Bleacher Report - Articles by Geoff Townsend

USC Takes Top Spot in AP Polls

Geoff Townsend — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:43:38 -0400

Keep smiling, Pete. You have every reason to do so.

The pollsters got it wrong in the preseason.

Georgia, while they definitely deserve some votes, should never have been the top team. The Trojans of Southern California are the most deserving team of the top spot in college football's FBS, and they proved that on Saturday.

After watching Quarterback Mark Sanchez pick apart the defense of a Virginia defense that produced the likes of Chris Long only a season ago, it became remarkably clear that Pete Carroll and his Trojans reign supreme in college football.

After a 21-0 first quarter, many would assume that the Trojans would hit the cruise control button and glide into a still dominant victory. Not only did the defense continue to punish Virginia's offense, the offense of USC, who amassed 555 total yards, drubbed the Cavaliers 52-7.

Mark Sanchez showed very little after-effects of a dislocated knee cap suffered only three weeks prior to his first start of the season. Sanchez completed 26 of his 35 attempts and passed for 338 yards and three touchdowns.

C.J. Gable was equally as impressive in his 2008 debut. After an injury plagued 2007 campaign, Gable opened this season with a 73 yard effort-all of which came in only nine carries, one of which he scampered 33 yards for the Trojan's third touchdown of the first quarter.

Despite that fact that pressure from Virginia was non-existent, the Trojans did exactly what a good team is supposed to do. They handled their business from the first snap to the last.

Regardless of the outcome, Virginia was no cupcake. Georgia played Georgia Southern. Ohio State played Youngstown State. If either was to lose that game, the preseason ranking system would fall under even more criticism than it already has.

By stepping up and playing a team that can hold its own against some talent, USC solidified its spot on top of the FBS.

They moved the ball down the field on offense and controlled the flow of Virginia's offense-all characteristics of a National Championship caliber team.

One down and 11 to go, but it does not get any easier for Carroll and his Trojans. Ohio State rolls onto campus in two weeks for what may be the best game of the season.

Tiger Who?

Geoff Townsend — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:16:10 -0400

Does Padraig Harrington have the world asking where Tiger is or trying to remember who he is altogether?

It seems far-fetched, I know, but by winning the PGA Championship and his second consecutive major, Harrington may have turned more heads than you think.

No player since 2000 has won more than once in a season.

Except of course for Tiger Woods, who has 4 PGA seasons in which he has won two or more tour championships.

Padraig Harrington has captured the empty hearts of SportsCenter addicts and the nothing-else-is-on golf crowd.

As we wait for Tiger Woods to bring his dominance and swagger back to the links, we are left to watch the best of the rest, and Harrington has surely accepted that title.

He battled the crowds and the cameras-and Mother Nature-at the British Open to defeat Greg Norman and the Cinderella glitz that he carried into the final round.

Then Harrington followed that performance up with back-to-back rounds of 66 to beat Sergio Garcia at the PGA Championship.

Has the unassuming Irishman captured more than the lonely hearts of golf fans, or is he simply on an asterisk-laden voyage to the Tiger-less list of tournament winners.

Padraig Harrington is no slouch.

His game is consistent and true, but does the energy falter when Woods is out of the lineup?

Few fair-weather fans knew that the final Tour event was even played last week. There was no practice round hype.

There wasn't the three week advertising campaign that includes Tiger and a Buick. There was no energy.

The Tour seems secondary since Tiger underwent another knee surgery.

In no way do Harrington's accomplishments fall to deaf ears, but outside of PGA circles he may be another supporting actor in the soap opera that has become the "Tiger Woods Saga".

His wins have not come easy, nor have they come without challengers, but his wins may ultimately be seen as flawed.

Woods will be known as the greatest player to swing a golf club. It may be hard to speak loud enough to turn heads and be acknowledged as a legitimate champion.

Harrington deserves the toasts he receives. Once Tiger comes back, though, I'm afraid he will be nothing more than an opening act.

His wins will always be in the books, but only Woods matters right now. On a grand scale anyway.

The accomplishments of any winner until Woods' return will be equal to what Harrington has done. It will be noted that Woods was not in the field.

It is unfortunate for those of us who enjoy competitive golf, but it is the dim reality.

Tiger Woods owns the media and the PGA Tour with it. Until he comes back, we will hear more of Woods' rehab than the third round scores of an event he couldn't partake in.

Bare with it golf fans, it's going to be a long winter.

