Strictly Opinion Pt.3

The raiders have been quite the anomaly to see this 2014-2015 season... , nearly riding a complete losing season however securing 2 wins, not that it really makes a difference in the long run. The Oakland Raiders are having a fantastically terrible season, the Oakland Raiders sitting on a losing record of 2-11, so what is the problem with this team.


Evidently it all may begin with coaching, primarily in the head coaching spot. Tony Sparano has yet to lead or direct the raiders to a season where they make the play-offs, however he has only recently started coaching the Raiders, its apparently clear that his coaching tactics aren't working. While hes also head coach, he is the positional coach for the offensive lineman, ironically enough the Raiders offensive line (consisting of LT- Donald Penn LG- Gabe Jackson C- Setefen Wisniewski RG- Austin Howard RT- Khalif Barnes) isn't exactly the dream team, allowing 20 sacks this season, ultimately not being a terrible statistic but not outstanding. The offensive line evidently cannot seem to push through good blocks as the Raiders average only about 3.6 yards per play, and their passing game lacks consistency with quarterback Derek Carr. The Raiders have put up 2,862 yards through the air this season, along with 15 interceptions.


But obviously we cant blame all the loss on the offence that just poorly produces trips to the red-zone with an outcome more than a field goal, that saying they even make it to the red-zone before giving up a turnover. However the defense definitely has some serious flaws and kinks within it. Charles Woodson, Sio Moore, and Miles Burris sit on top of the tackle chart with some pretty lopsided statistics, while the rest of the defense falls behind. While they've had their fair share of good play on defense and held some teams to only a couple touchdowns, they are failing to provide enough resilience to make sure that there offence outscores the opponents.


There are also several other factors that may add to the atrocious 2014-2015 season of the raiders such as injuries, inter-personal problems between players and so on. Of course we can also factor in that the Raiders don't exactly have an all star roster on their hands, their playing with a rookie Quarterback, and receivers who don't have much to really show for. Sure they got a couple studs on defense like Charles Woodson but it takes 11 guys on the field to make things happen, not 1.


Clearly the raiders aren't winning many more games, so they should be looking forward to having a first round pick if they finish behind Jacksonville which is pretty likely. So the question that rises is what do they really need? What's going to make that offence flare, receiver? Running Back? a Guard!?










                              

Bernier's Nelson Mandela Fiasco

On Friday December 5th the Toronto Raptors honored and commemorated Nelson Mandela through an event called "The Giant of Africa". The event memorialized the first anniversary of Nelson Mandela's death. The Raptors aimed to monument Mandela through their game against the Cavaliers, beginning with wearing special warm up gear, and memorable videos.


Most definitely the highlight of the night came from Toronto Maple Leafs goalie, Jonathan Bernier. Bernier was interviewed regarding Nelson Mandela, a superior athlete who he allegedly grew up watching. The interview went rather poorly as Bernier appeared to have absolutely no idea what Nelson Mandela was truly being remembered and celebrated for.

Reporter1 (Sports Net mic): Alright Jonathan, how important is, uh, the legacy of Nelson Mandela to you?

JB: Well obviously he’s been, uh, a tremendous, uh, athlete and you know obviously what, uh, he means to all the sports you know when you know the worl- the world can uh be changed by the sports it’s pretty amazing. And I think he’s definitely uh got a lot of respect in every sports and uh he’s definitely one of the athletes I watched growing up as well.

Reporter1’s mic disappears from frame

Reporter2: Why is it important for you to come show support tonight?

JB: Well I think any good cause is, uh, sorry (he’s apologizing to someone to the left of the screen, not sure who/why), it’s always, uh, you know I love supporting, uh, any kind of cause obviously it’s for the Afri-, in Africa it’s obviously it’s, uh, a great cause, and enjoying, I guess, the basketball game.

Reporter2: Thanks.

Posted By Greg Wyshynski (https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/jonathan-bernier-clueless-about-nelson-mandela-at-nelson-mandela-event-215605061.html)

Painfully clear in the interview, Bernier comes across as completely clueless towards the legacy of Nelson Mandela, only stating that he was a great world renowned athlete that he grew up watching, which would also be false as Bernier was born when Mandela was at the age of 70, and I don't think Mandela was exactly a senior athlete.

