It's MVP, not POY

Man, what a day of basketball yesterday, huh? I mean, Christmas basketball is always sweet, but we had the stars out for show. There were some nail-biting games, most of them being playoff(or Final)-previews. We had everything from a game where one team only scored 30 points in each half, to a buzzer-beating three to win the game, to last year’s NBA Finals matchup.

I got to thinking during the Lakers-Celtics game, and starting writing down some notes about the MVP of the league this year. I got to see a good portion of the candidates last night: Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, DAwight Howard, Amar’e Stoudemire, Shaq?, LeBron James, Brandon Roy. Although most of the candidates were there some did not have a game yesterday… namely, Dwayne Wade who could be a main contender till the end.

Those are the possibilities for MVP this season, unless someone rises from the mist. It is going to be another close race; there is not one clear-cut winner. Last year it was a two-man race with CP3 and Kobe. However, we will be lucky to see that this year. Different from last year, we are going to see likely a four-man race. The front-runners in my mind are Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade, Kobe, and LeBron James. Don’t get me wrong, there very well could be a guy that ups his game and gets in the mix because we aren’t even midway, but I see it as these are the guys to beat. If you want me to break it down even more for you, I will. I, personally, think that this season’s race will come down to two men… the two best players in the world. Kobe vs. LeBron.

There was an interview with Kobe and Magic Johnson last night, and I found something very interesting in it. The magic Johnson asked Bryant when he was going to be ready to hand the torch off to LeBron as being the face of the league and best player. He noted that Larry Bird and he handed it down to Michael Jordan. MJ then gave it to Kobe. They were wondering when the time would come and we would see the Kobe-to-LeBron exchange. Well, if you ask me, when LeBron 1) wins the MVP award or 2) wins the Championship (likely same season)… that basically means that LeBron is the main man. Whether Kobe is ready or not. When one of those two things happens, that means that Kobe is forced to pass the torch, in my opinion. By the way, Kobe said that he will pass it on when he retires. It’s going to be earlier than that my friend. To view the entire interview, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzvVhV8frY8.

Back to the MVP discussion. One thing that I have always kept in mind when awarding a player is what the abbreviations stand for. MOST **VALUABLE** PLAYER. Keyword is “valuable”. It is not POY, Player of the Year. That means, stats do not mean much. It means it is not what a player does for himself and the box score, but what he does for his respective team. I think the phrase “team players” needs to be brought into the debate. What a player does to make the team better. A player’s team may suck but he averages 35 points. Well in that case, I don’t think he should even be in the race.

There has been people that think the MVP should go to the most valuable player of the team that wins the entire thing. Crazy or not, I don’t think that’s a half-baked idea.

Which team, in your mind, would be more screwed with out their star? Miami Heat? No, they have Marion and Beasley. Los Angeles? Nah, they have an entire team full of gunners (Gasol, Odom, etc). Well what about the Cleveland Cavs? Umm... let’s think… Who else do they have? Well… nobody. BINGO.

LeBron James is all that the Cavaliers have, and without him would they be anywhere? Without Kobe and Dwayne, their teams can still compete. Cleveland cannot compete without LeBron. He is the most valuable player, to his team, in the league.

James is tearing the league up; he looks like he is back in high school to be honest. He is averaging 27 points per game, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists per. Those are, without a doubt, the best overall numbers his career has seen. But the big stat, that less and less people look at, is the 22-4. 22-4 and right behind the Boston Celtics. In the past, LeBron has been amazing but his team fizzles. This is the best group he has been with and he is playing at his prime. Well, I shouldn’t say that… Is there more in the tank? Have we seen his best?

‘Bron deserves it not just because of individual performance, but because of leadership. He is a team player; he is the most valuable player. Savor it Kobe, because the time is nearing.


As always, I urge you to leave your thoughts on this post in the comment section below. I really appreciate your responses.

