The Jaguars got the 2010 season started with a scrimmage at Mira Mesa on Friday. Here are a few of the video highlights...
Travis Bernard runs toward the sideline:
Taylor Oshinski makes a nice catch:
Bernard gets stuffed, but Shonta Chaloux gets into it with a defender:
Oshinski makes a grab coming toward the sideline (watch out!):
The VC defense swarms to make a tackle:
Kenny Thomas makes a nice tackle to stuff the Mira Mesa runner:
Coach Cowell talks to the defense:
"Touchdown" Tommy Aguilar makes a nice catch in traffic:
Beau Reilly hits Oshinski on a deep pass for the game's only score:
Monday, August 30, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
I Kid You Not: To Be The Best, You Need To Beat The Best
I realized something really important this weekend—while watching the NASCAR race, as a matter of fact.
I love ranting, especially about sports.
This particular rant centered on Kyle Busch, the brash, cocky, “checkers-or-wreckers” driver of the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series.
The younger Busch (Kyle’s older brother, Kurt, also races in NASCAR’s top series) made history this weekend by winning all three races—the Craftsman Truck Series race on Thursday night, the Nationwide Series race on Friday night and the Sprint Cup Series race on Saturday night—the first such sweep in NASCAR history.
For one thing, I was already in a bad mood because my driver, Jimmie Johnson, got wrecked by Juan Pablo Montoya after a restart less than halfway through the race. And for another, I really, really don’t like Kyle Busch. He’s cocky, he never, ever admits that anything is his fault (unless it’s in a sulky, “well I guess since so-and-so is never wrong, I guess it must be my fault” sort of way) and he tweaks the last nerve of even the most easy-going drivers on the circuit (such as Jeff Burton, Mark Martin and Joey Logano).
Basically, he’s trying to be Dale Earnhardt, but instead of coming across as the stone-faced, ice-water-in-his-veins intimidator, he comes across as a whining, petulant little child who probably just needs a good nap.
So, as the ESPN commentators waxed poetic (or whatever they call it when Dale Jarrett and Andy Petrie yammer on and on into the night) about Busch making history, all I wanted to do was calmly point out (read: shout at the top of my lungs) that the only reason Busch “made history” is because he insists on racing against inferior opponents every single week.
Here’s the thing, if you’re unfamiliar with how NASCAR’s various series work, compared to the farm system in Major League Baseball—the Sprint Cup Series is like the major leagues, the Nationwide Series is like AAA, and the Craftsman Truck Series is like AA. Or if we compare it to football, Sprint Cup is like the NFL, Nationwide is like college football, and the truck series is like high school. The point is, each of these series is there to serve the purpose of allowing younger drivers to gain racing experience in a more challenging environment than the local track can offer, while simultaneously allowing older drivers to continue racing, thereby also giving the young drivers access to veterans who can teach them a lot of valuable racing information. It’s a great system for maximizing the young talent coming up the Sprint Cup series.
Except that drivers like Busch (and Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Carl Edwards, and Clint Bowyer, and Kasey Kahne, and Elliot Sadler, and Ryan Newman) insist on driving in the Nationwide Series (and some in the truck series) to…I don’t know, gain more experience? That’s the standard excuse, but you have to think that this “seat time” is a little overrated, given that only two of those drivers (Edwards and Kahne) finished in the top 12 in the standings last year.
I’m not saying these guys are all egomaniacs or anything, but (as someone who enjoys creating myself and my friends in Madden on my Xbox 360, then rolling up victories of more than 100 points on my opponents) I have to admit that there’s something really fun about going up against an inferior opponent and utterly destroying him. It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like a cuddly baby bunny stiff-arming a linebacker to the ground and diving into the endzone.
But there is definitely some kind of ego wrapped up in a decision like this, because it’s not like you see Adrian Gonzalez flying up to Portland to play for the Beavers and see some more pitches before he steps in against the Dodgers. Nor do you see Drew Brees fly back to Purdue to lead the Boilermakers on Saturdays before he straps on that Saints helmet on Sundays. 
Nowhere else in sports do you see a major-league level athlete purposely compete against minor-league opponents other than in NASCAR.
With most of these drivers, it’s probably a combination of wanting to have more success and just not knowing what else to do with their time. One thing I’ve learned about racecar drivers over the years is that when they’re not racing, they’re thinking about racing. And when they’re not thinking about racing, they’re dead. So these guys probably just like racing.
And I’m sure that’s part of it with Busch as well, but the spoiled, whiny kid I hear in the post-race interviews tells me that he just wants to be better than other people, even if he has to take on someone who is decidedly not his own size, metaphorically speaking.
Personally, I think NASCAR should consider some kind of rule to regulate which drivers are allowed to drive in which series, for the good of the sport. If you think about it, if the seven drivers I just mentioned who drive full-time in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series had to decide which series to race in, that would open up seven seats to younger drivers who could use the added experience before they made the jump to the Sprint Cup Series.
Here’s what I would suggest—allow a driver to run in no more than two series at a time, and after he has been run a full schedule in the Sprint Cup Series for three consecutive years, he is no longer eligible to race in any other series, unless he stops racing full time in the Sprint Cup Series. That way, once you get to the big leagues, you can’t take your talents down to the minor leagues and dominate.
Which brings up my final point—these guys should be dominating the Nationwide series (and especially the truck series)! Kyle Busch is an elite stock car driver in the prime of his career! The fact that he doesn’t win every truck race and every Nationwide race should be more of a point of personal shame than the elation brought about by winning every now and then against what are essentially kids still learning the sport and old guys out for a good ol’ time at the track.
Perhaps it’s a symptom of our generation—look at what LeBron James just did, for example. Instead of wanting to carry a team and prove he’s the best basketball player of his era, he decided he wanted to beat everyone else, so he teamed up with his talented buddies to tip the scales in his favor. A number of writers have pointed out that James is like that annoying guy who comes out to play a pickup game, makes sure he stacks the teams with the best guys there, then trash talks you the whole game. At some point, it became more fun to win as the beneficiary of a loaded team than it is impressive to work really hard and be the best at something because you earned it.
The other side of that coin is that there are still, thankfully, a lot of athletes out there who go for glory with everything they have. Athletes like Brees (who went to New Orleans, brought a team and a region back to life with his energy, enthusiasm and talent, and won the Super Bowl), or Albert Pujols (who led the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series title back in 2006), or Sidney Crosby (who won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009) show us that there is still hope for athletes who work hard, learn from failure, and ascend to the pinnacle of their sport.
Kyle Busch could learn a few things from these guys.
As always, if you have any thoughts on this topic, or any topic, be sure to write to us at sports@valleycenter.com and tell us all about it.
I love ranting, especially about sports.
This particular rant centered on Kyle Busch, the brash, cocky, “checkers-or-wreckers” driver of the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series.
The younger Busch (Kyle’s older brother, Kurt, also races in NASCAR’s top series) made history this weekend by winning all three races—the Craftsman Truck Series race on Thursday night, the Nationwide Series race on Friday night and the Sprint Cup Series race on Saturday night—the first such sweep in NASCAR history.
For one thing, I was already in a bad mood because my driver, Jimmie Johnson, got wrecked by Juan Pablo Montoya after a restart less than halfway through the race. And for another, I really, really don’t like Kyle Busch. He’s cocky, he never, ever admits that anything is his fault (unless it’s in a sulky, “well I guess since so-and-so is never wrong, I guess it must be my fault” sort of way) and he tweaks the last nerve of even the most easy-going drivers on the circuit (such as Jeff Burton, Mark Martin and Joey Logano).
Basically, he’s trying to be Dale Earnhardt, but instead of coming across as the stone-faced, ice-water-in-his-veins intimidator, he comes across as a whining, petulant little child who probably just needs a good nap.
So, as the ESPN commentators waxed poetic (or whatever they call it when Dale Jarrett and Andy Petrie yammer on and on into the night) about Busch making history, all I wanted to do was calmly point out (read: shout at the top of my lungs) that the only reason Busch “made history” is because he insists on racing against inferior opponents every single week.Here’s the thing, if you’re unfamiliar with how NASCAR’s various series work, compared to the farm system in Major League Baseball—the Sprint Cup Series is like the major leagues, the Nationwide Series is like AAA, and the Craftsman Truck Series is like AA. Or if we compare it to football, Sprint Cup is like the NFL, Nationwide is like college football, and the truck series is like high school. The point is, each of these series is there to serve the purpose of allowing younger drivers to gain racing experience in a more challenging environment than the local track can offer, while simultaneously allowing older drivers to continue racing, thereby also giving the young drivers access to veterans who can teach them a lot of valuable racing information. It’s a great system for maximizing the young talent coming up the Sprint Cup series.
Except that drivers like Busch (and Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Carl Edwards, and Clint Bowyer, and Kasey Kahne, and Elliot Sadler, and Ryan Newman) insist on driving in the Nationwide Series (and some in the truck series) to…I don’t know, gain more experience? That’s the standard excuse, but you have to think that this “seat time” is a little overrated, given that only two of those drivers (Edwards and Kahne) finished in the top 12 in the standings last year.
I’m not saying these guys are all egomaniacs or anything, but (as someone who enjoys creating myself and my friends in Madden on my Xbox 360, then rolling up victories of more than 100 points on my opponents) I have to admit that there’s something really fun about going up against an inferior opponent and utterly destroying him. It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like a cuddly baby bunny stiff-arming a linebacker to the ground and diving into the endzone.
But there is definitely some kind of ego wrapped up in a decision like this, because it’s not like you see Adrian Gonzalez flying up to Portland to play for the Beavers and see some more pitches before he steps in against the Dodgers. Nor do you see Drew Brees fly back to Purdue to lead the Boilermakers on Saturdays before he straps on that Saints helmet on Sundays. 
Nowhere else in sports do you see a major-league level athlete purposely compete against minor-league opponents other than in NASCAR.With most of these drivers, it’s probably a combination of wanting to have more success and just not knowing what else to do with their time. One thing I’ve learned about racecar drivers over the years is that when they’re not racing, they’re thinking about racing. And when they’re not thinking about racing, they’re dead. So these guys probably just like racing.
And I’m sure that’s part of it with Busch as well, but the spoiled, whiny kid I hear in the post-race interviews tells me that he just wants to be better than other people, even if he has to take on someone who is decidedly not his own size, metaphorically speaking.
Personally, I think NASCAR should consider some kind of rule to regulate which drivers are allowed to drive in which series, for the good of the sport. If you think about it, if the seven drivers I just mentioned who drive full-time in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series had to decide which series to race in, that would open up seven seats to younger drivers who could use the added experience before they made the jump to the Sprint Cup Series.Here’s what I would suggest—allow a driver to run in no more than two series at a time, and after he has been run a full schedule in the Sprint Cup Series for three consecutive years, he is no longer eligible to race in any other series, unless he stops racing full time in the Sprint Cup Series. That way, once you get to the big leagues, you can’t take your talents down to the minor leagues and dominate.
Which brings up my final point—these guys should be dominating the Nationwide series (and especially the truck series)! Kyle Busch is an elite stock car driver in the prime of his career! The fact that he doesn’t win every truck race and every Nationwide race should be more of a point of personal shame than the elation brought about by winning every now and then against what are essentially kids still learning the sport and old guys out for a good ol’ time at the track.
Perhaps it’s a symptom of our generation—look at what LeBron James just did, for example. Instead of wanting to carry a team and prove he’s the best basketball player of his era, he decided he wanted to beat everyone else, so he teamed up with his talented buddies to tip the scales in his favor. A number of writers have pointed out that James is like that annoying guy who comes out to play a pickup game, makes sure he stacks the teams with the best guys there, then trash talks you the whole game. At some point, it became more fun to win as the beneficiary of a loaded team than it is impressive to work really hard and be the best at something because you earned it.
