amounts of money; heck, put more of an emphasis on organizations policing their players. You would think they should be already, seeing that every time a player gets national attention for an arrest, it embarrasses that organization.

The Cincinatti Bengals are a perfect example of this. Despite having some modest success for the first time in nearly 20 years, the team gained a reputation as being a team of convicts. Several players like Chris Henry were arrested numerous times. The Bengals finally saw their situation was spiraling out of control and cut many of the cancers they had, even though it has hurt their on the field product.

I am a huge football fan, and always will be. I for one, can't wait to see the Chicago Bears take the field, and I am also proud that they have gotten rid of bad apples like Tank Johnson and Cedric Benson in recent years. But while I am a football fan, I'm also a concerned one.

I'm concerned of what I will show the children I will someday have when I take them to a football game. I'm concerned the news they'll see on ESPN about these athletes he or she might look up to. And that is why this situation must be tackled now.

Days of Thunder? NASCAR Restrictor Plate Looks More and More Like Movie

Jeffrey Kayer — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:06:14 -0400

"Rubbing is Racing'."

That is what Harry Hogge told his driver Cole Trickle in the movie Days of Thunder when the rookie Trickle was complaining about the aggressiveness of his NASCAR competitors. Well, after watching last night's Coke Zero 400, and the carnage that ensued on the last lap, I can safely say that they're "rubbing" alright.

The controversial conclusion of last night's race saw the sport's bad boy Kyle Busch mere feet away from repeating as the race's winner when he was taken out by Tony Stewart (presumably by accident) that began a snow ball effect that would destroy not only Busch's car, but a host of others.

This type of finish will undoubtedly spark debate between NASCAR fans. On the one hand, the last laps of the race provided a ton of excitement that saw some great passing, and ultimately, the pulse pounding conclusion and destruction of almost 10 cars.

On the other hand, last night's race provided yet another example how restrictor plate racing is spiraling towards a path that made the over the top antics seen in Days of Thunder seem tame. And I believe that is a growing problem.

Let me first tell you I'm not the world's biggest NASCAR fan. I, like many others, began to watch following the untimely passing of Dale Earnhardt. I've watched with some consistency rooting for my favorite drivers Mark Martin, Kurt and Kyle Busch and the recently retired Rusty Wallace.

However, I can't tell you much about chassis adjustments or how a tire pressure adjustment changes the tightness or looseness of a car.

I just like watching good racing. And when people watch a restrictor plate race, fans are almost guaranteed of it. And to that point, people surely were not disappointed last night.

However, the race last night illustrated a growing trend at the end of a restrictor plate race. Gone are the days of side by side racing, trying to simply outrace your competitor. It appears it's becoming a game of blocking, and being blocked which has it's own excitement, but it's also becoming very dangerous.

Flash back to this year's first Talladega race. Carl Edwards was trying to stay ahead of Brad Keselowski coming to the final turn when he inched up the race track trying to block the rookie. Keselowski struck Edward's left rear tire and what ensued was one of the more terrifying wrecks in recent memory.

Edwards's car started to spin towards the wall and was slightly airborne when it struck Ryan Newman's car at full speed. His car then spiraled in the air, not into the wall, but the protective fencing which thankfully did its job and saved the lives of spectators. Still, seven were injured.

The No. 99 car of Edwards was destroyed but somehow he was left relatively unharmed. People hoped this would be a rare occurrence. But after last night's race, one has to be concerned it could be becoming a pattern.

Just like the Taladega race, Busch tried to block Stewart. Like that race, Stewart struck Busch's left rear. And like that race, Busch's car got destroyed in a scary looking crash. Only in this one, it involved a host of other drivers.

Busch's No. 18 car became a pinball as it hit a wall, then was struck in the back by Kasey Khane at full speed. With the car virtually destroyed, Busch's car was near a complete stop when his teammate Joey Logano, blinded by the smoke on the track plowed into the driver side of Busch's car.

Those who are in charge of safety in NASCAR should give themselves a pat in the back as Busch walked out of his car, not looking the worse for wear. Khane, Logano, nor anyone else was injured.