Justin Hulsey
StLDieHard24@gmail.com
www.thejaystick.blogspot.com
www.collegesports-fans.com Mizzou/SLU Correspondent

Just When You Thought They Were Done

On December 18, 2008 C.C. Sabathia signed a seven-year, 161 million dollar contract with the Yankees

On December 18, 2008 A.J. Burnett signed a seven-year, 82.5 million dollar contract with the Yankees.

On December 23, 2008 Mark Teixaira agreed on an eight-year, 180 million dollar contract with the Yankees.

Wow. Now come on, this is starting to get ridiculous. The Bronx Bombers have bought the top 2 pitchers on the market and the top hitter out there. The scary thing is that Manny Ramirez is still out there. Are they done? I have asked myself that and said yes twice now and have been wrong both times. Chances are they are not done. Which is very frightening.

It is starting to get unfair. They usually do about one of these every couple years, but three in the time span of 5 days? Every year the idea of the salary cap in baseball makes more and more sense. With the cap, none of this can happen and the Yanks are just like every other team out there. For example, my Cardinals NEED pitching. You know that we would love either of the pitchers that the Yankees got but everyone knows that there is no way in hell we will get them because of teams like the Yankees. We cannot afford to throw out that much money. The best way to describe this situation in baseball is with the old cliché: “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer”. It is that simple and it is soo true.

But, hey, who can blame the Yankees? They have the money to spend. If I was them, I wouldn’t be afraid of doing the same thing… why not? The odd thing is, they spend millions and millions on players like Sabathia and Tex and A-Rod and how many Championships have they won since starting this binge? Not very many. They undoubtedly have the best talent but we still see the small-market teams succeed. The Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series this year and they have the thirteenth highest payroll in the MLB at $98,000,000. It isn’t near as sexy as the Yankees’ $209,000,000 is it? What about the AL Champ, the Tampa Bay Rays? They had a $43,000,000 payroll which is, umm, second-to-last in the MLB. The funny thing is this… New York did not make the playoffs this year and only won 89 games. We all know that 89 wins isn’t going to be enough in a 3-team division now.

Although it does infuriate me that the Yanks are taking potential St. Louis Cardinals away from us because they have more money, I will give them some credit. They haven’t been shy about getting what they need to win. New York needed to do this to compete with Boston and Tampa next summer. They needed pitching and they got C.C. and Burnett. They need a defensive playmaker and more power in the lineup around A-Rod and they went and stole Teixaira. No matter if it is right or wrong, they need these key elements to win. All of this essentially takes the Yankees from 3rd place in the AL East, to World Series contenders. It also sets up some intriguing division races in September. Don’t blame them for spending money that they had. You would have done the same.

However, whichever way you look at it, these large contracts are extremely risky. 1) You are signing these players for seven and eight years. There are only a handful of players that have played in-prime baseball for more than 6-7 years. I don’t know if I would have the guts to sign a player to that long of a contract. Sure, the players want security and maybe that is what they were asking for but it is a definite ballsy move. 2) It’s New York and you are throwing out 180 million dollars. With it being the Big Apple, fans are used to Championships and they will not settle for anything less. Now you are throwing out contracts like this, and now New Yorkers are expecting a ring. Anything less and you are going to have people wanting blood. Underachieving is not an option in New York anyway… but now you are signing baseball’s elite and it will only increase that mindset. Not only have you bought Sabathia, Burnett, and Teixaira, you have bought even more pressure.

Let’s be honest with ourselves though, it’s the YANKEES!! You really think that all this cash is going to get you past the Divisional Series? In the meat of the era that we are talking about here with New York, they haven’t made it past the ALDS in the past 4 years. The face of the MLB, in buying all of these All-Star players, hasn’t made it to the World Series since 2003. They have not won a World Series since the “Subway Series” 9 years ago.

Money doesn’t buy happiness…
Money doesn’t buy wins neither.



Please remember to leave your thoughts in the comment section below. You know that I love to hear what you think about the subject.

