TCU to Join Big East

TCU has accepted an invitation to become the 17th member of the Big East Conference and the 9th football member, beginning in the 2012-2013 season.  The move puts the basketball conference in a very precarious position, as a league with 17 members, with potentially more members to come, makes scheduling, organization, and distribution of revenue very difficult.  By comparison, the 2nd largest basketball conference, the Atlantic 10, has 14 members, and has neither the money nor the national prominence of the Big East.  Such a prominent conference with so many teams will be difficult to manage.  However, like most decisions with regard to conference realignment, it was driven by football and the money that comes with it.

Big East football is struggling, and its position as a major football conference has been in jeopardy.  The BCS evaluation period for the Big East’s automatic bid ends in December 2011, and recent history suggests that the conference is not always worthy of an automatic BCS bid.  An addition of a perennial power like TCU is essential for the Big East to retain its BCS automatic bid and the revenue that comes with it.  The Big East will be able to report TCU’s accomplishments and prominence to the BCS for this evaluation, which will most likely secure the BCS automatic bid until the next evaluation period for the 2016-2017 season.  Also, the addition of the Dallas television market, one of the top 5 markets in the country, is a major benefit for the Big East.

The move to a major conference was important for TCU as well.  By joining the Big East, TCU will have an opportunity to earn a BCS bid every year, without concern about BCS rankings or the image of non-automatic qualifying schools.  In addition, the Horned Frogs’ strength of schedule will improve with the move from the Mountain West to the Big East.  The opportunities that exist for the TCU football program in the Big East were unmatched.  The decision to move to the Big East was a perfect match for both entities, as both were filling a void for the other, and now both are in a much better position athletically and financially moving forward.

Where does the Big East move from here?  With 17 schools for basketball, and 9 schools for football, an addition of at least 1 more school is likely.  The Big East desires at least 10 football schools so that it can lobby to the NCAA, just as the Big XII did, for a conference championship game, even though traditional NCAA regulations require 12 teams for a conference championship game.  Candidates for the 10th football spot include Conference USA teams like UCF, Memphis, and Houston, among others.  Another possible addition for football is Villanova, which is already a basketball school in the Big East with a football program at the FCS level.  The offer was made to Villanova to move the football program to the Big East at the beginning of this season.  The potential move by Villanova is currently being reviewed by the VU Athletic Department, and is being led by Athletic Director Vince Necastro.  The decision will be made by early Spring 2011, according to President Father Donohue.  I have been strongly against the potential move from the FCS to the FBS, for many reasons (See my Letter to the VU Athletic Director and the President, http://bobsportsblog.wordpress.com/2010/09/10/nova-to-the-big-east-in-football/).

How will the Big East change beyond football with the addition of TCU?  First, the scheduling and organization of basketball will change dramatically.  At this point, each conference team plays all other teams at least once, and plays 3 teams twice in the regular season, which fulfills the 18 game conference schedule.  With the addition of TCU, and perhaps more schools, the number of repeat conference games per season will decrease or even disappear, which would lead to more balanced scheduling but greater disparity among the quality of teams in the Big East.  In addition, the format of conference tournaments in all sports will need to be changed significantly.  A 17 team conference will become extremely difficult to schedule efficiently and effectively.

Another concern is the travel for TCU.  The Big East consists of teams primarily on the Atlantic Coast, and primarily  in the North.  Teams like Marquette, Depaul, Notre Dame, and South Florida are the exceptions.  However, none of these teams are nearly as far from “Big East Heartland” as TCU.  TCU joins Depaul as the only other Big East team in the Central Time zone, and joins South Florida as the only other Big East team located below the state of Kentucky.  TCU is the farthest outlier geographically, which will certainly affect sports besides basketball and football in terms of transportation.  It is interesting to note; however, that TCU is actually less of an outlier now than it was during its time in the Mountain West.  While in the Mountain West, TCU was the only team in the Central time zone, and more than half of the teams in the conference were 2 time zones away, in the Pacific time zone.  Therefore, long distance traveling will not be new for TCU athletes, but will certainly affect scheduling for the Big East, which hasn’t had to deal with a school located so far from the rest of the Big East schools.