But does NASCAR really want to wait until someone is?

When Days Of Thunder came out, it was largely dismissed as a Hollywood fluff, a Tom Cruise movie that was Top Gun in a race car. And frankly, it was. You saw people throwing each other into walls, intentional wrecks being done just to mess up a rival and more.

But if you watch the one crash in that movie at Daytona in which Cole Trickle and Rowdy Burns both sustain serious head injuries, it looked eerily familiar to last night's conclusion.

Look, wrecks happen in NASCAR, especially in restrictor plate races. But don't people remember some thrilling conclusions like the 2007 Dayton 500 where Mark Martin and Kevin Harvick dueled side by side. It was exciting, but it was clean and both men showed respect.

But the problem is, it's like the saying goes. "It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt." How long will NASCAR allow this to go on? Sure, maybe they'll get a ratings boost with a wreck like that, but are you going to allow that type of aggression to happen on a super speedway until another driver gets killed? Or worse yet, fans?

It's one thing to use that type of aggressive mentality at a speedway like Dover, where speeds top out at 150 miles per hour, or Bristol, which is just a half-mile long short track. It's entirely different when you're at Daytona and Talladega.

NASCAR better realize this for the safety of their drivers, spectators and sport itself. Before it's too late.

USA-Brazil: Dreams of American Victory Dashed by Brazilian Second Half Onslaught

Jeffrey Kayer — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:39:22 -0400

For 45 minutes, it was a dream come true for the U.S. soccer team. Clint Dempsey looked like a world renowned striker when he tipped in a cross just 10 minutes into the game. Landon Donovan looked like he was, after what seemed like a decade, starting to live up to his potential, scoring after a beautiful give-and-go with Ricardo Clark.

For 45 minutes, an American soccer team looked like it was ready to be considered a contender. After beating Spain 2-0 on Wednesday, and taking a 2-0 lead on Brazil in the Confederations Cup Final on Sunday afternoon, it appeared as if the red, white, and blue were en route to perhaps their most important victory in the nation's history.

For 45 minutes...

But it all changed by the 46th.

Just 40 seconds after the two sides came back onto the soccer field, Brazilian forward Luis Fabiano finished a charge that helped remind the American squad of one important fact: They were Brazil, and the Americans were not.

Following the Brazilian's tally, the aura around the field felt like Brazil had already won the game, despite the fact they were still down 2-1. All of a sudden, the passes by players such as Carlos Bocanegra or Benny Feilhaber were no longer clicking.

Through balls were not received as crisply by young forward Jozy Altidore. Dempsey and Donovan, the two American scorers in the first half, were nowhere to be seen. And through it all came the Brazilian boys in yellow, buzzing around the Americans like swarming bees.

American goalkeeper Tim Howard, who rightfully won the tournaments top goalkeeper award, did all he could to contain the Brazilian onslaught. But after Fabiano scored again in the 73rd minute to tie the game, you could just feel the final dagger coming.

That final shot to the American's heart came in the 83rd minute when Brazilian fullback Lucio headed a corner kick into the American goal, to send Brazil to a 3-2 lead, and eventual comeback win.

It was a tragic conclusion for an American squad that had visions of hoisting the Champions trophy less than an hour before. In the end, the Brazilians experience, depth, and perhaps most importantly, composure helped defeat the U.S.

While the Americans showed the world they could compete with the world's best, Landon Donovan summed it up best. "We are in the position where we don't want respect, we want to win."

Weeks from now, American players and fans alike will most likely look upon the past two weeks and think of the success the team had. After losing to Italy 3-1 and Brazil 3-0 in the first phase of the tournament, the Americans stormed back with a 3-0 win over Egypt, and their 2-0 stunner over Spain, the first ranked team in the world.

We saw players like Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey continue to lead the Americans while we've continued to see the emergence of new blood in the form of Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, and Ricardo Clark.

The Americans will also undoubtedly take a lot from this game in terms of playing with a lead, and having to defend a desperate attack from an offensively superior opponent. These are lessons that can be taken to the World Cup, which, all of a sudden, is just a year away.

