http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/frank_deford/09/24/belichick/index.html
I have always enjoyed reading Frank Deford articles. They were intelligent, well written and unique. However, I find this one to be remarkably unfounded. His basic argument: Bill Belichick is a bad coach who is merely a "button pusher" for great players like Tom Brady. He rides the coattails of his players. Deford's reasoning? The Patriots missed the playoffs in 2002 when Brady "struggled" (with 28 TDs, 14 INTs and a 85.7 passer rating, by the way) that season. The rest of his argument? While fairly difficult to discern, it seems is because the Pats lost to the Dolphins last week and sit at a piss poor 2-1 record after their bye week and that Charlie Weis has been a "flop of a head coach" at Notre Dame (after 25-15 record in 3+ seasons) without Brady to push buttons for.
No mention of Belichick's 36-44 record as head coach of the Cleveland Browns head coach (leading up to their move to Baltimore), which would have been his best argument piece and made completely toppling his belief easy enough.
For every Charlie Weis "failure" without Brady, their is a Romeo Crennel failure as a head coach without Belichik really coaching the defense. Crennel was the defensive coordinator for some Patriots defensive that lacked marquee names but always found a way to be stingy and dominant, at times when the Patriots offense was much more conservative and the team relied on stingy defenses for their success. Crennel rode on the coattails of Belichick's defensive mind to a head coaching position in Cleveland.
The Patriots, but namely Belichick, have made a living feasting off of other teams' defensive castoffs (Rodney Harrison and Roman Phifer come to mind) and turning them into low risk, high reward guys that came up in big spots time and again. Belichick has turned scrap heap pickings into a solid defense throughout his time with New England. Not only that, he has been able to draft Pro Bowl talent on the defensive side such as Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, Jered Mayo and Ty Warren. It has been his schemes that have made overachievers like Mike Vrabel and Tedy Bruschi into stars. He has made decisions when to pay a guy (Seymour) and when he was a product of the system as much as of their own talent (Lawyer Milloy, Ty Law and Asante Samuel).
He has long been noted for his schemes by many in the game, much more knowledgable than myself, perhaps most known for his derailing of the St Louis Rams' offense in the 2001 Super Bowl. He has made great players look awful, Peyton Manning most notably in a couple of AFC Championship games and he clearly has the respect and heads of his players (evident by Wes Welker's interview here: http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/player?context=audio&id=3596502.
This is a weak argument that is simply not true. He mentions two basketball coaches (Auerbach and Jackson) who did have Hall of Fame players for them, but in a sport when 1 player can lead a team, very different from football. He mentions Joe Torre and the Yankees, who's success came when they relied on home grown talent and lost their swagger when they started heavily spending in the free agent market and their payroll skyrocketed over $200 million. Torre's Dodgers now are sitting at 8th in payroll at over $118, far from frugal. Maybe it is time for Deford to retire.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Playoff Time
It's pretty easy to see why every season around week 4, Sunday football loses its luster and I can turn my full attention to NL baseball again. This year, I got the added bonus of having an AL race to follow, making today a very good sporting day. Coupled with the crazy college football and the typical drama of the NFL, the networks had a good weekend of TV.
C.C. Sabathia...err the Brewers, took care of the Cubs in the final game, coming back after everyone thought they had lost their steam just as the season was nearing an end. The Mets, meanwhile, were busy losing to home runs to pinch hitter Wes Helms (really bullpen?) and Dan Uggla as Delgado grounded into a DP with 2 on and 1 out in the bottom of the 8th. The faces of the fans at Shea stadium screamed "again!?" as the Mets managed to blow another late season lead, far less monumental than last year's historic collapse, but deflating all the same. I don't want to be at that Shea stadium memorial or at any bar in Queens tonight. The only question left unaswered is, if the Mets had won and forced a playoff tomorrow, would they have lost to C.C. on one night's rest?
Meanwhile in the AL, the Twins were finally able to take one over the mighty Royals to keep their lead in the AL Central. Lucky for them, the ChiSox were even more pathetic, going 5-5 in their last ten, not including a big loss of Javier Vazquez's psyche, forcing a makeup game in Detroit tomorrow. If they take care of the Tigers, a one game playoff awaits them against 'Sota on Tuesday. Yuck, talk about limping into the playoffs for both of these teams.
Predictions for the AL
Angels vs Red Sox
Sox in 4
I have to favor the Sox in this one with Beckett and two of the top 10 Cy Young candidates in Lester and Matsusaka going against the likes of Lackey, Jered Weaver and Ervin Santana/Joe Saunders. This presumes Beckett has been saving his arm (and fingers) for the playoffs and Matusaka doesn't lose the strike zone in his start. If this goes 5, I have to favor the home team and assume Beckett hasn't been Beckett, I'll take the Angels in that scenaro.
Twins/Sox vs Rays
Rays in 4
See above
Predictions for the NL
Phillies vs Brewers
Phillies in 4
-It took too much effort from the feel good Brew Crew. Sabathia's arm has to come undone sooner rather than later. Brewers will be scrappy and the longer this series go, the more they will believe it can be done. I think Cole Hamels and such an absurd lineup will take this one.
Dodgers vs Cubs
Dodgers in 5
-This is the hardest of the bunch to pick. There are simply too many factors to go into it. The Cubs, the best and most consistent team in the NL if not in all of baseball this season take on a rejunevated Dodgers team with Torre at the helm and Manny mashing at an MVP pace. Derek Lowe has been the best starter over the last couple of months but is countered by Big Z and Rich Harden. Despite a worse record, I think the Dodgers will upset the Cubs in the first round.