In terms of competition in athletics, TCU will bring an unique presence to the conference.  In basketball, TCU will struggle in a conference that has been the best in college basketball in recent years.  In baseball, TCU will dominate, and will fight with Louisville for conference supremacy most years.  In football, TCU will finally get a bit of a test in conference play.  It will be very exciting to see how TCU will fare against West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, and others in the Big East.  In the same vein, it will be exciting to see the impact TCU will have on the conference on the whole, and if recruiting, quality of play, and general excitement around the conference will change with the addition of the program.

TCU brings a new era and a new opportunity to the Big East with the change in affiliation.  Big East football is thankful for the opportunity given by TCU, and TCU is thankful for the opportunity given by the Big East.

Podcast: NFL Special

Title: NFL Special

An in-depth look at the NFL, including a round up of the past week and a preview of the Thanksgiving Day Games. Eagles vs. Giants, Bills vs. Bengals, and the Jeff Fisher vs. Vince Young issue is covered, among others.

Link: http://bobsportsblog.podomatic.com/entry/2010-11-24T18_54_31-08_00

Mets Hire Terry Collins

The New York Mets entered this offseason without a Manager and a General Manager, and as of Tuesday both positions were filled.  The Mets hired Sandy Alderson as the GM on October 29, and instructed him to conduct the manager search.  Tuesday, Alderson completed his search and hired Terry Collins, a former Major League player who has plenty of coaching experience.  He has had decades of experience in the minors, has had experience as bullpen coach at the Major League level, and has had two stints at manager, with the Houston Astros and Anaheim Angels.  Collins compiled a 444-434 record in 6 years of managing in the Major Leagues.

Terry Collins is known to be a fiery, intense, and stringent manager.  He is as serious as any manager on game day, and does not allow his players to be complacent.  He has been known to snap at times on his team after poor performances and performances that he deems to be lackluster and not up to par.  Collins will be a sudden change from the laid back personalities of Willie Randolph and Jerry Manuel, the previous 2 Mets managers.  However, a fiery manager who stresses accountability and demands the best from players each and every night is what the Mets need right now.  The Mets have always had the talent, but the talent has never been consistent.  Jason Bay had a very average season in his first year with the club, Carlos Beltran has had attitude problems, Jose Reyes has proved to be soft in his reactions to minor injuries, and many other talented players have underperformed in the past few years.  The Mets organization needed to hire a manager like Collins, because the front office should be as upset as the fans are with the fact that this team has failed to live up to the hype since the 2006 season, when it went to the NLCS.  The Mets need a manager that will light a fire under these players, will demand accountability from everyone, and will instill a culture of respect, intensity, and teamwork in the locker room.  Terry Collins is that manager, and Mets fans should be excited about the future.

Some are worried about Collins’ history with regard to being “run out of town.”  Collins was fired in Anaheim after his players approached the GM and demanded that he be fired.  Fans are worried that he will turn the locker room against him, and that the players won’t respond because of his attitude.  While this is a fair concern, the Mets were forced to hire a manager like Collins.  The culture that currently exists in the Mets organization is one of apathy and lack of accountability.   Such traits lead to underperformance and waste of talent, which have defined the Mets in recent years.  Therefore, Mets fans should embrace a manager that will instill a culture of accountability and will eliminate complacence.

Compare the situation to John Gruden in the NFL.  Gruden is a coach that most players do not like, but he is successful because of his forceful style.  In Oakland, he led the Raiders to the AFC Championship Game, and was run out of town mainly because the players and fans grew tired of his style.  Then he went to Tampa, where he won the Super Bowl, but again was run out for similar reasons.  Mets fans should embrace such a coach.  If Collins can instill a culture of respect and accountability in the Mets locker room, and can get this team back to the playoffs, why wouldn’t fans support him?  He could be run out of town in 5 years, but the importance of setting a standard of excellence and a standard of quality that hasn’t been stressed recently in the Mets organization is paramount.  While Collins may be an eccentric manager, may rustle some feathers, and may ultimately be run out of town, he will put these players in their place and will set a standard of discipline that the franchise has been missing.  The talent has been there, but now the Mets have a man that can put it all together.

