Bleacher Report - Articles by dave smith

Gophers Come Back To Win In Overtime

dave smith — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:44:21 -0400

The Minnesota Gophers started their first game in Syracuse hoping to get a good start to a great season.

They began the game with Syracuse fumbling the first possession at their own 16 yard-line with the ball ending up with the Gophers. The Gophers then capitalized on a Duane Bennet 16 yard touchdown run just 19 seconds into play.

Syracuse then managed to get a field goal, but was then followed on by a seven yard TD pass to Troy Staudemire for an early 14 to 3 Gopher lead.

Next Paulas answered with a 29 yard TD pass of his own to one of the Nations best, Mike Williams, to cut the Gopher lead to four.

Midway through the second quarter, Syracuse's kicker Lichtenstein hit a 26 yard field-goal to get them closer only down by one.

Following the field goal, running back Carter finished off a drive with a one-yard dive to take a 20 to 14 lead at the break.

Not a good start that the Gophers were hoping for, but they were still hoping to come back from this early deficit.

Entering the third quarter, the only score any team could manage to get was a field goal by Goher kicker Ellestad to shorten the lead to three.

Still trailing late in the fourth quarter, the Gophers managed to create a 14 play, 79 yard drive into a field-goal to tie the game up at 20 with 57 seconds remaining.

Syracuse failed to score with 57 seconds so they were forced to go into overtime where the Gophers elected to start out on defense.

It was a good pick after all for the gophers as quarterback Paulas was pressured in the pocket and threw a pick to the Gophers' defense, ending a good drive that made it all the way to the five yard-line.

Minnesota played conservatively barley moving the ball, but were still able to connect on a 35-yard field goal to take the victory over Syracuse.

This game was kind of a mediocre start for the Gophers, only managing to win in overtime.

All-in-all a win is a win and the Gophers will need that in order to fulfil any dreams for a bowl game.

Report: Chicago Cubs More Open To Deal Rich Harden to Twins Off Waivers

dave smith — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:43:26 -0400

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi report in an article that the cubs are more open to moving pitcher Rich Harden. As a Twins fan, I find this exciting and a huge upgrade to what we have right now.

Here's the article:

The Twins are serious about acquiring right-hander Rich Harden from the Chicago Cubs, and the Cubs may be more open to dealing Harden than originally thought, major league sources told FOXSports.com on Saturday. Chicago placed Harden on waivers earlier this week, and Minnesota was awarded the claim. The teams have until Monday to work out a deal. The Cubs could trade Harden and shift their focus to the future, now that they trail the Cardinals by nine games in the National League Central.

According to Baseball Prospectus, the Cubs have a five percent chance of reaching the postseason. Minnesota, meanwhile, has moved into second place in the American League Central, four and a half games back. And the Twins could make up a lot of ground on the division-leading Tigers at the end of the season, as the two teams play seven times over the final two weeks.

Harden, earning $7 million this year, is projected to be a Type A free agent at season's end, according to researcher Eddie Bajek of MLBTradeRumors.com. He would have greater trade value if it was certain that he would be offered salary arbitration after the season—and reject that offer, bringing compensatory draft picks. But that might not be the case in Chicago. Harden could earn as much as $10 million through the arbitration process.

The Cubs might not be comfortable committing that much money to a pitcher who has a history of injuries. And it's not known yet what the Cubs' player payroll will be under the new Ricketts ownership. So, if the Cubs don't expect to re-sign Harden, and have little interest in offering him salary arbitration, it makes sense for them to get what they can in a trade now.

Based on performance alone, Harden's trade value is at a high point. He is 3-1 with a 1.80 ERA in eight starts since the All-Star break, and his .500 opponents' OPS is the second-lowest among NL starters in that stretch, behind only the Phillies' Cliff Lee. The acquisition of Harden would be viewed favorably within the Twins clubhouse.

Prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, stars Joe Nathan, Justin Morneau, and Joe Mauer said in a Minneapolis Star Tribune story that they were frustrated about the team's failure to make major trades during prior years. Since then, general manager Bill Smith has added shortstop Orlando Cabrera, starter Carl Pavano, and relievers Jon Rauch and Ron Mahay.

Harden could have a bigger impact than any of them, with the possible exception of Cabrera. Minnesota has been looking to add experience to its rotation since losing Kevin Slowey to season-ending wrist surgery, and Harden has participated in three postseasons. (Harden, like Morneau, is from British Columbia.)

The Twins only have three established pitchers in their rotation. Harden is scheduled to make his next start for the Cubs on Monday—the same day the Twins start a crucial home series against the White Sox.

Rich Harden is the best pitching option right now and I would be very satisfied if the twins picked him up. As of now, we have a great chance to. The Cubs aren't planning to keep him, as you see in the article and it seems like the twins are doing there best to get him.

The only concern I have is if he'd be able to go for very long. But when he's out there, he's lights out, and that's a type of pitcher we could use. If the Twins get him, I don't think they'll sign him long-term.

They're main focus is to make a run right now and that's just how they roll. Again, I hope we could get him and I think fans would love to see him to. What are your thoughts?

Is Lopsided Ricky Rubio-Rudy Gay Deal a Rumor or Really on the Horizon?

dave smith — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:41:34 -0400

Earlier today I was checking on the latest on Rubio. I happened to find a questionable trade rumor involving Ricky Rubio and Rudy Gay reported by Dime Magazine. Here's the quote:

"Citing the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the folks at RealGM shed some light on a rumored trade proposal that would send the rights to Ricky Rubio to the Grizzlies in exchange for Rudy Gay."

Now here is what writer Austin Burton had to say about this:

"If there’s any truth to this and both teams are talking, it would go right on top of the stack of cases where Memphis GM Chris Wallace got worked over like a one-armed guy fighting Brock Lesnar. You know how I feel about Rudy’s prospects as a future superstar.

