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

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

Rick Reilly, Have a Clue about Boise

Rick Reilly is a columnist for ESPN.com, and he makes periodic appearances on ESPN.  He thrives upon composing humorous and entertainment based sports stories that don’t always hit the main issues themselves.  I have been a strong critic of Reilly’s style for a very long time.  He is a national pundit in every sense of the word; he focuses far too much on general stereotypes and often says things without processing them and the consequences of his statements.

For example, in one ESPN feature, Reilly inadvertently disrespected every US soccer player by speculating about how good the national team would be if players such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Ryan Miller, and other star athletes played soccer instead of their own sports.  He sent the message that our current players weren’t the best the country could produce, and I took major offense to that belief and subsequent statement on national television.

In another feature, Reilly degraded the entire Philadelphia fanbase by arguing that Donovan McNabb was mistreated in Philly.  He stated that the fans should be apologizing to McNabb, and that nothing makes them happy. Of course, as with most pundits, one of his major points was that the fans threw snowballs at Santa Claus.  Hey Rick, that happened in the 1960s, get over it.  The fact that he simply stated that Philadelphia fans are not classy was unfounded and unprofessional.

So what must he have done this time to perturb me enough to write a blog entry?  This entry is a response to Rick Reilly’s article on ESPN.com, “Broncos Can’t Buck this Trend” (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=5725597).  I recommend reading it, but if you would rather not, here is a general summary.  Reilly believes that Boise State should be ranked above Auburn and Oregon, and should claim the top spot in the BCS rankings.  He feels that the Broncos are consistently disrespected, and argues that the resume of the Broncos trumps that of any other college football team.  If he wants to make that argument, that is fine, but my problem is with the lack of logic and intelligence with which he did so.

First, Reilly argues that Boise should be ranked above Auburn, and gives the stat that Auburn has 13 less wins in the last 5 seasons than Boise.  I have 3 problems with this statement.  First, and most obvious, the rankings are not based upon past years, the rankings are solely based upon what has happened this year.  Second, Auburn plays in the SEC, and doesn’t play Louisiana Tech and Idaho on a yearly basis.  Instead, the Tigers play LSU, Alabama, Florida, and Arkansas on a yearly basis.  Just a hunch, but I feel that playing Idaho and Louisiana Tech each year might lend itself to a few more wins per season than a team playing in the SEC.  So explain the thought process behind that stat, Rick.  Finally, the personnel is completely different at Auburn from even 2 years ago.  Head coach Gene Chizik was hired in 2009 after Tommy Tuberville was fired, and Heisman contender Cam Newton is a first year starter at Auburn.  But clearly, Rick Reilly thought all that through when he decided that the basis for his Boise State over Auburn argument was a difference of 13 wins in the last 5 years.

Second, Reilly defends the Broncos by arguing that they beat Oregon 19-8 last season at home, and that the Ducks undeservingly sit ahead of Boise.  Hey Rick, who was the starting quarterback for Oregon last year?  That’s right, it was Jeremiah Masoli, now the quarterback of Ole Miss.  Rick, meet Darren Thomas, the 2010 starter for the Ducks, who is tearing up the Pac 10 and everyone else right now.  When you make an argument about a head to head matchup, and the starting quarterback isn’t the same for the losing team in a previous season, that is stupid and inane, and has no bearing on anything whatsoever.

Third, Rick Reilly argues that Boise State plays and beats whoever is throw at them.  He states that Boise State beat San Jose State 48-0, and Wisconsin, who beat Ohio State and Iowa, only beat San Jose State by 13.  Compelling argument Rick, but I have a question, where are Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Iowa ranked in the BCS?  10, 11, and 18, respectively.  How about Boise? Number 3.  What exactly are you arguing, Rick?  That Boise should be ranked higher than Wisconsin? Done.  Higher than Ohio State? They already are.  Higher than Iowa?  They have been all year.  How your stat makes an argument that Boise State should be ranked above Auburn and Oregon is beyond me.

