Bleacher Report - Articles by matthew sheft

Why the NBA Draft Age Limit Needs To Be Revised

matthew sheft — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:10:46 -0400

With the NBA's collective bargaining agreement set to expire in 2011, it's time to to think about changing the age of draft entering eligibility back to 18. The current rule that you have to be at least 19 years old to enter the NBA Draft is absolutely absurd.

Since the new age limit's inception in 2006, the NCAA has seen a slew of one-and-done players come and go. Players such as Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant come to school for one year and leave. This makes it very hard to recruit for coaches. Coaches cannot build a team around these guys because they rarely stay more than one year.

This rule is making a mockery out of the college game. College basketball has become a farm system for guys like Rose and Durant who are only enrolled in school because they have to be. They are not there to take classes and receive an education; they are merely there to bide there time and impress scouts until they can enter the NBA Draft and sign lucrative multi-million dollar contracts.

Basketball analysts such as Dick Vitale and Bobby Knight have spoken out against the age limit as well. College basketball should be for the student-athletes who want to be at school and not for the ones who are waiting until they can sign their huge professional contracts.

It's time the NBA went back to allowing young men to enter the NBA Draft once they graduate high school. If we are going to make these athletes go to college for a year because it is "beneficial" for them, then we might as well make every student in America go to college for at least a year and not enter the workforce so they are seasoned before they can work and earn a paycheck.

Y2J Finally Being Utilized Properly by WWE

matthew sheft — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:00:28 -0400

Ever since Chris Jericho decided to make his return to the hallowed grounds of WWE, expectations have been high for him to start back at main event status right from the start, after all Jericho is the only undisputed champion in wrestling history. Jericho was given a WWE title shot at Armageddon in December against Randy Orton and it seemed like only a matter of time before Jericho would be strapping the WWE Championship around that gorgeous waist. This, however would not be the case.

Jericho entered a meaningless feud with JBL that amounted to nothing. He later won the Intercontinental title and was feuding with Kofi Kingston. It looked like WWE management would waste his talent just like they had done the majority of the time during Jericho's initial 6 year run in WWE and put him in the mid-card.

Then the tide finally turned towards Jericho's favor and he started feuding with Shawn Michaels. This feud, which started last June, has given us the best matches of 2008 and brought out the best in Shawn Michaels and Jericho during the latter part of their illustrious careers.

Chris Jericho is now the World Heavyweight Champion and the top heel on the Raw brand. No one is generating as much heel heat as he on Monday nights. Jericho is finally getting the chance to wrestle in top programs and carry the belt most coveted in the business. Chris Jericho is truly saving us from Monday night mediocrity and I for one am thankful that he is back and better than ever, even if it took him 11 months to get to here.

The Real Reason for Mick Foley's Absence From WWE TV

matthew sheft — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:04:37 -0400

As many WWE viewers have noticed, Mick Foley has not been at the announcing table with good 'ol J.R. the past two weeks on SmackDown. The average WWE fan has been led to believe that Foley's absence has to do with Edge beating him up two weeks ago on SmackDown while seeking advice for his Hell in a Cell match against the Undertaker at SummerSlam.

This, however, was used as a ploy to cover up Foley's unhappiness with the company and his desire to be released from his WWE contract and pursue other business options.

Mick Foley is a hardcore legend who defined what the word "hardcore", meant in a professional wrestling setting. The man has broken so many bones, injured body parts, and even lost part of his ear during his illustrious career.

When he was approached by Vince McMahon to be SmackDown's color commentator, he thought that he would be treated like the legend he is—that he would be treated with respect and have creative freedom when commentating.

Instead, he has been berated and yelled at by Vince, who talks into WWE commentators' headsets at times to tell them what to say. Vince has been singling out Foley and micro-managing what he can and can't say and has criticized most of Foley's own original comments.

Foley had grown tired of this and requested his release from the company. The WWE creative team has been trying to talk him into staying, mostly in fear that he could jump to TNA.

With all that Foley has done for WWE over the years, you would think they would treat him better. For years, Foley has been trying to pitch ideas to the WWE creative team, usually looking to build storylines to strengthen the characters of up-and-coming wrestlers on the verge of breaking out—and has been shot down nearly every time.

A legend and future Hall of Famer like Foley should be treated with more respect and should at least have the ear of some members of the WWE organization. I hope that Foley does indeed leave WWE and jumps ship to TNA, where he will be valued as a member of the company and can help bring more credibility to the TNA organization.

Heisman Race will be a Dawg-Fight to the End

matthew sheft — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:21:29 -0400

With college football season kicking off in two weeks, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow will begin his defense of the Heisman Trophy and try to become only the second player in NCAA history to win the prestigious award more than once in his career.

Ohio State's Archie Griffin has been the only player to accomplish this feat, doing so in the 1974 and 1975 seasons. Tebow will once again be a contender this year for the Heisman, but by no means is he a favorite to repeat.

Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells, Florida's Percy Harvin and Georgia's offensive dynamic duo of quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno complete the field along with Tebow as the early favorites to win the 2008 Heisman Trophy. Here is a breakdown of the candidates to put Tebow's repeat campaign to a halt.

Georgia QB Matthew Stafford

Stafford enters his junior season knowing his role on the team and when to step up and lead the team and when to manage the game. Stafford was vastly improved as a sophomore, throwing 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions compared to his freshman campaign, where he threw 10 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

With the emergence of teammate Knowshon Moreno as a game breaker in the backfield, Stafford's numbers should see even more improvement with defenses putting more guys in the box to stop the run and not allow Moreno to run wild.

A big year from Stafford could make him become an early entrant into the 2009 NFL Draft next spring and could lead his team to the national championship and have himself hoisting the Heisman in December.

Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno

The red-shirt sophomore Moreno's biggest problem in this race could come from teammate Matthew Stafford if he leads Georgia to the title game this winter. Moreno is coming off of a stellar 2007 campaign where he had a breakout year and emerged as a guy that give opposing defensive coordinators nightmares.

Moreno is a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the pigskin, and he will be touching it more in 2008, so beware. Knowshon has begun fielding punt and kick returns in practice, and coach Mark Richt is expecting to use Moreno as a kick returner this season as well.

Florida WR Percy Harvin

Harvin's biggest problem, like Knowshon Moreno, could be the success of his do-everything quarterback Tim Tebow. If Tebow has another 20 run, 20 pass touchdown year again in 2008 it will be hard for him to muster up attention and steal the spotlight from Tebow down in Gainesville.

Harvin is an all-around athlete who sometimes lines up as a tailback in Urban Meyer's offense. He has worked very hard this off-season and added 13 pounds to his 5-foot-11 frame.

Ohio State RB Chris Wells

Wells is the brightest star in an Ohio State offense that has many. OSU runs a balanced attack that features highly skilled wide receivers as well. Ohio State's biggest test this season comes in the form of USC on Sept. 13.

If Wells has a big game and Ohio State leaves Los Angeles victorious, then Wells and the Buckeyes could be bringing some serious hardware back to Columbus with them.

In a very competitive race to the Heisman Trophy finish line this year, expect to see one of the Bulldogs' offensive stars, Matthew Stafford or Knowshon Moreno, take home the trophy this year. Georgia has arguably the best offense in the nation this year, with 8 returning starters from last year.

With big tests coming in the form of Tennessee, Florida, LSU and Arizona State, Stafford and Moreno will have a national stage to show their skills and lead their team to the promise land with millions of people watching and earn some personal accolades on the way as well.