2010 becomes 2011 continued

Boxing continues to be one of Americas forgotten sports. In one of my first posts on this blog I wrote about how Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. needed to fight to save boxing and nearly a year later the fight still hasn’t happened. Both have fought and both have won easily, but they have yet to fight each other. To make boxing even more irrelevant the heavyweight division is still without a major superstar. So the question is…

Will Pacquioa and Mayweather fight? Will the Klitschko brothers fight each other and give people something to talk about.

Answer: Pacquioa’s next fight has already been determined and that is against and over the hill Sugar Shane Mosely(Less sugar and more molasses last time I checked). Mayweather on the other hand will be fighting the law after numerous allegations were brought up against him. Will these two fight? I say yes, just not when anyone cares anymore. I feel like this will be a fight that happens late in both of their careers when they are not the tremendous fighters they are today.

As for the Klitschkos… noway this happens but wouldn’t it be great to see them duke it out? Not only would it unify 3 belts but what would be better than watching two brothers beat the hell out of each other!

Celtics won round 1… Lakers won round 1 and 1/2 and round 2. Round 3? Both are on a collision course once again to meet in the finals. This year however both paths are far more difficult, So the question is…

Will the NBA Finals be Lakers vs. Celtics?

Answer: No! Not only are the Lakers are too old, but they still have to go through the west. The Spurs are better, the Mavericks are playing defense, and the Thunder are better. The Celtics have to go through, wait for it…THE EAST! I know shocking right! The not only have to battle the Magic and the Bulls, but there is this little team in Miami that is starting to figure things out. One of the two may make it but I have a hard time believing that both will get there.

You remember this guy right? He was and still is the best golfer in the world. Sure he had a rough 2010, but who didn’t really? Sure his was far worse than most people on the planet but whose to say he can’t bounce back. So the question is…

Will Tiger Woods fix his golf game and start winning again?

Answer: PGA Tour you have been warned. Tiger fell off so much that other golfers actually started talking smack! If struggling through an entire golf season wasn’t bad enough, other golfers actually not fearing Tiger was the last straw. I foresee Tiger going bananas this year and leaving a clear path of destruction in his wake. Wins, Wins, and more wins.

Bonus question: Will Tiger Woods start dating again?

Bonus Answer: Now I would love nothing more than Tiger to start dating either Lindsey Lohan or Brittney Spears, but after the year he had I just can’t imagine him dating so soon. If he does date however I expect the women to be someone from high society without any history of any shady past whatsoever.

AND FINALLY……..

Both the NFL and NBA are in golden eras and both are in jeopardy of not having seasons next year. So the question is…

Will the NBA and NFL have lockouts next year?

Answer: David Stern and Roger Goddell call Bud Selig and ask him how 1994 was, PLEASE!!! No one wants to see a strike. In the NFL it would mean players like Tom Brady, Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, and Andre Johnson wasting prime years of their careers. In the NBA it would be a loss for Lebron James, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, and Kobe Bryant. Both leagues have never been better so hopefully these labor negotiations can be worked out before we lose any basketball or football.

2010 was a great year in sports and hopefully 2011 can be even better. Hopefully we will soon be able to find out the answers to all these questions! Happy New Years from SOGJ!

2010 becomes 2011

Its been a while and a lot has happened that has not been blogged by your favorite writers here at SOGJ but a new year means a fresh start.

Sitting around deciding what to write about has been the hardest part of jumping back onto the blog. I didn’t whether to write a year in review or a prediction of things to come so I decided to combine the two ideas. The year that was and the questions the create for next year.

1. Brett Favre’s NFL Future

For 20 years Brett Favre has played in the NFL and finally after this season that may come to an end. After an amazing 2009-2010 season Brett came back after his annual, “I may reitre”, “I don’t know what I am doing”, “I want to play.” fall fiasco to play one of the toughest seasons ever by an NFL player. Now it is no secret I am not a fan of Brett Favre but I have to give the man respect for being an absolute warrior playing through multiple injuries that individually would sideline most men but he played with all of them. A fractured ankle, a concussion, a sore shoulder, a sore elbow, a fractured foot, and a broken reputation(thanks Jenn Sterger). So the question is…

Will Brett Favre retire?

