Bleacher Report - Articles by Ben Horner

New NFL Season, More Whining from Bill Belichick

Ben Horner — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 04:15:01 -0400

By now, everyone has heard the worst news possible for all you Patriot fans out there. Tom Brady is out for the year, after suffering a knee injury in the first quarter of the Pats' 17-10 win over Kansas City. While unfortunate, the hit that Brady suffered was not a cheap shot or a dirty play.

Even the NFL agrees, issuing a press release to the same effect. Not one to go without making his feelings heard, Belichick has now come out and bashed the Chiefs Bernard Pollard, who's hit caused the injury. Let's be fair. After Carson Palmer went down early in the playoffs after a hit from then-Steeler Kimo von Oelhoffen, the NFL made it a penalty to hit a quarterback below the knee.

In addition, in the interest of partiality, it should be noted that Pollard did hit Brady below the knee. However, when you have a 275 lb lineman on your back, do you think it is easy to get up to make a hit above the knees? I have seen the replay numerous times, and it is clear that Pollard was, in my opinion, merely trying to crawl to get himself back into the play.

There was no intent on Pollard's part. He simply just rolled into Brady. It is an unfortunate injury, but that is football. However, like I said, did that stop Belichick from complaining? Not at all. Belichick has gone on the record as saying,

"...We have always taught our players that it is their responsibility to hit the quarterback above the knees and below the shoulders."

As is the norm with Belichick, there has to be some interpretation in what he says. Did he come right out and say that Pollard should be suspended and there should have been a penalty on the play? No. However, he did imply that his players would not do that because they are coached by him and that Pollard shouldn’t have done it either.

Look, I understand he is frustrated. I mean his star quarterback, and reigning NFL MVP is out for the year. Who wouldn't be mad? But as my mother always says, "There are ways to express your emotions, now shut up and learn some self-control." He could have said that he was disappointed with what happened without taking a jab at Pollard.

He also could have said that he was not thrilled with the outcome without indirectly insulting the Chiefs' staff for apparently not coaching their players the same way as him. But he didn't, so here we are with another sound bite of Belichick complaining. For goodness sakes Bill, be quiet and learn some self-control!

New Jersey Devils: 2008-2009 Season Preview

Ben Horner — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:33:22 -0400

Last season ended in disappointment in New Jersey, again, as the Devils took an early exit from the second season. It marked the fourth time in as many seasons that the Devils were eliminated before the Conference Finals.

Some teams might feel that just making the playoffs should be enough—but that is not what Devils' fans, myself included, are used to.

I'll admit it, I am an incredibly spoiled sports fan. I've seen the Devils win three Stanley Cups, the Yankees take four World Series in five years, the Giants win Super Bowl XLII, and Chelsea FC claim two titles, along with Carling and FA Cup victories.

I've become accustomed to seeing my teams do well. So when I see a team with as much potential as the Devils have getting eliminated fairly easily by a division rival in the first round, I get frustrated.

Last year, the Devils couldn't score to save their lives. They scored only 206 goals, the worst of any playoff team. They had difficulty maintaining possession of the puck. Offensive production—or lack thereof—has been a growing problem in New Jersey.

Defense and goal-tending are not the issue. The reason that Martin Brodeur and the defense played so poorly down the stretch and into the playoffs was simply because they were dog-tired.

They have been riding the wake of Brodeur and the defense for too many years. Finally, Lou Lamoriello has decided to do something about it.

First off, Brian Rolston is a great signing. He brings a strong veteran presence to the locker room, and a sniper's shot to the power play. Projected season stats: 25 G, 30 A.

Bobby Holik is another veteran coming back to New Jersey for his second tour of duty in red. Don't expect him to bulge the twine too often, but he will fill the void left by Sergie Brylin's option being declined.

Holik is a big, physical presence who can play both ways, something a team can never have too many of. Projected season stats: 13 G, 17 A.

On another note, Brian Gionta's numbers have declined after his record-breaking performance in 2005-2006, but a fair amount of that can be contributed to a lack of Scott Gomez last year.

Granted, Gionta only scored 25 goals with Gomez as his linemate in '06-07. But with Rolston on the power play, his goal total with the man-advantage should increase from his 07-08 total of eight.

The defense has been solidified with the extension of Bryce Salvador. Also, the Devils drafted defense first (which absolutely baffled me), so their blue line looks to be in a good situation.

With the signings of Holik and Rolston, the offense should improve greatly as well. Not only will they add to the goal totals, they will improve everyone around them.

New Jersey Devils 2008-2009 Projection: 105 Pts, 47 W, 24 L, 11 OT; fourth in the Eastern Conference, second in the Atlantic Division.