Justin Hulsey
StLDieHard24@gmail.com
http://www.thejaystick.blogspot.com/
http://www.collegesports-fans.com/ Mizzou/SLU Correspondent

Ranked(?) Mizzou Takes on Illinois in Braggin' Rights Showdown

Missouri has won 8 of the past 9 games. As a reward, they have been handed the #25 rank in the nation.Let's just hope that the Tigers do not get a big head after a hot start. That exact problem has crippled Mizzou the past several years going all the way back to the Quin Snyder scandal. Although, with what looks to be a good group, overconfidence (knock on wood) shouldn't be a serious problem this go around. But, hey, this team is good and do not get me wrong... You can strut your stuff and it is perfectly OK to have a little swagger in you. You've deserved it.

(9-1) #25 Mizzou will take on it's third real contest against the (10-1) Illinois Fighting Illini in the 28th Braggin' Rights Game in neutral St. Louis. For the first time in a long time, Mizzou is not only favored, they are ranked! It marks the first time that the Tigers have been ranked in exactly 90 weeks (December 3rd, 2003).

The Fighting Illini are not ranked and haven't been since 2005. However, Illinois is starting to get respect from some of the voters with 20 total votes. If the poll was to be extended, that would be good for #32. This would of been the 3rd consecutive year that neither team was ranked but that streak was halted with today's new AP Poll. At least one of the teams - usually both - have been ranked in 22 of the 28 meetings.

There is a ton at stake this year in the annual meeting, especially with MU. They are favored and expected to win. The pressure is on while they look to break the 8 year skid. With both teams teetering with being ranked or not, which ever team comes out ahead will begin to knife through the polls. Which ever team disappoints, will likely plummet. The game has had a history of providing a boost to the winner...

After a wobbly start that included what was then the worst loss in school history, by 52 points at Arkansas, MU's triple-overtime victory in 1993 propelled it to a national ranking within two weeks. The Tigers then went 14-0 in the Big Eight and advanced to the Elite Eight. In 1996, the Illini were coming off an 18-13 season. They beat Mizzou 85-69, jumped into the national rankings and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Both teams have really out-performed preseason expectations and will get a shot at receiving some well-deserved National attention. The game will be aired tomorrow night on ESPN2 at 6:30 CT.

The once untouchable Fighting Illini (Derron Williams, Dee Brown, and James Augustine) have really declined since the amazing run in 2004. Illinois was turned down by the Selection Committee for the first time in 8 years last year. On the other hand, Mizzou has been on a steady incline in the past several years. The Tigers have not danced in 5 years after making it into the Tournament 5 straight years.

Missouri and their senior leaders, DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons, have led the Tigers to a near perfect start. With the only loss coming against #7 Xavier, they have put together some impressive wins when playing previously ranked #15 USC and a very decent California team.

When looking at the other end of the spectrum, you will see that Illinois is 10-1, sure, but you also need to notice that they have had a pretty easy schedule. They hosted and lost their only game against a ranked team a couple weeks ago with Clemson. Other than that, it has been mediocre D1 teams or lower.

I will put it this way, this game is so big that former MU coach Norm Stewart actually spread palm leaves around the locker room and went as far as sprinkling salt on them for good luck when he was at the helm. You can think he is crazy all you want but he was an awesome coach and this just shows the significance of this game. Many think it is the reason that the Tigers have faded after several hot starts these past few years. Like I said, this game has an interesting way of lifting the one that wins and sinking the team that does not prevail.

Mizzou has lost in the final seconds of the past three Braggin' Rights Games. This year, Carroll (avg; 18 & 7) and Lyons (16 & 7) look to put the Fighting Illini away to build that resume for March.

As a diehard Missouri fan, I am very proud to say that the Mizzou program is looking up and getting better each year. We are now finally ranked. A win tomorrow would be huge, propelling us to God knows what.

Some predict us to do amazing things this year and I cannot wait. Last week, I was watching halftime of some College Hoops game and Dick Vitale himself said, "Mizzou will take the Big 12 and cruise through the NCAA Tournament till at least the Sweet 16... mark it down." I guess that is when it kicked in and I got the feeling that this group was special.

