Bleacher Report - Articles by Brad Creech

Keeping Up with the Joneses

Brad Creech — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:21:01 -0400

With the 22nd pick of the 2008 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys select...Felix Jones?? I think every Illini fan across the entire world was shocked when that announcement was made. Even the camera crew for the draft was zeroed in on Rashard Mendenhall during Dallas' first round pick.

The look on Mendenhall's face summed up the feelings of virtually every Cowboy fan in the nation: dumbfounded. After all, Jones was a mere back up to the best running back in the draft, Darren Mcfadden, and Mendenhall was one of the leading rushers in all of college football for 2007. He also recieved the "Big Ten Player of the Year" award.

Not what you were expecting? Maybe you should have. Looking back at Jerry Jones' recruiting process, you can see a pattern that remains constant. Why select a back-up over a proven player like Mendenhall? The only answer that makes any sense is that the guy deemed "Little Tiger" must have at least one other Jones on the sidelines with him at all times and a catchy nickname like his, would'nt hurt either.

Since their former runningback, Julius, was traded during the off-season, Jerry was forced to go out and get another "Jones" to carry out the family tradition. That guy just happened to be Felix Jones, a.k.a. Felix the Cat, from Arkansas.

With the new acquisition, Jerry had to be feeling pretty good about his accomplishments. After reviewing everything and filling in the empty "Jones" slot, he must not have been satisfied. After all, two Joneses only got him to the second round of the playoffs last year. So what can three Joneses get you? Now you're starting to think like Jerry. The thing is, who else out there is named Jones?

Enter Pacman. No, not the lovable yellow arcade hero who enjoys eating ghosts, but the trouble-making cornerback and explosive kick returner from Tennessee, also with the last name Jones. Pacman is a great acquisition to the Cowboys, due to their weaknesses in special teams and at the cornerback position.

Now that he's with the Cowboys, it's back to his real name, Adam Jones. He says that he left his "Pacman" side back in Memphis. The problem is, no one knows how long it will stay there.

So now that the "Jones" scandal has been surfaced, how do you think the 2008 season will pan out? Is Felix really the cats' meow? Will "Pacman" show his true colors once again? Will Indiana Jones become the new quarterback for "America's Team"? Or will the Cowboys end the season just a bunch of characters still "Jones-ing" for that Super Bowl victory?

St. Louis Cardinals' Hopes for Postseason Play in the Hands of Rookie Hurlers

Brad Creech — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:33:02 -0400

The struggling Cardinal bullpen has been the main weakness for the Redbirds in 2008. Tony La Russa has explored many options this year in trying to fix the problem and has come up short in many attempts.

With the gradual decline of the once-dominant closer, Jason Isringhausen, many people have tried to fill his shoes. One of these, Ryan Franklin, has done a decent job, but he has fallen short in the eyes of many Cardinal fans, with seven blown saves already this year.

Many people clamored that they needed to go out and get Brian Fuentes from the Rockies during the trade deadline, but management failed to pull the trigger. Now that both veterans have "dropped the ball" in a sense, and a trade wasn't made, La Russa is forced to dive into the Cardinals' "farm system" to find a temporary fix.

One person that has tried their hand in the closer role has been former starter and rookie, Chris Perez. He did well as a starter at first, but he struggled as the season progressed, so they sent him back down to AAA to learn some new tricks.

Since coming up, he has recorded great saves against the Dodgers, Marlins, Braves, and, most recently, the Milwaukee Brewers. He has solidified his position as the primary closer for the Cards in the eyes of many by working under pressure and striking out big names in the clutch, such as the phenom power hitter for the Brewers, Prince Fielder.

The problem is: Perez cannot go every night for the Redbirds.

Solution: bring up another young gun to take the second closer's position during the expansion of the 40-man roster, since Franklin hasn't been consistent this year.

I believe the person that would best fit this role would be the young right-handed closer from AAA Memphis, Jason Motte. The first thing that catches your eye is his overpowering fastball that ranges in the mid-to-upper 90s.

In 61 games at AAA, Motte has pitched 64-2/3 innings with an era of 3.20. Opponents are batting .238 and have gone deep only five times against him. My favorite stat is the fact that he has struck out 107 batters, only walked 25, and only given up 23 earned runs.

Those are the three major statistics when judging whether or not a guy can close out a game. Most great closers are only good at one or two of these, but Motte has excelled at all three.

In my opinion, Motte is ready for the big leagues and must make a huge splash down the stretch for the Cardinals to have a real shot at making it to the playoffs.