"And while Rubio’s potential is one of the great unknowns at this point, it still seems like a lopsided deal in favor of the Wolves. With Al Jefferson and Kevin Love holding down the paint and Jonny Flynn getting him the rock, Rudy would be a thoroughbred in Minnesota.

What makes this rumor seem questionable to me is that Rubio reportedly never wanted to play for the Grizzlies and might’ve pulled a Steve Francis on them. When the Grizzlies landed the No. 2 pick in the ‘09 Draft, I thought Rubio was a no-brainer for them before those reports came out and the franchise fell in love with Hasheem Thabeet.

"A cooperative Rubio would be a great pick-up for them, but at the expense of losing their best player, it’s not worth it."

Now the writer of this is exactly right. It just comes down to the fact that if Memphis really wanted Rubio this bad, they could've just picked him with the second overall pick. So why would they give up Rudy Gay to get a player that made it clear that he didn't want to go to Memphis?

The only thing that would make sense about this deal is that Rudy Gay is going to be a restricted free agent. Even so, the Wolves could just pick him up with a lot of cap space going into next years free agency. That is one of the only things I could think of.

Being a Wolves fan I would be flattered if this deal went down. Just because of the fact that Rudy Gay has proved himself and that he is soon going to turn 23.

This deal doesn't make sense, so I'm not believing it for one second.

What are your thoughts on this?

Adam Weber Will Lead the Gophers Through the Tough Big Ten Schedule

dave smith — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:25:46 -0400

Looking into this year's college football season, there are two players the whole nation should be watching: Eric Decker and Adam Weber. As a quarterback-receiver tandem, there are many reasons why they will be top in the nation.

I'll start with Adam Weber:

Weber is entering this season as a junior, and is happily playing for his hometown. He's 6'2" and 220 lbs. Furthermore, he's had good stats his first two years.

Year CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT

2007 258 449 2895 57.5 6.45 71 24 19 13 120.80

2008 255 410 2761 62.2 6.73 71 15 8 31 126.93

I consider these stats good for a college quarterback, but they are great for a freshman and sophomore quarterback. As a freshman, Weber was the Gophers' best quarterback.

It also must mean something when head coach Tim Brewster picked Weber over his son, Clint Brewster.

Clint Brewster was highly ranked when the Gophers recruited him. So, by picking Weber as the No. 1 quarterback, Brewster demonstrated his belief in his ability.

He certainly picked the right quarterback. Weber has put up great stats his first two years.

Like many quarterbacks, Weber is looking to improve next season, and considering the Gophers' better and healthier receiving crew, that may happen.

Due to a rather weak running game, Weber and the Gophers must use the passing game often in order to score. Weber has shown that he can beat teams with or without a running game, so I don't see it as being a big problem.

Moreover, Weber could use much better blocking than last year. In 2008, the offensive line gave up 31 sacks, as you could see in the stats. It's difficult for a quarterback to work under pressure all the time. The blocking doesn't have to be great, but they need to give Weber at least three to five seconds to get rid of the ball.

Now, we look at his receivers: Eric Decker, Brandon Green, Troy Stoudermire, and newly recruited Hayo Carpenter. Decker was the main reason why Weber was on fire early last season.

At midseason, Decker lead all Division I wideouts in receiving yards. Unfortunately, his success was derailed by an injury. If healthy, he would've been one of the best receivers in the nation.

He is now going into the season as a third-team All-American. I don't see why he can't repeat last year's performance.

Weber and Decker will be one of the nation's top quarterback-receiver tandems this year. Decker will be the go-to-guy that Weber can count on.

Brandon Green and Troy Stoudermire aren't guys who will put up huge numbers, but they will contribute in smaller ways. They have great speed, and they can make big plays whenever they get the ball.

Now, Hayo Carpenter is a new guy that I'm excited to watch. He was ranked the best receiver in the junior college league and was a huge steal for the Gophers.

He's going to step in right away and will be a big playmaker the whole season. Hopefully, he can take some pressure off of Decker. He will be fun to watch and will be another huge weapon for Weber.

There you have it. These are the players who will contribute to Weber's success. I'm really high on the receiving crew.

Every quarterback needs great receivers, and every receiver needs a great quarterback. When they're together, there's nothing that can stop them.

This is a team sport. Weber won't be on the field by himself. Everyone has to play their part if they want to succeed.

I see Weber becoming a future professional quarterback.

In addition, I think the Gophers have a good chance to make the Rose Bowl.

I wish Weber the best of luck and hope he will lead the Gophers to victory.

Farewell Kenechi Udeze, You Will Always Be In Our Hearts

dave smith — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:58:20 -0400

Here's an article that I dedicate to the 26-year-old Kenechi Udeze. Kenechi fought to make his journy back to the NFL, but the battle against leukemia kept it short.

He's a tough man that deserves everyone's love and prayers.

I'll start off with his career:

Udeze attended the University of Southern California, and was a three-year starter and helped his team to a 2004 Rose Bowl victory as a junior. He finished his college career with 135 tackles; 51 of them for a loss, 28 sacks; which was a school record, 14 forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, one interception, five pass deflections, and two blocked kicks.

Then came the NFL 2004 Draft where Udeze was drafted by the Vikings out of USC in the first round with the 20th overall selection.

During his rookie season with the Vikings, he started 15 games and recorded 36 tackles, five sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass deflected.

In 2005 Udeze was injured in the Vikings third game of the season with cartilage damage in his left knee, which kept him out the rest of the year. Udeze finished the season with three games started, five tackles, and one sack.

In 2006 he was once again the starter at left defensive end, playing 16 games, starting 15 and recorded 29 tackles and no sacks.

