Bleacher Report - Articles by Bing Wang

In the Midst of Two Wars and a Financial Crisis, U.S. Government Attacks Sports

Bing Wang — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:30:34 -0500

Why is the government so incompetent? Why are important government officials choosing to get involved with sports issues? Is there truly nothing better for them to do than attack an entertainment business?

Right now is the transitional period between Bush and Obama, the two main issues Obama will be facing is the failing economy and the two wars in the Middle East.

It should be the responsibility of everybody else in the government to HELP Obama fix these things and HELP fix problems under his jurisdiction.

When Sen. Arlen Specter pursued the issue of "Spygate," many people thought he was overdoing it.

Why in the world is the senator wasting his time and demanding answers from the NFL when Philadelphia, a city he is supposed to represent, is bad enough to be ranked number 5 in Forbes list of most miserable cities in the U.S. Did he not have enough issues to deal with?

During the Mitchell Report scandal, there was a congressional hearing just to hear evidence about steroid abuse. That's is a far cry from when Congress met to make important decisions such as desegregating public places. There are just as many important issues now as there were then.

After the Plaxico Burress issue, Mayor Bloomberg spoke to reporters and sent the message that he wants to make Burress serve at least the mandatory 3.5 years.

"Our children are getting killed with guns in the street," he said. "It would be an outrage if we didn't prosecute to the fullest extent of law."

Mr. Bloomberg, instead of attacking a star NFL player, why don't you actively attempt to make reforms so that something like Sean Bell never happens again?

Why don't you use those $341 million to fix up the projects if you want to prevent violence in the streets and try to save lives? I am sure trying to change the projects will help New York much more than two stadiums for the Mets and Yankees.

And now we have Congressmen who think legislation to stop the BCS is more important than any of the other issues facing our nation. The bill, if passed, will prevent a post-season bowl game from being promoted as the "National Championship" game unless it resulted from a playoff system.

Why are these grown men choosing to affect a game played by STUDENT ATHLETES? Despite their star status, these kids are still in college and they do not get paid for what they do.

Is that seriously one of the main issues facing the House? Deciding whether or not to let the BCS system continue? I thought we were in the middle of a global recession. In the the face of trouble, sports have provided the ultimate escape from reality.

The escape from reality becomes a negative, we pay tax dollars so the government can fix our problems, not so they can interfere with something that is purely for entertainment.

As much as most college football fans despise the BCS and all that it represents, there are much more important issues that need to be fixed.

Watching our favorite teams being snubbed out of a National Championship game is truly just a nuisance, compared to 1 in 20 people being unemployed.

If Montana:Young Then Brady:Cassel?

Bing Wang — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:18:01 -0500

Before I get crucified, I don't think the Patriots should show Tom Brady the door.

The similarities between these two situations are uncanny. Both had their last game before an injury, in a playoff game against the Giants. Patriots lost to the Giants in a Superbowl, the 49ers lost in a NFC Championship game.

Both Matt Cassel and Steve Young came into a team that was accustomed to winning. Both had to fill the shoes of two of the most clutch players in NFL history.

They could both run the ball and rely on their legs when they needed. What they do not have yet is the cool and swagger that comes with winning multiple Super Bowls.

What helped a lot is the type of team they were playing on and the fact that they both got to pass to a dynamic duo. Moss and Welker, Rice and Taylor.

My suggestion is re-sign Cassel—if he finishes this season strongly. Re-sign him to either a two or three year deal for decent money.

Make sure Cassel knows that this job is his if he can outperform Tom Brady in the off-season.

Basically, it is his job to lose.

Given the competitive nature of these two it will bring out the best of both quarterbacks. A situation like New England is every NFL players dream. If one of them struggles next season you have a more than capable backup.

If Brady comes back like he should and proves to us why he holds the record for most touchdown passes in one season, then we have a very valuable player that many teams will want.

If Cassel finishes the season this year even distinctly as well as he has done so far he will definitely be worth at least a second round, if not first-round draft pick from him.

If the Patriots can get a first-round draft pick (re-sign Cassel, maybe trade later) and draft another stud such as Meriweather or Mayo then the defense will have the young blood needed for us to be successful for years to come.

If Brady needs some time to find his arm then we will have a good QB such as Cassel in there to lead our team like he has done so far this year.

You never know how a QB will bounce back from a knee injury. One of Brady's most underrated strengths was his ability to move around in the pocket and avoid sacks and take a hit while throwing a pass.

You never know if his mentality will change after this season-ending injury. If the worst case scenario happens and Brady is a shell of his former self, then the Patriots will be able to move onto a new era. *knock on wood*

Right now it is very important for the Patriots to be careful. Matt Cassel could very well be a one-hit wonder or he could become a future Hall-of-Famer.

Tom Brady could come back strong and set records and win Super Bowls or he could sputter a few years before finally retiring.