Now obviously the media likes to inflate situations like this that aren't exactly extremely important, and frankly I don't find it a big deal that he's going to be ridiculed for not knowing one of the worlds great men. Its probable that there was plenty more people watching that basketball game, and supporting that event, that had no idea what Mandela really did for the world. Simply put a lot of people just don't know the history of humanity, and is it really that big of a deal for one person to either have a brain fart on camera or just not know. Generally, no, to me it isn't.

Media has done well at inflating the situation and systematically make Bernier look like a heartless jerk. Truthfully, just because Bernier made a single mistake regarding a heroic figure, doesn't really make him any less of a person. Its just pretty crystal clear he's not a history major

Ray Rice Back in the NFL?

WHAT!? Was precisely my exact reaction to the fact that Ray Rice has been allowed to resume play in the NFL, after assaulting his wife within an Atlanta Casino elevator, Ray Rice was suspended from the NFL until further exemption from the Commissioner, which has been given!


A few questions arise form this situation, and new conflicts arise between the more critical thinkers of sports. Realistically the problem of improper consequence has been brought forward. As I've stated in an earlier blog about the punishment of Major League Athletes, many people are suffering greater consequence for something much more minor than the domestic abuse case of Ray Rice.


Who is generally taking interest in picking up Ray Rice now that he's free and up for the taking. Its been stated in the media that 4 teams seem to be interested in taking Ray Rice onto their roster, two of them being the Indianapolis Colts, who doesn't have an extremely strong running game but rather a strong passing game, and the New Orleans Saints. Clearly he's got the experience and the skill to play in the NFL, so its possible that his addition to the right team can be quite a dramatic change for their running game.


Is he prone to do something like this again? The likelihood of the situation is that he probably wont do it again, or something relatedly punishable. The close call in losing his spot in the NFL while only being in his 20's, call for some fear in the athlete. Their source of fame, income and respect is eliminated ultimately simulating a nightmare for any experienced NFL player like Ray Rice.


The cherry on top of all of this is that Ray Rice is going to allegedly sue the NFL for a butt-load of money and the likelihood of it is that he's probably going to win. Now with the amount of money hell earn form that, he wont really have to worry about playing in the NFL anymore, but will his love of the game overcome his desire to sue the NFL?

The prevalence of Coach to Player Relations and Injuries

Players indelibly mourn for a coach who relates to them, rather than just coach them as well as yell in their faces. Then again there's some players who would prefer being continuously pestered and hounded by their coach cause they find that's the best way to be taught. Ultimately in minor all the way through University, College and up to professional sports, the prevalence of Coach-Player relations is undoubtedly important. In order to have a player base that fully respects and listens to what you say, the relation has to be at least present. While you should indefinitely be respected for your position of power in terms of being a head coach, team chemistry can be greatly improved through general agreement.

An amazing example of the importance of Coach-Player relations is in the ESPN 30-30 "The U". A documentary about the university of Miami's rise to victory and fame through football and ghetto neighborhoods. Miami University made the decision to recruit players from the ghetto African-American neighborhoods within Miami. Generally the players from the ghetto were very aggressive, rowdy and trouble prone, however they always seemed to respect and listen to their coach, most importantly because the coach related. Many players found the head coaches as somewhat close to father figures, making the team chemistry all the better.

What is the prevalence in injuries within this 2014-2015 NFL Season. Obviously some teams have suffered crippling injuries that could possibly jeopardize their season. I'm mostly keying on the injury of Nick Foles, with his collarbone injury the team has been left with Mark Sanchez, and don't get me wrong, Sanchez is a good back-up but he doesn't have the potential to lead them through the play-offs, through teams like Denver or Detroit. While there has been this dramatic injury on the Eagles team, several other teams are suffering minor injuries like Arian Foster missing games, and Calvin Johnson going out mid-game. Injuries like these do not decimate teams, but they can more than hinder there chances of victory.

The injury of  Jadeveon Clowney of the Houston Texans has also been prevalent, as they had high expectations if him for the 2014-2015 season. Several teams, generally every team is suffering injuries of a pool of their players. Some teams are suffering much more dramatic injuries, however most see injuries in players who do not  make an extreme difference.