One Down, Seven to Go: Michael Phelps Grabs His First Gold of 2008

Geoff Townsend — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 16:54:44 -0400

In his first race of the 2008 Summer Olympics, Michael Phelps was in a league of his own.

The 400-meter individual medley is the event Phelps said was his most challenging and least favorite, but Phelps showed no signs of weakness.

With a world-record setting time of 4:03.84, Phelps obliterated his previous record time of 4:05.25 and began his quest for eight gold medals.

The closest competitor and silver medal winner, Laszlo Cseh of Hungary, was a mere blip on the radar and touched at 4:06.16, and Ryan Lochte, the American swimmer who was supposed to give Phelps fits in this event, finished a distant third at 4:08.09.

Phelps races again later in the afternoon, local time.

The quest is on...

LeBron James to Europe?

Geoff Townsend — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:14:35 -0400

According to folks close to LeBron James, the superstar and MVP-to-be would not be opposed to playing overseas.

James' contract through 2009-2010 will net the Cleveland Cavalier $60 million. James cashed a $13.04 million paycheck during the 2007-2008 campaign, the first of his three year extension with Cleveland.

According to the James' camp, LeBron would not shy away from a European League if he received a contract "somewhere around $50 million per season."

To this point, the league has lost bench players, role players at best. There has been no franchise star packing his belongings and boarding a 777.

Outrageous money, but a loss like this one would cripple the NBA.

A $50 million payday seems extravagant, but the $250 million for David Beckham lured the Euro League superstar to the puny MLS. It is a number that could very well be reached for a player of LeBron's caliber.

We still have two seasons remaining in our contract with LeBron James which gives us one last chance to witness the second-coming.

As an NBA fan, I hope it is not the last he signs, as long as he stays between our shining seas.

Tim Donaghy Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison

Geoff Townsend — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 06:52:36 -0400

Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison on Tuesday morning.

After Donaghy was removed from officiating NBA games for gambling and making questionable calls, he went on a tirade, accusing other referees and NBA brass of encouraging the calls to protect ticket sales.

On top of his prison sentence, Donaghy must also attend counseling for a gambling addiction and undergo a three-year supervised release.

Two of Donaghy's high school friends were sentenced to more than a year in prison last week. James Battista, a professional gambler, was sentenced to 15 months. The middle man in the scheme, Thomas Martino, was sentenced to a year and one day.

Donaghy faced up to 33 months, but received 15 when the judge took his cooperation into consideration.

Woe Is Denver: Two Top Nuggets Defenders Have Packed Their Bags

Geoff Townsend — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 17:22:16 -0400

Concern is written across the faces of Denver Nuggets faithful this Summer.

After losing Marcus Camby in a relatively worthless trade to the Los Angeles Clippers and Eduardo Najera to free agency, the new-look Nugs don't look like much.

The Nuggets and their coach, George Karl—who has insisted he will revert back to his earlier coaching days and demand more of his players—have been vilified for their lack of focus on the defensive side of the floor. Yet the club's biggest moves—other than retaining J.R. Smith—have involved dealing away the two most energetic defenders on the roster.

Marcus Camby won the NBA's Defender of the Year award in 2006-2007 and was in the conversation to win it again in '07-08. Though he is undersized and contributes very little consistently on the offensive side, Camby's help-side defense and explosive leaping ability has covered the backsides of his teammates since the '02-03 season.

No, Camby cannot defend one-on-one the likes of Shaquille O'Neal or Dwight Howard. But he is capable of running the paint area against the smaller players of the Western Conference.

He can change the approach of guards and small forwards with his presence alone. As one of the most-respected shot blockers of this era, Camby makes opposing players well aware of what he can do defensively.

Eduardo Najera is not as big a name in the league, but the energy he provides off of the bench is an asset that is extremely rare. It often seems as if Eddie is over-achieving—he perpetually lives in a sort of controlled chaos.

The undeniable fact, however, is that he succeeds. He is not a threat to score twenty, but he will nag ballhandlers and rebound with the big guys inside.

The worst part about the losses is that nothing was gained. The Nuggets received the right to swap second-round picks in the 2009 draft with the Clippers for Camby—though they received a $10 million exemption as well. And because they let Najera go via free agency, all they received was a wave goodbye.

With the money gained in the Camby deal, the only option to salvage any sort of hope is to buy a defensive culture. Boston did so with Kevin Garnett, a move that paid off in spades.

Ron Artest. Tayshaun Prince. Gerald Wallace. Defensive-minded players who can contribute offensively as well—the only salvation the Nugs can see.