I predict some extreme accolades for the Tigers this year. We will look to go to the Tournament for the first time since 2003 and we aren't just going to go. They have the perfect formula if you ask me and they are good. Tomorrow's game will measure how good.

Please feel free to comment in the space provided below. I love to read your thoughts on my posts so comment away! If you need to contact me, my email address is also listed.

Justin Hulsey

StLDieHard24@gmail.com

www.thejaystick.blogspot.com

www.collegesports-fans.com Mizzou/SLU Correspondent

Too Early To Look at 2009's Heisman Race?

Midst a season in which the Big 12 South Champion had to be decided on the 5th tie breaker of a 3-way tie, I consider it very fitting for this year’s Heisman race to be the closest since 2001 when Nebraska’s Eric Crouch won the most prestigious award in all of sports.

In the end, when all of the votes were tallied, Sam Bradford of Oklahoma became the 74th winner of the Heisman Trophy. Following Bradford, Colt McCoy of Texas was the first runner up and, last year’s winner, Tim Tebow got 3rd.

When the final votes were counted on Saturday night, it was Florida's Tebow, the award's defending winner, taking home 309 of the 904 first-place votes; nine more than Bradford. But it was Bradford, the soft-spoken humble kid from Oklahoma City, hoisting the award in the end. The Sooners’ QB joins Paul Hornung and Billy Sims as the only players to win despite getting 2nd in first place votes.

With first place votes being worth three points, second place votes worth two, and third place being worth one, the system added Bradford – who finished #1 in the Northwest, Mid-Atlantic, Southwest, and Far West regions – to the illustrious company. McCoy, who took the crown in the Midwest and finished right behind Bradford in the Southwest and Far West portions, came in 122 votes short. Tebow finished 151 votes behind Bradford and 29 votes away from silver despite dominating the South and receiving second in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

After all is through, this may very well be how we remember the 2008 campaign. The memorable and to-close-to-call Heisman Race featuring the nation’s elite. I think that is safe to say that if it was any other year, and there was only one of either of these guys, they would have blown away the competition. All three of these Quarterbacks are Heisman material.

What I think is kind of strange is the eerie pattern of everything going Oklahoma’s way. From Oklahoma getting the BCS rank they needed to jump Texas and compete in the National Championship on the 8th, to the freak 35-yard pass from Herrell to Crabtree to put Oklahoma back in the drivers’ seat, to McCoy beating Bradford out for the All-America team, to even McCoy schooling Bradford ON THE FIELD in the regular season matchup.. yet Colt is heading to Arizona to play the two-loss Buckeyes in the Fiesta bowl vs. Bradford who has a plane ticket to Miami and the Heisman Trophy as his carry-on to play for the BCS National Championship. See a common theme?

One thing I am starting to hate is hearing Longhorn fans bitchin’ and moanin’ over it all. Guess what guys? If your precious team would have taken care of the Red Raiders in Lubbock, McCoy would have had the Heisman and the game. And another thing, UT fans… Nobody can argue with the Bradford decision as Heisman. Oklahoma had the best offense in the history of the NCAA. He was the heart and soul of arguably the best college football offense to ever take the field. If you really look at it, Samuel may have had the best season EVER by a Quarterback in a BCS Conference.

Bradford, with the grace and confidence of a seasoned veteran, led the nation in touchdown passes (48) and passing efficiency (186.28). He didn't exactly do it against a soft schedule, either. When it mattered most — in three nationally televised games against Top 20-ranked opponents with a BCS title game berth on the line — Bradford soared to new heights. Consider these numbers in the Sooners' final three contests, each one in widely viewed primetime ABC/ESPN Saturday night affairs:

--14-for-19, 304 yards, four touchdowns in 65-21 win over No. 1 Texas Tech
--30-for-44, 370 yards, four touchdowns in 61-41 win over No. 12 Oklahoma State
--34-for-49, 384 yards, two touchdowns in Big 12 Championship Game win over No. 19 Missouri

His last seven games are the ones that set him away from the rest of the pack and earned my vote. In 257 attempts (remember that number), he threw 1 interception. Against teams that he played in those final seven games, only 1 INT in 257 attempts is straight up phenomenal. In those final seven freak games, the Sooners beat teams by a combined score of 419-205.