The most important thing is for this team to continue its dominance. Right now they have two very good quarterbacks and an excellent coach.

Make the right decision and the Patriots dynasty continues into the next decade. Make the wrong one and the Patriots will fade into obscurity and become a bottom-feeder team.

So what move do you think they will make?

Patriots-Jets: A Loss Well Learned

Bing Wang — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:31:04 -0500

Eight seconds left and the Pats are down by seven...TOUCHDOWN RANDY MOSS! TOUCHDOWN WITH ONE SECOND REMAINING!

No folks, this was not the work of Tom "Terrific" Brady.

This touchdown drive was lead by Matt "hasn't started since high school" Cassel.

This heartbreaking loss is probably going to be more beneficial than any of the wins the Patriots have had this entire season. This game against the division rival Jets the Patriots showed why they have have dominated the NFL for the past decade.

The ability the Patriots have of just rotating guys in and out is just amazing. With a patchwork defense and an offense that lost its top two guys in the backfield, the Patriots forced OT with a Jets team that had been devastating other teams.

The performance by Cassel this game was amazing. Not only did he pass for over 400 yards and three touchdowns, he led a game-tying drive with around 1:05 to play. He bulleted the last pass into a place where only Moss could make the play, and make the play he did.

He also led a touchdown drive right before the half that brought us back in the game, that was very big. Take away a bad snap and an unforced fumble and Cassel could very well have thrown five touchdowns this game.

Cassel will earn his big fat paycheck somewhere next year, he is showing all the signs of maturing and growing into a solid NFL starting QB that Brady showed his first year. The one thing Cassel is missing from his arsenal is the ability to connect on the deep ball, but I see that changing the next few weeks.

The reason I believe that is because I was once a non-believer. If you told me six weeks ago the poise that Cassel would show in a game like this, in a pressure situation like the one at the end of the game I would have asked you what you were smoking.

Cassel has given this team hope, he has given us the same hope that we always had when Brady was at helm. While he may not win every game he has shown the ability to take us to promise-land.

There was one thing I saw this game that I had not seen in a long time out of my beloved Patriots. They adjusted in game, they were getting flat out dominated before McDaniels set Cassel loose, and Pees decided to mix things up against Favre and the Jets. They did something I was scared they forgot how to do.

The result? Come back from a 18-point deficit to tie game with one second remaining. Our defense came up big and helped fix the mistakes that our offense made. The total points that came from the bad snap by Koppen, the fumble by Watson, and the dropped third down pass by Gaffney? Zero. The Jets scored zero points off of those critical errors.

That second half I saw the type of defense that I wanted to see. A defense that got after the QB whenever given the chance, and a defense that punished whoever had the ball. Thank you Jerod Mayo for proving to everybody just why Coach Belichick drafted you with our first round pick. Vernon who?

While this is still a loss, and greatly hurts our chances in a competitive AFC East, this loss has shown us the way to get things done. It would be hard for me to ignore how much potential this team has, we shot ourselves in the foot and still came within one stupid penalty or play away from beating one of the best teams in the league despite them playing a perfect game.

Thank you Patriots, for sucking me right back into this season. Man this loss hurt so good.

Adrian Peterson: Just How Good Is He?

Bing Wang — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:21:47 -0500

This is a question that can only be answered by someone who has been personally embarrassed by "All-Day" Peterson.

New Orleans, who pretty much shut him down this year, might not think much of him, however the memory of that number 28 still brings shudders to anybody who was part of that 2007 Chargers' defense.

The special thing about Peterson is his versatility. He has the ability to juke players out of their jock straps and lay out hard-hitting defenders with a simple lowering of his shoulder pads; see Al Harris.

He can outrun corners on his way to long TD's and at the same time hit linebackers out of their cleats. For many examples, just take a look back last year at what he did to a stout Chargers Defense.

He almost matched a future Hall of Fame runningback for yards last year in two less games, and we have to remember that this was a year after Tomlinson broke the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns in one season.

The expectations were so high after last year people started talking about AP not being himself and suffering a sophmore slump this year. What would a slump be for AP?

Right now, after the game against the Green Bay, he is on pace to rush for 1800 yards and thirteen touchdowns. That would be a career year for even the best running-backs in NFL history, and he does this with a guy named Gus Ferote attempting to relieve some pressure off of him. Teams may as well start putting nine players in the box.

He has put up over one hundred yards running in two thirds of his games this season and is averaging nearly five yards a carry. That is perhaps considered poor for this special back because he averaged 5.6 yards last year.

There are many things wrong with this Minnesota Vikings team that has underachieved this year, but number 28 is definitely not one of them. Peterson can single-handedly keep the Vikings in any game because every time he touches the ball you can expect a home-run. If Peterson can stay healthy, ten years from now Vikings fans may be celebrating as Peterson passes Emmit Smith for the all-time rushing leader in NFL history.