They have already let the defensive culture of the team—as small of a culture as it was—walk out the door. They may as well look at refiguring the entire roster.

With the two top stars contributing very little defensively, where is the hope in Denver? It seems as if the Nuggets have already conceded next season to rebuilding, but they haven't done too much to start that process.

How much longer do fans need to wait before they see something that this team is capable of? The Nuggets show glimpses at times, but the fingers start pointing as soon as the proverbial wheels fall off.

Unfortunately, nothing has been done this summer to secure those wheels.

Oklahoma City Narrows List of Names to Six

Geoff Townsend — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 06:07:38 -0400

Sorry little lady, but your Sonics are gone.

Sure, that is old news. As is the fact that the former Seattle Super Sonics had to leave the name, trademark, and colors in Seattle when they turned out the lights for the last time. What's new out of the team's new home, though, is the six finalist for the new team name.

OKC has filed for trademark rights with the league for the names that made the latest cut: the Barons, the Bison, the Energy, the Marshalls, the Thunder, or the Wind.

First and foremost, where is the swagger behind the Wind? Sure there are names in the league that do not merit any sort of latent aggression (See: Nuggets, Knickerbockers, and Pistons) but the Wind? Sounds more like a name more suited for the WNBA.

The Energy could create some hype I suppose. It's possible to get revved up about the word "energy". That word leaves the door open for all kinds of marketing schemes and mascot possibilites, but again, it is awfully similar to some WNBA monikers like the Indiana Fever or the Detroit Shock.

The Marshalls and the Barons are popular choices as they connect the history of the area to the new team, but lack a modern flair. The word baron is found more commonly in grocery store frozen pizza aisles than in daily conversations, and unless someone is discussing the latest happenings (and criminal accusations) with Brandon Marshall of the Denver Broncos you aren't likely to hear that one either.

I would like to throw a name in the hat. The Oklahoma City Mustangs. Oklahoma was once considered part of the Wild West when the west was still wild, and mustangs are the symbolic figure of that untamed spirit; A force that cannot be controlled and never goes down without a fight.

Sounds nice for a team that will need to fight nightly to identify itself as a contender in the Western Conference, does it not?

Of all the possibilities out there, and for a team that has been given a new start in every aspect of the team dynamic, the six that OKC settled on are hardly symbolic of the city, let alone of their people. Add some fire and power to the name of the team. Push the fans and city toward a fiery first season by using a title that defines the soul of the city.

Wind? Energy? Bison? C'mon. Light the fire.

Michelle Wie: A Flash in the Pan?

Geoff Townsend — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:14:46 -0400

I am not one to say that a woman can't beat a man. This country has already seen it happen (See: Billy Jean King, for all you uneducated "sports hounds" and youngsters). I am one, though, to give one request: If you dare challenge the men at their sport, bring your A game.

Michelle Wie was supposed to be the next great thing in golf; the Tiger Woods of the LPGA. Perhaps that hype was too much to begin with, but we were force-fed her as the first Michelle Wie. The first woman that could come in and challenge the world, and Annika Sorenstam, as the greatest woman golfer to play the game.

Unfortunately for that same sports world, we have been witness to perhaps one of the greatest underachievers of the last fifty years.

Sure she was fifteen when she broke onto sports pages worldwide as a professional golfer. A shy high school sophomore who happened to swing the hell out of a driver. We understood while she worked out the kinks of growing up under the scrutiny of ESPN and the eyes of golf fans everywhere. We even welcomed her challenge to play on the PGA Tour up against the boys. We saw her shoot four over the cut line. We didn't see the beginnings of a trend.

Wie's next three attempts to play PGA Tour events, the 2006 John Deere Classic, the 2007 84 Lumber Classic and the 2007 Sony Open in Hawaii, ended when Wie withdrew, then with Wie missing the cut by 13 and 14 strokes respectively.

Even when Wie's game is on, as it was last weekend, she finds a way to nix all of it. By failing to sign the scorecard after round two, she was disqualified. As a fifteen year old, new to the whole professional golf game, we may have understood. As a three year "veteran", and with 32 professional events played, it is growing rather redundant. At this point it should be second nature to sign the card and stop at the tent like you do after every round. Clockwork.

We have seen pressure ruin even the brightest stars. Not many people have the fortitude or focus of Tiger Woods, but a scorecard? If there was any belief that Michelle Wie could ever challenge the PGA, perhaps make a cut for once, what hope is there now?

