Marian Hossa signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins last year. He reached the Stanley Cup finals, got to play with arguably the best player in the game - Sidney Crosby and achieved success he never reached in Atlanta. So why would he leave and where could he possibly go to be in a better position? For less money too?!
Only one place: Hockeytown. Detroit, Michigan. The finest professional sports franchise over the last twenty years. With four Stanley Cups in the past ten years, a playoff streak of over twenty four seasons and core group of veterans and striking young talent - the team seemed posed for another run at the Cup.
So Hossa hopped on the train. Declining offers for more money at places like Edmonton, Anaheim and Pittsburgh ( again). A rare act of putting winning and professionalism before money, Hossa has all but ensured the cup will end up in Hockeytown again next April.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Cowboys Acquire The "Other" Roy Williams
Lining up at free-safety the Dallas Cowboys have one of the most feared defenders in the NFL. A heavy hitter who plays the run better than any safety in the league. He makes two-hundred twenty plus-pound running backs pause when they come through the hole. His name is Roy Williams.
But now when he hears his name in the same sentence as a big play he might be on the sidelines - probably with a big fat smile on his face.
America's Team has acquired the 'other' Roy Williams, a perennial pro-bowl wide receiver, from the Detroit Lions. The two have squared off every year on Thanksgiving Day, each delivering their own share of blows to a rivalry that dates back to their college days. Where Roy (the receiver) played at Texas, while the safety played at his arch rival - Oklahoma.
For the first time in their illustrious careers one isn't trying to nail the other, or burn the other deep. For the first time they are paired together on the same team. It could be a combination that could lead the Cowboy's to the Super Bowl.
But now when he hears his name in the same sentence as a big play he might be on the sidelines - probably with a big fat smile on his face.
America's Team has acquired the 'other' Roy Williams, a perennial pro-bowl wide receiver, from the Detroit Lions. The two have squared off every year on Thanksgiving Day, each delivering their own share of blows to a rivalry that dates back to their college days. Where Roy (the receiver) played at Texas, while the safety played at his arch rival - Oklahoma.
For the first time in their illustrious careers one isn't trying to nail the other, or burn the other deep. For the first time they are paired together on the same team. It could be a combination that could lead the Cowboy's to the Super Bowl.
Clinton Portis' Remergence
Last season Clinton Portis ran for one thousand two hundred and twelve yards, while averaging just 3.9 yards per carry. This year, half way through the season he already has nine hundred and forty four yards and is on pace for one thousand eight hundred and eighty eight yards, fourteen touchdowns and an average of five yards per carry.
Last season, Portis' sixth in the league, the twenty-six year old back appeared to be slowing down. There was talk of the Redskins drafting another running back to groom as Portis's replacement down the road.
Portis, now twenty-seven and in his seventh year, has all but silenced that talk of drafting another back. Not only is he leading the league in rushing. He has more rushes of twenty yards or more than any other back (8). He also rushed for over 120 yards in five straight games, tying an NFL record set by OJ Simpson.
Last season, Portis' sixth in the league, the twenty-six year old back appeared to be slowing down. There was talk of the Redskins drafting another running back to groom as Portis's replacement down the road.
Portis, now twenty-seven and in his seventh year, has all but silenced that talk of drafting another back. Not only is he leading the league in rushing. He has more rushes of twenty yards or more than any other back (8). He also rushed for over 120 yards in five straight games, tying an NFL record set by OJ Simpson.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Clemson's Collapse
The Clemson Tiger football team came into the season ranked ninth overall in the AP Poll. They were a unanimous pick to win the ACC title - and picked by many to win the national title. They were led by quarterback Cullen Harper, the pre-season pick for ACC player of the year. In the backfield they had arguably the two best running backs in the country: the powerful James Davis and the dynamic C.J. Spiller. Or at least we thought these players were as good as billed.
Instead of pinning the teams three losses on the coach, I think the university needs to take a serious re-evaluation of how good their team really was. Sure the team was loaded with players that, at times, looked better than anyone else in the country. But the whole team was never clicking on cylinders. To navigate a college football season and remain undefeated takes one thing: consistency and the Tigers lacked that.
Now consistency is easy to pin on the coach, but some players just can't turn in the same performance week in and week out and to expect that is ridiculous. I personally think Tommy Bowden was fired prematurely.
Instead of pinning the teams three losses on the coach, I think the university needs to take a serious re-evaluation of how good their team really was. Sure the team was loaded with players that, at times, looked better than anyone else in the country. But the whole team was never clicking on cylinders. To navigate a college football season and remain undefeated takes one thing: consistency and the Tigers lacked that.
Now consistency is easy to pin on the coach, but some players just can't turn in the same performance week in and week out and to expect that is ridiculous. I personally think Tommy Bowden was fired prematurely.
"Wildcat" Formation
The Miami Dolphins came into their game against the New England Patriots severe underdogs. New England had won their past twenty-one regular season games. Their only loss in the last year in half had been in the Super Bowl against the New York Giants. Miami obviously needed to think outside the box to beat the mighty Patriots - did they ever.
The Wildcat formation was made famous by Darren McFadden and Felix Jones the past two years in the Arkansas backfield. McFadden would take a direct snap. Jones would come in motion. The ball would either be run on an outside sweep to Jones. Or faked to him for a McFadden keeper.
Now the egotistical Houston Nutt, Arkansas coach those two years, has no problem taking credit for the invention of the formation. He dubbed it the "Wildhog" in his tenure at Arkansas after their mascot. However its use in modern football can be traced back to Tulsa offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.
The formation however reaches further back, into the very roots of American Football to the single-wing, perhaps the first true base formation in football.
In the game against the Patriots, Ronnie Brown lined up at QB, with Ricky Williams as the motion back and Chad Pennington the true QB split out wide. Brown ran for three touchdowns and threw for another out of this formation. Sometimes using old techniques can be better than inventing new ones.
The Wildcat formation was made famous by Darren McFadden and Felix Jones the past two years in the Arkansas backfield. McFadden would take a direct snap. Jones would come in motion. The ball would either be run on an outside sweep to Jones. Or faked to him for a McFadden keeper.
Now the egotistical Houston Nutt, Arkansas coach those two years, has no problem taking credit for the invention of the formation. He dubbed it the "Wildhog" in his tenure at Arkansas after their mascot. However its use in modern football can be traced back to Tulsa offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.
The formation however reaches further back, into the very roots of American Football to the single-wing, perhaps the first true base formation in football.
In the game against the Patriots, Ronnie Brown lined up at QB, with Ricky Williams as the motion back and Chad Pennington the true QB split out wide. Brown ran for three touchdowns and threw for another out of this formation. Sometimes using old techniques can be better than inventing new ones.
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