C.C. Sabathia...err the Brewers, took care of the Cubs in the final game, coming back after everyone thought they had lost their steam just as the season was nearing an end. The Mets, meanwhile, were busy losing to home runs to pinch hitter Wes Helms (really bullpen?) and Dan Uggla as Delgado grounded into a DP with 2 on and 1 out in the bottom of the 8th. The faces of the fans at Shea stadium screamed "again!?" as the Mets managed to blow another late season lead, far less monumental than last year's historic collapse, but deflating all the same. I don't want to be at that Shea stadium memorial or at any bar in Queens tonight. The only question left unaswered is, if the Mets had won and forced a playoff tomorrow, would they have lost to C.C. on one night's rest?
Meanwhile in the AL, the Twins were finally able to take one over the mighty Royals to keep their lead in the AL Central. Lucky for them, the ChiSox were even more pathetic, going 5-5 in their last ten, not including a big loss of Javier Vazquez's psyche, forcing a makeup game in Detroit tomorrow. If they take care of the Tigers, a one game playoff awaits them against 'Sota on Tuesday. Yuck, talk about limping into the playoffs for both of these teams.
Predictions for the AL
Angels vs Red Sox
Sox in 4
I have to favor the Sox in this one with Beckett and two of the top 10 Cy Young candidates in Lester and Matsusaka going against the likes of Lackey, Jered Weaver and Ervin Santana/Joe Saunders. This presumes Beckett has been saving his arm (and fingers) for the playoffs and Matusaka doesn't lose the strike zone in his start. If this goes 5, I have to favor the home team and assume Beckett hasn't been Beckett, I'll take the Angels in that scenaro.
Twins/Sox vs Rays
Rays in 4
See above
Predictions for the NL
Phillies vs Brewers
Phillies in 4
-It took too much effort from the feel good Brew Crew. Sabathia's arm has to come undone sooner rather than later. Brewers will be scrappy and the longer this series go, the more they will believe it can be done. I think Cole Hamels and such an absurd lineup will take this one.
Dodgers vs Cubs
Dodgers in 5
-This is the hardest of the bunch to pick. There are simply too many factors to go into it. The Cubs, the best and most consistent team in the NL if not in all of baseball this season take on a rejunevated Dodgers team with Torre at the helm and Manny mashing at an MVP pace. Derek Lowe has been the best starter over the last couple of months but is countered by Big Z and Rich Harden. Despite a worse record, I think the Dodgers will upset the Cubs in the first round.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Subway Etiquette
After a shade more than two months living in NYC, I do not claim to be an expert on subway manners, morals and the like. I do, however, believe I have a fairly strong grasp on what people shouldn't do and the little things that leave me shaking my head and that I am not alone in those feelings.
For one, those people that crowd the doors before they open in an attempt to get onto a crowded train. You can't get on until people get off, it is quite simple and you blocking the exit only hampers that simple process. Double negative for those people that do this then get on and proceed to block the doors once on the inside. In an already cramped and stressful process, these people only add to the misery of riding the MTA.
These people pale in comparison to those people (typically male suits reading (important) documents. You might recognize them as the ones who turn sideways in front of the door in their brand of courtesy to help people get on and off, then turn their backs to their doors once they close. These people hold onto their territory in the exact opposite way of our American Indians, refusing to relinquish any control in the name ease of ridership.
These aren't the only types of people who make my daily subway commutes more difficult than they already are (riding the overcrowded Lexington line trains is a pain any way you slice it), but they are the strongest examples of the selfish acts occuring underground each and every day beneath the streets of Manhattan. Sure, there are the people who stand on the left side of the escalators in a defiant manner to keep me from getting some exercise/to the top or bottom in expediated fashion who I occasionaly come very close to putting the shoulder down and hammering through. There are hundreds of little nuances contribute to riding the MTA at rush hour a migraine, but these are the ones who we should all let know that their actions are not appreciate nor necessary.
Next time you see one of these perpetrators, I encourage you to act. Shake your head in a disapproving fashion, give them the sarcrastic thumbs up or clap or simply dethrone them from their perches with aggresive action of your own. Conflict may be the only way to take back the rails.
For one, those people that crowd the doors before they open in an attempt to get onto a crowded train. You can't get on until people get off, it is quite simple and you blocking the exit only hampers that simple process. Double negative for those people that do this then get on and proceed to block the doors once on the inside. In an already cramped and stressful process, these people only add to the misery of riding the MTA.
These people pale in comparison to those people (typically male suits reading (important) documents. You might recognize them as the ones who turn sideways in front of the door in their brand of courtesy to help people get on and off, then turn their backs to their doors once they close. These people hold onto their territory in the exact opposite way of our American Indians, refusing to relinquish any control in the name ease of ridership.
These aren't the only types of people who make my daily subway commutes more difficult than they already are (riding the overcrowded Lexington line trains is a pain any way you slice it), but they are the strongest examples of the selfish acts occuring underground each and every day beneath the streets of Manhattan. Sure, there are the people who stand on the left side of the escalators in a defiant manner to keep me from getting some exercise/to the top or bottom in expediated fashion who I occasionaly come very close to putting the shoulder down and hammering through. There are hundreds of little nuances contribute to riding the MTA at rush hour a migraine, but these are the ones who we should all let know that their actions are not appreciate nor necessary.
Next time you see one of these perpetrators, I encourage you to act. Shake your head in a disapproving fashion, give them the sarcrastic thumbs up or clap or simply dethrone them from their perches with aggresive action of your own. Conflict may be the only way to take back the rails.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)