Why extend a sponsor's exemption to a player that has such a spotty past? She draws a crowd, she has one of the most attractive swings in golf, and she isn't too bad on the eyes. All valid, all superficial.

At the end of the day, she can play one round of good golf every weekend. It is her trend. It's what she does. She will leave us in awe with drives approaching 300 yards, but miss a chip and three putt for bogey. She ends up on broadcasts as an "also-ran". It's not worth the sponsorship or the advertising dollars.

Give the invitations to players who may challenge or even, shock, like Zach Johnson, Rocco Mediate, or Greg Norman. They have all given sports' fans something to watch.

Annika Sorenstam didn't beat the boys. Michelle Wie never will.

To The Nudist in The Locker Room...

Geoff Townsend — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:12:19 -0400

It is common knowledge that men's locker rooms are dangerous places capable of truly altering the direction of any young man's life, but I never imagined the day that my life was forever changed.

I was there to shoot around, as if I was a good coach or a good pair of shoes away from lacing it up with Kobe and running the floor with Nash.

I had my Jordan shorts tied tight, my compression shorts snugly holding everything in its place. I even had my ball, a good one too, not one of those indoor/outdoor imposters. I was ready to go.

I entered the locker room fully conscious of his presence. Of course I couldn't have the locker room to myself, that would just be selfish of me. I walked, eyes glued to the rows of empty lockers, through the steam billowing out of the prison-like public showers.

In my opinion, public bathing should have died along with the Roman empire. Perhaps it did and the few that continue to do so are bringing up the rear. I keep my mouth closed though and sit in front of my locker.

Headband: Check

Seventeen armbands: Check.

Finger strap: Check.

It's all there. I'm ready for my audition. I had heard through the grapevine that the second cousin of some scout's son-in-law is in the stands, so I had prepared the proper mixtape and had adequately pumped myself up. All that is left is to do is lace up the Nikes.

I take a seat on the heavily lacquered pine bench in the center of the room. Father Time is still in the shower so I should be able to sneak out without any incident.

I put in my headphones and lean forward to tie my shoes. Right first for luck. I shift my weight left and perform a top notch bunny-ear method. Just as I am tightening up the final loop, though, I begin to stand and lift my head simultaneously.

There I sit, face to face with old junk. Perhaps he was steaming to get the wrinkles out, but he sneaked up with no sense of shame and with no towel.

In a split second my life changed. After pulling myself off the floor (as I had fallen backward off the bench in a last ditch effort to save my eyes) I hastily gathered my things and walked to the parking lot.

I've never really gotten over that moment. The locker room will never be the same, and God knows I won't be returning to that Rec Center, but I doubt that will be the last time.

For Heaven's sake, can I buy you a towel?

The Colorado Avalanche Just Don't Know How to Say Goodbye

Geoff Townsend — Fri, 23 May 2008 13:56:42 -0400

As if the experiment involving Adam Foote and Peter Forsberg wasn't enough of a sign, the Colorado Avalanche announced Thursday that former head coach Tony Granato would be renamed to his old position, only four years removed from a demotion in which he was replaced by the man he now replaces, Joel Quenneville.

Now riddle me this. What was the rush in Denver to sign a new head coach?

The Avs are not yet a month removed from the playoffs and had been rumored to have been interested in Detroit Red Wings’ assistant Todd McLellan especially but also had several candidates on the table.

Pat Burns, a three-time NHL Coach of the Year, is still under contract in New Jersey, but word is he is eager to come back and coach an NHL franchise.

Patrick Roy had his name brought up but quickly announced his intention to stay in Quebec and incite goalie-on-goalie brutality.

Other names brought up included John Tortorella, who was fired in Tampa Bay, Kevin Dineen, the coach of the AHL's Portland Pirates, and Ron Wilson of San Jose, who was voted by ESPN as the eighth best coach in the league for the 2007-2008 season.

The list isn't a long one, but Granato?

Francois Giguere made it a point to say after Quenneville was fired (because no coach is humble enough to come to the team that pays him millions of dollars a year and say "I'm just not the man for the job") that the process would be a long one yet he settles on a coach that has been canned from the position as soon as he did?

Of course, the decision needed to be an economical one. The NHL is still a business and in the end, it is all about profit. But doesn't the team they field, including the coaches, play a roll in those economics?

If the Avs don't improve under Granato, is he to blame? Or Giguere perhaps?

With the names available that are either job searching or interested in starting again (which is the case for Burns, whose colon cancer is in recession) I'm not sure that Granato is the one who will take Colorado past the Wings in round two. In fact, I'm not sure he wins a game either.