The answer: Most likely I think he will. Now that being said it would not surprise me in the least bit if we see number 4 in purple and gold next year.

After a stellar college career Tim Tebow was suprisingly drafted in the first round by the Denver Broncos. Former head coach Josh McDaniels traded up to the first round to get the Captain of Team Jesus, even though most projections had him as a 4th round pick at very best. Most of the uncertainty was based around the fact that it took Tebow 3 days to wind up and throw the football. So what did Tebow do? He changed his throwing motion and eliminated his hitch. This was a positive sign that Tebow one day may be an effective NFL QB. Then the Broncos signed starting quarterback Kyle Orton to and extension, effectively ending any chance for Tebow to start for the foreseeable future. Flash forward 6 months, fire Josh McDaniels, take the Broncos out of the playoffs and Tim Tebow gets his chance to start and after two games he has looked good! So the question is…

Will Tim Tebow be a starting quarterback in the NFL for the next ten years?

The answer: I think yes. From what we know about Tebow is that he has the will of Rocky Balboa, the determination of a stubborn child, and Jesus on his side. He wants to prove all of America wrong that he can play.

Coach K has had 2 and a half of the best coaching years in the history of basketball. First he led the Redeem Team to the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal, then he led the his Duke Blue Devils to the National Title, and he followed that by leading Team USA to the World Championships. He will soon break the record for all time wins by a coach in NCAA history and his team is currently ranked number 1 again. So the question is…

Will Duke win another title and is Coach K the greatest coach ever?

I think that Duke will repeat in a walk. They are clearly the best team in the country, with the deepest lineup, and the best players. As far as the greatest coach ever I think he is certainly making a case for it. If in 2012 he leads Team USA to another gold medal there are few other coaches who have done what he has accomplished.

To be continued…

Summer of 2010

Who would have thought?

For three years this summer has had a bullseye on it. We have waited and waited for something spectacular and regardless of how you feel about the newly created Miami Heat this summer has been spectacular. But they have only been part of the story that is the summer of 2010 there has been so much more.

The NBA Finals

It started in June where in a rematch of the 2008 finals the Lakers and Celtics collided in a classic 7 game series. Game 7 was an ugly, physical perfect game 7 that went down to the final minutes. Kobe had a horrendous 4th quarter which was very unlike the best closer in the game and it was (mentally disturbed) Ron Artest who hit the biggest shot of the finals down the stretch.

The World Cup

Once again fake football took America by storm. Once again many Americans began caring about Futbol! We finally had something to root for as our Americans got out of their group (apparently a big deal) and then were a poorly played game away from making the semi-finals. Its been a few weeks and like expected we have moved on from the soccer kick(bad pun I know) and we are ready for the real football to begin.

Strassmas!

Rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg made his Major League debut and blew away the Pittsburgh Pirates.(Most of these guys should be playing church league softball to be fair) He has made 9 starts and is 5-2. If he played for someone other than the Nationals he would probably have a better record. What I am most impressed by is his Matt Clementesque goatee that just seems to keep getting larger and larger.

Brett Favre

This was one of the many times he has retired.

Once again we have out favorite season Favre(Please insert heavy sarcasm). It comes right between summer and fall. This is the time of year we find out whether or not Mr. Favre feels his body is healthy enough to come back and play. It includes will he won’t he talk, Brad Childress visiting Mississippi(Happened earlier this week), Brett throwing laser beams to high school kids, and of course our favorite reporter Rachel Nichols setting up a tent on Brett Favre’s front lawn. She must get a Christmas card from the Favre family.

The NBA Free Agent Fiasco

In what was supposed to be a free for all it truly lived up to the hype. Whether it was the meetings, the rumors, the “Decision”, or just the fun NBA free agency lived up to the hype. We now have a legitimate possible super power in the East since LeBron, Wade, and Bosh joined forces. Chicago, New York, and Golden State all got better. This NBA season will hopefully be one of the best in a long time. Every time the Heat play they will get every teams best. They have become the NBA’s version of the Yankees.

This summer has been one to remember and I can’t for the fall. College sports, NBA and NFL we are truly living in a golden era of sport.

What is Lane Kiffin’s secret?