In 2007, again he played in all 16 games, with 15 starts, and had 47 tackles and five sacks.

On February 11, 2008, it was announced that Udeze was diagnosed by doctors with a form of lukemia. Udeze revealed that his leukemia was in a state of remission. Udeze would get a bone marrow transplant from his brother. He said at the time that he plans to play football again someday, but says health is his No. 1 priority for now.

Udeze returned to the Metrodome as an honorary captain for a game against the Green Bay Packers on November 9, 2008, again stating he would return.

Then yesterday, Kenechi announced his retirement to a short and difficult career.

That was all the time young Kenechi Udeze had to his short career. It was sad to hear the news that he would have to retire.

Kenechi didn't deserve this and hopefully won't have a difficult life because of this. If there's any way that he could receive help, it would be from us.

Always keep him in mind and in prayers. He needs all the help from everyone and I wish the best of luck to him.

I will always keep Kenechi in my heart and in my prayers everyday. I hope everyone will to.

Good luck and God bless you Kenechi. Enjoy life and always remember that your fans are here for you.

Lawrence Westbrook Will Be The Man That Will Lead The Gophers

dave smith — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:22:57 -0400

Going into the season, the Gophers are going to need a leader that will take over the game. They need a guy that will make you're last second shot.

Looking at last season, I think Lawrence Westbrook is that guy. From what I've seen, Lawrence is the guy who isn't afraid to take the big shot.

You may not know that Lawrence Westbrook is the cousin of Brian Westbrook. Now that's something to think of. It doesn't change a lot, but it's still something to consider.

Looking at his appearance, he's 6 ft, 195 lbs. Of course at that height, he plays the Guard position and it's really turned out well for him.

Let's take a look at his career stats:

Season MIN PTS REB AS TO A/T S BLK PF FG% FT% 3P% PPS

2006-2007 10.8 3.5 .6 .6 1.3 .46 .2 .0 1.0 .37 .529 .303 1.00

2007-2008 23.5 8.5 3.3 2.4 1.9 1.28 .9 .1 2.5 .42 .798 .393 1.29

2008-2009 24.1 12.6 2.5 1.4 2.1 .68 .7 .1 1.9 .43 .833 .358 1.31

Now comparing the offensive stats to the rest of the team, he has the best. His points-per-game numbers have improved every year, as you can see.

These aren't Stephen Curry type of offensive stats, but I think he could improve them enough, like he's been doing every year, to become the top player in the nation.

He impressed me a lot during March Madness when he had 19 points against Texas, but was unfortunately overshadowed by A.J. Abrams and no one else on the Gophers were able to contribute.

Looking at his defensive stats, nothing about Westbrook really stands out, but they are going to be better for sure next season.

Why?

Because he happens to have one of the best coaches in college basketball. His name is Tubby Smith.

Tubby is not only going to help out Lawrence with everything, but he'll help the whole team as well. He's improving our team in coaching and recruiting, and is going to help Westbrook emerge to become the top team in the big ten, if not college basketball.

Also, there are many reasons why Westbrook will perform like you've never seen before.

He's coached by Tubby Smith, he's improving everything every year, and he's getting better teammates every year. Lastly, he's a senior so he's going to be giving it 102% every time he steps on the court. He will do his best to try to get in the NBA and will accomplish this by becoming the leader of this team.

I predict a breakout season, and expect him to lead the Gophers next season.

The Non Stop History Of The Brett Favre Saga [Humor]

dave smith — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:36:24 -0400

I read an article from Norman Chad about the on going Brett Favre saga. I found it quite humorous, and I think you will to.

It's about how reporters and Favre won't give up. The news keeps coming and coming. Here's the long history of reports we've been getting from day one.

• Favre tearfully announces his retirement at Green Bay press conference.

• Favre says a possible comeback is all "rumor."

• Favre calls Packers coach Mike McCarthy and tells him he will stay retired.

• Favre sees NBC's Peter King at Starbucks, buys him a grande caffe mocha and tells him he definitely is retiring.

• Favre wants to come to Packers training camp.

• Favre is traded to the New York Jets.

• Favre calls NBC's Peter King during halftime of the Jets-Bills game and tells him he will retire at the end of the third quarter.

• Favre completes season with the Jets, then announces retirement again.

• Favre asks Jets to release him just in case he wants to sign with another team.

• Favre calls NBC's Peter King and tells him he's retiring for at least five days, maybe longer.

• Favre gets arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder while looking at carpet swatches for his pool room.

• Favre walks into CVS and buys Ben Gay.

• Scrambling for a parking spot at Home Depot, Favre throws his car up for grabs.

• ESPN's Ed Werder reports Favre was rubbing his right arm while dining at Applebee's in Clinton, Miss.

• Favre walks onto the set of "SportsCenter" and tells Neil Everett he can retire again that evening if they are having a slow news day.

• ESPN's John Clayton reports Favre has six fingers on his right (throwing) hand and five fingers on his left (non-throwing) hand.

• ESPN's Ed Werder reports Favre has five fingers on his right (throwing) hand and six fingers on his left (non-throwing) hand.

• Favre goes on HBO's "Joe Buck Live" and shows he has five fingers on each hand, but says he hasn't thrown a football in four months.

• ESPN's John Clayton reports that Ed Werder was on the phone with Sal Paolantonio while he was leaving a voice mail for Favre.

• ESPN's Chris Mortensen confirms Charles Lindbergh's baby has been kidnapped. Favre, house-hunting in Eden Prairie, runs into one of his errant passes from December '03 Packers-at-Vikings game.

• Brett Favre's Steakhouse in Green Bay changes its menu for the third time in 16 months.