The Chez Fighting for Life

During week 9, The Philadelphia Eagles suffered a devastating injury that likely had the sideline thinking "What Now?" Well, Mark Sanchez is what's now. In their game against the Houston Texans, Starting Quarterback Nick Foles suffered a broken collarbone, ultimately sidelining him for a good little while. After losing his place on the New York Jets starting line, and ending up in Philly, Sanchez has seen little to no playing time. With the injury of Nick Foles in week 9, Sanchez saw himself into the game, and completely astonished the crowd by throwing a huge pass to Jeremy Maclin which ended in a passing touchdown for Sanchez. For to rest of the game against Houston, Sanchez continued to march down the field with Eagles, and secure a 31-21 victory.

The performance that he put on wasn't exactly record breaking, or outstanding for that matter but under the pressure he managed to threw for 202 yards, 2 touchdowns, and unfortunately 2 interceptions in 3 quarters. With Nick Foles out for a good while if not the season, Sanchez will be labeled the starting quarterback, and be expected to keep the jets sitting at the top of their division. Can we say that this will harm the Eagles in a sense? Nick Foles was obviously the starting quarterback for a reason but he had a small problem with turnovers, apparently so maybe Mark Sanchez does as well, so it doesn't seem like there's a large drop-off between the quarterbacks... yet. Its hard to speculate as Sanchez has only seen the field twice so far, and has been known to really choke up in his seasons, and pull something off like a butt fumble.

The real question at large... is it worth extending Mark Sanchez's contract as a back up QB. Clearly he has plenty of experience in the NFL, and his pay grade isn't through the roof, so evidently I think it would be smart to keep him around as a back up. When situations like your starting quarterback suffering a broken collarbone arise, not to fear, you have the "Chez" fresh and ready on the bench, prepared to come in and win the game for you, or throw 3 interceptions and fumble the ball. That may be a bit of a stretch on the 3 INT's and fumble but i'll admit he is a small gamble. While he can produce touchdowns and smart decisions, he has a tendency to fail in key moments.

It wont be extremely long before Nick Foles will be back, at the latest next season although that may even be a long shot. The Eagles are a team building for success in the future, while there having a good season right now, its unlikely that there going to pull off play-off wins against the big boys of the league like Denver and New-England, so why fuss about what's happening now. No doubt you're still going to try and aim for some play-off victories and look forward to a trip to the super bowl, but realistically without Nick Foles it may be tough. While Sanchez isn't the most elite quarterback in the league (then again what back-up QB is elite) its still worth giving him a contract extension as he makes a reliable back up to finish a game off right, however I wouldn't put the season on his shoulders, he might just get overwhelmed, fall down and fumble.

Strictly Opinion Pt.2

It seems like to many people are being suspended and suffering worse exclusion from the NFL for lesser crimes than others, most specifically Josh Gordon being suspended for a entire season for the possession of marijuana, yet some players are injecting PED to give themselves and illegal playing ground. To me it seems like we got something twisted here. People are beating their wives and children and suffering half a season suspension (if the commissioner doesn't like you). There are way worse things that we should be cracking down on rather than some players smoking marijuana. Don't get me wrong, professional athletes should be caught and charged for possession if they have any kind of drugs, however punishment should be much more diversified.

Obviously no drugs have any place within professional sports, except for either prescription medication and medicinal marijuana. (generally professional athletes tend to not need either until after retirement) A large portion of media coverage in sports has undergone taking up the issues of PED's, most prevalently brought up by the Denver Broncos receiver Wes Welker. Funny enough, Welker suffered a minimal suspension and has been back since week 5. Steroids people, STEROIDS. This man has literally attempted to aid himself by giving an unfair body function advantage. Is 4 games really enough for people who are trying to ruin the game through PEDs? Is the pimple covered back and shrunken family jewels enough punishment? why are we suspending marijuana users for full seasons, and people who are chemically enhancing their own bodies for a quarter of the season.

There's been countless arguments about PED's and other drugs within sports, and evidently enough PED's have indelibly become part of sporting. Most definitely it is not a better sub-sector of sports, and I believe that competition is being ruined by chemical vs. natural advantage. Steroids have seem to become most prevalent within the MLB and the NFL.  But this article isn't focused upon steroids and other performance enhancing drugs, but the punishments laid upon athletes, and the questionable suspension times or fines within each crime.