So you are telling me that after being a graduate assistant, wide receivers coach, recruiting director, offensive coordinator, NFL head coach, and University of Tennessee head coach, Lane Kiffin is not ready to be the USC coach?

He has had all of those jobs and he doesn’t turn 35 until May. So he either is completely qualified and knows exactly what he is doing or he gives the world’s greatest interview and has unbelievable references. Either way we know that he will at least keep USC in the news for any number of reasons similar to the way he got Tennessee back in the news. Whether is was calling out Urban Meyer from the first day on the job at UT or cheating openly on an Outside the Lines report on how good of a job he was doing at UT. He made UT Football relevant for the first time since a guys named Peyton played for them. (Baseball all-star Todd Helton was his backup at QB) So we know he knows how to create buzz around a program.

The problem that he is facing is that he is leaving a program that may have NCAA sanctions caused by him and entering a program that may have NCAA sanctions that are also caused by him.(He recruited Steffan Johnson, Joe McKnight, and Matt Barkley) Don’t tell me he doesn’t have Pete Carroll’s new number in Seattle on speed dial.

So I say let the Lane Kiffin Era at USC begin. The only thing is if Wade Phillips gets fired by the Cowboys how quickly will Lane take that job?

Today’s News

On a day where we should have been focusing on the NFL playoffs and Tennessee’s upset victory over former number 1 Kansas we were bombarded with one of the most unusual sports days ever.

1. Mark McGwire admits to using steroids. In one of the most “did we really need an admission of guilt on this?” moments in sports history,(This was about as shocking as finding out Elton John or George Michael was gay, did we really need an admission?)Mark McGwire admitted to using steroids for the better part of 1990′s. He then went on to claim that he only did them to help keep him off the disabled list and they had no effect on how many homeruns he hit. Really Mark? You regularly hit the ball 520 feet and we are not supposed to believe those balls were steroid aided?(Not to mention you hit the second most homeruns ever over a five year period second to only Sammy “I forgot English” Sosa) Come on don’t kid yourself and don’t patronize us.

2. Pete Carroll officially left USC and took he Seattle Seahawks head coaching job. He actually had a press conference to tell USC he was leaving. Who does that? When asked if his leaving had anything to do with pending NCAA investigations? He responded, “Not whatsoever I just love challenges.” Let me ask this, is there any greater challenge then staying at a school that you have just lead into NCAA probation, losing a bunch of scholarships and players to the NFL, not to mention the scrutiny of being caught cheating? Let’s see going to a team that just fired its coach in waiting after one season to bring you in for a boat load of money? Yea I love a challenge too, I would go with the cushy NFL job where there is literally no expectation of you winning, and you get to bring in your own GM so you can get the players you want too(Much bigger challenge. Pete your so smart)

3. Cuban defector 21 year old stud Aroldis Chapman signed with,

the Yankees wait the Red Sox wait the Mets wait the REDS?

None of the big market teams apparently had what this young kid was looking for. Like money or winning. Instead he will join a pitching staff that in 3 years will have the best dead arms in the bigs, Edison Volquez, Johnny Cueto, and himself. This all of course thanks to Dusty Baker who chews through young arms like the tooth picks he gnaws through during games.(Please see Matt Clement, Mark Prior, and Kerry Wood, darn you 2003!)

Pete Carroll felt the heat

Pete Carroll is leaving his dynasty at USC to go coach the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. Does anyone think this sounds weird?

Think about this he has had more talent at USC than the Seahawks have  had since they made the Super Bowl a few years ago. Seattle is not a terrible job but is it good enough to leave a college where you are absolutely the man? I don’t think so. Coach Carroll knows something that we all don’t. I would not be surprised if in the next two week USC Football goes on probation for recruiting violations. This will be a shock to no one. So why stay on a sinking ship?

I don’t blame Pete for getting out now but it is a shame because he is such a good college coach and such a mediocre NFL coach. Let’s look at the records, 33-31 in the NFL and 97-16 in college(thats an 85% winning percentage)

Here is the problem, college coaches cheat. Not all of them but most of them. The good ones do the best job at not getting caught, and when they think they are not going to get caught they get busted. I feel bad for the guy that has to follow in Carroll’s footsteps and try to rebuild a program that will surely have all kinds of sanctions on it. Who knows maybe in 2 years when Pete Carroll gets fired in Seattle he will come back and rebuild the program he is about to leave.