Fourth, Reilly argues that since Boise crushed Wyoming 51-6, who almost beat Air Force, who almost beat Oklahoma, Boise could absolutely beat Oklahoma.  Again, my question to Rick is, where is Oklahoma ranked?  That’s right, 9th, 6 spots behind Boise.  Is it me, Rick, or are your arguments becoming less and less relevant as your article continues?

If you didn’t think it could get worse, it did.  He then stated, with regards to Boise State beating Oklahoma, “Oh wait, it already did [happen].”  Rick, that was January 1st, 2007.  Jared Zabransky and Ian Johnson are not playing for the Broncos anymore, and Paul Thompson and Adrian Peterson are not playing for the Sooners anymore.  A comparison to a game 4 years ago is completely ridiculous, and is embarrassing to you as a journalist, Rick.

Finally, Reilly argues that Boise would “carve up” the ACC because the Broncos “whipped” Virginia Tech on the road (I have a hard time calling a 33-30 game a “whipping,” and it technically was not a home game for Tech, either).  But Rick, tell me, what team in the ACC is ranked higher than Boise State, thus in your mind disrespecting the Broncos?  None.  Get your facts and logic straight, and then come back to me.

Pardon the point-by-point analysis, but I found nearly everything included in this article to be completely ridiculous and unprofessional in nature.  There was no logic involved, it was simply a biased opinion based upon readily available and popular facts that were thrown together in a way that made no sense whatsoever and negated every one of the points he tried to make.

The fact is that Boise is lucky to be ranked #3.  Missouri is undefeated with more quality wins than Boise State, and Alabama I have ranked ahead of Boise because of 3 quality wins that trump Boise’s top win over Virginia Tech.  So please, Rick Reilly, and all other national pundits who want to make an argument about Boise State, you can make the argument, but before doing so, please, have a clue.

Podcast: 10/25 Sports Blitz

Title: Sports Blitz

In this Bob Long’s Sports Podcast, Chris and I discuss the controversial call in the Steelers Dolphins game this weekend, preview and predict the World Series, analyze the future of the Philadelphia Phillies, and analyze the most recent BCS standings.

Link: http://bobsportsblog.podomatic.com/entry/2010-10-25T18_20_00-07_00

Podcast: 10/20 Sports Podcast

Title: 10/20 Sports Podcast

In this Bob Long’s Sports Podcast, Chris and I discuss many issues in sports, including the new BCS rankings, the NHL power rankings, and the issues of headshots and other illegal hits in the NFL.

Link: http://bobsportsblog.podomatic.com/entry/2010-10-20T14_57_18-07_00

College Football Week 1 Finale

The first weekend of the 2010 college football season will close with a much-anticipated Labor Day matchup.  Boise State will travel over 2,000 miles across the country, and Virginia Tech will travel under 300 miles to “neutral” site FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins.  Both teams are ranked in the top 10 in the country (Boise #3, VA Tech #10), and this game will have potential National Championship implications for both teams.  If Boise State loses, their National Title hopes will be completely shred.  If Virginia Tech loses, it would very likely end their championship hopes as well, but the Hokies have a more difficult schedule with which to justify a 1 loss season.  However, at this point, it is very likely that a loss for either team will end National Championship hopes.  This game is and will be one of the most hyped and most anticipated games all season.  Which team will be able to take a early step forward over the rest of the field with a marquee win in week 1?

MY PREDICTION:  Virginia Tech will establish itself early as a National Championship contender with a emphatic win tonight.  I see a 10-14 point win tonight for the Hokies.  Virginia Tech has arguably the best offense it has ever had under long-tenured head coach Frank Beamer.  The offense is led by Senior Tyrod Taylor, one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in college football, and a potential Heisman candidate.  Last season, Taylor threw for 2311 yards and ran for 370 yards.  He had 18 touchdowns last season (13 throwing, 5 rushing).  Taylor is complemented in the backfield by Sophomore Ryan Williams, a back that ran for 1655 yards last season and 21 touchdowns.  He took the ACC by storm last season as a freshman, and was unstoppable at many points last season.  Williams would be considered a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy as well if not for teammate Darren Evans, with whom Williams shares the backfield.  Darren Evans is a Junior back that was hurt for all of the 2009 season, which allowed Ryan Williams to break out.  The season before, however, Evans ran for 1265 yards and 11 touchdowns, and was one of the most dominant running backs in college football.  This combination of a 2 running back system headed by two Heisman caliber players and a quarterback that is arguably the most dynamic in college football will make the Virginia Tech offense a juggernaut this season, a big part of the reason I picked Virginia Tech to go undefeated and reach the BCS National Championship Game.

