Bleacher Report - Articles by Matthew Hector

Jones Completes Rehab, Waits For Decision

Matthew Hector — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:40:35 -0500

ESPN reports that Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones has completed the requirements for alcohol counseling, as mandated by the NFL following his latest violation of the league's personal conduct policy.

Jones' attorney, Worrick Robinson, said Jones has returned to Dallas and is awaiting a ruling from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on the possibility of reinstatement.

There is no way that Roger Goodell should reinstate Pacman again. This has gone on long enough. After Pacman's second incident he should have been kicked out of the league for good.

Pacman's latest violation of the league's personal conduct policy, which is the whole reason why he had to go to rehab, stemmed from an alcohol-related scuffle Oct. 7 with one of his bodyguards at a private party in Dallas.

Jerry Jones let the incident go, saying that it was, "guys being guys," but Goodell made the correct move in actually stepping up and laying down the law. Pacman was forced to go to an alcohol rehab seminar until he has been "cured," and he was suspended for four games.

The league declined to comment at the time, but has said Adam Jones' reinstatement would depend on strict compliance with treatment plans and an evaluation by, "clinical experts."

Chicago Cubs Re-Sign Ryan Dempster

Matthew Hector — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:38:12 -0500

The Cubs and Ryan Dempster agreed to a four-year contract on Tuesday.

Published reports said the new contract is worth at least $52 million. The signing secures the free agent right-hander's services through 2012.

Dempster went 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA for the Cubs last season after returning to the rotation on a full-time basis for the first time since 2002. He finished in the top seven in the National League in wins, ERA, and strikeouts and made the All-Star team for the first time since 2000.

He set a career high and tied for third in the National League in wins, ranked fourth in the league in ERA and was third with a .227 batting average against. He also allowed only 14 home runs in 206 2/3 innings and turned in 21 quality starts, tied with Ted Lilly for most on the team.

This is a key move by the Cubs, as they return one of their best starters and keep intact their top three guys in the rotation.

Don't Forget the Phish

Matthew Hector — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:53:32 -0500

After their horrid 1-15 season last year, very few expected the Miami Dolphins to win more than two games this season. Yet, the Dolphins are currently tied for second in the AFC East with the New England Patriots and are only a game behind the division leading New York Jets. Yet, the Dolphins are still not getting all of the credit that they deserve.

No one thinks that the Dolphins have a shot at the division right now, as the Jets are playing their best ball in two years, and the Patriots are still in it without Tom Brady. But the Dolphins have arguably the easiest remaining schedule in the AFC East.

The rest of the season for the Dolphins goes like this: they host New England this week, then they visit the Bills (in Toronto), and the Saint Louis Rams. After that, they play their final regular-season home game against the San Francisco 49ers. And they end off the year visiting the Chiefs in Week 16 and the Jets in Week 17.

If Miami splits all of their games against divisional opponents (that gives them a loss to both the Bills and the Patriots, and a win against the Jets) the Dolphins could easily finish off the season with a record of 10-6, which could give them a wild-card berth.

By no means at all are the Dolphins going to win the AFC East, although it is still possible, do not count out the Miami Dolphins from a playoff spot. At the way they are playing right now, they deserve to be in the playoffs. Right now, they are playing better than any other team in the AFC East, and no one should overlook them as a win.

One To Look Out For

Matthew Hector — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:14:44 -0500

Not many people have heard of him, but Buffalo Bulls WR Naaman Roosevelt is a name that many people will know within the next few years.

Roosevelt is a native of Buffalo, New York and was the Western New York record-holder for most touchdowns thrown in a single season. He threw 35 during his senior year at Saint Joseph's Collegiate Institute in Kenmore, New York.

When Roosevelt moved on to college, he changed his primary position from QB to WR, as the second string QB during his first two seasons. He was also the primary return guy for the Bulls his freshman season.

During his freshman year at UB, Roosevelt caught 31 passes for 429 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 11 punt returns for 144 yards, and 28 kick returns for 724 yards. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Bowling Green State, getting him special teams player of the week.

In his sophomore campaign, Roosevelt caught the ball 63 times for 766 yards and four touchdowns. He also had 10 punt returns for 76 yards and 21 kick returns for 471 yards.

Roosevelt is currently in his junior season and is having a great year thus far. He has 68 catches for 954 yards and eight touchdowns. One of his touchdowns won the "Pontiac Game-Changing Performance of the week" award as he caught a "Hail Mary" pass with time expired against Temple, to win the game.

His play is also up for the Pontiac Game-Changing Performance of the year award. With two games left in the regular season, Roosevelt is expected to finish off the year with 82 catches for 1145 yards and 10 touchdowns.

It is not very often that a receiver coming out of the Mid-American Conference drafts high in the NFL Draft or even makes an NFL team, but everyone needs to keep an eye on this young talent.

After he graduates next year he will get drafted anywhere between the fifth and seventh round. And, at the very least, could be a key special teams player in the NFL within the next few years.