• Favre switches from DirecTV to Dish TV.

• Favre, casting out for walleye in Little Sioux, Iowa, overthrows lake.

• Favre calls John Madden and tries to talk him out of retirement.

• Fox's Jay Glazer reports Favre is lifting weights that Glazer gave him.

• NBC's Peter King spills coffee on his notes from his most recent phone conversation with Favre.

• Favre tells a close friend he doesn't think he wants to wear pants any more.

• Favre walks away from Wrangler, begins discreet talks with Dockers.

• At monthly Retirees Anonymous meeting, Favre aggravates arm injury exchanging playful punches with Sugar Ray Leonard.

• ESPN reports Favre is talking to the Dalai Lama about a consulting position.

• Favre practices Hamlet's Act Three, Scene 1 soliloquy.

• Favre calls Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, asks operator if players can be inducted while still active.

• Favre fills out application for Greenpeace.

• Favre cancels life insurance, gambling he might live forever.

• Favre and wife Deanna discuss renewing vows, but he puts its off until shoulder is fully healed.

• Vikings officials watch Favre throw for 15 minutes at local high school.

• Vikings officials watch Favre parallel park for five minutes at local barbershop.

• Vikings officials watch Favre throw off the media for 45 minutes.

• Favre spurns Vikings, signs deal to split time between L.A. Galaxy and AC Milan.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/norman_chad/07/26/couch.slouch/

That is what we're basically hearing 24-7 about Favre. This isn't even close to the end.

I think that the whole thing is annoying and we should only hear one report and that is when he's actually coming back.

But for more on Favre, ESPN will happy to give you an update whenever he's ready for more attention.

Thanks for reading!

Five Things I Would Do If I Were Twins General Manager Bill Smith

dave smith — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:56:53 -0400

Right now I think Bill Smith's grade as Twins General Manager is a C-. He just hasn't done anything to impress Twins fans.

Now, going into the outdoor ballpark, the Twins are looking to double their salary. They will have a better chance at signing the Type A and B free agents, instead of signing mostly veteran Type C and D players.

Everyone expects Smith to take advantage of the new ballpark. Fans are expecting him to sign bigger free agents, extend the contracts of stars that are already on the team, and become a good general manager that isn't afraid to spend money in the future.

I have come up with five things that I would do if I was Smith. They are moves that I believe they have to make, and moves that I would want to make.

1. Give Joe Mauer an extension

The hometown hero is someone that the Twins cannot afford to let go, and he would love to stay in Minnesota for his entire career.

As mentioned before, the Twins are going to double their salary and will have enough to re-sign Mauer. They have to make the deal before his last year of his contract, because otherwise it'll pressure him and the Twins organization the whole season about what they should do.

The Twins cannot let him slip away to Boston or any team that puts its money in front of him. Minnesota will give him the money he deserves and keep him for the prime of his career.

If the Twins let him slip away, it'll ruin the team, and Justin Morneau wouldn't want to be on the team without Mauer. So I'd sign him ASAP!

2. Trade for Freddy Sanchez

The Twins are desperate for an everyday second baseman. There aren't that many in the league, and Freddy Sanchez is one of those few.

If the Twins made a deal for Sanchez, he'd be starting in the new stadium from day one. I understand that Smith doesn't want to pay a huge contract, but if he wants to keep this organization going, he needs to show the fans that he's willing to give up money so they could enjoy a playoff team.

Another reason why I want Sanchez is because he fits right in with everyone. He can field, and he hits for a great average every year. I think this would also show Mauer that the Twins are willing to pay for him, and they would look to negotiate a contract extension soon.

Let's take a look at the lineup if Minnesota made this deal.

1. Denard Span LF

2. Freddy Sanchez 2B

3. Joe Mauer C

4. Justin Morneau 1B

5. Jason Kuebel DH

6. Michael Cuddyer RF

7. Joe Crede 3B

8. Brenden Harris SS

9. Carlos Gomez CF

3. Sign or trade for an eighth-inning reliever

Without Pat Neshek, the Twins don't have a true eighth-inning guy.

Most of the Twins' relievers are suited for the seventh inning, so they need to get a guy that could get them to Nathan whenever they have a one-run lead.

There have been a lot of names thrown out that I'm not going to talk about. All I'm going to say is that whoever can pitch well in the eighth inning is someone the Twins need.

This is a huge need, and the Twins can't lose games because of the bullpen anymore.

4. Find a way to trade one of the outfielders

The Twins' outfield is made up of Denerd Span, Carlos Gomez, Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kuebel, and Delmon Young.

That's way too many outfielders, so the Twins need to involve one of these players in a trade.

Span clearly earned his everyday job, leading off every game and getting on base. The two cycle hitters definitely showed they deserve to play every day. Carlos Gomez is the fastest player in baseball, shows his defensive skill in the outfield, and has shown flashes of a great bat.

That just leaves Young. He started out slow, having to deal with his mother's death, but he is starting to get the bat going again.

Young certainly hasn't shown any defensive presence, though, which makes me think that he needs to be the one to go.

I don't know if the Twins could do anything except sell low for Young. I don't see anyone really wanting Young to start on their team, so Minnesota's in a bit of a pickle right now.

Whichever outfielder it is, the Twins need to find a way to trade one of them to even this mess out.

5. Get rid of Nick Punto

In all respect to Nick Punto, he's one of the best at fielding in the MLB.

But you can't just play on an MLB team for that.

I get tired of watching out after out from Punto, and I don't think he's an MLB type of player. He should be playing in Rochester where he belongs.

The Twins should just keep Brenden Harris at shortstop. He isn't as great as a fielder as Punto, but the good thing about Harris is he gets a hit about every game.

Punto's just a fielder, and in my organization, if you can't hit, you can't play. It's fair enough in the MLB, and I'll stick with that.