Really for me though, this year’s Heisman Race was set apart from every other one. It was about sometime more important that football statistics and records. These three men are very similar. I’m not talking about pass accuracy or throwing power, or touchdown passes. I’m talking about these guys as men. The crazy thing about the freak stats is that on the totem pole, they put themselves at about #4. For all of these men it is: Family, Teammates, and Faith in no particular order… then they worry about their self. During the entire presentation these three praised each other on how either of them could of received it and every one of them earned it. There was a very common theme, and that was mutual admiration. This year, there were a record number of votes submitted (904 of 926 ballots were processed). That’s because this year was different than all the others. I can only wish the best to all three of these men.

All of that, believe it or not, brings me to a question I asked myself on Sunday afternoon before I started writing all of this. Is it too early to start looking forward to 2009’s Heisman Race? Can it be even close to anything we had this year? Will any or all of these guys be back? Unfortunately that is very unlikely, but let’s take a look at what we, most likely, will have.

Most of the top players that would be Heisman candidates in 2009 will leave early, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of interesting prospects in the race. Here are the top 10 contenders for the 2009 Heisman chase among guys almost certain to stay in school.


10. Todd Reesing, QB Kansas
Todd Reesing deserves to be on this list. He may never win since he doesn`t go to a Heisman school but he`s every bit as good as any of the QB`s on this list and you could argue that he`s better because he has not had the supporting cast that any of these guys have had. With that said, Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier combined for over 2000 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2008. Both are coming back… I will leave it at that.

9. Dan LeFevour, QB Central Michigan
In what seems like it will be his 7th year at Central Michigan, Dan will use his arm and his legs to score and try to lead his Chippewas to their third straight MAC title. He will need a Brennan-like season, meaning a perfect record and somewhere in the neighborhood of 55-60 total touchdowns, to compete for the award. As a junior in 2007, LeFevour passed for 20 touchdowns and added another 20 on foot so it isn’t out of the question.

8. Nate Davis, QB Ball State
Look for a monster year from Davis as Lewis and other RBs took away from his Heisman-potential season in 2008. His RBs are gone and he is the centerpiece. The coaches will expect and ask more out of him and they will get it. He'll put up the stats, the team will win, and he'll be the cause celebre for those looking to get a non-BCS player back into the mix.

7. Zac Robinson, QB Oklahoma State
I love this guy and I love this guy’s potential at the collegiate level and, if I could I would easily put him higher. He will, no-doubt-about it, be in the mix. He has RB Kendall Hunter and star WR Dez Bryant coming back so expect an even more explosive offense this coming year. With most of the BCS-Conference QB stars moving to the next teir, it is time for Zac Robinson to step in and take the heat.

6. Mark Sanchez, QB USC
It is hard to put any Trojan QB any lower than this considering the history and what they have done in the past. He should be higher, but he can blame the bust season that USC’s offense put together. The Men of Troy had to rely on their defense and, although it worked to an extent, it wasn’t good enough. He has stars coming back (ie Joel McKnight) and we will see if his natural talent turns into numbers.

5. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB Oregon State
For any of you people that think this kid shouldn’t be on this list, I will personally find you a tape of the USC/OreSt game of a couple months ago. If a dude can straight up slither his way through THAT defense and make his way into the endzone twice with 190 yards, you are something special. He was a f-r-e-s-h-m-a-n this year and was still the best playmaker in the Pac10. Before getting hurt he had 7 straight games of 100+ yard outputs, and totaled 1255 yards and 11 touchdowns… in seven games. I watched him during the USC game and immediately wrote his name down for two reasons: I knew he would be on this list and I knew I would forget how to spell his name.