Hamilton Wins AL MVP

Texas Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton was awarded the AL MVP Award today.  He finished ahead of Miguel Cabrera and Robinson Cano, who were 2nd and 3rd, respectively.  The league leader in home runs, Jose Bautista, received 1 first place vote and finished 4th.  In 2010, Josh Hamilton led the Rangers to the World Series for the first time in franchise history.  He also led the team to the first 2 playoff series wins in its history.  Hamilton finished the season with a .359 average, 32 home runs, and 100 RBIs.  Hamilton put up these impressive home run and RBI numbers even with an injury that sidelined him for most of September.

Hamilton’s story is a heartwarming one.  Josh Hamilton was the top draft pick in the 1999 MLB Draft, but never made it to the field and was out of baseball by 2004 after drug addiction ruined the early part of his career.  Although the world forgot about Hamilton, he didn’t forget about baseball, and he worked tirelessly to put his drug problems behind him.  He debuted for the first time in the Major Leagues, finally clean from drugs, in 2007 for the Cincinnati Reds.  He was then traded to the Texas Rangers in a deal that included Edinson Volquez.

The rest is history.  Josh Hamilton has stayed clean since he returned to the league, with only one slip up at a club in 2009.  Hamilton, on the whole, has been a model citizen and has been an elite baseball player since his return to the MLB.  In 2 plus years in the MLB, Hamilton has batted .311, with 93 home runs and 331 RBIs.  He made the Yankee Stadium crowd cheer for a player like never before when he hit 28 home runs in the first round of the 2008 Home Run Derby.  He offers inspiration for anyone who has been through a struggle with drugs or alcohol and is a role model for young baseball players everywhere.

Congratulations to Josh Hamilton for winning the 2010 AL MVP; he is a player who has worked so hard to get back into baseball and deserves to reach the peak of the sport.

Podcast: 11/22 Sports Blitz

Title: 11/22 Sports Blitz

This Bob Long’s Sports Podcast analyzes the MLB Awards, the FCS Playoffs, the big College Football games this week, Pennsylvania High School Football, and a short piece about Penn State Basketball. With Chris Pierangeli and Kevin Long.

Link: http://bobsportsblog.podomatic.com/entry/2010-11-22T20_56_21-08_00

What Happened to Ryan Miller?

Ryan Miller has shown over the past few years that he is one of the best goaltenders in the world.  He has played extremely well throughout his career in Buffalo, and was the main story of the 2010 Winter Olympics with his stellar performance.  However, this season Miller is in the lower half of NHL goalies in statistics such as Goals Allowed Average and save percentage.  Even though Miller has been hurt for a few games this season, the Sabres have struggled in the 13 games that he has started as well.  Why is this?  Has Miller lost his touch in goal? Absolutely not.  The Sabres front office is to blame for Miller’s struggles this season.

This offseason, Buffalo’s top 2 defenders were free agents.  Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman were consistent defenders who had anchored the defense for years.  However, Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier, known for his conservative free agency moves and his inability and unwillingness to sign big contracts, let both of these players sign elsewhere.  The Buffalo defense was left completely depleted, and was left to be led by a second year player in Tyler Myers.  Regier then signed a mediocre defender in Jordan Leopold to offset the loss of the two defensive anchors in the offseason.  In the early part of the season, Leopold has shown an affinity for turning the puck over in critical situations, and often in the defensive zone, which consistently puts Miller in bad spots and leads to many goals that are given up through no fault of Miller.  He hasn’t lost the touch, but has no one in front of him to help deflect pressure from the opposing offense.