Sorry Colt

Last year it was Michael Crabtree, this year it was an injury. The last four years all Colt McCoy has done is win. He was 45-7 in his college career. He won more games than any quarterback ever in college history.(Yes even more than Tim Tebow) He is second all time in QB accuracy 70.4(Even set all time accuracy record as a Junior was Big 12 Offensive player of the year yet Sam Bradford still won the Heisman.) But it seems that Colt keeps getting a crappy hand dealt to him.

I feel real bad for Colt, because even though that was a good game last night, it became much less of a fair fight once McCoy went to the locker room. You could almost see the air leave the entire Texas team as their leader walked off the field in pain. Every Longhorn fan collectively said, “No, not Colt!”

I think Colt McCoy is going to be a good NFL Qb and hopefully the injustices he suffered in college will be eliminated by success in the NFL.

Bowl Games=Who cares!

I love college football. The offense, the dominate defenses, the offense, and Tim Tebow. Teams run crazy plays, rush the field, and have marching bands. Oregon wears 38 different jerseys in one year, USC buys a new team every year, and the Big Ten underachieves, all good things. But there is one major problem that everyone agrees on, COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEEDS PLAYOFFS!

I have literally watched maybe 1 full hour of college bowl games this year. This is for a couple of reasons. 1. They mean absolutely nothing(I don’t care who wins the PapaJohns.com Bowl, actual bowl name) 2. Tim Tebow is not playing in the championship game(say what you want, you know you would have cared if he was playing Thursday night) 3. They matched the two small conference schools, Boise State and TCU, against each other. (BCS is sick of having small schools screw up there system) 4. They mean nothing!

The NCAA must have  a great reason for not switching to a playoff, right? That would be a big fat NOPE. Money is one argument. They will lose sponsors if they go away from bowl games, are you kidding me? Raise your hand if you would watch a College Football Playoff(My hand is currently raised, put your hand up you know you would.)

Want a better argument? Me too. How about this one? Student athletes miss to much school traveling to bowl games every week. Oh come on! It is okay for every other sport to travel during their tournaments but football is a no go. We all know that college football players are at the very top of the education food chain among athletes, they are right behind college basketball players.(Watch an interview from 70% of the players who attend most of the State schools, they may not be attending class in the first place) let’s just throw that one out.

NCAA, what you got? I expect you to have something prepared and on my desk by Friday morning, because you can’t tell me you don’t already have something drawn up, get you act together and make this thing right.

Happy 2010!

It’s heeeeere 2010. That sounds kind of weird and amazing all at the same time. What better way than to ring in the new year than with a little Tim Tebow. Today we finally get some bowl games that matter and a hockey game outside.

This is not only Tim Tebows final college game but it will be his coach’s, Urban Meyer, last game too. Sad to see both of them go, this is truly an end to one of the greatest sports partnerships in sports. (And possibly the greatest example of sports manlove since Magic and Larry)

In another bowl game Bobby Bowden will be coaching his last game at FSU. I think the thing you will miss most about him is listening to his great interviews. (It’s like listening to the opposing coach in the Waterboy)

And finally how bad does Ohio State the Big Ten representative get throttled today in the Rose Bowl. The last 3 years have been absolute embarrassments.

So enjoy your sports today and hopefully you had a happy and safe New Years Eve. So from the boys here at SOGJ Happy New Year.

He put him in a shed!

Mike Leach the guy who gave the NFL Michael Crabtree and Wes Welker has been fired, for making one of his injured players in a shed.

Really Coach, did you really think this was a good idea? At what point in the conversations with the trainers and you assistants did, “I think your right Coach Leach lets make him sit in a shed for 2 hours” come out of some ones mouth. Not to mention the guy had a concussion.

You want to know the amazing thing I bet this is one of those times where this wasn’t even the worst thing he did. Many of Leach’s former players have already come out and defended the schools decision. When do you ever see that?

I wonder if he forced certain guys to play without pads to make them tougher, had the kicker kick the side of a dumpster if he missed a field goal, and he probably punched his quarterback every time he made the wrong read.

Mike Leach I don’t know you but you seem like a real jerk.