Bonnies Looking to Be a Contender in Atlantic 10

Matthew Hector — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:31:32 -0500

It may be early in the year, but the Saint Bonaventure Bonnies are looking the best they have since the 2003 scandal, when a junior college transfer was admitted to the school without the proper credentials to attend the university. The team lost all of its scholarships and was put on probation.

Since 2003, the Bonnies have been the joke of the Atlantic 10 Conference, consistently finishing towards the bottom.

Last season the Bonnies ended off the year with an 8-22 year overall and a 2-14 record in the conference.

But this year seems like it could be the year that the Saint Bonaventure basketball program can make a swing into a contending team.

The Bonnies are a young team with a lot of talent at the guard positions, especially coming from two of their transfer students. Junior guard Chris Matthews leads the team with 19.5 points a game, and junior guard Jonathon Hall is a close second with 16 points a game.

The Bonnies are also going to be looking for production from two very talented freshman. Guard Michael Davenport and forward Andrew Nicholson.

Nicholson has scored 15 points and has 7 rebounds in the first two games of the year, and Davenport has yet to score for the Bonnies, but he has helped out on the offensive side of the ball as he has contributed 2 assists.

Although neither of these players have had much playing time yet, watch out for both of them later in the year as they gain more experience. They are a force to be reckoned with.

It is still very early in the season, but right now the Saint Bonaventure Bonnies look to be a contender to get into the Atlantic 10 tournament this year, and do not be surprised if they upset a few teams on the way.

The Good, the Bad, and the Goodell

Matthew Hector — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:48:40 -0500

The National Football League is the most dominant sport in the United States, and many people have fought hard to make it that way, starting with the first ever NFL Commissioner, Jim Thorpe, all the way to, arguably the best commissioner of NFL history, Paul Tagliabue.

But, current NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, is screwing up all of the hard work that the previous eight commissioners achieved by making the NFL into a “pansy” game (according to Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu).

You must give Goodell some credit, as it is hard to follow up someone as good as Tagliabue, who took care of the major issue that came up in 1992 when a court ruled the NFL's Collective Barging Agreement with players invalid because of their anti-free-agency rules.

The ruling gave the players free agency and had the NFL in a panic that the WLAF was put on hiatus and expansion was delayed, but he was able to get a new agreement with both free agency, that made the players happy, while establishing a salary cap that kept competitive balance.

Tagliabue also started building developmental leagues for the NFL. Establishing a spring league known as the World League of American Football, the league acted as a training ground for players trying to make NFL rosters.

In addition, Tagliabue would put expansion on the table. Tagliabue also saved the league from turmoil as the city of Cleveland vowed to fight the NFL at all costs to prevent the Browns form moving to Baltimore.

Tagliabue negotiated a compromise, where the city of Cleveland would get an expansion team and a new stadium funded by the league, while keeping the Browns history, but the current players would be allowed to move to Baltimore, establishing a new franchise.

The need for stadiums would see the Oilers shift to Nashville and has made NFL franchises and the cities that hold them some of the most valued commodities. He also made sure that Houston received another team a few years after the move.

Goodell really has handled things poorly so far as commissioner. An example is how he handles the players around the league that run into legal trouble. An epidemic of players being arrested began to reflect badly on the NFL.

To send a strong message, Goodell would begin stepping up punishment for players involved in legal incidents including Adam “Pacman” Jones of the Tennessee Titans, who was suspended the entire 2007 season after a series of arrests culminating with a Las Vegas Nightclub shooting that left a man paralyzed.

What he did there was all well and good, but he let “Pacman,” who is currently a member of the Dallas Cowboys, to remain in the league after that incident. Even worse, “Pacman” messed up just recently when he knocked out his team assigned body guard at a party.

Goodell’s answer? Suspend him for only four games and make him attend rehab.

In addition, he suspended Chris Henry of the Cincinnati Bengals after being arrested and convicted several times and is still letting him play in the league, and he also suspended, then Chicago Bears defensive tackle, Tank Johnson for eight games after being caught with enough ammunition to stage an invasion of Canada.

But Mike Vick’s cousin kills a few dogs on Vick’s property, and he gets thrown in jail and suspended indefinitely. I really don’t believe that he handles suspensions that involve the law very well.

Goodell also took down what could be considered one of Tagliabue’s better ideas, by taking out the NFL development leagues. The development leagues were a great asset to the NFL, as those players who were drafted, but could not necessarily make the team right away, could stay in shape and play football.

The greater and only league to really stay up, NFL Europa, fell through a few years ago, as Goodell believed that it was hurting the league financially. What really happened was Goodell basically laid off over 200 NFL hopefuls and lost them to the Canadian Football League of all things.

Goodell has ruined all that the great Paul Tagliabue made in the NFL, and he is hurting the league’s popularity by enforcing a bunch of silly rules. If there was only a way to impeach the commissioner of the NFL, it would be best for the league.