But for now, no one will really look on the positives or lessons of this game. Not tonight, not tomorrow, and probably not for many nights after. It's a time where people will reflect on what could have been—and should have been.

For 45 minutes, it looked like this would be the coming out party of American soccer. By the 46th though, that party was crashed with the reminder of they are Brazil—and we are not.

Will the Real Chicago Cubs Please Stand Up?

Jeffrey Kayer — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:02:36 -0400

It was a year that started with so much promise. This was going to be one of the first seasons in Cubs history where it wasn't if they were going to win their division, but by how many games. But fans, sportswriters, and even the team forgot a very important aspect of the team.

These are the Chicago Cubs! Nothing has nor ever will come easy for this franchise.

When spring training came around, the team was ready to put the painful memories of the 2008 post season behind them. After all, the team had a very successful season in which they nearly won 100 games, had the best offensive and some of the best pitching statistics in the league.

The problem is that it appears they have erased every single memory of last season and are playing without any sense of direction. The team is 29-28 thus far, yet sits only two-and-a-half games back thanks to a very mediocre division.

The Cubs have gone from bashing the ball all over stadiums to being the sixth worst offensive team in baseball. Not one single player is hitting over .300, with Kouske Fukudome, whom many left for dead this spring leading the team with a .285 average.

Nearly every offensive player on their roster is having one of the worst seasons of their career. Alfonso Soriano after a quick start is now hitting just .236, though he does have 14 home runs. Derrick Lee has raised his average to .269, though he hit well below .250 for virtually the entire season until this past week.

Geovany Soto, who was the National League rookie of the year last year is hitting just .219 with three home runs. And there is no bust bigger than perhaps Milton Bradley, who is getting paid over $10 million and hitting a paltry .215.

The only bright spots on the team thus far have to be the before mentioned Fukudome, Ryan Theriot, who has been hitting close to .300 all year, and the Cubs' starting rotation, which has been very solid since May. Rookie pitcher Randy Wells has looked extremely sharp in his first six starts of his career and looks like a keeper.

Another struggle has been that of the relief staff. Kevin Gregg, who was brought in to replace Kerry Wood at closer has blown numerous opportunities. Carlos Marmol has looked nothing like the dominant force he was in 2008. And the rest of their bullpen has put up mediocre numbers with a team ERA of 3.83 runs per game.

So what has caused this team wide funk? Could it really be a hangover from the 2008 playoffs? For those that forget, the Cubs, whom many considered the best team in baseball, were unceremoniously swept out of the postseason by Manny Ramirez and the L.A. Dodgers; that left an extremely sour taste left in the mouths of the fans.

Could this hangover theory hold water? Even former Cubs from last year's team have performed poorly. Kerry Wood, who is now with the Cleveland Indians has struggled mightily this season.

Mark DeRosa, also with the Indians, has only now shown signs of life similar to last year, and still is hitting nearly 20 points below his average of last year. Ronny Cedeno, who was a spot starter in the in field last year, is hitting just .147 with the Seattle Mariners.

Another reason for their struggles could be due to injuries. No one realized how important Aramis Ramirez was to this team until he was injured a month ago. Milton Bradley seems to injure himself once every three games.

Geovany Soto has been a shell of his former self since injuring his shoulder in the first week of the season. Pitchers Ryan Dempster and Rich Harden have also had injury issues.

Whatever the case may be, the Cubs need to be thankful that despite their uninspired play, they only sit two-and-a-half games out of first, with the NL Central being filled with average teams. Even Pittsburgh, which is 27-31, sits only five games out of first.

The good news for the Cubs is that they could most likely tread water for another month and still be poised to win the division if they go on a run. But everyone knows this team looks nothing like the contender it did one year ago.

Then again, could that be a good thing? The Cubs had the division wrapped up so early last year they had nearly a month to think about winning the World Series, and was able to get wrapped up in the hype of breaking the 100 year curse.

It won't be the case this year, as it appears it could be a three, four, or even a five team race to see who wins the division. And in a sick, twisted way, that could help the Cubs.

For now, Cubs fans will surely be apprehensive as they see their team return from a 4-4 road trip to open up a nine game interleague home stand. A lot of people would feel better about this team if they could go 6-3 on this home stand.