The other side of that coin is that there are still, thankfully, a lot of athletes out there who go for glory with everything they have. Athletes like Brees (who went to New Orleans, brought a team and a region back to life with his energy, enthusiasm and talent, and won the Super Bowl), or Albert Pujols (who led the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series title back in 2006), or Sidney Crosby (who won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009) show us that there is still hope for athletes who work hard, learn from failure, and ascend to the pinnacle of their sport.
Kyle Busch could learn a few things from these guys.
As always, if you have any thoughts on this topic, or any topic, be sure to write to us at sports@valleycenter.com and tell us all about it.
Jaguars Excited About Offensive Capabilities This Football Season
With the start of the regular season less than two weeks away, the Valley Center varsity football team is working hard in the summer heat to get ready for a run at another chance to play for the CIF championship.
The Jaguars have an experienced team this year, which makes quarterback Beau Reilly excited to lead the attack.
“We have a lot of experience on both sides of the ball, especially on offense,” he says. “With our wide receivers, our running backs, and with me coming back as the quarterback, we experienced that final game last year, and it’s really true—we want more. And we’re working hard to make sure we get it.”
The most noticeable change in Reilly from last year is his size—the 6’4” senior gained 30 pounds over the off-season, and he says the positive results are what he’s been looking for.
“I was at 150 last year and now I’m up to 180, which has helped my arm strength,” he says. “I’ve really tried hard to work on the physical aspects of the game so I’ll be able to make all the throws I need to.”
A big positive is his connection with his receivers, including senior wideout Taylor Oshinski, who returns after an ankle injury kept him out of all but the final game last season.
“Having Taylor back is a big asset for our offense,” Reilly says. “He and I came out even during volleyball season two or three times a week and work on our routes, just getting the timing down, so we’d be able to come out again this season without missing a beat.”
Reilly will also benefit from the big target presented by Stehly Reden, an all-state lineman who has converted to receiver this season.
“It’s been fun [switching to receiver],” Reden says of the change. “It’s something I always practiced, but we never had another guy to play line, so that’s where I played. But now we’ve got a lot of solid guys there, so I can move over here.”
Reden adds that his off-season work has been focused on improving the skills necessary to be a more dangerous threat in the passing game.
“I’ve been doing a lot of speed work, always trying to get a better forty time,” he says. “Me and Beau have been best friends for a long time, and we’re always throwing the ball around whenever we get together. It’s great because we have that chemistry built in. We know what each other are going to do.”
The Jaguars all hope the year ends with more than just the CIF runner-up distinction the team earned last season, and Reilly says the pursuit of the title begins in week one.
“I’m getting jacked up for our home opener,” he says of the Jags’ home game against San Pasqual on Sept. 3. “They hate us and we hate them. It’s a long rivalry for both of us, and it’s going to be a fun game to watch.”
Reden knows that the offense has to fire on all cylinders if the Jaguars want to bring home another CIF championship.
“Our passing game is strong with a lot of juniors and seniors,” he says. “Our offensive line is young, but our defense is always strong. I just hope that we can end the year with a CIF championship. That would be an awesome way to end our senior year.”
The Jags travel to Mira Mesa on Friday for a scrimmage at 4:30 p.m. before next Friday’s season opener against San Pasqual on Sept. 3 at 7 p.m.
The Jaguars have an experienced team this year, which makes quarterback Beau Reilly excited to lead the attack.
“We have a lot of experience on both sides of the ball, especially on offense,” he says. “With our wide receivers, our running backs, and with me coming back as the quarterback, we experienced that final game last year, and it’s really true—we want more. And we’re working hard to make sure we get it.”The most noticeable change in Reilly from last year is his size—the 6’4” senior gained 30 pounds over the off-season, and he says the positive results are what he’s been looking for.
“I was at 150 last year and now I’m up to 180, which has helped my arm strength,” he says. “I’ve really tried hard to work on the physical aspects of the game so I’ll be able to make all the throws I need to.”
A big positive is his connection with his receivers, including senior wideout Taylor Oshinski, who returns after an ankle injury kept him out of all but the final game last season.
“Having Taylor back is a big asset for our offense,” Reilly says. “He and I came out even during volleyball season two or three times a week and work on our routes, just getting the timing down, so we’d be able to come out again this season without missing a beat.”
Reilly will also benefit from the big target presented by Stehly Reden, an all-state lineman who has converted to receiver this season.“It’s been fun [switching to receiver],” Reden says of the change. “It’s something I always practiced, but we never had another guy to play line, so that’s where I played. But now we’ve got a lot of solid guys there, so I can move over here.”
Reden adds that his off-season work has been focused on improving the skills necessary to be a more dangerous threat in the passing game.
“I’ve been doing a lot of speed work, always trying to get a better forty time,” he says. “Me and Beau have been best friends for a long time, and we’re always throwing the ball around whenever we get together. It’s great because we have that chemistry built in. We know what each other are going to do.”
The Jaguars all hope the year ends with more than just the CIF runner-up distinction the team earned last season, and Reilly says the pursuit of the title begins in week one.
“I’m getting jacked up for our home opener,” he says of the Jags’ home game against San Pasqual on Sept. 3. “They hate us and we hate them. It’s a long rivalry for both of us, and it’s going to be a fun game to watch.”
Reden knows that the offense has to fire on all cylinders if the Jaguars want to bring home another CIF championship.“Our passing game is strong with a lot of juniors and seniors,” he says. “Our offensive line is young, but our defense is always strong. I just hope that we can end the year with a CIF championship. That would be an awesome way to end our senior year.”
The Jags travel to Mira Mesa on Friday for a scrimmage at 4:30 p.m. before next Friday’s season opener against San Pasqual on Sept. 3 at 7 p.m.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
I Kid You Not: Fantasy Football Sleepers & Snoozers 2010
You love football, I love football, and in less than a month, we’ll all be happy campers once again.
But for those of us who can’t get enough of the NFL with just the weekly games, there is fantasy football.
Although some may call it a fake sport, or just another way for nerds to crunch numbers, you can’t argue with the stats. Depending on where you get your stats, anywhere from 23 to 29 million Americans play fantasy football every year, and if you’re one of them, you know why.
The thrill of competition, the feeling of being involved with the players on your team, the simple joy of a T.J. Houshmandzadeh touchdown catch to help you beat Larry from accounting—it’s all just a part of the wonderful package.
If you’ve played fantasy football before, then you know how many opinions are out there masquerading as facts, telling you why a certain player is doomed to fail this season, or why you should avoid a certain player because it’s a surefire guarantee that he’s not going to make it through the season healthy.
If you’re new to fantasy football, it can seem a little overwhelming. But if you’re a veteran of the fantasy world, then you know how to take in all this raw data and form your own educated opinions, which are hopefully turned into beneficial decisions.
If you’re really good, you might start to express your own opinions to those around you. And since I’m one of those guys, I’m going to tell you who I think are some players with solid potential (sleepers) and who are guys I wouldn’t really want on my team (snoozers) for this season.
If you want hard data on these guys, there is no shortage of places to go to find what you’re looking for. The following is nothing more than one man’s opinion. Granted, one incredibly awesome, gifted, never-finished-worse-than-third-in-at-least-one-of-my-fantasy-leagues-since-I-started-playing kind of guy. But still—opinions they are.
With no further ado, let’s look at some players to snag and some players to avoid in fantasy football this year.
Sleepers
QB: Jason Campbell, Oakland Raiders
I know—the Raiders, you ask? Let’s just say that no team is going to look good when Jamarcus “That’s No Moon, That’s Our Quarterback” Russell...
...is overthrowing your receivers by 15 yards. Campbell is an accurate passer who brings confidence to an offense with some talent, but was mired in the cold, slippery grip of incompetence the past few seasons. They’re not going to win the Super Bowl, but Campbell will put up solid numbers all season.
Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
We saw some glimpses of Stafford’s ability and toughness last season, when he led the Lions to a last-minute victory over the Browns with an outstanding two-minute drive, shaking off a shoulder injury to re-enter on the final play and throw a touchdown pass that won the game. He’s still got his primary target, Calvin Johnson, as well as some new, potentially exciting talent on offense. I’m not saying he’s going to win the MVP, but if you still need a quarterback and he’s there in the late rounds, you could do a whole lot worse (see Jackson, Tarvaris).
RB: Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins
I’m a little biased here since I’m a Dolphins fan, but Brown has been a top-three fantasy running back at some point in each of the past four seasons. The reason he’s so commonly overlooked is because he was only able to finish one of the past four seasons, due to various injuries. Now, I can’t claim to know what will happen in the future. Well, I can claim that, but most of you would probably not believe me. Anyway, there’s a chance he could get hurt. But there’s a chance any player could get hurt, and Brown’s injuries were kind of fluky: a broken hand from a collision with an opponent’s helmet (2006), a torn ACL in his knee while making a tackle on an interception (2007), and a Lisfranc fracture in his right foot (2009). The ACL tear is a bit concerning, but he’s now gone two full seasons without any problems there, so why is there so much doubt that he will be healthy this year, any more than any other player? For fantasy purposes, you look at the potential cost/benefit analysis. Potential reward, you draft a top-ten fantasy running back (maybe better) with a fourth-round pick. Potential cost, he gets hurt and your fourth-round pick goes down the drain. To me, that’s not a huge risk. I mean, who else are you going to grab in that spot, Justin Forsett (who isn’t even the starter) or Jerome Harrison (of the Cleveland Browns… let me repeat that—THE CLEVELAND BROWNS)? Why not take a chance on a guy who has the talent and the opportunity to be an elite back?
Cadillac Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This one is for the late rounds, because I don’t really think anybody from the Tampa offense will be that great. But despite the seeming committee in the Buccaneer backfield, Caddy showed some promise at the end of last season after coming back from a torn patellar tendon the year before. He was outstanding in his rookie season (2005) and is just now finally coming all the way back from that injury. Instead of stocking up on kickers, I’d be willing to give Cadillac a test drive (note: I’m pretty sure this is the only time anyone has ever used that joke. Ever. Pretty sure.)
WR: Chris Chambers, Kansas City Chiefs
Look, there isn’t much to get excited about when you look at the Chiefs this year. Until last year, their quarterback made a living watching other (or rather, more talented) quarterbacks win football games—Matt Cassel was the backup to Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC, then spent four seasons as Tom Brady’s designated baseball cap holder in New England. Their running backs either have some pretty good potential (Jamaal Charles and Dexter McCluster) or might be running out of gas (Thomas Jones). The offensive line isn’t great either, but word is that it might be getting better—emphasis on “might.”
Their receivers aren’t much to look at either, but one thing we learned from the last half of 2009 was that Cassel somehow developed a rapport with Chambers, the number two wideout on the depth chart this year since Dwayne Bowe is pretty solidly established as the primary target.
Now I’m not saying that the Chiefs’ passing game is going to be electric, but I am saying that there seemed to be a connection between Cassel and Chambers last season, especially down the stretch—you know, when fantasy football match-ups are kind of important. If he’s still around in the later rounds, he’s probably going to be a good deal.
Josh Morgan, San Francisco 49ers
Pretty much, what I said about Chambers, apply that to Morgan. Also, Morgan is younger and his quarterback actually played in college.
Derrick Mason, Baltimore Ravens
Everybody’s all ga-ga for Anquan Boldin, and with good reason. But in my opinion, all his arrival does is open up more opportunities for Mason, who is as sure-handed as any number two receiver out there. The Ravens have a pretty exciting offense this year, and the way Ray Rice runs, you know there will be open spots for Mason in the secondary. Again, I don’t think he’s good enough to be your number one WR or anything, but if he’s there in the sixth or seventh round, I think you’ll do fine with him.