Nobody knows, but what we do know is that at least for this season "All-day" Adrian Peterson will be here all year to strike fear into opposing defenders.

The Beasts from the AFC East

Bing Wang — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:53:54 -0500

While it is a general consensus that the NFC East is the best division in the NFC, which is the power division in the AFC? Definitely not the AFC West with their first place team a mere 4-4, or even the AFC South with those under-performing Colts and Jaguars. The powerhouse division has to be the AFC East.

The New England Patriots are the team of the decade. Even without Tom Brady right now they are tied for first place in the AFC East. They have one of the best head coaches in NFL history, one of the best front-sevens in the league, and one of the better running games.

Regardless of what happens, this team is just too good to be ignored and should make the playoffs, and maybe even progress; but then again this is coming from an optimistic Patriots fan.

The New York Jets became instant contenders in this division when they signed two Pro Bowl linemen and Brett Favre before the season started. While Favre has been short of spectacular, their offensive line has allowed Thomas Jones to average 4.5 yards per carry and Favre has done enough to lead them to two comeback wins already this season. They are currently 5-3 overall and 2-1 in the division.

The Buffalo Bills started the season 4-0 before dropping to their current 5-3 record. The Bills are 5-1 outside of division play and a measly 0-2 when playing other AFC East teams. They are looking at 0-3 in the division if they cannot step it up versus the Patriots this week.

This team started the season beating two teams that had playoff hopes—and even Super Bowl hopes—in the Seahawks and Jaguars. Those two teams are, of course, struggling at this point in the season. After getting demolished by Arizona, the Bills beat a Chargers team that was riding high after stomping the Patriots. Then two discouraging losses dropped the Bills from being one of the best teams in the league to third place in the division.

If asked at this point last year if any team wanted to play the Dolphins, every team in the NFL would have said yes. They were the doormat to building a winning streak last year where they came one Camarillo catch from going winless.

Now fast forward to 2008. This Miami team could quite possibly be the most dangerous team in the NFL. They have a stifling defense, one of the best running back duos in the game, and the ultimate game manager at QB.

The Dolphins are two or three miraculous plays away from being a 6-2 team and undefeated in divisional play. The only knock on them is their inconsistency and inability to close the games. As they get more used to winning this should change. This is a team I would not want to face in the playoffs.

Another scary thought for any team is playing on the road versus the Patriots, the Jets, or the Bills in the playoffs. Both teams are located in the north, where teams would be forced to play in the freezing cold against run-oriented teams. Don't believe me? Just ask the 2004 Colts, who were the best passing offense in history before sputtering for three points in the New England snow.

We will have to wait until the season plays out, but both wild card teams could very well come out of the AFC East. Most AFC teams will probably have to win their division if they wish to make the playoffs because all of the teams in the AFC East could quite easily be 10-6 by year's end.

The only good news is that these teams will have to beat up on each other many more times before they get to that point.

The rest of the league better watch out.

The Brady-Less Patriots Need To Run The Rock

Bing Wang — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:06:31 -0400

You gotta run the football, and be able to stop the run, to win championships. That is still true to this day.

Last year's Patriots along with the Colts of old had the type of aerial assault that gave most DB's nightmares. Yet for both teams in their Super Bowl, runs they had a running back, whether it was Antowain Smith, Corey Dillon, or Joseph Addai, that performed.

The G-Men took down three of the best passing games last year in the playoffs with a stout defense, a solid running-game, and a lucky QB (still very bitter about the SB).

One thing most people do not realize about the Patriots offense last year is that before Sammy Morris got injured he produced quite a few 100 yard games. Maroney also ended the year with more than most people might expect.

For a few weeks the Patriots offense was a machine that could run over defenses and light them up through the air and the loss of that balance was the ultimate undoing of those 2007 Patriots.

After losing Tom Brady, New England needs to utilize all of its running backs to earn a spot in the playoffs. The four running backs in the starting rotation for the Patriots are all perfect complements of each other.

Using all four of them would allow for defenses to always have to keep up with a fresh running back, and because all of them run differently you don't have to rely on one being an all-star.

Along with four running backs you also have two guys like Moss and Welker playing receiver, that should definitely open up the middle if Cassel starts passing the ball like a NFL QB.

The guy that is going to get it done is Lamont Jordan. He is reminds most Patriots fans of Corey Dillon and he will be the bruiser we will need to beat down the finesse teams.

Jordan will get solid yardage and for anybody who watched Maroney last year he has the explosiveness to take it all the way on any given play, the running game should be one of the strongest units on the Patriots team this year.

If balance is obtained New England will be a deadly team next year with Brady back to light it up, a running game, and a younger defense with some of the most veteran players in the game.