Young Kids and Ballgames Are Like Oil and Water, They Just Don't Mix

Ben Horner — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:26:19 -0400

Yesterday, my brother and I took our little sister to her first Yankees game. She is six. Ideally, we would have waited a few more years until she understood the game better, but since this is the last season in The House that Ruth Built, it could not wait.

First off, sitting for more than three hours can be hard for a lot of people, let alone a six-year-old. So to hope for her to sit for three-plus hours and focus on the game was unrealistic.

Secondly, trying to get a six-year-old who has never seen a full baseball game beyond what she has seen me play (which is not much, I was always kind of a garbage time player, but that's beside the point) to sit and watch a game is, as we knew, darn near impossible.

So all that led me and my brother to learn a couple of things.

SUGAR IS YOUR FRIEND: If you're taking a young child to a game, the only good way to get them to behave and not bounce all over you while you try to watch the game is food. That sentiment is usually frowned upon by the medical community because it makes Americans fat, but even they cannot deny that a child seeing candy, and being denied candy is a horrible combination.

In the first three innings, my sister ate the following things: cotton candy, dippin' dots in a helmet cup, lemonade, water, and three bites of the sandwich. Add on top of that a bag of peanuts and it was not the healthiest afternoon. But man, did it keep her quiet and entertained.

BE PREPARED TO HEMORRHAGE MONEY: Going to a game is not cheap these days to begin with. When I usually go to a game, the most I will spend is about 10 or 15 dollars on myself. I spent almost three times that much just on her in, like I said, the first three or four innings.

Souvenirs are another must. There is no way that she was walking out of that stadium without being decked out in more Yankees gear than she can use in a year. First there was the kid's hat that cost more than my first hat, t-shirt, and foam finger combined ($17.50). Then she wanted one of those miniature wooden bats, only $10. Finally, a pink bat-shaped pen, a steal at five dollars.

$32.50...$32.50!!! That stuff cost all of $1.50 to make, yet somehow they have made us excited to be able to buy it. Those crafty, crafty people.

BRIBES ARE A GOOD THING: The law says that bribes are illegal. I disagree. Bribes, like sugar, are your friend at a young kid's first game. There are very few other ways to get them to behave well enough so you can try to follow the game. Therefore, bribes are to be treated like a one night stand—it seems like a good idea at the time and it might even be fun, but don't get too attached. If you do, it will come back to haunt you.

KEEP YOUR EXPECTATIONS LOW: The fact is, most of the people who will read this understand sports at such a depth that they can enjoy a game on a completely different level. You probably understand what I mean when I say that when I go to a baseball game there are those little things that always stick out to me, like what kind of pitch Jeter hit for his single in the third inning or what pitches the pitcher has working for him that day.

I completely missed all the little things in the game yesterday. I wasn't expecting to be able to catch them, but it was still disappointing. Every once in awhile, seemingly just as I started really getting into the game, she would pull on my sleeve and ask a question that took an inning to answer. I didn't get to see half of Mussina's strikeouts because, most of the time, I was leaning over to answer another question.

The Yankees did win 15-6, so my sister got to see a Yankee win her first game. But frankly, the only parts I really saw were the same things you could see in a highlight reel.

Combine the snack runs, the breaks to cool off and get out of the sun, bathroom trips, and everything else, and I missed roughly three innings of the six-and-a-half that we stayed for.

Odds are the kids won't really care about the game much. Honestly it seemed like she was more interested in what songs they were playing over the PA system. Come to think of it, she definitely was more interested in the music.

To put it another way, the most fun she had was when we got to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

There is no question that she had a good time, but it was more because she was with her older brothers than because of the game. So if your'e planning on taking a young kid to a game, heed my advice...sugar, bribes, spending money, and low expectations are the way to go.

New Jersey Devils: the NHL's Black Sheep?

Ben Horner — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:49:18 -0400

I recently attended my college orientation in Boston, and the conversation eventually turned to hockey: college and pro.

As the discussion continued, we all started talking about our favorite teams; Kings, Bruins, Rangers, Avalanche, Red Wings, Flyers, etc.

When my turn came around everyone seem startled to hear "New Jersey" come out of my mouth.

"New Jersey? As in the Devils? How did that happen?" one kid said.

"Why? I sort of assumed that all people from New York liked the Rangers, with a few odd Islanders fans," another said.

After spending the next hour or so defending by team, I realized that a lot of hockey fans don't take the Devils seriously.