TE: Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers
Everybody thinks that Aaron Rodgers is going to have a monster year, and I agree. Finley is young, big, fast, and has great hands. He’s going to gobble up touchdown after touchdown this season.
Snoozers
QB: Donovan McNabb, Washington Redskins
McNabb is a tough place to start with the snoozers, because I don’t mean to imply that he’s going to be worthless. I just don’t think he’s going to put up the kinds of consistent fantasy numbers that he did last year with the Eagles. It’s a different system, he’s got new receivers to work with, and the ‘Skins actually run the ball from time to time. McNabb will end up with a decent season, I’d wager, but probably nothing significantly higher than Jason Campbell’s season totals for Washington last year. Basically, McNabb isn’t going to be as good as he was last year, so I would just be careful how high you rank him.
Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals
Like Rodgers, a lot of people think Palmer will have a big year. He’s got the Ochocinco/Owens circus to ringlead, a (supposedly) talented rookie tight end, and a healthy Cedric Benson carrying the load. It looks really good on paper.
But they don’t play games on paper, probably because that would be a waste of paper, and it’s much easier to just play the game on your computer like the rest of us. Anyway, this is purely a gut thing, but I don’t think Palmer will be all that valuable come season’s end. He’ll have his days, I’m sure, but he plays some tough defenses (Pittsburgh and Baltimore twice each, New England, Atlanta, San Diego and the New York Jets among them) and he hasn’t really been all that great the past few seasons. I don’t think that another narcissist wide receiver in the locker room is going to help his demeanor much.
RB: C.J. Spiller, Buffalo Bills
He looks like he’s got lots of potential right now—good speed, an offense committed to the run, and the other two potential starting running backs (Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch) have picked up some minor injuries in the preseason.
But one of my new favorite words for this season—“meritocracy”—comes into play here. Jackson led the team in rushing last season, and Lynch is still a big, physical back who can pick up tough yards. Spiller may have talent, but in the NFL, the ball goes to the guys who earn it. Until Jackson and Lynch completely blow it out there, I feel like Spiller is doomed to a few chances here and there, at best.
Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts
He’s getting older, he plays on a team that doesn’t run very much, and he’s got a younger guy (Donald Brown) behind him who, according to the “insiders” who seem to know these things, is going to get more chances this year. Even if Addai gets the bulk of the Colts’ carries, he hasn’t really done much with them the past few years.
WR: Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals
Read what I wrote about Carson Palmer again. Then add to it the fact that Ochocinco A) isn’t getting any younger (or faster), B) clearly doesn’t like sharing the spotlight, and C) gets easily frustrated when things aren’t going well. The Bengals play at New England to open the season, then host the Ravens in week two. I can’t imagine them winning either of those games, much less both. It could be a rough year in that locker room.
Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys
This one is similar to McNabb in that I’m not saying Austin will be terrible—I just think that all the hype has gotten a little out of hand. The Cowboys played well and Austin got a lot of points last year, but defenses kind of know he’s coming this year. Chances are he’ll get taken really early, and chances are, the guy (or girl) who drafted him in your league will end up just a little disappointed.
Any Receivers From The Pittsburgh Steelers
(like Mike Wallace...)
(oops, wrong Mike Wallace...um...here we go...)
Ben Roethlisberger is out for six weeks, and Byron Leftwich is no longer the same dude that got carried by his offensive linemen to run the two-minute drill at Marshall. Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes is gone, Hines Ward is still good but getting old, and I’m not entirely convinced that Mike Wallace (no, not the guy from 60 Minutes) can be considered elite. It’s not like they’ll be terrible, but for where they’re going in mock drafts right now, there are better guys out there.
TE: Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears
His quarterback likes throwing it to the other team, he’s got a much older guy pushing him for the starting spot (Desmond Clark), and his new offensive coordinator doesn’t really do much to get the tight end involved anyway. Yeah, you remember the Rams from the late 1990s, with Mike Martz as the offensive coordinator? The guy who helped make Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Marshall Faulk into superstars? Can you name the tight end from the 1999 Rams? It was this guy. In 16 games, he had all of 25 receptions. Not exactly lighting up the fantasy scoreboard.
— — —
There you have it, the official I Kid You Not sleepers and snoozers. Take this advice, go forth, and dominate your league.
Or wonder whether or not I gave you a bunch of false leads just to throw off any of the other owners in my league who might be reading this column. Maybe I’m giving good advice, or maybe I’m watching out for my own interests. I will let you decide.
But for those of us who can’t get enough of the NFL with just the weekly games, there is fantasy football.
Although some may call it a fake sport, or just another way for nerds to crunch numbers, you can’t argue with the stats. Depending on where you get your stats, anywhere from 23 to 29 million Americans play fantasy football every year, and if you’re one of them, you know why.
The thrill of competition, the feeling of being involved with the players on your team, the simple joy of a T.J. Houshmandzadeh touchdown catch to help you beat Larry from accounting—it’s all just a part of the wonderful package.
If you’ve played fantasy football before, then you know how many opinions are out there masquerading as facts, telling you why a certain player is doomed to fail this season, or why you should avoid a certain player because it’s a surefire guarantee that he’s not going to make it through the season healthy.If you’re new to fantasy football, it can seem a little overwhelming. But if you’re a veteran of the fantasy world, then you know how to take in all this raw data and form your own educated opinions, which are hopefully turned into beneficial decisions.
If you’re really good, you might start to express your own opinions to those around you. And since I’m one of those guys, I’m going to tell you who I think are some players with solid potential (sleepers) and who are guys I wouldn’t really want on my team (snoozers) for this season.
If you want hard data on these guys, there is no shortage of places to go to find what you’re looking for. The following is nothing more than one man’s opinion. Granted, one incredibly awesome, gifted, never-finished-worse-than-third-in-at-least-one-of-my-fantasy-leagues-since-I-started-playing kind of guy. But still—opinions they are.
With no further ado, let’s look at some players to snag and some players to avoid in fantasy football this year.
Sleepers
QB: Jason Campbell, Oakland Raiders
I know—the Raiders, you ask? Let’s just say that no team is going to look good when Jamarcus “That’s No Moon, That’s Our Quarterback” Russell...
...is overthrowing your receivers by 15 yards. Campbell is an accurate passer who brings confidence to an offense with some talent, but was mired in the cold, slippery grip of incompetence the past few seasons. They’re not going to win the Super Bowl, but Campbell will put up solid numbers all season.Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
We saw some glimpses of Stafford’s ability and toughness last season, when he led the Lions to a last-minute victory over the Browns with an outstanding two-minute drive, shaking off a shoulder injury to re-enter on the final play and throw a touchdown pass that won the game. He’s still got his primary target, Calvin Johnson, as well as some new, potentially exciting talent on offense. I’m not saying he’s going to win the MVP, but if you still need a quarterback and he’s there in the late rounds, you could do a whole lot worse (see Jackson, Tarvaris).RB: Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins
I’m a little biased here since I’m a Dolphins fan, but Brown has been a top-three fantasy running back at some point in each of the past four seasons. The reason he’s so commonly overlooked is because he was only able to finish one of the past four seasons, due to various injuries. Now, I can’t claim to know what will happen in the future. Well, I can claim that, but most of you would probably not believe me. Anyway, there’s a chance he could get hurt. But there’s a chance any player could get hurt, and Brown’s injuries were kind of fluky: a broken hand from a collision with an opponent’s helmet (2006), a torn ACL in his knee while making a tackle on an interception (2007), and a Lisfranc fracture in his right foot (2009). The ACL tear is a bit concerning, but he’s now gone two full seasons without any problems there, so why is there so much doubt that he will be healthy this year, any more than any other player? For fantasy purposes, you look at the potential cost/benefit analysis. Potential reward, you draft a top-ten fantasy running back (maybe better) with a fourth-round pick. Potential cost, he gets hurt and your fourth-round pick goes down the drain. To me, that’s not a huge risk. I mean, who else are you going to grab in that spot, Justin Forsett (who isn’t even the starter) or Jerome Harrison (of the Cleveland Browns… let me repeat that—THE CLEVELAND BROWNS)? Why not take a chance on a guy who has the talent and the opportunity to be an elite back?Cadillac Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This one is for the late rounds, because I don’t really think anybody from the Tampa offense will be that great. But despite the seeming committee in the Buccaneer backfield, Caddy showed some promise at the end of last season after coming back from a torn patellar tendon the year before. He was outstanding in his rookie season (2005) and is just now finally coming all the way back from that injury. Instead of stocking up on kickers, I’d be willing to give Cadillac a test drive (note: I’m pretty sure this is the only time anyone has ever used that joke. Ever. Pretty sure.)WR: Chris Chambers, Kansas City Chiefs
Look, there isn’t much to get excited about when you look at the Chiefs this year. Until last year, their quarterback made a living watching other (or rather, more talented) quarterbacks win football games—Matt Cassel was the backup to Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC, then spent four seasons as Tom Brady’s designated baseball cap holder in New England. Their running backs either have some pretty good potential (Jamaal Charles and Dexter McCluster) or might be running out of gas (Thomas Jones). The offensive line isn’t great either, but word is that it might be getting better—emphasis on “might.”Their receivers aren’t much to look at either, but one thing we learned from the last half of 2009 was that Cassel somehow developed a rapport with Chambers, the number two wideout on the depth chart this year since Dwayne Bowe is pretty solidly established as the primary target.
Now I’m not saying that the Chiefs’ passing game is going to be electric, but I am saying that there seemed to be a connection between Cassel and Chambers last season, especially down the stretch—you know, when fantasy football match-ups are kind of important. If he’s still around in the later rounds, he’s probably going to be a good deal.
Josh Morgan, San Francisco 49ers
Pretty much, what I said about Chambers, apply that to Morgan. Also, Morgan is younger and his quarterback actually played in college.Derrick Mason, Baltimore Ravens
Everybody’s all ga-ga for Anquan Boldin, and with good reason. But in my opinion, all his arrival does is open up more opportunities for Mason, who is as sure-handed as any number two receiver out there. The Ravens have a pretty exciting offense this year, and the way Ray Rice runs, you know there will be open spots for Mason in the secondary. Again, I don’t think he’s good enough to be your number one WR or anything, but if he’s there in the sixth or seventh round, I think you’ll do fine with him.TE: Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers
Everybody thinks that Aaron Rodgers is going to have a monster year, and I agree. Finley is young, big, fast, and has great hands. He’s going to gobble up touchdown after touchdown this season.Snoozers
QB: Donovan McNabb, Washington Redskins
McNabb is a tough place to start with the snoozers, because I don’t mean to imply that he’s going to be worthless. I just don’t think he’s going to put up the kinds of consistent fantasy numbers that he did last year with the Eagles. It’s a different system, he’s got new receivers to work with, and the ‘Skins actually run the ball from time to time. McNabb will end up with a decent season, I’d wager, but probably nothing significantly higher than Jason Campbell’s season totals for Washington last year. Basically, McNabb isn’t going to be as good as he was last year, so I would just be careful how high you rank him.Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals
Like Rodgers, a lot of people think Palmer will have a big year. He’s got the Ochocinco/Owens circus to ringlead, a (supposedly) talented rookie tight end, and a healthy Cedric Benson carrying the load. It looks really good on paper.But they don’t play games on paper, probably because that would be a waste of paper, and it’s much easier to just play the game on your computer like the rest of us. Anyway, this is purely a gut thing, but I don’t think Palmer will be all that valuable come season’s end. He’ll have his days, I’m sure, but he plays some tough defenses (Pittsburgh and Baltimore twice each, New England, Atlanta, San Diego and the New York Jets among them) and he hasn’t really been all that great the past few seasons. I don’t think that another narcissist wide receiver in the locker room is going to help his demeanor much.