4. Max Hall, QB BYU
Do I have him too far on the list? Well if I do then comment below but I would think not. This guy was a Heisman finalist if he and his team didn’t have huge meltdowns against TCU and Utah on their way to a perfect season and BCS buster. He had 3500+ yards in his junior year to go with 35 touchdowns. Let’s not forget that his main man and the nation’s leading WR, Austin Collie, are both coming back for another shot at perfection. Don’t tell anybody but next year… Max is spelled S-A-M.

3. Terrell Pryor, QB Ohio State
No matter what happens this upcoming year, Pryor will get the Heisman at some point. Why not 2009? He would be the Tim Tebow duplicate, winning it in his sophomore year. Not to mention, his game is pretty much exactly like Tebow’s. Beanie Wells is, most likely, heading to the NFL and it is now Pryor’s time to shine. He is the now the entire offense and the coaches will, while holding back in 2008, unleash him in ’09. He is a freak prodigy and now the nation’s newest super-star.

2. Colt McCoy, QB Texas
Colt SAYS that he is coming back but, come on, we know exactly how that stuff goes. It really all depends on what other QBs like Sam Bradford and Matt Stafford decide to do (both are heavily predicted to hit up the big leagues with Lions and Chiefs, YIKES!). If he does come back for his senior year, it would set up a wild ride from start to finish that featured two of the best we have seen in a while… Tebow vs. McCoy. Which could almost be titled “the most anticipated Heisman Race ever.”

1. Timothy Tebow, QB Florida
Who could have, in a million years, guessed this one? Timmy will be out for one goal in his senior season. That is showing that he is a becoming a better NFL passer and actually has potential after college. He is football’s version of Tim Hansbourgh. Tebow will, however, have pretty good passing numbers as he tries to prove himself to scouts. Another thing he will have to overcome is the media. I will say right now that he will not win it unless he matches the off-the-chart attention that the media gives him going into his super-year. Bottom line is that his career may just be too good to not be a two-time winner.

Time can only tell what next year brings. We are kidding ourselves if we think that these are the only people in the running. This is just a rough estimate, what do I know? We can only sit back and enjoy the show. It promises to be another good Race to the finish.

Please tell me what you think in the comment section below. Thanks!

Justin Hulsey

StLDieHard24@gmail.com

www.thejaystick.blogspot.com

www.collegesports-fans.com Mizzou/SLU Correspondent

Big-12 Championship Preview

One of my keys that I follow when I am writing is backing my statements up. When I decide that I am going to post an article out here, I first find out what I will write about, I get my notebook that is full of side notes about the topic that I choose to write about, and I just write about whatever I know about the subject. If I feel that I need to know more or I do not have enough to create a solid post, I research and read article after article on the subject. At the top of every page of notes, I write in all caps “BACK IT UP” and underline it. I do this to remind myself that it is one thing to have an opinion, it is a complete other thing to prove your opinion, to provide details and examples of what your talking about, throw out stats (nobody can argue numbers), just back it up. It, in a way, ties into Billy Packer’s famous quotes, and one of my favorites, “I may be wrong, but I am never in doubt.” Packer knows what he’s talking about and that is a simply brilliant quote. In sports, team are tagged with certain titles and it is that team’s choice to back the notion up or to just let it hang their and it gets taken right from under you.

Back to subject. In case you weren’t aware of the big college sports weekend ahead, there are some huge games that will decide the layout of the BCS bowls announced on Sunday. One of those games is the Mizzou vs. Oklahoma game that airs on ABC at 8:00 pm. The bad news is I have a Championship basketball game to play in at 8:00 pm tomorrow night.

Although I cannot join the Texas Longhorn fans in watching the game, I can tell you that I am sick and tired of hearing people moan that the right team was not picked in the South division. I mean, come on what’s the point? There was a system in which you pick the team in case of a tie. In this case there was a 3-way tie and it then went down to the team’s BCS rank. Oklahoma had the better rank of the 3 teams and they made it in. End of story. Whether you agree with the whole situation or not, that’s the way it goes. If you wanted in so badly, Texas, you shouldn’t have lost to Tech in Lubbock on a 35 yard, final second, miracle play. If you would ask me, I would tell you that the best team got in and leave it at that.

