After a long hiatus, the TSB podcast is back! We kick off the return by hitting on the biggest headline of the past couple of days, followed by a rundown on what’s going down in LA sports:
– NFL: Ray Rice and Roger Goodell (2:12)
– Lakers and FIBA: Byron Scott, Starting-5, Team USA (10:21)
– Dodgers and Angels (16:10)
Posted in From the Editor, MLB, NBA, NFL
Tagged Angels, Byron Scott, Dodgers, FIBA, Lakers, NFL, Ray Rice, Roger Goodell
For weeks I was told that this Super Bowl match-up was one for the ages: the best offense EVER, in Denver, goes up against the best defense the NFL has to offer, in Seattle. I was excited. I was hyped. I was ready for a classic.
What I, and the rest of the world, got instead was a sh*tty Super Bowl. Peyton Manning sucked, the Broncos defense sucked, the Broncos special teams sucked, the commercials sucked – which leaves the question: what DIDN’T suck about Super Bowl 48?
Along with that answer and some other quick thoughts on the Super Bowl, we end the podcast with the latest rumor that the Lakers and Suns are involved in trade talks involving Pau Gasol (16:50).
The Sideline Bleachers Podcast: LAC-BOS trade talk, Phil back in LA, Aaron Hernandez (June 20, 2013).
Here’s what’s on the menu today folks:
– The Rundown
– Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett ready to go to the Clippers, why it hasn’t happened yet, and why this move has the potential to change the entire Clippers franchise (4:10))
– Phil Jackson is apparently back in business with the Lakers… Kind of. Phil Jackson and Mitch Kupchak explain (16:46)
– Kobe Bryant knows where Dwight Howard and Chris Paul are going (18:34)
– Aaron Hernandez went from superster in Boston to potential murderer in a matter of a week. This is one of the craziest sports stories in recent history (19:25)
Twitter: @TSB_Sports
http://www.sidelinebleachers.com
Five Formidable Facts: November 29th, 2012
Welcome to the first edition of “Five Formidable Facts”. Take some time to check out a video version of the regular podcast, which taking your first opportunity to adore my lovable face.
Fact #1: YES, the Lakers might be in trouble, so NO, you are NOT an idiot for panicking.
Fact #2: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Rafael Palmero are all on the HOF ballot for baseball steroids should NOT be a factor.
Fact #3: DON’T sleep on the Clippers.
Fact #4: It was a WEIRD day in the NBA.
Fact #5: Professional athletes are competitive and will do anything they can to win… even if it means using VIAGRA.
After Pete Carroll announced that he would be starting his rookie quarterback, Russell Wilson, over Matt Flynn, some are beginning to wonder if Carroll and his staff really know what direction they’re headed and, most importantly, know what they’re doing.
By Kevin Ko
On Sunday night, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll announced that Russell Wilson, a rookie quarterback from Wisconsin that Seattle selected in the third-round of this year’s draft, will be the starting quarterback in their first regular season game against the Arizona Cardinals. Wilson will also start in the Seahawks final preseason match-up against the Oakland Raiders.
This may come as a surprise to a number of fans, who witnessed the Seahawks sign former Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn to a three-year deal, worth $26 million. When given the opportunity to step in for Aaron Rodgers, Flynn has shown that he has what it takes to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. In the single game he started (Green Bay’s final game of the regular season against the Detroit Lions), Flynn threw for 480 years and six touchdowns. In March, Flynn was signed with the expectation that he would be the Seahawks starting quarterback, and possibly follow in the footsteps of Matt Hasselback, a back-up to Brett Farve in Green Bay before he came to Seattle, to eventually become their next franchise quarterback.
Matt Flynn (left) might be wishing he was back in Green Bay after Carroll’s decision to start Russell Wilson. At least Flynn knew what his role was with the Packers (via Getty Images)
That is, until, Russell Wilson gave Seattle a reason to think otherwise.
Wilson showed some serious preseason potential against the Tennessee Titans in the Seahawks first preseason game, taking over for Flynn in the second half. He completed 12-16 passes for 124 yards, threw one touchdown, got picked off once, and had three rushing attempts for 59 yards and a touchdown. Wilson also played well in Seattle’s second preseason game against Denver, completing 10-17 passes for 155 yards, throwing two touchdowns, and running five times for 33 yards. But both these games were against second-string defenses and football fans, and most likely Carroll himself, wanted to see the high-potential quarterback against a legitimate, NFL defense.
Russell Wilson and his wife, Ashton Meem, were this excited when he got drafted in the 3rd-round of the 2012 NFL Draft; imagine their faces after Wilson was awarded the starting job (via ESPN)
Russell Wilson was named the starter for Seattle’s third preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs, one that Flynn would not even play in due to an elbow injury. To Flynn’s dismay, Wilson shined: 13-19 passing for 185 yards and two touchdowns, along with two rushing attempts for 58 yards. This stellar preseason performance, along with the combination of a great preseason as a whole, contributed to Carroll ultimately naming Wilson his starter, a decision nobody expected heading into training camp.
Hell, make that a decision nobody expected heading into the third game of the preseason.
This is just another case of Carroll going in a direction that he never expected to venture towards. Yes, it does take guts to steer into a direction you didn’t plan for, but more often than not, the most respected coaches and most renowned organizations so commonly seem to adhere to a strict plan and guideline that they build around to succeed. Some keep their philosophies for their entire tenures (Rex Ryan’s “ground and pound”*) and some change according to their circumstances (Bill Belichek, who was so commonly known for his 3-4 defense, switched to a 4-3 defense in 2011) . However, none those changes were ever made in the later parts of the preseason. All of those were well-calculated, planned changes that were decided upon heading into training camp, done so in order to give the entire franchise an opportunity to properly adjust and prepare to the best of their abilities.