Therefore, defenders, often more so than the goaltenders themselves, are the major factors that determine the performance of goaltenders.  The goaltenders need to be talented, but the talent differential of goaltenders at the NHL level is often very miniscule.  The difference stems more from the quality and chemistry of the defenders in front of the goaltenders.  Defenders who work together, work with the goaltender, and control the puck in the zone make a larger impact than the talent or fundamentals of the goalie himself.

Consider the playoffs last season.  The Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup behind rookie goaltender Antti Niemi.  Niemi had shown himself to be vulnerable at times, but played well enough in the playoffs to win the Stanley Cup.  However, Chicago thought so little of his performance that they walked away from his deal after he was awarded arbitration for the staggering salary of $2.75 million (sense the sarcasm).  The Blackhawks organization could not have been as impressed as all the analysts were with Niemi’s performance.  More likely, the Blackhawks realized that, as I have mentioned, the difference between the talent and fundamentals of goaltenders is so miniscule.  The organization realized that quality defenders like Duncan Keith and Brian Campbell were much more important to lock up long term.  Niemi is a good goaltender, but not a top 5 goaltender; Niemi was not why the Blackhawks won the Cup last season.  Defense is the most important factor, and because of this Chicago will not struggle in the transition from Antti Niemi to Marty Turco in net.

Consider the Philadelphia Flyers.  The team went to the Stanley Cup Finals behind journeyman goaltender Michael Leighton and seasoned, seasoned, and extra seasoned veteran goalie Brian Boucher (who hadn’t played meaningful hockey in nearly a decade).  However, the defense carried these goaltenders to impressive performances throughout the playoffs.  Chris Pronger especially had a major impact, as he logged heavy minutes and led the Philadelphia defense the whole season.  Neither Boucher nor Leighton will be known as top goalies, but they led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals, whereas goalies like Martin Brodeur and Ryan Miller were ousted in the first round of the playoffs.  Defense is the key.

Marc-Andre Fleury is another classic example.  He is a goalie that was a bit overhyped after he won the Stanley Cup, but always lacked fundamentals and showed a propensity to flail in net and not stay balanced.  Fleury always had a great defense in front of him, which hid many of his flaws.  However, in the past 2 years he has lost several quality defenders, including Sergei Gonchar this offseason, and Hal Gill the year before.  Now, Pittsburgh is lacking depth at defense, and it has clearly affected Fleury.  Fleury has been the biggest disappointment in goal this season, and has been replaced by backup Brent Johnson.  One has to realize how difficult it is to lose the top spot on the depth chart in the first 7 games after a 3 year history in net with the franchise that includes: an Eastern Conference Championship (2008), a Stanley Cup (2009), and a 4th place finish in the Eastern Conference (2010).  However, the Pittsburgh organization realizes that Fleury lacks mechanics in net, and no longer has such a quality defense behind him to compensate for his mistakes.  In other words, they realize that defense is the key, Fleury isn’t the goalie everyone thought he was, and Johnson has slightly better mechanics right now.

Therefore, while Miller might still have the best lateral movement in the league, might have the best instincts, and all else equal, might be the best goalie in hockey, he (and every other goalie) needs defense in front of him.  The Buffalo front office left Miller out to dry this offseason by losing the starting defensive line to free agency, and, quite simply, it is the reason that Miller is struggling in net right now.

Podcast: BCS and National Championship Preview

Title: BCS and National Championship Preview

A full, in-depth look at the scenarios that can affect the National Championship picture in college football.  I’ll clarify the chaos that exists in the BCS and college football right now.

Link: http://bobsportsblog.podomatic.com/entry/2010-11-17T16_03_28-08_00

McNabb Gets Paid

BREAKING NEWS:  Donovan McNabb has agreed to a contract extension with the Washington Redskins for 5 years and $78 million, which could be worth as much as $88 million with incentives based upon performance.  This inexplicable deal comes on the heels of the inexplicable benching of McNabb in the final minutes of the Redskins vs. Lions game 2 weeks ago.  After 2 weeks of questions about McNabb’s place on the Redskins team, the future of McNabb with the Redskins, and the relationship between McNabb and the organization, those questions were answered emphatically with a huge contract extension that will put McNabb on the FedEx Field sideline for the several years.