Wayne Gretzky once called them a "Mickey Mouse organization.” Granted that was in the 80s when the Devils were downright bad. But I think the stigma has stuck, and unfairly so.

I'll be one of the first to admit, the Devils attendance is not very good.

Before passing judgment on that, consider they are in hockey's Bermuda triangle, trapped between the Flyers, Rangers, and the Islanders. The fact that they were able to fill their new arena to almost 90 percent is pretty impressive considering where they are.

The Devils have not missed the playoffs since the 95-96 seasons, and they have more Stanley Cup titles in the last 15 years than every other team, save Detroit.

So, where does this stigma come from?

For a while it could have been contributed to a horrible arena. I loved seeing games at the Meadowlands, because it was fairly affordable, easy to get to, and it was easy to get tickets on short notice.

But their new arena is beautiful! It is, first and foremost, a hockey arena. The Devils have shown that they are serious about hockey by building the new arena, right in the heart of New Jersey.

Their fans have shown they are serious about hockey, time and again. The die-hards are there, night after night in the upper decks, because that’s what most of the true fans can afford, cheering their hearts out.

Despite all this, fans, certain commentators, and sometimes other organizations and players still do not take them seriously.

People on BR are not immune to this either, particularly the fans of the Canadian teams.

More than once, I have seen comments bashing the Devils. Some people have said that the Devils should be relocated. A recent article even blamed the franchise for the decline of the pre-lockout NHL. How can you blame one franchise for the "demise of the league?"

What will it take for the perception that the Devils "aren't a real team," as one “orientee” put it?

Are they going to have to win another three Cups?

Whatever it takes, I hope it happens soon, because this fan is tired of defending his team from the barbs of fans of "real teams."

Jorge Posada Heads to DL, Considers Surgery

Ben Horner — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:01:17 -0400

Today the news broke that Yankees catcher Jorge Posada was heading to the 15 Day Disabled List. Posada has already been on the DL once this season with shoulder problems, missing most of the first two months of the year. This is not unexpected, as he has been saying that he has had "discomfort" in his shoulder for weeks.

The intriguing part is the fact that he used the word "pain" for the first time when referencing his shoulder. To answer my own question, I personally am not surprised. He hasn't been able to put any sort of velocity on his throws since coming off the DL, as evidenced by his allowing 32 of 39 runners to steal against him.

That is 17.9 percent compared to a career average of 29.1 percent. His inability to throw with force nearly cost the Yankees a game on Saturday. Come crunch time, is his veteran presence worth an almost certain stolen base against? How many times have we seen a stolen base change an inning, game, series, or even history (see 2004 ALCS Game Four, Dave Roberts)?

Is it a risk worth taking down the stretch as the Yankees try to claw their way into the playoff picture? Probably not. Now some people have said, why not just leave him on the roster as a DH? Well, he hasn't been hitting very well lately, only .167 in his last seven games. That is most likely secondary to his shoulder.

It seems pointless to leave someone who can't play the field or swing the bat 100 percent on the bench, especially when you have three or four guys that can DH on any given day.

Posada says he is considering season-ending shoulder surgery. He also needs to realize that at 36, surgery could mean the end of his catching days.

Posada is the epitome of a Yankee, going about his business and doing what it takes to help the club win. But how useful will he actually be after his surgery? In reality, surgery could effectively end his career as an everyday player, at the very least his days as an everyday catcher.

Now the other side of this is that he just signed a four-year contract. He is guaranteed the money, why not let him try to come back from surgery? Personally, that is what I think should happen. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately depending on the situation, it isn't up to me.

Sports and Real Life: A Fan's Plea for Some Perspective

Ben Horner — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:35:56 -0400

My father is, oddly enough, not a fan of any sports that don't occur under the direction of the IOC. He doesn't get the passion, the ups and downs, etc. that come with following a team.

My least favorite time spent with my father was while the Yankees were on their way to going down 2-1 to Detroit in the 2006 ALDS. As I am sullenly listening and hoping against all hope that a miracle was brewing, he stops what he is doing and utters those four words that sports fans hate: "It's just a game."

He didn't understand.

I turned and said "It's not just a game! It's a passion as deep as any other, and nothing will change that. When your team loses, you feel like part of you is losing too!"

He just chuckled and said I was too young to understand, that there was bigger things than sports. I angrily turned of the TV and stalked away with those words—and my denials of what he just said—ringing in my ears.

But he was right—I didn't understand.

The next day I got a phone call around the time that the Yankees gave up four runs in the first three innings. Strangely enough, after answering that call I couldn't have cared less about what was going on in Detroit.