*While many have portrayed the Jets to be a disappointing franchise, it is only so because of the expectations of “Super Bowl championships” that Ryan has bestowed upon himself and his team. In the past three years, the Jets have been to two AFC Championship games, a point that some head coaches don’t ever reach in careers.
The fact of the matter is, it doesn’t matter how well Russell Wilson performs this season (repeat with best imitation of ‘The Rock’). Pete Carroll has already gone back and forth on so many topics that his credibility has already been shot. First there was the controversial drafting (and to some, reaching) of Bruce Irvin with the 15th overall pick, which was controversial in a sense that Irvin is regarded to only be a pass-rush specialist. Then there was the headline-stealing signing of veteran Terrell Owens, who ended up being cut from the roster not too long ago. And now comes the inevitable “strike-three”, signing a quarterback to a contract worth $26 million with the intention of him being your starter, to just end up benching just before the final preseason game is set to start.
Maybe Wilson does give the Seahawks a better chance to win then Flynn. While only time will tell us how smart of a decision Carroll has made, we need no time to conclude that Carroll’s decision-making has been erratic and unpredictable. And while some football decisions, such as dealing with sudden injuries and challenging plays, may have to be made on the spot, certain things have to be planned out. If not, you’ll end up giving your fans false hope when you sign big names with small game, pay your backup-quarterbacks starter money (and vice-versa), give media outlets a chance to completely criticize your knowledge of your actions, and ultimately, give everyone reasons to question whether or not you really know what you’re doing.
The Bottom Line: Pete Carroll’s indecisive nature and erratic decision-making is a habit, and possible philosophy, that should be altered, replaced, or given up all-together.
Posted in NFL
After Joe Haden was kicked out of practice Wednesday by coach Pat Shurmur for being too physical with a rookie wide-reciever, football fans have yet another reason to laugh at the Browns, but another reason to be worried about the state of football today.
By Kevin Ko
Third-year cornerback Joe Haden is arguably one of the best secondary-defenders in the NFL. He is regarded, by most, as the best defensive player on the Cleveland Browns and has been one of the few bright spots in a dark, low-expectant era for the Browns.
However, in the last day of training camp open to fans, Haden contributed to the darker side of things.
Or by Browns Head Coach Pat Shurmur, depending on how you see it.
Haden was kicked out about an hour before Wednesday’s practice was due to end by Shurmur, who believed that Haden was being “too physical” with rookie wide-out Travis Benjamin during a passing drill. Intricate details of the incident have not been released and the Browns have not allowed Haden to be available for comment.
Shurmur kept mostly to himself by telling reporters, “I’m not going to talk about it. That’s between me and the player. I have a great deal of respect for Joe. If you want details, you’re going to have to find it on Twitter. My only apology is that I used bad language and the fans were here to see it. Joe’s a great competitor and I appreciate what he does and who he is and that’s the last you’ll hear me talk about it.”
According to The Associated Press, Benjamin caught a touchdown pass in the back of the end zone during 7-on-7 drills, and was taken down by Haden after he unsuccessfully tried to strip the ball. He then yanked the back of Benjamin’s jersey, was ejected by Shurmur and removed his helmet and shoulder pads before quickly heading into the locker room.
Haden’s ejection from practice is purely comical. Yes, it was unnecessary for him to yank the back of Travis Benjamin’s jersey and, yes, it seemed to be out of pure frustration at the fact that Haden was unsuccessful at stripping the ball away from Benjamin.
However, Shurmur has to be given some form of criticism, if not most of it. Poor judgement by one of your teams best, if not the best, players shows a lack of leadership and discipline in the locker room, something that the coaching staff, and ultimately the head coach, is responsible for. Also, Shurmur showed poor judgement and possibly lost credibility with some of his players by kicking out your best player after a question play against a rookie wide-receiver. We aren’t talking about Calvin Johnson here: we’re talking about a wide-out that’ll be lucky if he makes the roster heading into the regular season.
If Shurmur truly wants Joe Haden’s leadership to reach the same level as his playing ability (which is indeed awfully high), he has to provide the avenue for him to do so. A bully is never a great thing in a locker room, but obvious leaders and a chain of command is. For Haden to show that much frustration over a 7-on-7 drill shows that he’s committed to being the best corner his ability allows him to be, while also showing his intensive nature during practice.
But let’s take a step back from pondering upon another mediocre moment from the Browns and take a look at the bigger picture: after Shurmur kicked Haden out of practice, many approved of this move.
What in the world is football coming too?
We’ve already seen it in the NBA, where games get less physical and more finesse every year, but we’re starting to see a “softer” side of football in the NFL. After the heavily reported feud between Steelers OLB James Harrison and Commissioner Roger Goodell over improper hits on quarterbacks by defenders, we now have a case of a coach kicking a defender out of practice for being “too physical” in a sport that has gained popularity for its aggressive, physical appeal.
For a player to be kicked out of practice for being “too physical” in a sport that popularized in the United States by its appeal of vicious hits and narrowly escaping decapitations, goes to show how football is becoming softer and softer as time progresses. Attempting to make a pure, physical sport less physical seems amazingly ironic and outrageous.
The Bottom Line: While Joe Haden deserves his fair share of criticism, Shurmur made the incident bigger than reality by kicking Haden out of practice and should be criticized just as much, if not more, than Haden. On a broader scale, Shurmur’s actions are just another example of how modern football is becoming more finesse and less physical.
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