The question is, will the real Chicago Cubs emerge? Or will we continue to see the inconsistencies that have plagued them this year?

Viva La Federer! Millions Cheer Swiss Stars Historic Achievement

Jeffrey Kayer — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:15:31 -0400

If people in America were willing to wake up a bit earlier than normal Sunday, they had the opportunity to witness tennis history with Roger Federer's dismantling of Swedish underdog Robin Soderling at the French Open.

Federer's 6-1 7-6 6-4 win was his first championship at the French Open, after three years of agonizing defeats against his version of kryptonite, Rafael Nadal.

As Roger held up the Coupe des Mousquetaires at Center Court today though, the amazing thing about that moment was the mere win was his most minor accomplishment.

As if finally winning the French Open were not enough, Federer entered legendary company Sunday by tying Pete Sampras's mark of 14 grand slam titles.

In addition, his win in Paris made him just the sixth player ever, and first since Andre Agassi 10 years ago to win all four grand slams.

It was truly an unforgettable day for the quiet Swiss star who went from an all-time great, to a member of tennis immortality.

Amidst the fanfare was Soderling, who many could sympathize for getting hit by a freight train of emotion from not just his opponent, but nearly every fan in attendance and those watching on TV.

Soderling incidentally most likely made this moment possible for Federer with his shocking fourth round upset of Nadal, the unquestioned greatest player on clay court.

But it was simply not Soderling's day and he accepted his fate graciously, congratulating Federer on numerous occasions during his thank-you speech to the fans.

You could not blame him feeling a bit awe struck by the moment of being in his first ever Grand Slam final.

The way it usually goes in a sporting event, the underdog receives the fans support. Even more so, the person or team trailing almost always gets the fans behind them.

But it was not that way today in Paris, and you could see Soderling completely understood and in some small way, he was happy for Federer too. And you can chalk me up to that list as well.

Roger Federer and Tiger Woods, who are both close friends, have managed to do something in the past 10 years that few dominant athletes have ever been able to do: dominate and have the fans cheer you on.

It seems that sports fans love to see greatness unseated. It's why so many people hate the New York Yankees, New England Patriots, or Duke basketball. Even in tennis, people enjoyed seeing Steffi Graf or Ivan Lendl get upset here or there.

Yet there was 20,000 fans in Paris today all feeling the same anxiety Federer felt when he was serving for the match but down a break point. And there was the same elation and exuberance when Soderling's shot missed and Federer knew he accomplished what many began to feel was impossible: winning the French Open.

Personally, I cannot be happier to see an athlete like Roger Federer succeed. The man is the perfect example of what the modern day sports superstar should be.

He plays the game of tennis with class, and treats his opponents as well as the officials with respect, which is why he's one of the most popular players in the locker room.

It's off the court too which makes him so great. He's an extremely intelligent and soft spoken individual who speaks more languages than most people could ever hope to learn.

He works with numerous foundations, stays out of trouble and is expecting his first child with his wife Mirka Vavrinec in a few months.

Federer is very open to speaking with the press, and he doesn't duck a question. At the same time though, he is not a man that goes seeking the spotlight and is much more comfortable staying away from the glitz and glamour so many people would flock towards if they were in his position.

That is why you had NBC's broadcast booth not showing any semblance of neutrality, openly cheering for Roger to make history.

It's why John McEnroe looked like a fan himself when interviewing Federer, so thankful to see his peer accomplish what so few have been able to.

And it's why later this month, tennis fans will be tuning in, thirsty for more history to be made, this time on the grass lawns of Wimbledon.

How the AFC North Could Surprise NFL Fans in 2009

Jeffrey Kayer — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:29:35 -0400

If there is one thing we have learned with the NFL, especially this decade, it is to expect the unexpected.

For every team like the New England Patriots, who have been a contender year in and year out, you have a team like the 2006 New Orleans Saints, who after finishing 3-13 the year before were just one game away from the Super Bowl.

That’s why something feels a bit fishy with the AFC North because it appears to be too...predictable.