Surely enough Professional Sports is an extremely large part of society in terms of entertainment and such, and I'm not going to say its the responsibility of professional athletes to set an example for the young athletes that look up to them. However it should be common sense and maybe a little honorable if you strive to provide a fine example of athletic talent and knowledgeable decision making skills. It's more than obvious that were never going to flush PED's and drugs out of professional sports, is just not possible, so why not be smart about it in terms of the athletes, why take the risk when you're already making unbelievably stupid amounts of moola, and you're looked up to by a range of young kids and oddly enough a small sum of middle age men who are still living out their high school football dreams. I'm not going to stray from the topic anymore and finish it off. The ultimate point is that we need to better recognize the severity of different types of drugs, and deliver smarter punishment and suspension times as well as fines to those who deserve it, and freedom to those who do not.

It's amazing how many records are held in the NFL. It seems like they have come up with every single statistical value that attributes to some sort of record like "at least 5 receptions for 50 yards, and 5 carries for 20 yards straight for at least 12 straight games" But who holds the most outstanding records in the book? Several people, ranging from all kinds of positions on the field.

What does it take to set an outstanding, legendary record though? Well id say it all begins with experience, the longer you play in the NFL, the more likely you are to wither break a lasting record (such as Peyton Manning breaking the touchdown record set by Brett Favre, likely because he's played 16 seasons in the NFL, or George Blanda, just setting a record by playing for 26 seasons.) or set a unique one yourself. Aside from experience, the next runner up you'd need is skill, speed strength, the basic stuff that makes you better than the rest, and of course intelligence, knowledge of the game, and realistically you will also need solid teammates to help you in the road to a record.

Enough of the necessities, lets get onto the actual record shattering patrons. One of the greatest records that has been posted in the rushing category is set by OJ Simpson, in his 1973 season, OJ managed 143.1 rushing yards per game. This is only closely followed by Adrian Peterson's 2012 season, which averaged out at 131.1 rushing yards per game. This record will likely stand for a long time, as there are no currently explosive and standout running backs as of now (excluding DeMarco Murray, who has managed to hit 1000 rushing yards first this season)

In the receiver category, Calvin Johnson definitely takes the cake by surpassing Jerry Rice with 1964 single season reception yards in his 2012 season with the Lions. Which is then only followed by some of the greats like Isaac Bruce and Charley Hennigan. Its unlikely that anyone will surpass this record for a long time, as the only active receiver that may be able to come close as of now, is Josh Gordon, although he is suspended.

For single season passing yards, typically Peyton Manning runs away with the record with a whopping 5,477 yards in his 2013 season. Quite amusingly, this is closely followed by Drew Brees, and Tom Brady. However the comical piece of this, is how Brees holds 3 of the top spots within the top 5 single season passing records. Tough Luck for Drew Brees I guess.

The most bizarre record to ever cross the NFL, of course in my opinion, Is Walter Payton's dynamic play day. In one game, Payton rushed for a touchdown, caught a touchdown, and threw for a touchdown! Talk About Dynamic.

Stretching The Score

If you're playing a sport, you should be entitled to play it to the best of your abilities, and not hinder your progress due to the failing attempts from your opponent. However not Everyone sees this way, why is running up the score In professional and minor sports such a large fault?

Realistically, fans and players and coaching staff and just about the majority of everyone else tends to get angry over a NFL team continuously scoring after they're up by 25 points, or a basketball team relentlessly driving the ball in a complete domination. I don't think this should be the case. Everyone needs to put into perspective that when you're playing a sport against an opponent, your generally not there to play nice. Professional athletes are being paid millions to play a sport, yet people loathe them for playing to their peek potential.

When it's professional sports, we need to take into account the "professional" aspect of the game. This Is played by PROFESSIONALS, there should never be any chance to run up the score by more than an exorbitant amount of points, and when you can it should serve as a wake up call for the other team. Really, there should never be a shut out game In the NFL, you're a professional, not a child.

Speaking of child, what about minor league sports? I've heard more than a dozen times fans heckling coaches for being a bad sport, and your not teaching proper respect. If you have come to play a competitive sport, don't complain when the other team is extremely competitive, and you are helpless to stop them.

Should anyone be pestered for scoring large amounts of points? No. Simply put, it's the point of the game you're playing, score more points that your opponent to win, so why stop them from doing what they're all paid to do?