Podcast: College Basketball 2010 Preview

Title: College Basketball 2010 Preview

This Bob Long’s Sports Podcast includes a full preview of College Basketball, from conference winners, to surprise teams, to who you can expect to see at the top come March. With Chris Pierangeli.

Link: http://bobsportsblog.podomatic.com/entry/2010-11-10T21_34_58-08_00

Play the Game, Folks

The issue of the implementation of some NFL rules has been bothering me all year.  Many calls from the officials have been detracting from the games, and have been sending mixed messages to players as to what they can and can not do.  A few plays this weekend especially caught my attention.

In the Houston Texans vs. San Diego Chargers game, Arian Foster had a touchdown called back on a play very similar to the Calvin Johnson play earlier in the year in which the ball was lost only after the catch was made and only after Johnson had already went to the ground.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArDyByR5GVA&feature=related).  Check out my “9/13/10 Sports Blitz” for a more in-depth discussion about the Calvin Johnson play.  In terms of the Arian Foster play, he caught the ball in the endzone, took 2 steps, tripped a bit, fell to the ground, and lost the ball while pushing himself up in much the same way as Calvin Johnson (http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d81bfcd34/Foster-non-TD).  As I discussed in the podcast, Rule 8 Section 1 Article 4 Item 1 says that “when a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass, with or without contact by an opponent, a player must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the endzone.  If he loses control of the ball and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, it is incomplete.  If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.”  It was this rule that was invoked when the decision was made to call back Foster’s touchdown.

The call was interpreted incorrectly by the officials. Again.  In Calvin Johnson’s case, the call was wrong because he had already taken the ball to the ground before he lost it.  In Arian Foster’s case, the call was wrong because he was not “in the act of catching the pass” when he went to the ground.  The first condition of the rule stated above is that the player must both “go to the ground” and be “in the act of catching a pass” simultaneously.  However, Arian Foster caught the ball standing up, took 2 steps, and began to stumble over a sprawled Chargers defender who had clipped Foster’s back foot, at which point he tried to push himself up with his hands and lost the ball.  The play should have been over after Arian caught the ball standing up and took the 2 steps away.  The catch was made, and at no point during the act of catching the football did Foster either go to the ground or begin falling towards the ground.  Possession was made and Foster was not going to the ground in any capacity.  He only went to the ground well after the catch was made and after a Chargers defender clipped his heels as Foster was running towards the center of the endzone after the catch.  Therefore, he went to the ground after the catch was complete and the touchdown was converted, and the fact that he lost the ball when he went to the ground is irrelevant.

The officials once again misinterpreted the rule, which led to another game-changing and embarrassing call.  This forced the NFL to defend its officials by consulting the rulebook and citing Rule 8 Section 1 Article 4 Item 1, expressed above.  However, I will repeat what I have said multiple times on this issue.  The call was a misinterpretation of the rule.  I do not care if someone is on NFL Live, SportsCenter, the NFL Network, or any other football show, the fact is that the rule was interpreted wrong.  Foster had already caught and controlled the pass, and had made a “football move” by taking 2 steps with full control.  At this point the play should have been dead.  Shame on the NFL and its officials for potentially costing the Houston Texans a very important football game, and not being either intelligent enough or humble enough to admit that the call was wrong.

The next set of calls that disgusted me were multiple hits that should not have been called penalties.  First, in the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Indianapolis Colts game, Trent Cole lightly tapped Peyton Manning’s helmet on the pass rush as he was trying to strip the ball (which he did as the play continued).  It was 4th down late in the final quarter, and the Eagles had essentially ended the game with that stop.  However, a penalty was called because Cole “made contact with the quarterback’s helmet,” which is a roughing the passer penalty, 15 yards, and an automatic first down.

