Bleacher Report - US Cities

Not Much To Say About the Broncos

Josh Gilchrist — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:58:38 -0500

This site was devoted to the culture change that is taking place within the Denver Broncos organization. After a four-game relapse that is reminiscent of the 2006, 2007, and 2008 seasons, this site is now about change that needs to take place.

I am not calling for the firing of Josh McDaniels, but the so-called boy genius has a long way to go. I am willing to give him time (like two seasons worth), but getting better before you get worse is one of the worst feelings—far too familiar to long-suffering Broncos fans.

Maybe the MSM was right about the Denver Broncos. I hate to say it. However, McDaniels has been unable to motivate his team and get them performing. They were outplayed by Baltimore and Pittsburgh, humiliated in D.C., and curb-stomped by their fiercest division rivalry at home after beating them earlier in the season (that one really hurts). No adjustments seem to be being made.

I hate to say anything negative regarding the hot start. Unfortunately, it will mean absolutely nothing if they lose out on the playoffs. The 6-0 record is quickly disintegrating.

Why? I understand that they aren’t a perfect team, but are they this bad? Did the boys put all of their heart and soul on the line those first six games and are now running on empty? Did McDaniels think that they could do the exact same thing week after week and avoid opposing NFL coaches figuring them out? Were the Broncos so amazing at adjusting in the second half of games, only to become completely unable to adjust, at all, to adversity in the middle of a season?

These are the questions that I would like to have answered. I am done making excuses for the Broncos. I was Mike Shanahan’s harshest critic. I still think he needed to move on from the Broncos, but I need to be fair in my assessment of Josh McDaniels too. Therefore, in all fairness, I think the Broncos’ coaching and performance has been inexcusable the past four weeks.

I thought Josh McDaniels was changing the culture. Maybe he is, but there is still a lot of work to do.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

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Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler Talk it Out

Jarrett Carter — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:00:17 -0500

So we learned that the selfish comments recently made by Gilbert Arenas were directed at Caron Butler, and mostly crafted out of Arenas’ frustration with the offense. Needless to say, Arenas never should have said anything publicly, but apparently the two have talked and patched it up.

So glad it didn’t evolve to the point where someone is asking how their *ss tastes.

Now, onto the true root of this problem; the Wizards struggles to adapt to Flip Saunders’ offense. We know it can work and work well; Saunders’ success in Minnesota and Detroit supplement this point. So what’s not working for the Wizards?

In Minnesota, Saunders’ had Kevin Garnett, Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell. In Detroit, he had Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince.

See what’s missing for the Wizards?

The Wizards, while they do have a vastly improved Brendan Haywood, do not have the interior presence that is necessary to free up the perimeter for Arenas and Butler. Antawn Jamison can score inside and out, but certainly not with his back to the basket on post up moves. Jamison moves outside-in, not the obverse.

In turn, you have a Wiz team with offensive-minded Arenas needing to decide if Mike Miller for three, Butler in the iso, Jamison on the iso, or himself on the iso is the best option. Every. Single. Possession. All four need touches, and they’ve yet to learn which is the best from situation to situation.

If there were a legitimate back-to-the-basket scorer, there would be far fewer issues. Ideally, this would be Andray Blatche, but we know that Seven-Day Dray has quickly devolved back into "Turnover in the Flesh". The Wizards have to have somebody to throw it to in the post, and if that option is gone, a variety of options available for spot up shooting or drives to the basket.

The offense can’t go through Gilbert’s decision making process in Flip Saunders’ system. Arenas is not Sam Cassell and he’s not Chauncey Billups; he hasn’t yet mastered when it’s his time versus his teammates. Most of that is attributable to injury and a lack of games played, but thank downright basketball immaturity for some of it.

An eighth of the season is over, and Orlando, Atlanta and Miami have put a stamp on the Southeast division. It’s one thing for Arenas and Butler to break up and make up, but it will be something more challenging for the team to figure out its deficiencies and make up ground in the Eastern Conference.