Strictly Opinion

So who is the best defender in the NFL? Well I myself am a statistical guy, but I still like to look at the attributes of leadership, dedication and several others to really differentiate the Captains, leaders and normal players.

Now generally, everyone is going to say JJ Watt is the best defender in the NFL, however while I like the statistics and attributes, in my strict opinion, I don't think you can label one defender that rises above the rest, simply because there is several defensive positions. You have to look at individual positions and pinpoint a star defender in that category.

You cannot say that JJ Watt is a better defender than Richard Sherman because "He has more sacks". Well obviously JJ Watt has more sacks, it's his damn position, its the same as saying Richard Sherman is better because he has more interceptions, it just doesn't make sense.

There are so many things that distinguish a good defender, but I like to look at the things that defender does wrong, the less mistakes he makes, the better of a player he is. Missed tackles, blown coverage, failure to shed blocks and several other things can really shine some light on the best defenders, and that why people like JJ Watt, Luke Kuechly, JPP, Sherman are labeled as the best... because they make the fewest mistakes.

So who is the best defender in the NFL? Well there's probably about 7, one for each position, so there really is no best defender, that's my opinion.

The Fate of Rex Ryan

Why is Rex Ryan still coaching the Jets after failing to bring them to the play-offs four years in a row? Many people as well as myself believe Rex should hit the road, not only cause he's proved to be a poor head coach in the NFL but he didn't even get respectfully hired by the owner for being a good coach, instead he inherited it from his father! Don't get me wrong, Rex has definitely had his strong points in his seasons, but in turn they are never good enough to win them enough games to make the first round. Sure there are a lot of factors that go into the a teams abilities, so its easy to blame it on the defense, or the right tackle who can never make a block, but realistically it all starts at the cornerstone of the franchise, the head Coach.

Some people may argue that "oh Rex is an elite coach, he's the best.... J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!" but obviously that's either their pride, or their stupidity coming through. So where's the evidence of Rex Ryan being one of the worst coaches in the league? Well why don't we open up with the 2014-2015 season. The jets, as of now, are 1-4, only posting a win against the Oakland Raiders, which is no victory in my opinion, but a handout. Not only that but the team only averages 15.8 points a game, this being the third worst in the league! it comes to a certain point where you can no longer blame the players, but rather the poor coaching, and let me tell you, it has hit that point. They may not have the most talented quarterbacks, Geno Smith turned out to be a dud and Michael Vick is just getting old. They have all the chances to win as well, but there offence fails to produce. Time for a quarterback change? I would so say so, and maybe a new head coach as well.

While there are several things that show just how amateur the Jets are, there's plenty more of these statistics that prove how it may be time for a personnel change. Statistically they are 27th in the league (out of 32 teams), only have a total of 79 points in 5 games(Averaging 15.8 points a game, you cant expect to win with that) but the passing yards are the crowning jewel. In the 2014-2015 season, the Jets have managed to place themselves at the worst passing team in the league, posting only 184 yards through the air per game. Now if you want to take away from the bad, which is pretty tough cause there is tons of it, their run game is very strong, in fact it is 6th in the league, but you cant win a game strictly by running (unless you're Walter Payton that is). Those are only major statistics, getting minor will really being out the worst in New York,

That's only this season alone, and I can go on for pages of statistics proving just how bad the New York Jets coaching is, but ill leave you with one more statistic, although he has more wins then losses, the Jets have not seen the play-offs since 2010. Maybe its time for a change? A permanent "Rex Ryan removal" kind of change.

Elite?

Who clenches the title for most elite quarterback in the NFL as of right now. You can't just look at that stats sheet (while that is important) but rather his ability to make plays under pressure, captain his offence in times of need, and consistently produce points every game.

Now it's easy to pick the generic quarterback who have been seen as elites through their expertise and experience like Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning, however they have a different standard to live up too. One of, if not the most elite quarterbacks In the NFL as of now is your very own Indianapolis colt Andrew Luck.

Andrew Luck, has started all of the regular season games so far, posting considerably good stats, with a passing completion percentage above 65% and a load of touchdowns to back his elitism. However like I said you cannot only look at the stats sheet, but his ability to thrive in certain situations. Through his previous season, Luck overcame extreme obstacles, making 4th quarter comebacks, and pulling off impossibly defended throws, as well as many other things that have developed him into the young star that he is, while there has not been a sufficient amount of games to really prove who's the most elite, as of now Luck is on the golden brick road to being the best in both his conference and maybe the league.