You have to understand, this is a very hard blog to write keeping in mind that I am a die-hard Mizzou fan and have watched them throw a great opportunity away. It is difficult to admit but I can’t lie, Oklahoma appears to be in the driver’s seat leading to the BCS Championship game. They are in the fast line but let’s not sleep on #20 Mizzou.

Oklahoma has put on an absolute clinic this season, scoring at will. It is a weekly show and, no matter who you are or what team you root for, you gotta love tuning in to see OU bust through teams like it’s nothing. They have literally scored like no other team has.. Ever. Just take a look at the past three games. 61 points vs. Oklahoma State, 65 vs. Texas Tech, 66 vs. Texas A&M, 62 vs. Nebraska. I mean, seriously? Four straight 60+ point games? No way. Yes way, and it has almost become a joke. It is way too easy and, heck, how can you say defense even matters when you just cannot be stopped. For example, the game against OKST.. I sat there and watched Oklahoma score on six straight possessions thinking you gotta be kidding me. OU is averaging 53 points/game and 560 yards/game. With the dynamic offense, a nation’s top-3 o-line, and a defense that can at least hold a team under 60 the question may be asked.. Can they be stopped by anyone? According to the “experts”, not by Mizzou. Vegas has Oklahoma favored by 17 points and who can blame them?

Meanwhile, Missouri, who saw it's national title dream go up in a puff of smoke, or more like a Curtis Lofton big play, in last year's 38-17 Big 12 dream matchup title game loss to Oklahoma, can't stop anyone's passing game, and is coming off a loss to a mediocre Kansas team even though that was the best game I’ve seen this season. The best win this year was over a Nebraska team that hadn't quite hit its stride, the second-best win was against an Illinois team that's not going bowling, and against the two big boys on the schedule from the South, Oklahoma State and Texas, the Tigers lost in back-to-back weeks. Let’s be honest with ourselves here.. Is it possible that my Tigers are a tad bit overrated? In my mind there is a fine line between wasted potential and just straight up overrated and Mizzou is right on it.

So, with that in mind, the game is a blow out right?

Well how about we just keep our pants on here. Does anyone remember the 2003 B12 Championship between #1 OU and Kansas State when Darren Sproles lead the Wildcats to a stunning 35-7 victory? How about the 2001 title game when Chris Simms flushed the Longhorns right down the toilet with about 20 pick-6’s that led to a Colorado victory? Same thing with the Championship games of 1998 (A&M vs. K State) and 1996 (Texas vs. Nebraska). Unlike the SEC Championship which generally follows the chalk, the B12 has a history of wild upsets. Guess what.. Missouri has the potential to do the same exact thing as these other teams have accomplished.

Last year, Mizzou played as the #1 team in the nation and fell under the spotlight. This year’s game isn’t as sexy and, nobody is picking Mizzou even with the 4th best offense in the country averaging over 500 yards/game. Nobody is picking the team with nothing to lose over the team that has everything to lose. Everyone is expecting a 60-point rout but do not sleep on Mizzou. All bias-ness aside, MU has the potential weapons and talent on both sides to weasel their way into a football game. Oklahoma has only won the last three games of the regular season once since 1980. Realistically, Missouri will need its fair share of luck tomorrow going against Bradford with the worst pass defense in the B12 and we didn’t even see the big-3 (Herrell, McCoy, Bradford). With that said, Bradford had trouble with Missouri last year and (unlike the past year) the spotlight is on him and everyone is expecting SAMUEL to perform like the Heisman candidate he is. Very, very similar to last year’s game just switched roles.

It's the official end of the Big 12 campaign after the conference, more specifically the South, saved the college football season. One way or another, it'll be a show with lots of offense and plenty of big plays. It'll be fun no matter what happens. With these two offenses, it has to be.