The Virginia Tech defense is strong as well.  While the team needs to replace some big names on defense, Virginia Tech is a program that consistently produces strong defenses, even with the inevitable loss of some key defensive pieces each year.  Bud Foster is one of the best defensive coordinators in the league, and has been for a long time.  Finally, Virginia Tech always excels in special teams (Beamer Ball), and I expect that to be no different this year.  With the Hokies, offense is always the question, and with the offense being the strong point this year for Virginia Tech, I see Virginia Tech winning tonight fairly handily over Boise State, putting the team in position to take the momentum through ACC play and into the BCS National Championship Game with an undefeated record.

For Boise State, I think this game will bring the team and the attention it has been given back to Earth.  Boise State is a good team, no doubt about it, but is not the 3rd best team in the country.  Last year, the team went undefeated and was led by Kellen Moore.  Think about it, though.  The Broncos played one quality team during the regular season, which was Oregon.  It was an impressive win, but it was Oregon’s first game under Chip Kelly, and the team really did not find its groove until a few weeks into the season, at which point the team played very impressive football.  Would Boise have won the game if it was played in say, Week 6?  There is no way to know, but the point is that the win should be taken with a grain of salt.  The other big win for the year was the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against TCU.  The Broncos beat the Horned Frogs 17-10, but in very unimpressive fashion.  At some points the game was tough to watch.  Neither team could get any consistent offense or rhythm, and the Broncos were salvaged by a poor performance in the big game by TCU quarterback Andy Dalton, who threw 3 interceptions, 2 of which could be considered unforced.  It isn’t Boise’s fault that the BCS didn’t pair the team with a BCS school (I personally thought that was a weasel move by the BCS to avoid controversy) but I still need to so Boise win more big games over big opponents before I consider the team a legitimate National Championship contender each year. The good thing is that Boise has given itself an opportunity to do so this season, as the team will play Virginia Tech tonight and Oregon State in 2 weeks.  In addition, Boise State joined the Mountain West, which in the future years will give the team more credibility in terms of schedule strength.

However, until Boise State proves me wrong, I think the team has work to do before it is a true championship contender.  The team is simply not big enough, fast enough, or athletic enough to hang with what I believe is the 2nd best team in the country.  I predict that Virginia Tech will win tonight 31-17.

Big News Day

BREAKING NEWS:  MLB.com Senior Writer Jayson Stark first reported a deal between the Astros and Phillies that would send coveted starter Roy Oswalt to Philadelphia for starter JA Happ and two prospects.  Roy Oswalt will need to waive his no-trade clause in order for the deal to be done, but most, including myself, expect the deal to be completed.  Why wouldn’t Oswalt want the trade?  The Astros are trying to rebuild, and with his entire salary on the books and the fact that the Astros are filled with older players and are lacking prospects, Oswalt will never have a chance to win if he stays in Houston.  In Philadelphia, he has the opportunity to join Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels, each of which have posted great ERAs thus far in the year.  He has the opportunity to join the offense that, while it has struggled this season, has powered the Phillies to two consecutive World Series appearances, and a World Series win in 2008.  In addition, Oswalt has a chance to put up big pitching numbers and prove himself in the playoffs as he approaches a new contract situation.  He will have the opportunity to prove himself in Philadelphia that he won’t have in Houston.  Why wouldn’t Oswalt want to go to Philly?  I will be following the story and posting updates when Oswalt makes his decision.

In another huge story, rookie sensation Steven Strasburg has been placed in the 15 day Disabled List for “right shoulder inflammation.”  This comes just 2 days after he was scratched from his start Tuesday after reportedly not being able to loosen his right arm.  The DL stint is retroactive to July 22nd, so Strasburg will be available to pitch again in about 1 week, as long as the shoulder inflammation does not become a serious problem.