Now of course he may be closely followed by a veteran player like Peyton manning, in terms of statistics however he still does not make the cut to surpass Andrew luck, simply because his standard should be higher as Peyton has been in the league for several years, formerly playing for the Colts themselves. With only a few games played so far plus a bi-week, it's hard for Peyton to provide examples as to why he is the most elite.

Until further games in the season, we can't really decipher who's going to come out on top both statistically and favourably, but as of now things are in favour of Andrew Luck, being #1 in fantasy really comes with it's publicity benefits!

Jacksonville Breakdown

What is the problem with the Jacksonville Jaguars? Lack of talent? Poor Coaching? Poz playing like he's new to the game? Simply, the Jaguars defense is allowing points on points while the offense completely fails to produce. But where does it all start on the offense?

To begin with, the offense is failing to run the ball as well as pass due to a failing offensive line. Rather than picking up strong offensive lineman, they choose to pick 2 rookies, and trade for 1 pro-bowl guard. With their old offensive line already being mediocre, their failure to upgrade has left the offense severely crippled. however you cannot only blame the breakdown of the offense on the line, but the poor performances by both Chad Henne and Blake Bordles. Chad Henne started the first 2 games posting 3 touchdowns with 1 interception and 492 yards while Blake Bortles started against the colts during week 3 and posted 2 touchdowns with 2 interceptions and 223 yards. Toby Gerhart, cannot be to blame, while he isn't the strongest running back, poor blocking schemes result in poor statistics. The receiving core begs to be improved, with Allen Hurns, Allen Robinson and Marcedes Lewis being their most influential players., the offense barely has the potential to move the ball consistently. Overall, rather than focusing on winning this particular season, it appears the the Jags are looking to slowly build their offence for the following years.

Now what is the problem with the defense, simply put, they are not working together as one unit, several breakdowns in coverage and lack of communication has led them to give up loads of touchdowns, while there run game might be decent, their secondary proves to be extremely unreliable, Without proper unison between the 11 defenders, the points are going to continue to pack on. leaving the jaguars severeal crippled.

Violence Abroad

To take a quick turn from covering the underdog teams of the sports world, domestic violence needs to be brought to attention by every aspect of the media. Domestic violence has appeared to be most prominent in the NFL. However there are several other athletes in the sports world who have been accused with a felony of domestic violence. While it has been a major problem for a long span of sports history, it has really inflated with the ex-Baltimore Raven running back Ray Rice clocking his  wife in the face within an Atlanta casino elevator.

It may be controversial to say that the only way domestic violence can be silenced is by instating strict policies in all sports however realistically this is not the case. While the NFL has already installed a zero-tolerance policy on domestic violence, it is unlikely to cause all athletes to be much more intelligent and cautious towards such a serious felony. Punishment, will be the bane of domestic violence. With the NFL indefinitely banning Ray Rice, this opens the eyes to several athletes who may have been within contact of this serious matter, whether you are playing baseball or hockey or curling for that matter, the fear of being banned from your occupation... your source of revenue or plain and simple your pride and joy, can be devastating for some people.

Simply put, domestic violence needs to be brought to full attention, addressed by all major sports as well as minor, and eradicated in order to prevent the loss of successful athletic careers, get rid of potential prison time and protect the spouses of the athletes.

Diamond In The Rough

The Carolina Panthers have always been viewed as a mediocre team with monumental amounts of hype over a record shattering quarterback. Although Cam Newton has set several records as a rookie and had fairly impressive statistics throughout the 2011-2014 seasons, he has been unable to lead his Panthers to a Super Bowl appearance.

The 2014-2015 season may hold different futures for the Panthers, with a defense projected to post the second most points in fantasy football, and several offensive weapons such as 1st round draft pick, wide reciever Kelvin Benjamin and Stanford running back Tyler Gaffney, the panthers may be able to come out on top of their division.

while there is not a large amount of evidence to prove this, their game on Sunday afternoon really proved them to be a weapon both on defense and offense. The Carolina Panthers have some big expectations from both fans as well as myself this season.