It's clear that not all five of these things will happen, because it's just how Twins general managers work.

But if I were the GM, I'd be working my butt off to do anything to entertain the fans. That's what Smith should do for the rest of his time as GM.

There will be no excuse if he doesn't make a move going into the new stadium. Give the Twins fans what they deserve!

A Fun Way To Spice Up the NHL

dave smith — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:46:21 -0400

Every time I turn on the TV and watch the NHL, there is no doubt that a shootout tops everything there is to see on a sports program. Whenever the average hockey fan is watching an every day game on TV, and the game reaches to overtime, they are desperate to see a shootout. They don't want nor care about if a team wins. They just want to see the exciting play of the shootout.

Now if you're watching your favorite team, you just want to get the win whether it's in a shootout or not.

Then there's some who want to get out of overtime just so they could see their favorite team win in a shootout. The whole point is that the shootout is the best thing in any sport and I think they should find a way to get it in every game.

Thinking about how I came up with a solution. It would make the game more fun to watch.

Before the first period, you start every game with a shootout. You do it the same way after overtime. You get three chances to score. Once a team wins a shootout, they are awarded the first goal to start the game. If it remains tied in the shootout, no one gets the first goal.

This wouldn't make a huge difference and it would add more excitement. All there is to it is having a team winning by one or having both teams tied zero to zero. This tactic would get more people to watch every game and woudn't hurt the NHL if they tried this.

Now the NHL would probably think that the way they have it is good enough and they wouldn't have to change anything, which is right. The NHL is already a fun sports program to watch and they would still be doing well in getting fans to go.

If they ever run into any troubles, this would help a lot. This would get more people to watch on TV whether it's their favorite team or not. This could also help improve their program even if it's doing well already. I would love to see it and fans across the country would to.

You could agree with this or you could disagree with it. It doesn't matter to me. I love the NHL and I think the thing I love most about it would help a lot. Now if you agree with it or like the article you could become a fan or just leave a comment of what you liked about it. If you disagree with it and think that something should be changed, let me know and I'll be happy to respond to your comments.

Five Ways to Improve the NBA

dave smith — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 23:41:14 -0400

It's clear that the NBA has teams that appear in the lottery virtually every year. For those teams fans it's very frustrating. You have to sit through a whole year with players that don't even try. Now I have come up with five ways that we won't have to put up with that anymore. It's too hard to watch for fans that pay their hard earned money to go to games or just to watch a poor effort from your favorite team at home. I encourage you to read the article and not just the headlines. So please comment on the article if you don't agree or if you do like it feel free to become a fan. Enjoy the article.

Begin Slideshow

What The Twins Should Do If They Want to Contend

dave smith — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:08:01 -0400

We have just ended a frustrating Yankee series coming up short after two games. So now all Twins fans are frustrated. They are all wondering, "what can we do against this Yankee crew"?

Going back, we were on the Yankees tail for most of these two series. In the two series, the Yankees had two right handed pitchers on the mound.

In the first game of the series, Yankees had lefty C.C. Sabathia going. The Twins lost that game 10 to 2.

Looking at these stats, it's apparent that the Twins need some right handed pop to its lineup. Now given, C.C. Sabathia is one of MLB's best.

Well going through the season, the Twins are thriving against right handed pitching every game. Left handed pitching, not as much.

Now we look at the infield. Catcher Joe Mauer! First base Justin Morneau! Second/shortstop Nick Punto, Brenden Harris, and Matt Tolbert... Last third base Joe Crede.

Looking at our infield it is obvious that we need help at second/short. Brendan Harris is the most solid out of the bunch, but still isn't at all a top of the league type of second/short hitter. Nick Punto can field but can't bat over .200. Lastly, Matt Tolbert is struggling at the plate, but when he gets it going, it's mostly a single here and a single there.

We need a lot more pop at those postions. If we wanna contend, then we can't stick with these guys. It has to be a right handed batter that can hit for everything. Whether it's a power low average hitter, a good average/solid power hitter, or little below average good power hitter.

J.J. Hardy

The Brewers are looking to move Hardy. They have a good shortstop that they're looking to take his spot. So the twins are a good candidate to get Hardy. Hardy's been struggling a bit this year.

His batting average is at .223, hitting 9 home runs and 33 RBI's. Hardy is the type of player that'll turn those stats around after the all-star break. His stats are already a lot better than any infielder that we have. So a good right handed bat would fit in perfectly in our lineup. He could also be our future shortstop.

If the Twins are too scared of his stats as of now and don't want to risk any salary, then they could be looking at other options like Dan Uggla.

Dan Uggla

The Marlins are also looking to move Uggla for a lot of prospects. He has a big contract that the Marlins don't want to pay and they're not looking to contend this year. So Uggla could be a good power option for the twins.

His batting average is at .232, hitting 16 home runs and 50 RBI's. He would provide huge power to this lineup. He is looking to hit more than 30 home runs this year. Twins fans would love to see a guy like this spark up the lineup.

The Twins might not want him because they like a guy who maintains a good average for the season. They don't want to give away a lot of good up and coming prospects. They might also be scared away to sign a big contract, but going into next season with him at second, I think fans would be disappointed if the Twins didn't spend anything for a player like this.

The Twins could be looking at some other team that doesn't want a ton of prospects. They also would want a guy who could hit for a good average. That could be a guy like Freddy Sanchez.

Freddy Sanchez

The Pirates are basically moving everyone on its team with a high salary. They are always rebuilding so Sanchez would most likely be moved.

His batting average is at .316, hitting 6 home runs and 33 RBI's. The

Twins again have nobody at this position with these numbers. So fans would much rather see Sanchez over all these guys.