RB: C.J. Spiller, Buffalo Bills
He looks like he’s got lots of potential right now—good speed, an offense committed to the run, and the other two potential starting running backs (Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch) have picked up some minor injuries in the preseason.But one of my new favorite words for this season—“meritocracy”—comes into play here. Jackson led the team in rushing last season, and Lynch is still a big, physical back who can pick up tough yards. Spiller may have talent, but in the NFL, the ball goes to the guys who earn it. Until Jackson and Lynch completely blow it out there, I feel like Spiller is doomed to a few chances here and there, at best.
Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts
He’s getting older, he plays on a team that doesn’t run very much, and he’s got a younger guy (Donald Brown) behind him who, according to the “insiders” who seem to know these things, is going to get more chances this year. Even if Addai gets the bulk of the Colts’ carries, he hasn’t really done much with them the past few years.WR: Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals
Read what I wrote about Carson Palmer again. Then add to it the fact that Ochocinco A) isn’t getting any younger (or faster), B) clearly doesn’t like sharing the spotlight, and C) gets easily frustrated when things aren’t going well. The Bengals play at New England to open the season, then host the Ravens in week two. I can’t imagine them winning either of those games, much less both. It could be a rough year in that locker room.Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys
This one is similar to McNabb in that I’m not saying Austin will be terrible—I just think that all the hype has gotten a little out of hand. The Cowboys played well and Austin got a lot of points last year, but defenses kind of know he’s coming this year. Chances are he’ll get taken really early, and chances are, the guy (or girl) who drafted him in your league will end up just a little disappointed.Any Receivers From The Pittsburgh Steelers
(like Mike Wallace...)
(oops, wrong Mike Wallace...um...here we go...)
Ben Roethlisberger is out for six weeks, and Byron Leftwich is no longer the same dude that got carried by his offensive linemen to run the two-minute drill at Marshall. Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes is gone, Hines Ward is still good but getting old, and I’m not entirely convinced that Mike Wallace (no, not the guy from 60 Minutes) can be considered elite. It’s not like they’ll be terrible, but for where they’re going in mock drafts right now, there are better guys out there.TE: Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears
His quarterback likes throwing it to the other team, he’s got a much older guy pushing him for the starting spot (Desmond Clark), and his new offensive coordinator doesn’t really do much to get the tight end involved anyway. Yeah, you remember the Rams from the late 1990s, with Mike Martz as the offensive coordinator? The guy who helped make Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Marshall Faulk into superstars? Can you name the tight end from the 1999 Rams? It was this guy. In 16 games, he had all of 25 receptions. Not exactly lighting up the fantasy scoreboard.— — —
There you have it, the official I Kid You Not sleepers and snoozers. Take this advice, go forth, and dominate your league.
Or wonder whether or not I gave you a bunch of false leads just to throw off any of the other owners in my league who might be reading this column. Maybe I’m giving good advice, or maybe I’m watching out for my own interests. I will let you decide.
VCHS Fund-raiser Mattress Sale This Weekend
On Saturday and Sunday August 21st/22nd, 2010, our Valley Center High School Athletic Programs are pleased to host a one of a kind fundraising event. This event has been VERY successful in school districts all across the country over the last 4 ½ years and we now have the opportunity to run this event here at Valley Center!
I am sending this brief note home as a gentle reminder. If you think you might be in need of a mattress (or mattress set etc.). Or, if you know of any family or friends that might be in need. PLEASE keep Saturday & Sunday August 21st/22nd, 2010 open!
The mattress sale will be at the Valley Center High School.
There will be 15-20 sets on display to try out and a team of experts to answer any question you might have. No pressure. Just savings to our community from 30-60% below retail. Mattress sets will all have direct factory warranties just like the stores. All beds our quality name brands with most even being Consumer Digest Best Buys !!
All we ask is you just come in and take a look. It is a pleasure to be able to find a way to help our students and their families while providing cost savings to our community.
We would very much appreciate your support of our fundraiser. I hope that you would be able to spread the word to neighbors, families and friends.
See you on Saturday or Sunday August 21st or 22nd, 2010!
Kimi Walters Helps Carlsbad Team Win Jr. Olympic Gold
Valley Center High School varsity water polo player Kimi Walters was part of a team from Carlsbad that won the gold medal in the 18U girls division in the S&R Sport Junior Olympics water polo tournament, held in Los Angeles from Aug. 5–8.Walters, who joined the Carlsbad team in order to play with some of her friends, had to earn her spot on the team that headed to the Junior Olympics. Once she made the squad, the team had to qualify for one of four spots reserved in the tournament for San Diego-area teams.
“We were pretty well matched with the teams from the area,” Walters says. “We played some college-level teams, and that kind of competition really gets you prepared.”
The Carlsbad team made it through the opening rounds and advanced to the final on Sunday, where they met the Rose Bowl team. Carlsbad jumped ahead with three early goals, but Rose Bowl fought back.
“We took an early lead, but we let up on defense a little and they came back to tie it up at four in the third quarter,” Walters explains. “We knew we had to pick up the defense, but at the same time we had to score and pick up the offense.”
Carlsbad did both, holding Rose Bowl scoreless in the final period, while added three goals of their own to take a 7–4 victory.
“It was both a defensive and an offensive game,” Walters says. “At different times we had to focus on different things, and we pulled together for the win.”
Walters didn’t score in the final, but tallied a total of four goals in the tournament as a driver and a utility player.
She hopes to be continue playing with the Carlsbad team next season, and would like to keep playing water polo in college and beyond.
For more information about the the S&R Sport Junior Olympics water polo tournament, visit the Web site at www.juniorolympics.com
Chuck Smith: Leatherman Extraordinaire
Valley Center resident and lifelong leather craftsman Chuck Smith is known for his flowing Western Floral style of carving. When Chuck was a teenager growing up in North Hollywood, he considered himself lucky to be in the company of such famous leather carving masters as Al Stohlman, Kenny Griffin, Cliff Ketchum, Joey Smith, Lad Haverty and Al Shelton. He fell in love with Western movies and gun leather and even delivered newspapers to some of the old Western movie stars. He would get run out of “Nudies Rodeo Tailors” when Roy Rogers would visit the store.“I would watch all those movie cowboys and I really liked all the leather stuff,” Smith says. “So I took a class in junior high and decided I wanted to work with leather.”
His dad bought him his first set of leather tools when he was about 12 years old. By the time he was in high school, he was an assistant to the teacher, helping to teach his classmates. He would have loved to have been a saddle maker because all his heroes were cowboys, but it wasn't practical to raise a family like that in Los Angeles at the time. So he let his love become a part time hobby until later in his life.
“I did a lot of billfolds and belts at first,” he says. “I would just work out of the house, and my dad helped me get started. He bought all the stuff I needed to get started, and he really encouraged me.”
Smith eventually tooled the Marlboro Man’s saddle but that was the year they outlawed cigarette billboard advertising in the States, so he never got to see his work except on a copy of a video provided by the company.
His work is considered expensive by those who don't understand leather carving. Most people are used to production purses and belts. Smith’s one of a kind, hand carved belts start at $450 and his album covers average about $1,000. He is world-famous for his "Western Floral" style of carving on leather. He has also done pattern design work for the Tandy Leather Company of Fort Worth, TX. In collaboration with Martin Guitar Company of Nazareth, PA., Eric Clapton commissioned the leather cover for his special guitar as an art piece. It will probably never be used in public.
He has shot fast draw, worked as a draftsman and salesman for the telephone company, designed and manufactured the Mongoose Bicycle and had a manufacturing company that made exhaust systems for Harley Davidson. Besides having spent years doing frame-off restorations for classic Chevrolets and Corvettes, he is well known for his expertise in classic car fuel injection and carburetion systems. In 1996, he was presented the Al Stohlman Award for Achievement in Leather Craft. He was a technical leather advisor for the movie, “Into the Wild” and has done segments on leatherwork for the Carol Duvall HGTV Show. He has many well-known clients, both in the car and leather businesses.“Chuck loves a challenge and loves doing custom leather work,” his wife, Lana, says. “He does not really advertise for work because it seems to find him. I am always happy for him when he is in his workshop taking a piece of leather and turning it into a canvas of his artwork. He is truly content then. Besides leather, Chuck's other love is anything that goes fast and makes a lot of noise.”
A strong believer in passing on the art of leather carving, Smith has taught leather carving seminars from Oklahoma City to Tokyo, Japan. He was one of the first to promote week-long seminars for students. Long ago, leather workers were not very generous in teaching their secrets. Due to his perseverance, Smith has helped to inspire many of his fellow artists to share their talents. As a result, the craft has truly become an art form and even the tools carvers use are better due to the increased level of competition.
As a self-taught engineer, Smith wasn’t satisfied with the leather tools that were being sold so, in 1991, he started his own “OL Smoothie” line of swivel knives and stamping tools. The average swivel knife at that time cost about $10. Smith’s knife costs $100. People swore they would never pay that much until they tried it and then bought it. Smith believes in quality. It shows in his leatherwork.
Born in Detroit in 1936, before his family headed West in 1943, Smith and his wife, Lana, moved from Calabasas, CA, to Valley Center in 2003. He loves living here. He says Valley Center reminds him of his early days in the forties and fifties when the San Fernando Valley was full of orange groves and dairy farms and you could still see the stars in the sky.
“We were looking to move from the San Fernando Valley, and my wife had lived in Fallbrook, so we decided to move down to this area,” Smith says. “We wanted to get away from all the noise, so we love it here. It reminds me of North Hollywood in the fifties with all the orange groves and the avocados and everything.”
Here is a variety of leather work by Chuck. He does custom wallets, belts, photo albums, chap tops, saddles and even trade magazine covers in leather.
(click on photos for a larger image)
This is a close up of the detail on the front cover of the guitar, courtesy of Neil B. Nissing Photography. It shows Eric Clapton's signature on the guitar neck.
This leather cover for the guitar is probably Chuck's best work ever. He wanted to do something extra special for guitarist Eric Clapton. Chuck listened to Eric's albums constantly to get inspired to create the cover as he thought Eric would want it. (Photos courtesy of C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.)
This 1957 Bel Air, fuel-injected Chevrolet is a frame-off restoration done by Chuck.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
VCHS 2010 Football Schedule
Date----------VS-----------Location-------------Time (JV/V)
8/27------(Scrimmage)------Mira Mesa------------3:00/4:30
9/3-------San Pasqual------Valley Center----------4:30/7:00
9/10------La Quinta--------Valley Center----------4:30/7:00
9/17------La Jolla----------Valley Center----------4:30/7:00
9/24------Los Alamitos-----Valley Center----------4:30/7:00
10/1------Ramona----------Ramona-------------4:30/7:00
10/8------Escondido--------Escondido-----------4:30/7:00
10/15-----San Marcos------VC (homecoming)------4:30/7:00
10/22-----Mt. Carmel-------Mt. Carmel-----------4:30/7:00
11/5------Del Norte--------Del Norte------------4:30/7:00
11/12-----Orange Glen-----Valley Center----------4:30/7:00
8/27------(Scrimmage)------Mira Mesa------------3:00/4:30
9/3-------San Pasqual------Valley Center----------4:30/7:00
9/10------La Quinta--------Valley Center----------4:30/7:00
9/17------La Jolla----------Valley Center----------4:30/7:00
9/24------Los Alamitos-----Valley Center----------4:30/7:00
10/1------Ramona----------Ramona-------------4:30/7:00
10/8------Escondido--------Escondido-----------4:30/7:00
10/15-----San Marcos------VC (homecoming)------4:30/7:00
10/22-----Mt. Carmel-------Mt. Carmel-----------4:30/7:00
11/5------Del Norte--------Del Norte------------4:30/7:00
11/12-----Orange Glen-----Valley Center----------4:30/7:00
Jaguars Want More Than CIF Runner-Up In Football This Year
It might be easy to hang your proverbial hat on the success of a season in which your team made it to the CIF championship game, amassing an 11–2 record along the way, and setting a new school record for most wins in the regular season.