Finally, former Oregon suspended quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who was dismissed from the program as a result, has enrolled in a graduate program at Ole Miss, and is now eligible to play for the Rebels this season.  Masoli was one of the most highly touted players in college football last season, and was set to be an early Heisman favorite in 2010.  His 2009 season was highlighted by a 47-20 demolition of USC last season.  Masoli will be a strong candidate to replace Jevan Snead, who graduated and is now a quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  It will be interesting to see if Houston Nutt will adjust the Rebels style of offense to cater to Masoli’s familiarity with the spread option that was run at Oregon.

The 116th Penn Relays Carnival

The Penn Relays, which began in 1895 and have been run annually at University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field, were held this past week.  It is a 5 day carnival that ranges from gradeschool runners to runners at the Olympic level.  In fact, this year, track phenom and fastest man in the world Usain Bolt graced the Philadelphia crowd with his presence in the 4×100 meter relay.

In the ESPN featured USA vs. The World competition, the United States athletes face athletes of many different countries, including Kenya, Trinidad and Tobago, and most notably, Jamaica.  These countries participate in relays such as the Sprint Medley, Distance Medley, 4×400, and 4×100.  In one of the popular USA vs. The World Races, the Women’s Sprint Medley Relay, Jamaica ran an impressive 3:35.37, less than a second off its 2009 World Record of 3:34.56.  800 meter leg anchor Kenia Sinclair led the way with a 1:57.48 split.  In the Womens 4×100, the USA Blue team, led by Allyson Felix, defeated Jamaica with a time of 42.74. 

The Men’s 4×100 meter relays was what attracted the largest Saturday crowd ever at the Penn Relays (54,310).  Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world, was the anchor leg for Jamaica, and was appearing in his first Penn Relays since 2002 and his first Penn Relays since he put himself in the national and global spotlight with his 2008 Summer Olympics record setting Gold Medal performance in the 100 meter dash.  Saturday’s race was very close through the first 3 legs of the race, as USA’s 2008 Bronze Medal winner in the 100 meters Walter Dix started the team off well in the opening leg.  Mike Rodgers and Shawn Crawford kept the Jamaicans close, but Ivory Williams had no chance in the final leg.  Usain Bolt took the baton and ran as impressively as ever, putting significant distance between himself and Williams and sealing what was expected from the Jamaican 4×100 team.  This win for the Jamaicans was very important for the Jamaican fans.  The 4×100 meter dash is the most important event for a majority of Jamaica fans.  They come from Jamaica to Philadelphia to watch a race that lasts under 40 seconds.  After last year’s disappointment by the Jamaican team, led by talented but sometimes much maligned Asafa Powell, the fans were hungry for a victory in 2010.  As a fan who saw that race live last year, it was extremely exciting for those of us who are USA Track and Field fans to see the team beat Jamaica, but it was even more disappointing for Jamaicans.  Therefore, Saturday’s race caused a feeling of redemption for Jamaica and its fans, as the team showcased the best sprinter on Earth and and set a new Penn Relays record (37.90).  The performance by Usain Bolt was the highlight of the day for most fans.

The closest race of the day in the USA vs. The World competition was the Men’s Distance Medley Relay (DMR).  Kenya led for most of the race, and was able to hold off two American relay teams to win.  There were 4 teams (Kenya, USA Blue, USA White, and Morocco), that were separated by .41 seconds, and in the final stretch 3 teams had legitimate chances to win.  The final 2 USA vs. The World races were the Men’s and Women’s 4×400 meter relay.  In both races, the USA Blue team won, with times of 3:00.60 for the men and 3:26.12 for the women. 

It was an impressive day for the USA Track team.  As was the case last year, the United States had more victories than the Jamaicans (3 to 2), and have continued to show in recent years that it can compete with the best sprinters and mid-distance runners in the world.