When taking a look at the AFC North standings in 2008, there was a stark contrast between contender and pretender. At the top, you had the eventual champion Pittsburgh Steelers, who repeated as AFC North Champions, finishing 12-4. Just behind them were the Baltimore Ravens, finishing 11-5 before going on to play the Steelers in the AFC Championship.

Then you saw the Cincinnati Bengals, whose biggest claim to fame last year was having the first tie in the league in six years. The team finished 4-11-1, yet still finished third.

That brought you to the Cleveland Browns, who took a nose dive from their promising 2007 result the year before. Despite having a very similar roster, the Browns faltered and finished 4-12 which led to the dismissal of head coach Romeo Crennel.

It would be quick to say 2009 will be a repeat of what we saw in 2008, with the Steelers and Ravens fighting it out for a potential bye in the first week of the playoffs with the Browns and Bengals essentially serving as punching bags.

But, once again, this is the NFL, and if it has taught us anything, we’re due for something astonishing.

In fact, here are four ways the AFC North might surprise us all this year.

1. The health and draft of the Cincinnati Bengals

Last year was a nightmare season for the Bengals in terms of the teams’ health.

Carson Palmer sustained numerous injuries and the majority of the season was played by Ryan Fitzpatrick, who while he played adequately, was not near Palmer’s talent.

Running backs Kenny Watson and Chris Perry were also sidelined, which led to the Bengals signing Cedric Benson off the streets. He was one of the only bright spots last year and looks to be the go to guy at that position.

Despite the loss of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the team did have a very strong draft bringing in offensive tackle Andre Smith, linebacker Rey Maualuga as well as defensive end Michael Johnson who has the potential to be a game change at his position.

While it will most likely take time to develop these rookies into the system you never do know if you’ll have a phenomenon like the 2007 New York Giants which had nearly every rookie solidly contribute to their surprising Super Bowl season.

2. A sophomore slump in Baltimore?

By all accounts, the Ravens should be as good if not better than in 2008.

Joe Flacco, who drew criticism of the Ravens for taking him in the first round of the 2008 draft, surprised his critics looked like a veteran quarterback en route to two road wins in the playoffs including one against the top seeded Tennessee Titans.

Ray Rice also helped as rookie as did Le’Ron McClain who, while not technically a rookie, broke out as a Pro Bowl running back/fullback last year. Combined, they helped the Ravens have a competitive offense, something that sorely lacked for years.

The concern is many players in their second years tend to struggle a bit. Will this happen in Baltimore? Also, will the departure of defensive coordinator Rex Ryan affect their defense?

If either question's answer is "Yes," then the Ravens might in fact slide down in the standings.

3. Will there be a Super Bowl hangover in Pittsburgh?

Last year was obviously a very successful year for the Steelers, who became the first NFL team in history to win six Super Bowls.

Now their “one for the thumb” slogan of 2008 has now become one for the index, and with much of its team returning, there should be no reason to believe they can’t compete for another championship.

Heck, their schedule is even easier, though games against the Patriots, Colts and Chargers are never easy.

However, some teams that have reached the pinnacle of their sport have a tendency to struggle the following year.

Just ask the Steelers themselves who after winning Super Bowl XL, finished just 8-8 and out of the playoffs the following season.

If that happens again this year, their division will surely capitalize.

4. Will a new era in Cleveland help the Browns prosper?

There was a lot of hope in Cleveland heading into 2008.

Players like Derek Anderson, Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr. had career years en route to a 10-6 2007 season that had people thinking playoffs for years to come.

But it was not meant to be as Anderson struggled and was benched, Edwards could not hold on to a ball, the defense fell apart and Winslow was injured and is now on the Buccaneers.

Not surprisingly, Romeo Crennel was fired and former Jets coach Eric Mangini was hired to bring respectability brought back to the Browns.

Mangini immediately began the rebuild of this team by first trading the fifth pick in the draft to his old team the Jets so they could gain extra draft picks. They were used to draft center Alex Mack, and a new core group of wide receivers to compliment Edwards.

Return man extraordinaire Joshua Cribbs appears to be coming back to the team after he previously had asked to be traded. Brady Quinn also appears to be in control at quarterback.