But Valley Center head football coach Rob Gilster knows that the easy way isn’t always the best way.
The Jaguars head into the 2010 season with the slogan, “We want more,” and coach Gilster says it’s an attitude that has defined the team so far this off-season.
“This is a team that wants to keep achieving and hopes to go further than we did last year,” he says. “Obviously, being the CIF champs is the pinnacle of what we’re chasing after, and our ultimate goal is to strive to be the best. We know that being the best means that you get a win in that last game of the year.”
Part of the challenge of improving on last season’s title-game run will be finding a way to replace a player who accounted for more than 2,200 yards of offense a year ago. The hole left by graduated running back Stanton Upson will be filled this year by Travis Bernard, who was used mainly as a slot receiver last season.
“Travis will be our first option, but we have a few guys who can run the ball, including Kenny Thomas, Mike Rodriguez and Garrett Fiehler,” coach Gilster says. “But Travis is ready to take on that role. He’s always wanted to be a running back, but when he got to the varsity level, Stanton was already established there, so we had to find ways to get Travis involved on offense. He’s had to wait his turn to be the go-to guy, but he’s always had the ability.”
Quarterback Beau Reilly returns to lead the offense in his senior season, and coach Gilster is excited about the development of the young passer.
“He’s improved a lot this off-season,” he says. “He’s gotten bigger and a lot stronger, and the experience he gained from last year is invaluable.”
Up front, the offensive line has some returning starters, but overall, coach Gilster has a young group of blockers to work with.
“Overall, we’re real young on the line, but I’m excited to work with these guys,” he says. “We’ll have some guys moving up from JV, but we’ll have a couple guys with some starting experience back this year, including [center] Andy Fletcher.”
Former tackle Stehly Reden will move to tight end this season, a position he played on occasion last year. Joining him is incoming transfer Jean-Marc Briere, and with returning receivers Taylor Oshinski and Tommy Aguilar, along with John Watkins moving up from JV, the receiving corps makes up a position that coach Gilster sees as a strength this season.
“We always strive to be a balanced team, so if we’re right around the sixty-forty mark for running and passing, whichever way it goes, then we’re right around where we want to be,” he says. “But we never want to be predictable, and with the weapons we have on offense, I think we’re going to be able to keep defenses on their heels.”
On the other side of the ball, the graduation of middle linebacker Patrick Preston leaves a big gap to fill, but with Jacob Beason returning from an injury, along with Martin Cunningham moving back to middle linebacker from nose tackle, coach Gilster says the defense has some solid players up front.
“These guys are disciplined, excited to play, and they’re tough guys,” he says.
The defensive secondary looks solid as well, with returning starters Aguilar and David Last at cornerback, along with Bernard coming back to play safety.
But even with a hard-working, experienced team looking to make another run for a CIF championship, coach Gilster knows that the Jaguars will need to play at an elite level throughout the season, especially with some challenging new opponents added to the talented teams already on the schedule.
“It’s going to be a tough schedule this year,” he admits. “San Pasqual, Ramona and Mount Carmel are always good teams, and we play at Escondido this year, which is always a tough place to play. We also have La Quinta and Los Alamitos, which is a big school up in Orange County, so we know we’re going to have to prepare if we’re going to be successful.”
The Jaguars kick off the 2010 season with a scrimmage at Mira Mesa on Aug. 27 before the regular-season opener takes place against San Pasqual at Valley Center at 7 p.m. on Sept. 3.
But Valley Center head football coach Rob Gilster knows that the easy way isn’t always the best way.
The Jaguars head into the 2010 season with the slogan, “We want more,” and coach Gilster says it’s an attitude that has defined the team so far this off-season.
“This is a team that wants to keep achieving and hopes to go further than we did last year,” he says. “Obviously, being the CIF champs is the pinnacle of what we’re chasing after, and our ultimate goal is to strive to be the best. We know that being the best means that you get a win in that last game of the year.”
Part of the challenge of improving on last season’s title-game run will be finding a way to replace a player who accounted for more than 2,200 yards of offense a year ago. The hole left by graduated running back Stanton Upson will be filled this year by Travis Bernard, who was used mainly as a slot receiver last season.
“Travis will be our first option, but we have a few guys who can run the ball, including Kenny Thomas, Mike Rodriguez and Garrett Fiehler,” coach Gilster says. “But Travis is ready to take on that role. He’s always wanted to be a running back, but when he got to the varsity level, Stanton was already established there, so we had to find ways to get Travis involved on offense. He’s had to wait his turn to be the go-to guy, but he’s always had the ability.”
Quarterback Beau Reilly returns to lead the offense in his senior season, and coach Gilster is excited about the development of the young passer.
“He’s improved a lot this off-season,” he says. “He’s gotten bigger and a lot stronger, and the experience he gained from last year is invaluable.”
Up front, the offensive line has some returning starters, but overall, coach Gilster has a young group of blockers to work with.
“Overall, we’re real young on the line, but I’m excited to work with these guys,” he says. “We’ll have some guys moving up from JV, but we’ll have a couple guys with some starting experience back this year, including [center] Andy Fletcher.”
Former tackle Stehly Reden will move to tight end this season, a position he played on occasion last year. Joining him is incoming transfer Jean-Marc Briere, and with returning receivers Taylor Oshinski and Tommy Aguilar, along with John Watkins moving up from JV, the receiving corps makes up a position that coach Gilster sees as a strength this season.
“We always strive to be a balanced team, so if we’re right around the sixty-forty mark for running and passing, whichever way it goes, then we’re right around where we want to be,” he says. “But we never want to be predictable, and with the weapons we have on offense, I think we’re going to be able to keep defenses on their heels.”
On the other side of the ball, the graduation of middle linebacker Patrick Preston leaves a big gap to fill, but with Jacob Beason returning from an injury, along with Martin Cunningham moving back to middle linebacker from nose tackle, coach Gilster says the defense has some solid players up front.
“These guys are disciplined, excited to play, and they’re tough guys,” he says.
The defensive secondary looks solid as well, with returning starters Aguilar and David Last at cornerback, along with Bernard coming back to play safety.
But even with a hard-working, experienced team looking to make another run for a CIF championship, coach Gilster knows that the Jaguars will need to play at an elite level throughout the season, especially with some challenging new opponents added to the talented teams already on the schedule.
“It’s going to be a tough schedule this year,” he admits. “San Pasqual, Ramona and Mount Carmel are always good teams, and we play at Escondido this year, which is always a tough place to play. We also have La Quinta and Los Alamitos, which is a big school up in Orange County, so we know we’re going to have to prepare if we’re going to be successful.”
The Jaguars kick off the 2010 season with a scrimmage at Mira Mesa on Aug. 27 before the regular-season opener takes place against San Pasqual at Valley Center at 7 p.m. on Sept. 3.
I Kid You Not: Football Is King
I looked my wife in the eye one day this week and confessed to her that I have a problem.
“It’s only August,” I explained. “And I already can’t wait for football to start.”
As she sympathetically (sarcastically?) assured me that this month will fly right by, I reflected on the fact that there are very few things that can get my insides all squirrelly a full month in advance. Granted, I love Thanksgiving and Christmas as much as the next guy, but once you get past the age of 12, there really isn’t much to get excited about. Except being able to stuff your face, but you can really do that any other day of the year. I mean, this is America, after all.
In the realm of sports, there really isn’t anything that I get this excited about. I grew up playing baseball, and I still get to relive my glory days (those being my MVP season for the City Rec League Astros in the summer of 1993, complete with the accompanying soundtrack of You’re The Best Around by Joe Esposito) on the slow-pitch softball field. I loved watching the World Cup this summer, I really enjoy hockey season (when I can actually find a game on TV, which is rare), and going to see the Padres play is always a good time (especially this year, when they’re actually going to win the division even though they’re going to fold like every other year).
But none of these things really get me pumped up the way that football season does. And I’m not just talking about the NFL, either, although that is the main source of my anticipatory glee. I talked with Valley Center varsity football coach Rob Gilster this week about the Jaguars’ upcoming season, and I have to say, I’m really looking forward to Friday nights this fall. (Be sure to check out the 2010 VCHS football preview to your left).
So I started wondering, what about football season sets it apart from all these other things I enjoy? And why do so many people seem to feel the same way?
I think there are three things about football that make September one of the most anticipated months of the year. And since I like you so much, I’m going to share these three things with you right now. You’re welcome.
1. The Ideal Format
The most basic level of enjoyment in the world of sports comes from simply being able to watch a game. Whether you like the teams or not, whether you fully understand the strategy or not, or if you just want to spend an enjoyable evening with friends, sports are a lot of fun. So the more games there are, the better, right?
Wrong. The Padres play 180 games every year, and last season, they averaged under 24,000 fans in attendance per game. That’s slightly over half the capacity of Petco Park. Ouch. And that’s not saying anything against the Padres, it just proves the point that a Thursday night game in April against the Milwaukee Brewers (attendance: 16,696 for the game on April 29 of this year, by the way) just can’t help but be met with a bit of a collective yawn. Honestly, once anything starts to reach a level of oversaturation, it loses some of its appeal.
In contrast, the Chargers haven’t had a regular-season game blacked out (NFL rules stipulate that a game won’t be shown on local television if the team hasn’t sold all the tickets for that game) since 2004, and there are plenty of news articles written about how the Chargers aren’t exactly the best in the league when it comes to selling out games. And even though NFL tickets are exponentially more expensive than MLB tickets, the Chargers sell out their home games because fans know there are only eight of them every season (plus a few playoff games, if they get there). When something cool only happens eight times a year, it’s a lot more likely that you’ll plunk down the $50+ just to go see it. Even if the team is lame, it’s still better than snoozing through another Jon Garland-vs.-Adam Wainwright one-run shoot-out (from May 25 of this year, attendance: 18,236).
Which brings up another point—football is just more fun to watch. The play happens, there’s a little break for some replays, then another play happens. It’s not stare-off-into-space-while-contemplating-the-cosmos boring like baseball can be, but it’s not continuous action like hockey and soccer. You get to see stuff happening, but you also get little pauses to allow the analysts to help you understand what just happened. As far as fan-friendly sports go, football has the ideal setup.
That format even extends to the way the season plays out. Because each team only plays one game each week, fans only have to block out one day a week to watch their favorite team. If you really want to devoutly follow the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Cleveland Cavaliers (although I can’t imagine why) or the Texas Rangers, you pretty much can’t have a life during the season. Not that anyone who is a diehard Cavs fan can claim to have much of a life anyway, but at least a committed football fan has the luxury of six days a week to do other things. Granted, most of us football fans use those six days to dissect every play that happened on Sunday (or Monday night), but still, it’s nice to know we could have a life.
2. The Popularity
I’ve admitted before that the way my sports fanship has come about is because of my sports hatred. Basically, the teams I like are the rivals of the teams I don’t like. I like the Miami Dolphins because I grew up in Western New York and was sick of all the Buffalo Bills fans. I like the Mets and the Red Sox in large part because I can’t stand the Yankees.
A lot of the reason why I don’t like certain teams is because they’re overly popular. I still can’t talk about Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas or Andre Reed without getting a look of snarling anger on my face, because when I was growing up, all the Buffalo-area news stations would just gush about the K-Gun offense and Marv Levy and Cornelius “The Biscuit” Bennett and the amazing (read: cheating) comeback against the Houston Oilers in January of 1993 and all the rest.