You see, that phone call was my brother telling me my childhood best friend was found dead in his sleep at the age of 16. There are still no clear answers as to what the cause of his death was, but it was most likely due to an accidental overdose of prescription painkillers, given for an ankle injury sustained in our high school varsity football game the day before.

Suddenly, I had no desire to see the remainder of the playoffs, with or without my beloved Yanks. Everything seemed very trivial, and I suddenly understood what my father had told me the night before.

There were things much bigger than sports, and I didn't understand what they were, and I still don't.

When I look at the picture at top, it reminds me of myself before my friend died—before I was slapped in the face by reality. I felt like my life was meaningless after my team lost, and if they won, there was never going to be any better feeling.

I haven't followed my teams anyless closely since my friend died. I still hate to see them lose. It makes me sick to my stomach sometimes. But I have a better perspective now.

My father was right, to an extent, it is, sometimes, just a game. That shouldn't stop anybody from cheering their team on. It has never stopped me because, even though it is just a game, it is a game, and a team, that I love.

But the next time your team loses a gut-wrencher to a rival or chokes away a playoff win, and you think the world is over and life isn't worth living, remember this. You can still stand up and cheer for your team. That fact alone makes you damn lucky.

Dusty Baker, Jim Leyland Vulnerable after Recent Firings?

Ben Horner — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 11:56:27 -0400

After I found out that the Blue Jays had given John Gibbons the heave-ho, I texted various people to find out if they too had heard that news.

Inevitably, my brother and I wound up arguing about who would be the next manager to be shown the door.

After an argument, via cell-phone, for a good hour or so, we were able to settle upon the conclusion of one manager from each league who might get the boot.

DUSTY BAKER Cincinnati is on the verge of a fire sale.

If you're going to be getting rid of older veterans, to try and start fresh, shouldn't the reins be handed to someone new, too?

Baker is fairly new to the Reds' bench.

With all the young prospects that the Reds have in their system, maybe it is time for every position in Cincinnati to get a fresh face.

JIM LEYLAND Let's face it, there doesn't seem to be any big upside to Detroit this season.

Detroit has a weak bullpen, weak starting pitching, and their offense is streaky at best.

It might be time to cut their losses and try something different.

The Tigers and Reds are mediocre.

The Tigers have the potential to play well; they just aren't doing so.

The Reds are just too streaky to go on a tear that would put them in the race.

Unless something changes in a hurry, these guys could be in a bit of trouble.

Euro 2008: "The Group Of Death"

Ben Horner — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:01:10 -0400

It seems that every international competition has one group that is stacked with three good teams and one team that is destined to be out after the group stages, while the other three are locked in a dogfight to fill two spots.

In the 2006 World Cup, it was Group C pitting Argentina, Holland, the Ivory Coast, and Serbia & Montenegro against each other.

This year, as Euro 2008 rapidly approaches, one group seems to grab the majority of the attention.

Aptly dubbed the "Group of Death," this group sees the 2006 World Cup finalists, France and Italy, plus Holland and Romania vying for two spots in the knockout round.

Seeing the nations in this group, it seems impossible that Romania will have a good showing in this year's competition.

What intrigues me personally is how the other "Big Three" will do.

You have to figure that France and Italy will play a great game with emotions running high on both sides. I'm sure everyone remembers that the last time these two teams met on such a big stage, Italy won on penalties to win the World Cup.

You can be sure France will want to erase the bad memories with a convincing win, but during the recent round of international friendlies, France looked like a team in trouble.

A 0-0 draw with Paraguay coupled with a 2-0 win over Ecuador that only came as a result of a late breakthrough, shows France as a team that isn't yet ready to challenge for the title of European Champions.

Italy, on the other-hand, beat Belgium convincingly 3-1.

It seems every time Italy has a chance to compete internationally, they show up big.

I don't expect this year to be any different.

Italy has lost only one game in international competition (not including friendlies) in the past two years. This is a team that is ready to play (it should be said, however, that the game they lost was to France in qualifying).

And that leaves us with the Dutch.

Traditionally a strong team, the Netherlands will no doubt provide a challenge for every team they come up against. With the likes of Van Persie, Van Nistelrooy, Kuyt, Robben, the underrated Huntelaar, and the ever-present Edwin Van der Sar in goal, the Dutch have one of the competition's strongest side.

Do not be surprised if they make it out of the group and France doesn't.

I have not included Romania in this preview of the group, because let's be serious, it is Romania. They aren't exactly a powerhouse.

Personally, I expect to see Italy and the Netherlands come out of this group, but in all honesty that could easily be France and Italy or even France and Holland. We will all just have to watch and find out.