Some highlights from the college races:

The big story of the weekend at the college level was the presence of Oregon, who rarely attends the event.  The Men’s team was hoping to capture the “distance three-peat,” which is victories in the 4xMile relay, 4×800 meter relay, and the Distance Medley Relay.  In the 4xMile, there was no other team that could realistically compete with the likes of Mac Fleet (true Freshman), Michael Maag, A.J. Acosta, and Matthew Centrowitz.  The Ducks finished more than 5 seconds ahead of 2nd place and cruised to a victory with a time of 16:15.14.  In the DMR, ran on Friday, Oregon again easily emerged victorious with a 3 second cushion on the rest of the field and a time of 9:30.69.  Villanova charged at the end of the race and captured 2nd, followed by rival Georgetown in 3rd.  All that remained for Oregon to place its stamp firmly on the Penn Relays was a victory in the 4×800.  Main competitors were Penn State, as all 4 runners have been under 1:50, and Virginia, who was anchored by freshman and NCAA Indoor 800 Meter Champion Robby Andrews, who last year at the Penn Relays almost pulled off one of the greatest comebacks ever in the High School DMR Championship of America.  He split 4:06 and made up an unbelievable amount of ground on the leaders.  Therefore, his success on the NCAA stage and the Penn Relays stage gave UVA an advantage.  It appeared to be a 3 team race among these teams into the 3rd and 4th legs.  In the final lap of the race, Penn State’s anchor and the current Australian record holder in the 800 meters Ryan Foster moved ahead of Robby Andrews and Oregon anchor Andrew Wheating into 1st.  By the end of the backstretch, Wheating had pulled even with Foster, and Andrews looked to fall off the pace slightly.  However, Robby Andrews gave another kick like the one he did to beat Wheating in the NCAA Indoor 800 meter championship.  He defeated Wheating in the final meters to give UVA the victory and prevent Oregon from completing the 3 peat.  Penn State finished 3rd.  It was an unbelievably exciting race, and an tremendous performance by true freshman Robby Andrews.

In the Men’s Sprint Medley Championship of America, LSU won with a time of 3:17.65.  Mississippi State was the most dominant school in the sprint relays, as the Bulldogs won both the 4×200 meter relay and the 4×400 meter relay.  Both the Texas A&M men and women won the always exciting 4×100 meter relay, and the Texas A&M women won the 4×200.  The Tennessee women dominated the distance events, as the women won the DMR, the 4×1500 meter relay and the 4x 800 meter relay.  In both these races, Villanova and Oregon were the 2nd and 3rd place teams, as Nova (2009 Cross Country National Champions) finished 2nd in the 4×1500 and 3rd in the 4×800, and vice versa for the Oregon women.

Some highlights from the high school level:

In the 4×800 meter relay, Warwick Valley (NY) won the Championship of America with a very balanced relay.  The team ran a time of 7:41.77, and the splits only ranged from 1:55.1 to1:55.8.  My alma mater, local La Salle College High School, finished 6th overall and 5th in the United States.  Andrew Stone, Chris Muggler, Nick Molloy, and Tom O’Kane all ran very impressively to propel this local Philly team to 6th place overall and 1st place in the state.  O’Kane led the way with a 1:54.6 split, and each of the other 3 runners were in the 1:57′s.  

In the 4×400 meter relay, Local Philadelphia high school Cheltenham had the lead well into the race and ran a 3:17.25 for 5th place overall, 2nd in the United States, and 1st place on the East Coast.   Wolmer’s Boys, from Jamaica, won the race with a 3:14.59.  Wolmer’s Boys also won the 4×100 with a Penn Relays record setting performance of 39.78.  In the DMR, Good Council won with a 10:09.07, the only team to go under 10:10 this year.  

Congratulations to all the winners and participants in the Penn Relays, as there were many new records set, including an attendence record of 117,346 for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday combined.

NCAA Coaching Update

It has been a busy day and past week in the college basketball coaching realm.

First, Al Skinner was fired from Boston College today, after interviewing for the St. John’s coaching vacancy.  However, Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo asserted that the interview with St. John’s was not the reason for the firing, as it was for former Boston College head football coach Jeff Jagodzinski prior to last year’s season.