So why would I advocate the benefits of enjoying something that’s popular?
I’m glad you asked. Really, it comes down to accessibility and the potential for enjoyment that comes from being able to get into something easily.
And football is easy to find. If you want to know who will be the starting running back for the Seattle Seahawks this season, there are plenty of experts whose job is to watch the Seattle Seahawks and tell the world which tailback figures to get the most touches this season. If you want to find out how to spot an outside linebacker blitz, I know of at least four different shows on television that feature experts explaining these “X’s and O’s” kind of details. If you want to know which NFL player Kim Kardashian is currently exploiting dating, it doesn’t take more than a couple clicks of the mouse.
In short, it’s not hard to go from casual fan to diehard with very little personal effort. My wife is a good example—back before we got married, I started inviting her over to watch football with me on Sundays, and before the end of the season, she knew more about some teams than I did. OK that’s probably a bit of an exaggeration, but not really by a lot. She knows her stuff, and she’s looking forward to the season almost as much as I am.
3. Fantasy Football
The final threshold for the transition from casual fan to diehard, fantasy football is almost a sport in and of itself. It falls into the previous two categories we’ve discussed (it only happens once a week and it’s popular) which makes it an ideal way for football fans to add another layer of enjoyment to the game.
I’ve played fantasy football for the past seven years now, and I have to say, I’m probably more excited about my various FFL (Fantasy Football League) drafts than I am about the NFL’s opening weekend.
If you still don’t know what fantasy football is (apparently those people still exist), it’s basically a league of people who take turns picking the various NFL players to form their own teams. Each player earns a certain number of points based on how he performed in his NFL game that week (as in, if Tony Romo throws a touchdown pass, he gets six points for his FFL “owners”) and the teams in each FFL compete against each other using these point totals to determine a winner each week. There are different formats and different scoring rules depending on the league, but the basics are the same.
What fantasy football does is give football fans an excuse to be interested in players and teams that they may not pay much attention to otherwise. Last season, I had Washington Redskins receiver Santana Moss in one of my leagues. Would I pay much attention to the Redskins if I didn’t have Moss? Probably not. But because I counted on him as my number two receiver, I had to find out if he was getting the ball as often as he should, and if he was getting chances to score touchdowns, and if he had any injury concerns. I learned more about a player, his team, and other players at his position because I was invested in my fantasy league.
And before you wonder just how big of a nerd I am, I have to say that all the investigation I did took very little time. Fantasy football is pretty universally free these days, and especially if you go with a site like ESPN.com, you get outstanding updates, live scoring and all the latest tools right at your fingertips. We literally had a seven-year-old owner in one of my leagues last year, and he did pretty well. He made it to the playoffs, if I remember correctly, and that’s not exactly a given.
I’m planning on writing a more robust fantasy football column in the next few weeks, complete with a few of my sleepers and snoozers, so if you’re at all interested in fantasy football, check back with us each week and be sure to write in to sports@valleycenter.com to share your thoughts on the subject.
In the meantime, I’m going to go curl up with a recording of Tom Jackson breaking down the zone blocking scheme in minute detail.
And I’m going to count the minutes until September.
“It’s only August,” I explained. “And I already can’t wait for football to start.”
As she sympathetically (sarcastically?) assured me that this month will fly right by, I reflected on the fact that there are very few things that can get my insides all squirrelly a full month in advance. Granted, I love Thanksgiving and Christmas as much as the next guy, but once you get past the age of 12, there really isn’t much to get excited about. Except being able to stuff your face, but you can really do that any other day of the year. I mean, this is America, after all.
In the realm of sports, there really isn’t anything that I get this excited about. I grew up playing baseball, and I still get to relive my glory days (those being my MVP season for the City Rec League Astros in the summer of 1993, complete with the accompanying soundtrack of You’re The Best Around by Joe Esposito) on the slow-pitch softball field. I loved watching the World Cup this summer, I really enjoy hockey season (when I can actually find a game on TV, which is rare), and going to see the Padres play is always a good time (especially this year, when they’re actually going to win the division even though they’re going to fold like every other year).
But none of these things really get me pumped up the way that football season does. And I’m not just talking about the NFL, either, although that is the main source of my anticipatory glee. I talked with Valley Center varsity football coach Rob Gilster this week about the Jaguars’ upcoming season, and I have to say, I’m really looking forward to Friday nights this fall. (Be sure to check out the 2010 VCHS football preview to your left).
So I started wondering, what about football season sets it apart from all these other things I enjoy? And why do so many people seem to feel the same way?
I think there are three things about football that make September one of the most anticipated months of the year. And since I like you so much, I’m going to share these three things with you right now. You’re welcome.
1. The Ideal Format
The most basic level of enjoyment in the world of sports comes from simply being able to watch a game. Whether you like the teams or not, whether you fully understand the strategy or not, or if you just want to spend an enjoyable evening with friends, sports are a lot of fun. So the more games there are, the better, right?
Wrong. The Padres play 180 games every year, and last season, they averaged under 24,000 fans in attendance per game. That’s slightly over half the capacity of Petco Park. Ouch. And that’s not saying anything against the Padres, it just proves the point that a Thursday night game in April against the Milwaukee Brewers (attendance: 16,696 for the game on April 29 of this year, by the way) just can’t help but be met with a bit of a collective yawn. Honestly, once anything starts to reach a level of oversaturation, it loses some of its appeal.
In contrast, the Chargers haven’t had a regular-season game blacked out (NFL rules stipulate that a game won’t be shown on local television if the team hasn’t sold all the tickets for that game) since 2004, and there are plenty of news articles written about how the Chargers aren’t exactly the best in the league when it comes to selling out games. And even though NFL tickets are exponentially more expensive than MLB tickets, the Chargers sell out their home games because fans know there are only eight of them every season (plus a few playoff games, if they get there). When something cool only happens eight times a year, it’s a lot more likely that you’ll plunk down the $50+ just to go see it. Even if the team is lame, it’s still better than snoozing through another Jon Garland-vs.-Adam Wainwright one-run shoot-out (from May 25 of this year, attendance: 18,236).
Which brings up another point—football is just more fun to watch. The play happens, there’s a little break for some replays, then another play happens. It’s not stare-off-into-space-while-contemplating-the-cosmos boring like baseball can be, but it’s not continuous action like hockey and soccer. You get to see stuff happening, but you also get little pauses to allow the analysts to help you understand what just happened. As far as fan-friendly sports go, football has the ideal setup.
That format even extends to the way the season plays out. Because each team only plays one game each week, fans only have to block out one day a week to watch their favorite team. If you really want to devoutly follow the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Cleveland Cavaliers (although I can’t imagine why) or the Texas Rangers, you pretty much can’t have a life during the season. Not that anyone who is a diehard Cavs fan can claim to have much of a life anyway, but at least a committed football fan has the luxury of six days a week to do other things. Granted, most of us football fans use those six days to dissect every play that happened on Sunday (or Monday night), but still, it’s nice to know we could have a life.
2. The Popularity
I’ve admitted before that the way my sports fanship has come about is because of my sports hatred. Basically, the teams I like are the rivals of the teams I don’t like. I like the Miami Dolphins because I grew up in Western New York and was sick of all the Buffalo Bills fans. I like the Mets and the Red Sox in large part because I can’t stand the Yankees.
A lot of the reason why I don’t like certain teams is because they’re overly popular. I still can’t talk about Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas or Andre Reed without getting a look of snarling anger on my face, because when I was growing up, all the Buffalo-area news stations would just gush about the K-Gun offense and Marv Levy and Cornelius “The Biscuit” Bennett and the amazing (read: cheating) comeback against the Houston Oilers in January of 1993 and all the rest.
So why would I advocate the benefits of enjoying something that’s popular?
I’m glad you asked. Really, it comes down to accessibility and the potential for enjoyment that comes from being able to get into something easily.
And football is easy to find. If you want to know who will be the starting running back for the Seattle Seahawks this season, there are plenty of experts whose job is to watch the Seattle Seahawks and tell the world which tailback figures to get the most touches this season. If you want to find out how to spot an outside linebacker blitz, I know of at least four different shows on television that feature experts explaining these “X’s and O’s” kind of details. If you want to know which NFL player Kim Kardashian is currently exploiting dating, it doesn’t take more than a couple clicks of the mouse.
In short, it’s not hard to go from casual fan to diehard with very little personal effort. My wife is a good example—back before we got married, I started inviting her over to watch football with me on Sundays, and before the end of the season, she knew more about some teams than I did. OK that’s probably a bit of an exaggeration, but not really by a lot. She knows her stuff, and she’s looking forward to the season almost as much as I am.
3. Fantasy Football
The final threshold for the transition from casual fan to diehard, fantasy football is almost a sport in and of itself. It falls into the previous two categories we’ve discussed (it only happens once a week and it’s popular) which makes it an ideal way for football fans to add another layer of enjoyment to the game.
I’ve played fantasy football for the past seven years now, and I have to say, I’m probably more excited about my various FFL (Fantasy Football League) drafts than I am about the NFL’s opening weekend.
If you still don’t know what fantasy football is (apparently those people still exist), it’s basically a league of people who take turns picking the various NFL players to form their own teams. Each player earns a certain number of points based on how he performed in his NFL game that week (as in, if Tony Romo throws a touchdown pass, he gets six points for his FFL “owners”) and the teams in each FFL compete against each other using these point totals to determine a winner each week. There are different formats and different scoring rules depending on the league, but the basics are the same.
What fantasy football does is give football fans an excuse to be interested in players and teams that they may not pay much attention to otherwise. Last season, I had Washington Redskins receiver Santana Moss in one of my leagues. Would I pay much attention to the Redskins if I didn’t have Moss? Probably not. But because I counted on him as my number two receiver, I had to find out if he was getting the ball as often as he should, and if he was getting chances to score touchdowns, and if he had any injury concerns. I learned more about a player, his team, and other players at his position because I was invested in my fantasy league.
And before you wonder just how big of a nerd I am, I have to say that all the investigation I did took very little time. Fantasy football is pretty universally free these days, and especially if you go with a site like ESPN.com, you get outstanding updates, live scoring and all the latest tools right at your fingertips. We literally had a seven-year-old owner in one of my leagues last year, and he did pretty well. He made it to the playoffs, if I remember correctly, and that’s not exactly a given.
I’m planning on writing a more robust fantasy football column in the next few weeks, complete with a few of my sleepers and snoozers, so if you’re at all interested in fantasy football, check back with us each week and be sure to write in to sports@valleycenter.com to share your thoughts on the subject.
In the meantime, I’m going to go curl up with a recording of Tom Jackson breaking down the zone blocking scheme in minute detail.
And I’m going to count the minutes until September.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
I Kid You Not: Football, Soccer & Teams With Disasters For Names
If I were 12 years old, I would be pretty upset with the Target Corporation.
To be fair, I’d probably be less than happy with almost all the retailers out there this time of year, because it seems like it gets earlier and earlier every summer that they insist on reminding us that summer is winding down, thanks to a slew of “Back To School!” banners, commercials and ads in the newspaper.
But for as much fun as summer is when you’re a kid, there’s really not much in it if you’re a sports fan. Sure, there’s baseball, but who wants to watch two guys play catch for three hours (unless it’s a Red Sox-Yankees game, in which case it’s more like four)? NASCAR is going strong, but the summer months feature some of the most boring races (Pocono, Indianapolis, Chicago, Michigan twice... yawn) and The Chase is still more than a month away. Things have gotten so bad that I actually watched a Major League Soccer (MLS) game last week. Let’s just say that MLS is not so exciting after you’ve gotten used to World Cup soccer.