The Twins would most likely try to get Sanchez out of all these three. They love guys with a good average and they wouldn't have to give up a lot to get him. They know that this position needs help and this is the guy that will do it.

What I want to happen

Out of all these three guys, I like Dan Uggla the most. I wish we wouldn't have to give up a whole lot for him, but if we have to, I'm willing to do it.

Our lineup would be stacked.

1. Denard Span LF

2. Joe Mauer C

3. Michael Cuddyer RF

4. Justin Morneau 1B

5. Dan Uggla 2B

6. Jason Kuebel DH

7. Joe Crede 3B

8. Brenden Harris SS

9. Carlos Gomez CF

That is why I want a guy like Uggla. Going into the new stadium, we would be able to afford him. We wouldn't have any problem with right handed power. We would not come out short against the Yankees.

This probably won't happen. Why? Because the Twins never make a deal to improve its team.

Another reason is because they also want to resign Joe Mauer. They would lose a lot of fans if he left. Morneau would also want to leave.

If the Twins can figure out the Mauer situation and if they can make a big trade so they can contend against teams like the Yankees, things would be perfect and we wouldn't have to face any more problems.

If you disagree with anything on this article just leave a comment. I'd be more than happy to get some. Also if you like it and agree with it, feel free to become a fan.

Thanks for reading!

The Five Toughest Matchups on the Minnesota Gophers' Schedule

dave smith — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:40:25 -0400

Going into the 09-10 season, I am going to go through the top 5 toughest teams the Gophers are going up against and what they need to do against their opponents to succeed and take victory. The teams will be judged how they're ranked today, what they did last year, which players left, who are the new players on their team etc. I will not say if the Gophers will win or not but what they have to do to win. Other than that. Enjoy!

Begin Slideshow

Why Brad Childress Could Prevent the Minnesota Vikings from Contending

dave smith — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:56:55 -0400

Going into the season the Vikes are looked upon as a Super Bowl contending team. They have a monster defense and an unstoppable offense.

Everyone thinks now they have all the pieces in place. But really they don't. Here's all the positions.

Offense

QB- Favre

RB- Peterson/Taylor/Harvin

WR- Berrain/Rice/Harvin

TE- Shiancoe

OL- McKinnie/Hutchinson/Sullivan/Herrera/Loadholt

Defense

DE- Allen/Edwards/Robison

DT- Williams wall

LB- Leber/Henderson/Greenway

CB- Winfield/Griffin

S- M. Williams/T. Johnson

After looking at the depth chart you may be wondering what's there to fill. Well it's nowhere on the field. It's on the sidelines. The guy who's calling predictable plays...Yes, you guessed it: Brad Childress!

Realistically, coaches aren't on the field making the plays. They're just there so they could call the plays for the players that'll make them.

In all fairness, coaches can't really make teams better. They can a little, but not a whole lot. The only thing they can do really is ruin a team.

In Adrian Peterson's rookie season, he had to back up Chester Taylor, unless Taylor was injured. However, everyone knew that Peterson was the better back.

In all fairness to Taylor though, he could be a starter on every team. I've loved having him on our team. But when you have a once-in-a-decade back in Peterson, there is no excuse for not playing him.

So Peterson didn't even start the day he set the record. That is completely unacceptable. If I were in charge he would've been fired after that game.

Peterson's big TD's came from running straight to the hole, then hitting the breaks and taking it around the line. There was no stopping him then.

In comes Childress. He says, "Adrian is way too impatient." So now Peterson's thinking about being patient every time he hits the hole. Now instead of going wherever he finds a gap, the way he did to take it to the house, he gets the hand off, waits for his blocks, and hammers into a big wall of seven defensive lineman.

So now Peterson's not the same as he was before. You're probably thinking, "How could you say that? He was the NFL's leading rusher."

As good as Peterson is when they finally get the block, more times than none, he takes it to the house. Regardless, clearly he's not what he was his rookie season.

One thing that he still has going that makes him unique is when he doesn't run out of bounds and lowers the boom on anyone standing in his way. He is definitely the most feared RB. Just think, would you rather be the hammer or the nail? Peterson chooses the hammer.

So that is how Childress ruined Peterson and is on the verge to ruin someone else to. Maybe a guy like Percy Harvin or someone with a good playmaking ability.

He might not just ruin a player either. He could ruin a whole team with his play calling.

But enough said about what he could do. I hope someone gets it in his head that his strategy doesn't work, and that we're looking for something new.

If you disagree with any of this or if you agree feel free to comment on it whether you like it or not or become a fan if you like it.

Thanks for reading!

Why Players Shouldn't Be Allowed To Be In The NBA Until Graduating From College

dave smith — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:00:03 -0400

Every year, the NBA drafts have a ton of freshman and once in a while a high school player taken in the draft. Well people think it's a good way to bring fans in for the NBA to make money.

Really I think taking these freshman and high school players is a bad way for the NBA to operate.

Right now you're thinking "no way" "Without taking freshman or high school players in the draft you can't get people like LeBron".

Well first off, it woudn't have hurt LeBron to play in college. If they're that good, they'll show us in college.

Another reason why NBA players shouldn't be drafted that early is because of the maturity issue. You could see that I had eighteen year old phenom Ricky Rubio as my picture. I had him there because he fits right in the maturity issue.

Rubio was taken by the Wolves with the fifth pick with Wolves fans excited. Later on everyone found out after the pick that he doesn't want to come here. He said, "it's too cold in Minnesota".

This is what really gets me going! Rubio will be traveling all over the country even if he was in LA to cold places! Not only that. It's also not a big enough market for him.

Ricky isn't the only one that's doing this. Every time a you see a freshman drafted, you see them threaten not to play there. No one wants a player like that. So they either skip on the player or trade him later on to a player who won't do that.