I am completely in favor of protecting the quarterbacks, and agree that they should not be allowed to be hit in the head, but that play was as docile as a “blow to the head” could be.  Quarterbacks need to be protected, but they can not be cradled.  They are still football players, and they can not be protected completely.  The rules that exist now inhibit the defensive players to the point that some are scared to make a legal hit because it could easily be contrued as dirty simply because of the situation or how the quarterback reacts to the hit.

In this case, the referee did make the right call; any contact with the head is a personal foul.  However, in this case it is the rule that is flawed, not the interpretation.  Defensive players are treated unfairly because harmless plays like that are consistently called penalties.  So how could the rule be improved while still protecting quarterbacks?  My answer is that it should be a judgement call as to whether the hit was “malicious.”  In this definition, a malicious hit is a hit that exerts enough force to potentially hurt a quarterback and/or was deemed to be intentional.  This condition allows defensive players more freedom to simply play the game, but also holds them accountable for reprehensible actions and penalizes hits that actually affect the quarterbacks.  The condition also limits the amount of penalties called for grazing blows that neither were intentional nor detrimental to the quarterback, thus bringing more legitimacy to the game and its calls.

In the same game, on a play down the middle of the field, WR Austin Collie suffered a hit that left him motionless on the field for several minutes (http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d81bef36b/Austin-Collie-injury).  Eagles Safety Quintin Mikell laid the initial hit, and nearly simultaneously rookie Safety Kurt Coleman hit Collie as well.  Coleman struck Collie helmet to helmet, but only because Collie’s head jerked into the helmet of Coleman.  Kurt Coleman was set to tackle Collie with his shoulder, but Mikell’s (legal) hit forced Collie’s helmet to move into Coleman’s at the last instant.  There is no way to reasonably penalize Kurt Coleman for that play, because there is simply nothing he could do on that play.  It is unfortunate, but those types of plays are sometimes out of anyone’s control, and a penalty can not be called for helmet to helmet contact.

Fortunately, that was not the call made on the field.  I simply made that argument because, by looking at the video, that is likely the first aspect of the play that catches people’s attention.  However, the call was made because it was deemed the tackle was made “on a defenseless receiver.”  A defenseless receiver is a receiver that has not had sufficient time to turn his head in order to react or prepare for a hit.  However, one will notice in the video that Collie 1) turned his head, and 2) even lowered his head to drive himself into the Philadelphia defenders.  There was nothing defenseless about Collie on that play.  It is unfortunate that he suffered a head injury on the play, but he was no longer a defenseless receiver once he turned his head and lowered his shoulder into the defenders.  And, as mentioned, the Coleman and Mikell did nothing wrong either.

This call was a case of bad judgement by the officials.  They overreacted to the outcome of the play without basing their call on the rule itself and the actions of Collie prior to the hit.  The job of the officials is to objectively make the calls based on the rules, and not to be influenced by the after-effects of a play in a sport where injury is simply part of the game.  Injury does not equal penalty, as tough as it is for some to hear or understand.

Finally, in the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals game on Monday Night Football, Carson Palmer was bailed out by an overreaction by the referees.  As he was releasing the ball, he was hit (above the knees) by the Pittsburgh defensive lineman.  The play was called roughing the passer.  However, the hit was not late, as it was made just after Palmer released the ball, and the hit was not too low on the quarterback, as it was above the knees.  The referees overreacted by throwing the flag in this situation, and it gave the Bengals 15 more yards and fueled the momentum that almost led to the comeback win.

These are only a few calls this weekend that disappointed me as a football fan.  The game is becoming less and less consistent, and it is becoming less and less physical.  I will be the first to campaign for protecting players’ heads and for protecting players from malicious hits, but the penalization of clean hits is completely unacceptable.  And frankly, it is embarrassing to the National Football League.  This league needs to 1) revise its rulebook so that hits that should be clean aren’t against the rules (Cole’s hit on Manning), 2) read and understand the rulebook (Foster’s called back touchdown), and 3) teach the referees to differentiate between a big hit and an illegal hit (hits on Austin Collie and Carson Palmer).  These are big steps to take, but they need to be taken to restore the legitimacy of the NFL rules and its referees.