But even in a summer when the weather can’t seem to make up its mind (we just went through San Diego’s coldest July in nearly 100 years), I still had a few random thoughts about sports this week that I would like to share with you.
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts about these, or any, sports-related topic. Send me an e-mail at sports@valleycenter.com anytime and we’ll get a good discussion going.
I’m Sure The Browns Would Still Be Terrible
Watching the World Cup this year was a really fun experience, and I feel like I learned a lot about soccer. If I lived in Europe—or if it didn’t cost an arm and a leg to watch English Premier League (EPL) soccer here in America—then I would probably watch more of the world’s elite soccer players battle it out on the pitch.
One little detail about the EPL that I find fascinating is the idea of relegation.
Basically, the Premier League consists of the top 20 soccer teams in England and is affiliated with The Football League, which consists of 72 clubs split evenly between three divisions, The Championship League, League One and League Two.
I suppose the simplest way of putting it is to say that, at the end of each season, each of these four divisions changes teams. The top three teams in the three lower divisions get to move up to the next division, while the bottom three teams from the top three divisions move down. It sounds complicated, but it makes sense.
The idea is that the Premier League is reserved for the teams that are the best of the best, but each team’s spot in this league is not a guarantee. You have to earn your chance to play in the EPL every season.
I absolutely love this idea for other sports. For one thing, you’re not watering down the competition between the good teams by making them have to play pushovers. For another thing, you’re giving teams in rebuilding years a chance to play meaningful games against opponents who are more closely matched in talent, making for more exciting games. It’s the best of both worlds.
Imagine if this concept were to be applied to the NFL. Right now, there are 32 teams in the league, and honestly, it’s not hard to say that 16 of those teams are legitimate, while the other 16 are middle-of-the-road, at best. Take the top 16 teams (according to last year’s standings, the top 16 teams in the league were Indianapolis, New Orleans, San Diego, Minnesota, Green Bay, Dallas, Philadelphia, New England, Cincinnati, Arizona, New York Jets, Baltimore, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Houston and one of the teams that finished 8-8, which were Carolina, San Francisco, Denver, New York Giants and Tennessee) and separate them into the NFL Division I or something like that. Then put the other 16 teams in Division II and have them play against each other all season. At the end of the year, the bottom three from Division I get sent down, while the top three from Division II move up. It adds more drama to those games at the end of the year, especially for those teams who aren’t going to make the playoffs. More meaningful games are good for all of us.
Of course, the teams that stink wouldn’t be happy about it… at first. But I have a feeling they’d all get used to it, because they’d still be officially in the NFL, they wouldn’t be getting blown out, and they’d have a chance to play for the Division II championship (which could be held the week before the Super Bowl to save us all from the disappointment that is the Pro Bowl) at the end of the season. It’s hard to get excited about a game between the Browns and the Panthers, but if a win meant that one of them got a shot at moving up to Division I, then the intensity gets ratcheted up a notch. Again, how could anyone turn down a chance to see more games that mean something?
The only potential downside I can see is that it’s hard to get better if you’re not playing against better players. But I think the competition level in the NFL, across the board, is such that even the worst teams in the league still have players who are playing at an elite level. Just because the Rams only won one game last year doesn’t mean that Steven Jackson isn’t a talented running back.
And with the way that the NFL goes through cycles (remember when the Colts and Patriots were terrible?), I think we would still see those cycles play out like they have in the past. The NFL would have to tweak the draft rules just a bit—perhaps they would have Division II draft first, going in the inverse order of the standings, then have the Division I teams follow after—but I think things wouldn’t change much. A few good players can turn a franchise around, and it can happen at just about any time.
On The Plus Side, We’d Get To See More Of Brooks Bollinger
Another NFL idea I’d like to see put into action is the concept of a minor league farm system, similar to what we have in baseball and hockey.
Each Major League Baseball (MLB) team has a series of minor league teams in the farm system—meaning that if a player on the MLB team gets hurt or traded, the club can “call up” a player from the top minor league team to replace him. Each minor league team is affiliated with an MLB team so the pro team can develop the talent of young players before bringing them up to the big leagues.
It’s the same in the National Hockey League (NHL), only each NHL team only has one minor league team instead of a whole farm system.
Why hasn’t anyone tried this in the NFL? I guess the popularity of football is still relatively new, and it would be a pretty serious undertaking to get the logistics worked out for the creation of 32 minor league football teams. But I have a feeling that the investment would more than pay off, and I don’t think it takes a genius to get the ball rolling.
Let’s say that we could convince 32 multi-millionaires that it would be totally cool to own your own sports franchise. A stretch, I know, but… we’ll just call it a hypothetical. Anyway, we get 32 rich guys (or gals, there’s nothing wrong with that. Other than still using the term “gals” I mean. I digress.) to pony up enough to pay for players, coaches, uniforms, staff, stadium use and team travel expenses. The league would have to set some kind of a salary cap to keep things reasonable (ideally, you’d want some kind of system that only allows you to pay a certain maximum based on a player’s experience and position on the field), but we’ll skip that for now.
What would be great about the DFL (Developmental Football League)—or whatever it would be called—is that you wouldn’t really have to change much about the structure of the current NFL squad. Each team is allowed to have 80 players on the roster during training camp. Throughout the summer, a series of cuts is made, brining the roster down to the regular season size of 53. Of course, during the season, each team can only have 45 active players dressed for each game. Those eight who are not dressed are the members of the practice squad, or scout team.
If each NFL team had a minor league affiliate, they wouldn’t need to make all those cuts, just a decision about who plays in the big leagues and who gets sent down. Keep those 45 players for the NFL team and you still have 35 left over from the 80 you brought to training camp. And there are always plenty of unsigned free agents out there after the draft, so I don’t think teams would have trouble finding another ten guys who want a shot at playing pro football.
Here’s the genius of the plan, though—because of the popularity of college football, the NFL draft has become a big-time event in and of itself. We want to see where Tim Tebow is going to play his pro ball. We want to know what will happen to Jimmy Clausen, Jahvid Best, C.J. Spiller and Ndomukong Suh.
With a developmental league, these players would all get to play every week, and we’d get to watch their development. Watch Tim Tebow learn to read the cover-two defense. Watch Jahvid Best learn to pick up a pro blitz. It’s riveting.
Plus, if an organization were to be particularly on the ball, you could have a similar system in place for both levels (for example, if the Philadelphia Eagles run a West Coast offense, then their minor league team should also follow suit). It would be a lot like the high school system of varsity and JV, with different coaches following the same system. And something tells me there would be no shortage of coaches who would be more than happy to sign up for this kind of a chance.
Really, the only detail that’s left is to start picking out the names of the minor league teams. I still can’t decide if it would be easier for the teams to play in the same stadium as their NFL counterparts or if they should have their own (nearby) cities. If they used the same stadium, they could just follow the NFL team’s schedule, but reversed (for example, if the Chargers are hosting the Chiefs, then the San Diego Lightning would play at the Kansas City Braves in the minor league matchup).
But, if each team had its own city, we could revitalize some smaller cities and give minor league football its own culture, just like minor league baseball. Each team could come up with something a little wacky (like the Lansing Lugnuts or the Tacoma Rainiers) that’s also specific to that geographic location. Add some crazy logos and you’ve got some fan-friendly football fun ready to take the field.
The other question would be when the minor league teams would play. I say they should play on Friday night so they wouldn’t interfere with college football. You could also make arguments for Wednesday night (a cure for the mid-week, no-football blues) or for Sunday afternoon. I’d be ok with any of these, just as long as we got to see more football.
Of course, the downside is that we’d be over-saturating the talent pool a bit—look at the rosters in the United Football League (UFL) and it wouldn’t be surprising to wonder, “Quinn Gray? Isn’t he dead? I thought he died in 2002. Weird.” And the UFL kind of already has a leg up as far as goofy names and logos (although I’m sure you get lots of street cred for wearing a light blue Florida Tuskers cap in downtown Tallahassee these days).
But I still think that more football can’t help but be fun to watch, especially if we know that it means something (with apologies to the UFL’s championship game, the aptly-named UFL Championship Game…that took some marketing genius). We’d get to see some college stars sharpen their skills before getting tossed into the fires of the NFL. We’d get to see more of the 2009 UFL MVP, Brooks Bollinger, and who wouldn’t want that?
Seriously though, minor league football is an idea waiting to be realized. I just hope I’m given the proper credit when the time comes.
What, Too Soon For A Team To Be Called The New Orleans Hurricanes?
Speaking of team names, and speaking of MLS, I realized something while watching the MLS All-Star Game this week. And no, my realization was not overwhelming shame brought on by watching the MLS All-Star Game.
As the announcers desperately tried to sell the viewers on the merits of MLS, they would talk about the various teams in the league. At some point, I realized that two of the teams are named after natural disasters that happened in that city. The first one I noticed was the Chicago Fire, which I’ll grant is a cool name, and since the Great Chicago Fire happened nearly 140 years ago, I think it’s a safe enough reference to make.
But I couldn’t help but Tweet my reaction, and the follow up thoughts about teams and names that reference disasters. Ever full of sarcasm and wit, I wondered if we would see the San Francisco Earthquakes, or the Seattle Volcanoes, or the Louisiana Flood.
Turns out, as I watched more of the telecast, there actually is a team in MLS called the San Jose Earthquakes.
For one thing, I think a single earthquake is scary enough, but to have to face a team full of earthquakes…that is a contest I’m not prepared to undertake.
Is it just me, or is it a little odd that a team can be named after a disaster that happened just 21 years ago? I remember the San Francisco earthquake of 1989, mostly because it interrupted the World Series, but I still have clear mental pictures of collapsed bridges, chunks of highway uprooted and buildings falling over. This wasn’t that long ago, but it’s open for a team to be named after it?
My Tweets carry over to Facebook, so I ended up in a bit of a discussion about this phenomenon that circled back to listing a whole lot of borderline-inappropriate team names that MLS should consider. Some of the gems include the Oklahoma Cyclones, the Buffalo Blizzard (an actual team in the now-defunct National Professional Soccer League),
the Kansas Dustbowls, the South Carolina Confederates, the Dallas Grassy Knolls, and my personal favorite (courtesy of my friend Rick), the Pearl Harbor Attack.
Just to be clear, none of this is meant in a mean spirit or anything—the point is that if it’s OK to have a team named the San Jose Earthquakes just 21 years after the actual earthquake, where do we draw the line?
I’d like to further explain myself by saying that I honestly have no opinion on the matter, I just happened to find it interesting that a team/league would step out and make a decision like this. I don’t have a problem with it—to me, it’s just a team name, and should therefore be taken as such. I could write a whole lot of pages about my thoughts on people who take themselves and everything else too seriously, but I’ll save that for another time.
I guess my curiosity is such that I wonder why a team would even bother to tempt it by using a name that could have any potential negative connotation? On the other hand, part of me wants to congratulate them for taking that kind of a stand, because, as I said, it’s just a team name, and honestly, why should it be taken as anything more? It’s an interesting situation, that’s for sure.
And as I said before, if you have any thoughts on the subject, please e-mail me at sports@valleycenter.com and I’ll be sure to share what you have to say with our readers.
Just be sure to send it in right away, because (as Target keeps reminding me) summer is almost over, and the sports pages will soon be filled with all the football that’s fit to print once again!
To be fair, I’d probably be less than happy with almost all the retailers out there this time of year, because it seems like it gets earlier and earlier every summer that they insist on reminding us that summer is winding down, thanks to a slew of “Back To School!” banners, commercials and ads in the newspaper.