If you gave a player time to mature in college before playing, you wouldn't have to worry about any of this.

Of all the freshman that became stars or did anything in the NBA, there are 10 times more that didn't make it. So a lot of NBA teams have failed to do anything by taking these freshman.

So instead of taking a freshman that has only played for one year or a high school player, take a proven senior that will wanna step in to their pro team and have a better career from the years of experience in college.

Let's compare the NBA to the NFL's draft. I know they are two different sports but they have the same players with the same attitude and character.

The NFL is one of the top things going in this country. Part of the reason is the way they draft. If the NFL started taking freshman, they'd be going out of business. So instead they take seniors because they no that they won't be complaining about the team they're on and they always try their best to make the team.

Now with the NBA taking freshman, most of them don't work, they don't want to go to any team, and a lot of them fail to make it just because they left early and didn't get enough experience.

Now given these are two different sports. But they are the same people playing these sports. You look at each NFL team and you see that they virtually have a sell out every game. When you look at the NBA, you don't see anyone for half the teams.

No one wants to watch young punks that don't want to play there get huge contracts just by going through motions and shooting baskets. And the fans work there hardest every day to get money.

This is one of the reasons why the NBA is falling apart. If they get players that wanna play, then they get fans that wanna watch those players. Then they'll get a lot of sell outs and players that'll try their hardest.

I'm one of those fans that are used to seeing their favorite team not try half the season. I hope you are to. So if you disagree with this then please i'll be happy to get your comments.

Thanks for reading!

Why Favre Would Make an Impact on The Vikings

dave smith — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:39:53 -0400

People are all talking about how Favre is not going to do anything for the Vikes. They make up excuses, such as his arm will fall off or he's too old. Well I'm here to disagree.

Why? Because I know he's not going to do as bad as people say he will.

First off, Favre is not the only one on the field. He has an underrated receiving crew that's going to make a huge splash this season. This group is made up of Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice, and Percy Harvin.

Berrian

Berrian has been criticized his whole career for not reaching the 1,000-yard mark. Why hasn't he reached it? It's simple; he's never had anyone to throw to him.

For most of his career with the Bears, he had to work with quarterbacks like Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton. Orton's okay, but if you were to criticize him when he was on the Bears, look who he had throw to him!

Then he comes to Minnesota and finds out that next quarterbacks to throw to him are none other than Tavaris Jackson and Gus Ferrote. Who would really want to try to catch passes from these guys? Nobody. So for the past two seasons, Berrian was shy of reaching the 1,000-yard mark.

Last season, Berrian showed everyone his play making ability. I'm sure everyone remembers him for his speed whenever he touched the ball or went for a pass.

I'm sure Vikings fans are satisfied with having a player like that on their team and I think Favre will to. Be ready for the possible long-bomb pass with these two!

Sidney Rice

This is going to be Rice's third year as a Viking. Now Rice needs to show the flashes of skill that he showed us in his rookie season. He was one of the best rookie receivers in his first season.

Last season, he was suffering from injuries so it was hard for him to bounce back and be the player he was.

So give him a chance. He is still young and showed great potential with his great hands and his height. Once again, look for the possibility of Favre throwing to him on third downs.

Percy Harvin

There are a lot of great things you could say about this guy. I'll start with he was the most dynamic player in the draft. He will be used in the slot, as another RB, and in different formations.

Next season, if you're watching a different game and the stats come on the bottom, you might see that he caught a 60-yard pass. But really, it'll most likely be a little five-yard slant that's turned into a 60-yard pass.

So look for Harvin to be a possible Rookie of the Year candidate this upcoming season. You could also watch him take all the pressure off Favre when he just has to throw a simple pass to him. He'll boost Favre's confidence and the whole team's with his play-making ability.

If we didn't have Harvin on our team, there would basically be no point in writing this. But since he is, he's going to improve the whole team and help show that Favre still has more gas in the tank.

Now that's just our receiving crew. There's still more that'll help Favre. He is the league's leading rusher, the 2007 rookie of the year, the 2007 Pro bowl MVP, and the record holder for yards in a game.

Adrian Peterson

If you think that the receiving crew will do nothing, which is completely outrageous, then this guy will. One minute, Peterson's tearing up the defense and they're looking for another hand off. Next you know, there's a fake hand off, a long bomb down the field, followed by a touchdown.

So look for Adrian to keep the defense guessing and not put everyone on the line so opposing defenses could just dare us to make a pass. That's not going to happen anymore.

Now they won't know what to do and will have to guess every down. It will not be a very fun task for the defense and the offense will enjoy every second of it.

The next question is how the offensive line will handle the pressure. Last year, their only problem was right tackle. This season, there may be an issue when it comes to center.

Through the draft, they selected Phil Loadholt, who is a huge monster out of Oklahoma. He is a monster standing at 6'8".

You should look for Loadholt to slowly get used to everything and become your starter at right tackle by midseason. He will help a lot with the run and pass blocking. Just think how hard and how long it would take to get around him. You could expect him to be just like McKinnie, pass-blocking wise.

Now we look at the center position. Filling in for Birk will be a former Irish player by the name of John Sullivan. He was drafted in the sixth round and was a huge pick for the Vikings.

From what I heard, Sullivan has been impressive so far by the coaches from when he first came. No one has really seen a lot of him so it's hard to judge how he will do.

From what the coaches say about him, I'm confident that he'll do very well for us. Even off the field, you can tell he is a great kid just from listening to him talk on the radio. So he'll always be there for us and you'll never be worried that this kid will get in trouble.

Now that's all the positions on offense that I've covered. There is still one thing though that I'm worried about; if Brad Childress will actually find a way to help this team with his play calling.