Let's face it, Denver. The Avs were swept by the one team in the NHL that cannot be allowed to do so. Whether the rivalry is alive or not plays no role in that either.

Regardless of the fact that Claude Lemieux is long gone or that Patrick Roy isn't on the ice to get bloodied up by Chris Osgood doesn't matter, the media personnel at both Joe Louis Arena in Detroit and the Pepsi Center in Denver will not let those clips die. The mere thought of a Wings-Avs match-up in the playoffs drove even the oldest of the old-school NHL fans to the edge of their rockers.

Had Colorado won the series, Quenneville most likely straightens his tie in the Pepsi Center next year, but he couldn't even coach his way to one win, which is unforgivable against the "Dead Wings.”

In the eyes of an Avalanche-adoring crowd, Quenneville allowed an octopus to land on his ice and watched as his team lost by six goals in an elimination game. In this city and with this team, that is criminal.

Sure, Avs apologists will argue that they were injured.

Point noted.

They were also outmatched in every other statistic though. Franzen lit them up for nine goals, they made Chris Osgood look like he was the reincarnation of a goalie the city of Denver still holds near and dear, and the special teams looked like they may have been outwitted by a wobbly skating group of pee-wees.

Those special teams, though, were Granato's responsibility as an assistant coach. I don't see how management expects to improve when they insist on using the same pieces.

Consider restoring an old car. It makes no sense whatsoever to use the rusted floorboards or the transmission that proudly roared for 100,000 miles.

The Avalanche power play was effective 14.6 percent of the time last season, good enough for third worst in the league. 14.6 percent! That is an awful lot of rust.

Some have also clamored that Granato is the winning-est coach in Avs history.

Noted.

He also boasts a less that stellar 9-9 record in the playoffs, only slightly better than Quenneville's 8-11, and Granato never came close to matching up with a buzz saw like the Red Wings.

Pat Burns was 16-8 (.750) in 2003 alone when he coached the New Jersey Devils to a Stanley Cup.

My gripe is not with Granato. In no way is he the one to blame for his hiring. He simply signed his name next to an "X" on a sheet that said, in short, that he would be making a lot more money next season.

My problem, however, is in Giguere and his urgency to hire a coach who is still a good five years away to being experienced enough to lead a team to the pinnacle of the NHL. His insistence on his choice is also a disheartening reality.

As an Avalanche fan and a hockey fan, I am miffed. The economics may be attractive, but the coach is not.

At this point, I may even concede to interviewing Scotty Bowman. Perhaps then the culture in Denver may begin to change.

Stanley Cup Finals: Ageism at Its Finest, Coming at the Perfect Time

Geoff Townsend — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:29:39 -0400

Never before has the NHL needed a series like the one about to commence. Following a lackluster three seasons since the lockout, hockey fans can once again rejoice in what we are being dished:

Sid the Kid, Malkin—the Robin to Crosby's Batman, Jordan Stall, Fleury in goal. Pittsburgh is poised to reign supreme for a decade.

On the other side we have the team that has done just that. Chris Chelios, age 46, Chris Osgood, age 35 (arguably the Wings most seasoned "youngster"), and Nicklas Lindstrom, age 38, have been at the top of their sport for longer than most of the Pittsburgh Penguins have been tying up skates.

Age, though it may be the most glaring difference between these teams, could also be the most profound thing to happen in modern-day sports. It is an opportunity for a young team to grab hold of a torch held too long by aging veterans, and usher in a new generation of hockey—or it could be an opportunity for an aging team to leave one last imprint on Lord Stanley.

Coaches have last year's tape, sportscasters have tape from generations ago, and fans have last week. Our sports culture has quickly adpoted a "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately" mindset, demanding constant success and steady improvements over what we had come to expect. Penguins fans could only hope and wait until their "babies" came of age, and Detroit fans could only pray that age didn't fail them now (because we all know the octopus never will).

Perhaps there is not too much different between the two teams. They are strong on power plays, excitingly risky on penalty kills, and each have deep benches. The glaring difference, though, will always be age.

Can the Wings' legs hold up for one more series? Can Crosby, Malkin, and Fleury steal the spotlight and thrust hockey back onto the main stage? Will Hasek return to sign another five-year contract?

The spotlights are primed, the zambonis are tuned, and the most intriguing possible scenario is about to unfold in front of a very deserving NHL crowd—and we are lucky enough to be on the edge of our seats.