But for as much fun as summer is when you’re a kid, there’s really not much in it if you’re a sports fan. Sure, there’s baseball, but who wants to watch two guys play catch for three hours (unless it’s a Red Sox-Yankees game, in which case it’s more like four)? NASCAR is going strong, but the summer months feature some of the most boring races (Pocono, Indianapolis, Chicago, Michigan twice... yawn) and The Chase is still more than a month away. Things have gotten so bad that I actually watched a Major League Soccer (MLS) game last week. Let’s just say that MLS is not so exciting after you’ve gotten used to World Cup soccer.But even in a summer when the weather can’t seem to make up its mind (we just went through San Diego’s coldest July in nearly 100 years), I still had a few random thoughts about sports this week that I would like to share with you.
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts about these, or any, sports-related topic. Send me an e-mail at sports@valleycenter.com anytime and we’ll get a good discussion going.
I’m Sure The Browns Would Still Be Terrible
Watching the World Cup this year was a really fun experience, and I feel like I learned a lot about soccer. If I lived in Europe—or if it didn’t cost an arm and a leg to watch English Premier League (EPL) soccer here in America—then I would probably watch more of the world’s elite soccer players battle it out on the pitch.
One little detail about the EPL that I find fascinating is the idea of relegation.Basically, the Premier League consists of the top 20 soccer teams in England and is affiliated with The Football League, which consists of 72 clubs split evenly between three divisions, The Championship League, League One and League Two.
I suppose the simplest way of putting it is to say that, at the end of each season, each of these four divisions changes teams. The top three teams in the three lower divisions get to move up to the next division, while the bottom three teams from the top three divisions move down. It sounds complicated, but it makes sense.
The idea is that the Premier League is reserved for the teams that are the best of the best, but each team’s spot in this league is not a guarantee. You have to earn your chance to play in the EPL every season.
I absolutely love this idea for other sports. For one thing, you’re not watering down the competition between the good teams by making them have to play pushovers. For another thing, you’re giving teams in rebuilding years a chance to play meaningful games against opponents who are more closely matched in talent, making for more exciting games. It’s the best of both worlds.
Imagine if this concept were to be applied to the NFL. Right now, there are 32 teams in the league, and honestly, it’s not hard to say that 16 of those teams are legitimate, while the other 16 are middle-of-the-road, at best. Take the top 16 teams (according to last year’s standings, the top 16 teams in the league were Indianapolis, New Orleans, San Diego, Minnesota, Green Bay, Dallas, Philadelphia, New England, Cincinnati, Arizona, New York Jets, Baltimore, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Houston and one of the teams that finished 8-8, which were Carolina, San Francisco, Denver, New York Giants and Tennessee) and separate them into the NFL Division I or something like that. Then put the other 16 teams in Division II and have them play against each other all season. At the end of the year, the bottom three from Division I get sent down, while the top three from Division II move up. It adds more drama to those games at the end of the year, especially for those teams who aren’t going to make the playoffs. More meaningful games are good for all of us.
Of course, the teams that stink wouldn’t be happy about it… at first. But I have a feeling they’d all get used to it, because they’d still be officially in the NFL, they wouldn’t be getting blown out, and they’d have a chance to play for the Division II championship (which could be held the week before the Super Bowl to save us all from the disappointment that is the Pro Bowl) at the end of the season. It’s hard to get excited about a game between the Browns and the Panthers, but if a win meant that one of them got a shot at moving up to Division I, then the intensity gets ratcheted up a notch. Again, how could anyone turn down a chance to see more games that mean something?
The only potential downside I can see is that it’s hard to get better if you’re not playing against better players. But I think the competition level in the NFL, across the board, is such that even the worst teams in the league still have players who are playing at an elite level. Just because the Rams only won one game last year doesn’t mean that Steven Jackson isn’t a talented running back.
And with the way that the NFL goes through cycles (remember when the Colts and Patriots were terrible?), I think we would still see those cycles play out like they have in the past. The NFL would have to tweak the draft rules just a bit—perhaps they would have Division II draft first, going in the inverse order of the standings, then have the Division I teams follow after—but I think things wouldn’t change much. A few good players can turn a franchise around, and it can happen at just about any time.On The Plus Side, We’d Get To See More Of Brooks Bollinger
Another NFL idea I’d like to see put into action is the concept of a minor league farm system, similar to what we have in baseball and hockey.
Each Major League Baseball (MLB) team has a series of minor league teams in the farm system—meaning that if a player on the MLB team gets hurt or traded, the club can “call up” a player from the top minor league team to replace him. Each minor league team is affiliated with an MLB team so the pro team can develop the talent of young players before bringing them up to the big leagues.
It’s the same in the National Hockey League (NHL), only each NHL team only has one minor league team instead of a whole farm system.Why hasn’t anyone tried this in the NFL? I guess the popularity of football is still relatively new, and it would be a pretty serious undertaking to get the logistics worked out for the creation of 32 minor league football teams. But I have a feeling that the investment would more than pay off, and I don’t think it takes a genius to get the ball rolling.
Let’s say that we could convince 32 multi-millionaires that it would be totally cool to own your own sports franchise. A stretch, I know, but… we’ll just call it a hypothetical. Anyway, we get 32 rich guys (or gals, there’s nothing wrong with that. Other than still using the term “gals” I mean. I digress.) to pony up enough to pay for players, coaches, uniforms, staff, stadium use and team travel expenses. The league would have to set some kind of a salary cap to keep things reasonable (ideally, you’d want some kind of system that only allows you to pay a certain maximum based on a player’s experience and position on the field), but we’ll skip that for now.
What would be great about the DFL (Developmental Football League)—or whatever it would be called—is that you wouldn’t really have to change much about the structure of the current NFL squad. Each team is allowed to have 80 players on the roster during training camp. Throughout the summer, a series of cuts is made, brining the roster down to the regular season size of 53. Of course, during the season, each team can only have 45 active players dressed for each game. Those eight who are not dressed are the members of the practice squad, or scout team.
If each NFL team had a minor league affiliate, they wouldn’t need to make all those cuts, just a decision about who plays in the big leagues and who gets sent down. Keep those 45 players for the NFL team and you still have 35 left over from the 80 you brought to training camp. And there are always plenty of unsigned free agents out there after the draft, so I don’t think teams would have trouble finding another ten guys who want a shot at playing pro football.
Here’s the genius of the plan, though—because of the popularity of college football, the NFL draft has become a big-time event in and of itself. We want to see where Tim Tebow is going to play his pro ball. We want to know what will happen to Jimmy Clausen, Jahvid Best, C.J. Spiller and Ndomukong Suh.
With a developmental league, these players would all get to play every week, and we’d get to watch their development. Watch Tim Tebow learn to read the cover-two defense. Watch Jahvid Best learn to pick up a pro blitz. It’s riveting.
Plus, if an organization were to be particularly on the ball, you could have a similar system in place for both levels (for example, if the Philadelphia Eagles run a West Coast offense, then their minor league team should also follow suit). It would be a lot like the high school system of varsity and JV, with different coaches following the same system. And something tells me there would be no shortage of coaches who would be more than happy to sign up for this kind of a chance.
Really, the only detail that’s left is to start picking out the names of the minor league teams. I still can’t decide if it would be easier for the teams to play in the same stadium as their NFL counterparts or if they should have their own (nearby) cities. If they used the same stadium, they could just follow the NFL team’s schedule, but reversed (for example, if the Chargers are hosting the Chiefs, then the San Diego Lightning would play at the Kansas City Braves in the minor league matchup).
But, if each team had its own city, we could revitalize some smaller cities and give minor league football its own culture, just like minor league baseball. Each team could come up with something a little wacky (like the Lansing Lugnuts or the Tacoma Rainiers) that’s also specific to that geographic location. Add some crazy logos and you’ve got some fan-friendly football fun ready to take the field.
The other question would be when the minor league teams would play. I say they should play on Friday night so they wouldn’t interfere with college football. You could also make arguments for Wednesday night (a cure for the mid-week, no-football blues) or for Sunday afternoon. I’d be ok with any of these, just as long as we got to see more football.
Of course, the downside is that we’d be over-saturating the talent pool a bit—look at the rosters in the United Football League (UFL) and it wouldn’t be surprising to wonder, “Quinn Gray? Isn’t he dead? I thought he died in 2002. Weird.” And the UFL kind of already has a leg up as far as goofy names and logos (although I’m sure you get lots of street cred for wearing a light blue Florida Tuskers cap in downtown Tallahassee these days).
But I still think that more football can’t help but be fun to watch, especially if we know that it means something (with apologies to the UFL’s championship game, the aptly-named UFL Championship Game…that took some marketing genius). We’d get to see some college stars sharpen their skills before getting tossed into the fires of the NFL. We’d get to see more of the 2009 UFL MVP, Brooks Bollinger, and who wouldn’t want that?
Seriously though, minor league football is an idea waiting to be realized. I just hope I’m given the proper credit when the time comes.What, Too Soon For A Team To Be Called The New Orleans Hurricanes?
Speaking of team names, and speaking of MLS, I realized something while watching the MLS All-Star Game this week. And no, my realization was not overwhelming shame brought on by watching the MLS All-Star Game.
As the announcers desperately tried to sell the viewers on the merits of MLS, they would talk about the various teams in the league. At some point, I realized that two of the teams are named after natural disasters that happened in that city. The first one I noticed was the Chicago Fire, which I’ll grant is a cool name, and since the Great Chicago Fire happened nearly 140 years ago, I think it’s a safe enough reference to make.
But I couldn’t help but Tweet my reaction, and the follow up thoughts about teams and names that reference disasters. Ever full of sarcasm and wit, I wondered if we would see the San Francisco Earthquakes, or the Seattle Volcanoes, or the Louisiana Flood.Turns out, as I watched more of the telecast, there actually is a team in MLS called the San Jose Earthquakes.
For one thing, I think a single earthquake is scary enough, but to have to face a team full of earthquakes…that is a contest I’m not prepared to undertake.Is it just me, or is it a little odd that a team can be named after a disaster that happened just 21 years ago? I remember the San Francisco earthquake of 1989, mostly because it interrupted the World Series, but I still have clear mental pictures of collapsed bridges, chunks of highway uprooted and buildings falling over. This wasn’t that long ago, but it’s open for a team to be named after it?
My Tweets carry over to Facebook, so I ended up in a bit of a discussion about this phenomenon that circled back to listing a whole lot of borderline-inappropriate team names that MLS should consider. Some of the gems include the Oklahoma Cyclones, the Buffalo Blizzard (an actual team in the now-defunct National Professional Soccer League),
the Kansas Dustbowls, the South Carolina Confederates, the Dallas Grassy Knolls, and my personal favorite (courtesy of my friend Rick), the Pearl Harbor Attack.Just to be clear, none of this is meant in a mean spirit or anything—the point is that if it’s OK to have a team named the San Jose Earthquakes just 21 years after the actual earthquake, where do we draw the line?
I’d like to further explain myself by saying that I honestly have no opinion on the matter, I just happened to find it interesting that a team/league would step out and make a decision like this. I don’t have a problem with it—to me, it’s just a team name, and should therefore be taken as such. I could write a whole lot of pages about my thoughts on people who take themselves and everything else too seriously, but I’ll save that for another time.
I guess my curiosity is such that I wonder why a team would even bother to tempt it by using a name that could have any potential negative connotation? On the other hand, part of me wants to congratulate them for taking that kind of a stand, because, as I said, it’s just a team name, and honestly, why should it be taken as anything more? It’s an interesting situation, that’s for sure.
And as I said before, if you have any thoughts on the subject, please e-mail me at sports@valleycenter.com and I’ll be sure to share what you have to say with our readers.
Just be sure to send it in right away, because (as Target keeps reminding me) summer is almost over, and the sports pages will soon be filled with all the football that’s fit to print once again!