Technorati Tags: Antawn Jamison , Caron Butler , Flip Saunders , Gilbert Arenas , Washington Wizards

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Wale': Still Not Getting Love From Wizards

Jarrett Carter — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:38:24 -0500

Despite a rise in popularity in his hometown of Washington D.C., rap artist Wale is still flying under the radar of the Washington Wizards.

Instead, players are “heavy on Drake.” Ugh.

But it’s an interesting point about the Wizards having an attention deficit on the rise of Wale’. If you take Tweets to mean anything, Wale' holds monumental sensibilities about folks from the DMV not supporting him. Time after time, he’s Tweeted and re-Tweeted his own disdain for local non-believers, disobedient radio, and the disparaging remarks of others from the area who don’t like his style, his delivery, his content, anything.

And yet, he’s comfortable enough to go on record as someone who not only avoids being a fan of the Wizards, but as someone who supports the rival Cleveland Cavaliers.

I say to each his own. But I also say it’s slightly hypocritical to shame those who feel about their homegrown rap hero the way he does about his homegrown pro basketball team.

Technorati Tags: Washington Wizards

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Mora, Seahawks Don't Have Time To Be "Optimistic"

NW Sports Report — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:43:10 -0500

At 3-6 the Seattle Seahawks have taken yet another step back since their Super Bowl run in 2005. Whether it be injuries, poor performance or losing key players the Seahawks have fallen from the elite of the NFL down to the level of the Bills, Redskins and Raiders.

After going 4-12 in 2008 the Seahawks decided not to rebuild but more retool and re boost to make a quick turn around, making it seem like nothing happened. Well that plan has completely backfired on Mora, Ruskell and the Seahawks organization.

Not only are the Seahawks 3-6 but they have looked horrendous on both sides of the ball this entire season. They have have two fluke blowouts against the St Louis Rams (1-7) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4).

Outside of those two games the Seahawks have looked confused, lost and just down right depressing against the San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals (in Seattle), Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions.

The only game in which the Seahawks lost that they should considerable fight in would be their last game against the Arizona Cardinals, in Arizona.

The Seahawks contained an elite QB in Kurt Warner for the majority of the first half. With about two minutes left in the half the Seahawks looked completely lost and pulled one out of the hat with a holding call on the Cardinals which forced them to lose their touchdown to Steve Breaston and settle for a Neil Rackers field goal making it 17-10 at half.

In the second half it carried over and the Seahawks never looked the same. They got no pressure on Kurt Warner and fell of their containment of Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston and Anquan Boldin.

However the blame went 90 percent no Matt Hasselbeck for botching the final two drives.

So the point of all this? Well Seahawks head coach Jim Mora Jr. has been completely content on saying week in and week out that he is still very optimistic of this football team despite their terrible start.

Every smart head coach in the NFL knows when you have to stop being "optimistic" and start showing why you are.

Now it would be smart for Mora to say he's " optimistic" about the future of this football team (2010, 2011) instead of 2009. This team is missing a considerable about of talent and it's hard to run the table and go 10-6 when you don't have the personnel to do so.

Yes, the Seahawks have all 53 active roster players healthy despite Josh Wilson and Marcus Trufant having concussions from the Arizona game. But with LT Walter Jones on IR as well as MLB Lofa Tatupu this team is still missing a few players.

Not only that, but the fact that Matt Hasselbeck couldn't beat out JaMarcus Russell in a QB competition, which really means that he's on the far down side of his career and really doesn't have the skills to play 2-3 more years like Mora and a lot of fans believe.

Not only has Hasselbeck lost his skills but when you say you still think you can win the NFC West and then follow that up by having your two best targets (John Carlson and Nate Burleson) record a combine one reception for 31 yards and a touchdown you will not win the game no matter how many yards TJ and Forsett have.

In all sense Jim Mora Jr. needs to either start getting his team to show some form of heart or fight or shut up. It's that simple.

The Buffalo Bills just fired Dick Jauron after the Bills started 3-6. If the Seahawks lose to both Minnesota and St Louis these next two weeks I would be expecting a damn good explanation from Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell on why he's still the coach in Seattle.

Either way Jim Mora Jr. and Tim Ruskell might be looking for new jobs with new teams this off season if they don't get this team fighting and fighting fast.

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