The question is can the Browns capture the magic they had in 2007?

If they can, this team could sneak up on its rivals.

The smart money this year will surely be on Pittsburgh to dominate the division again this year, but the Baltimore Ravens have every right to feel they can contend for the AFC North crown. But this is the beauty of the NFL.

The second you feel a prediction is safe, it goes by the wayside.

For the Ravens, Bengals and Browns, they surely hope 2009 is the case again.

Will the Baltimore Ravens Make Detractors Eat Crow in 2009?

Jeffrey Kayer — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:40:17 -0400

It has been four months since we last saw the Baltimore Ravens, falling valiantly to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers 23-14 in the AFC Championship.

2008 was a very successful year for the Ravens, who bounced back from a disappointing 5-11 season the year before, and as the sixth seed in the AFC playoffs came just one game away from Super Bowl XLIII.

The question is, which Ravens team will we see this upcoming season? Will it be the same Ravens squad we saw in ’08 with an improved offense and stellar defense? Or will the departure of former defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to New York and a few bad bounces cause the Ravens players to watch the playoffs from home?

Recent history would suggest a down year for the Ravens. Since 2004, the team has alternated between winning and losing seasons. However, this should not stop the team and fans alike from having Super Bowl aspirations in 2009.

Last year was a fresh start for a franchise when new coach John Harbaugh was named head coach and the team drafted Joe Flacco, a quarterback from Delaware taken in the middle of the first round, which at the time many critics panned.

They also selected Ray Rice of Rutgers in the second round to solidify their depth at running back. For the first time in what seemed like the team’s history, Baltimore had a very competitive balanced offense which complimented its typical strong veteran defense.

Much of that roster returns this year. Flacco, who many proclaimed him the 2008 rookie of the year will have had another off season to work with the playbook and now has a years worth of valuable professional experience under his belt. There is no reason to believe he will not be vastly improved this year.

Also returning is the three headed running attack of Willis McGahee, Rice and Le’Ron McClain, a player who can line up at running back or full back.

Receivers Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton along with tight end Todd Heap will continue to lead the Ravens receiving corps with L.J. Smith and newly signed receiver Kelley Washington filling in as solid depth players.

The offensive line was re-tooled this year with the retirement of Willie Anderson and drafting of Michael Oher, a tremendous find for the Ravens who got him with the 23rd pick in the draft. Oher, who many considered a top ten prospect will immediately contribute to the Ravens front line.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Ravens will continue to employ their vicious 3-4 attack under new defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. Trevor Pryce and Haloti Ngata are just some of the defensive lineman on the Ravens who help open up holes for the team’s strength at line backer.

Ray Lewis is back as well as Terrell Suggs, but gone is Bart Scott who followed Rex Ryan to the Jets. This was the team’s biggest offseason loss and will seek someone like Jarrett Johnson to fill in for him.

The Ravens backfield looks as dominant as ever with the great Ed Reed sure to return more interceptions for touchdowns at free safety while Dawan Landry most likely takes over at strong safety after Jim Leonhard also went to the Jets.

Long time Raven Chris McAllister was cut but the team still has Chris Carr, Samari Rolle, Fabian Washington and others to fill his void.

The team currently has Graham Gano to kick and Sam Koch to punt.

Despite the subtractions of Scott and Leonhard, this team is poised to make another deep run this year. Only six teams in their schedule had a winning record last year, with eight games against teams who had a top ten draft pick in this years draft.

Division rivals Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns appear little better from a year ago, though the defending champion Steelers should be just as strong as well.

The major concern for this team will be the departure of Rex Ryan, the third defensive coordinator of the Ravens (Mike Nolan, Marvin Lewis) to land a head coaching job in just this decade.

His aggressive coaching style, as well as bringing Scott and Leonhard will surely be missed, and if the Ravens do struggle this year, many critics will look at this as why.

However, the Ravens should be even better this year with their offense, which was brand new last year, will have had another year to work together. Having just come one game shy last year, the Ravens do not need to improve much to see themselves playing in Miami in February in Super Bowl XLIV.

*Photo courtesy of NFL.com*