Regarding the St. John’s head coaching vacancy, ESPN analyst and former UCLA head coach Steve Lavin will become the next Red Storm head coach.

Oregon has gone after 2 Big 10 coaches in Tom Izzo of Michigan State and Tubby Smith of Minnesota.  Neither coach has commented on the possibility of coaching at Oregon, but Izzo has denied communication with Oregon.

UTEP hired former USC head coach Tim Floyd to fill the program’s coaching vacancy.  Tim Floyd incurred several NCAA regulations violations for USC before his resignation, which was likely due to the punishments facing him as well as the USC program.

Last week, Iowa has hired former Siena head coach Fran McCaffrey (graduate of La Salle College High School) to be the next Hawkeye head coach, and he will replace former Iowa head coach Todd Lickliter, who was the Butler head coach before leaving for Iowa.

The Mountain West?

The Mountain West has 5 teams playing in bowl games this season:  Wyoming, BYU, Utah, Air Force, and TCU.  The Mountain West has been the conference that many people think is simply the best mid-major conference, but not competitive on the national scale.  TCU’s undefeated record has been called out by many college football fans on account of little or no competition.  However, before someone passes judgement on the talent of the Mountain West, one must look at the success the conference in the recent bowl games.  Wyoming played the first bowl game of the season and shockingly defeated Fresno State, who was highly favored in the game.  Then BYU crushed Oregon State 44-20.  Finally, last night, Utah defeated Cal, 37-27 in a virtual home game for Cal at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium.

Air Force will play Houston December 31st at 12 PM.  TCU will close the Mountain West bowl season January 4th against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.  If the Mountain West wins at least one of its last two games, it would be time to consider the possibility that the Mountain West in better than at least one of the major conferences.  The Mountain West has arguably 3 upsets already, and Air Force looks to be an underdog against Houston.  TCU will be the lone Mountain West team that is favored in its bowl game, but that is only because the BCS tried to save itself by pairing the two non-BCS conference teams against each other, TCU and Boise State.  If TCU played any other team in one of the BCS bowls, the Horned Frogs would be underdogs.  Therefore, one more bowl win by the Mountain West would put the conference at 4-1 in the bowl season with at least three upsets.  With this postseason resume, the Mountain West would deserve consideration as one of the top 6 conferences in the country. 

Compare the Mountain West with the Pac-10, which is currently 0-2 in the bowl season with two losses to Mountain West teams.  Cal lost to Utah by 10, and Oregon State lost to BYU by 24.  As mentioned, both Mountain West winners were underdogs in the games, but these teams beat two Pac-10 opponents by a combined 34 points.  There is certainly something to be said for that.  The Pac-10 was extremely down this year, as USC finished 5th in conference.  The Pac-10 struggled mightily as a conference on defense this year, and that weakness was exposed by Utah and BYU. 

The Pac-10 has 5 remaining bowl games.  USC will play Boston College, UCLA will play Temple, Stanford will play Oklahoma, Arizona will play Nebraska, and Oregon will play Ohio State in the Rose Bowl Game.  The Pac-10 would be doing well if it went 3-2 in these five games, and it is probable that the conference will go under .500 for its remaining games.  USC and Boston College is a toss up, but I think USC will win that game.  UCLA v. Temple will be a good game, but I think Temple will win that game.  Stanford has no defense, and that will hurt the Cardinal against Oklahoma.  Nebraska has one of the best defenses in the country, and Arizona will have trouble moving the ball against the best defense it has seen this year.  Oregon has not played a defense as strong as Ohio State this year, but when Oregon played Boise State, granted it was early in the season, it Duck offense could not move the ball well against the Bronco defense. 

So even if the conference went 3-2 in its remaining games, which would be arguably the best case scenario, that would only put the Pac-10 at 3-4 for the bowl season.  That would mean that the Pac-10 would have less wins in 7 games than the Mountain West does in 5.  Couple that with the fact that the Mountain West gave the Pac-10 2 of its losses, the games in which both Mountain West teams were underdogs, and one must consider the possibility that the Mountain West is a better football conference than the Pac-10.