For the past couple of seasons as head coach, Vikings fans have seen a very boring offense and are ready to see something new.

This is definitely going to be Chlidress's last year if he continues the same approach he has used during his career with the Vikings. He is saying that he is working on plays for Harvin. If that's not the case, he's done.

That's all I'm worried about this year. But it isn't the coach who's playing in the game, it's the players. Unless Childress continues this way, I am 100 percent confident with this team.

So if you're not convinced about Favre helping the Vikings after reading this, all I ask is what else do they need to do? If you find a reason, then just tell me about it and I will be happy to get all of your comments.

What To Expect From The Gophers This Year

dave smith — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:45:36 -0400

We are approaching the 2009 season wanting to know what to expect?

Well, I could assure you Gopher fans, that with a new stadium, new players, and new coaches, we are definitely going to see something different.

Whether it is a new in-game strategy, or a better team. It's going to be different. For now we'll start with the players.

We're getting a solid freshman class with players who will be willing to step up and be contributers for our team. Let's start with our top 5 new faces.

Recruiting

1. Hayo Carpenter- Hayo is one of our best recruits if not the best recruit in this class. He is 5' 11" and ran the 40 with a time of 4.4 and was ranked the best WR at the Junior College level. Now that's something to be excited for! You should expect him to step up right away and do the most out of this class.

2. Michael Carter- Michael is also one of our best recruits that I'm sure most Gopher fans were excited to hear change schools. Michael is the brother of Gopher star Tyrone Carter. Michael was originally committed to WV as he revealed it at the high school football all star game. But decided to change his mind at the last moment. Michael is a CB who was 12th best in the nation. Gopher fans should expect Michael to take time to get used to the organization and become one of our top play makers from years to come.

3. Moses Altiplate- You might know Moses from playing QB at Bloomington, MN. Moses was ranked the 16th best QB in the Nation. He's good sized at 6' 5" 230 lbs and was a huge steal in this recruiting class. When Webbers gone, you could see him as your next QB. But there's still competition ahead of him.

4. Hasan Lipscomb- Hasan is 5' 11" 201 lbs and ran the 40 at a time of 4:38. He is ranked the 24th best RB in the country and will fit in right away with our mediocre running game that needs a lot of help.

5. Ra'shede Hageman- Ra'shede is 6' 6" 251 lbs. You might also be familiar with him from playing at Minneapolis. He is ranked the sixth best TE in the country. He will do very well with a gopher team who are great at developing TE's.

So these top five recruits are ready to show us their play making abilities and will help replace last years seniors. With these guys, you'll forget all about them! I'll guarantee that. Other than losing the seniors, another area that we lost were coaches. It is never a good sign to hear that your coaches left for another team. So all we could hope is that their replacements will do better and will never think about leaving.

Coaching Changes

Last year the only coaching change the gophers made was replacing Everett Withers and bringing in Ted Roof. After watching the huge improvement in the Gopher D last year, Gopher fans really couldn’t have hoped for a better change. But after Roof spent the end of last year for Auburn, the Gophers found themselves doing it all over again.

Brewster ended up hiring his friend Kevin Cosgrove. Cosgrove earlier in his career had great success at Wisconsin, leading The Badger D to several Rose Bowl appearances. However, he did not have great success with Nebraska from 2004-2007. Part of his problem there was trying to stop more of the modern spread offences. During his time off in 2008 Cosgrove has claimed to have studied the more modern styles of offences to improve his knowledge and be a better coach. So you can't tell how much different he will be from Roof but expect to see the same physical D as last season.

On the offensive side of the ball Mike Dunbar, the offensive coordinator has left and so has his spread offense and his replacement is Jedd Fisch who has a more original style of play.

Towards the end of the 2008 season the gophers offense started to change when the OL was not doing it's job neither blocking nor passing. So following the end of that season, brewster replaced OL coach Phil Meyer and replaced him with a respected coach in Tim Davis.

So this spring expect the majority of the work to be getting the players familiar with the new offense, and trying to establish the identity of the offensive line.

Those are all of the changes they have made and that is everything you should expect for the Gophers this season. Note that coach Tim Brewster will be under a lot of pressure going into his third season with and improving team. Expect them to be a better team than we've seen in the previous years. So that's all you'll have to watch out for and expect in this coming year.

This year Gopher fans have fun with the new stadium. It will be a ton of fun watching the Gophers play and I won't miss anything this season. Go Gophers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why Can't NFL Coaches Be Creative with Plays?

dave smith — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:22:35 -0400

Every time you turn on the TV and watch the NFL, you never see anything creative that makes your eyes glisten in excitement. You see every coach in the league run the same plays every year.

First, they run the ball left, right, and down the middle in a predictable fashion. Then you always see them throw on the third down. It's a cycle.

You never see any trick plays or anything creative. If NFL teams would run something new instead of the same old plays, the defense would never know what to expect, and it's an easy TD!

So, would it really hurt for an NFL coach to at least come up with one trick play in a game, instead of having the same conservative, plain, ordinary, predictable offenses that all NFL teams run? Is it really hard for an NFL coach that makes a million or more a year to come up with something different!

Let's take the Vikings, for example, because I know all about their team and I watch them every week. They are going into the season with Percy Harvin, Adrian Peterson, Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice, Chester Taylor, etc. They have so many tools to work with and can use them in many ways.

They could have Peterson and Harvin both serve as RBs on the field at the same time. They could have Harvin go out for a swing pass and a fake hand-off to Peterson, or they could do the opposite. They could have Harvin take the snap and have him and Peterson go in a speed option.

Alternatively, why can't they come up with different formations that'll leave the defense guessing where they're going to go?

So, if you're an NFL coach doing your best trying to win games, then at least make an effort to try to win them!