Mizzou will win if…

...Oklahoma’s linebacking crew struggles. In OU’s only loss of the season to Texas, the Longhorns picked the back-up linebackers apart after the first string was injured and it ultimately led to a Texas victory.
...They can keep Sam Bradford off of the football field. We all know what happens when he is on it, and I can’t see him playing much DB. Missouri needs to ruin his Heisman campaign to have a shot.
...They can convert on 3rd downs (both sides of ball). Missouri has been a wash with 3rd downs on offense and defense. OU was 12 of 18 on 3rd downs against OKST and was one of the reasons they scored 60+.
...They can, of course, spark something in the secondary. If they play as badly on defense as they did in the Kansas game.. Consider it over with fellas.

Oklahoma will win if…

...They don’t let their guard down. If they are looking forward to that Championship game against ‘Bama or Florida then they better get their heads straight before it’s too late or it will be Texas playing them.
...Chase becomes a running back instead of a quarterback. The games that Chase had a significant total of rushing yards were two of the three games that Mizzou has lost so far. He had a 103 yard performance vs. KU and we lost. As well as the 50 yard total against Oklahoma State. If you want to win, Chase, do your job. And that is to say hike and get it into the hands of our playmakers (Maclin, Coffman, etc).
...They simply take what the shaky Tiger defense gives you. The secondary has been in a comma all season. Get the ball and chuck it to wide open defenders and move the ball down field.


Prediction:

Missouri will play well, but not well enough. It'll be a continuous trade of big blow after big blow with the Tigers hanging around after three quarters, but Daniel will make a few key mistakes and Bradford won't. The Sooners will open it up late and Bradford will have his Heisman stats padded enough to answer Tim Tebow's big game earlier in the day against Alabama. Oklahoma is going to BACK UP the notion that they are the team to beat.

58-45, Oklahoma

Please tell me what you think in the comment section below. Thanks!

Justin Hulsey
StLDieHard24@gmail.com
www.thejaystick.blogspot.com

A Merger Between SLU and The Valley?

Ya know, the Saint Louis Billikens sure do seem to get an awful lot of attention considering the program. Respectfully, they are a mid-level Atlantic-10 team that has made a mere 6 NCAA Tournament appearances in their extensive history. Don’t get me wrong, having the spotlight on you when you cannot receive it through basketball is not necessarily a bad thing, and SLU has done a great job at doing just that. One of the reasons for that would have to be the firing of Brad “BS” Soderberg and the hiring of the great Rick Majerus at a time that no other teams were in the “you’re fired, your hired” phase just yet. With SLU doing this, Sports Center had no option but to say something about it.

Another reason for the attention might just be the continuous rumors of Saint Louis wanting to join the Missouri Valley Conference after becoming a member of the A10 just 3 years ago. Not only is SLU interested in joining the MVC… God himself, Rick Majerus, appears to be the mastermind behind the idea. Reports say that when Majerus agreed to coach SLU, he pushed the idea of joining the MVC as a precondition to taking the job.

This would not be Saint Louis’ first stent with the Missouri Valley Conference. After 37 years with the MVC, SLU departed in 1974. Since that date, Saint Louis has been a part of 7 different conferences including: Metro, Midwestern Cities, Midwestern Collegiate, Horizon, Great Midwest, C-USA, and the Atlantic-10. Saint Louis joined and later left those conferences with the intent of being part of more high-profile conferences. When SLU joined the A10 in 2005, it looked as if they had found the perfect match with what looked to be a very up-and-coming conference with mass-potential to be very solid. The Billikens entered the conference when both were peaking, but both have seemed to cycle down over the last few years. Although, I personally think that both are heading for an upswing soon. Especially with SLU absolutely dominating in the past recruiting year signing future stars that include: Brett Thompson (#25 C in nation, 8/10 star recruit), Kwamain Mitchell (#37 PG in nation, 8/10 star), and Brian Conklin (#47 PF, 8/10). *According to ESPN*. Not to mention the commitment of 3 different 8 star recruits so far this recruiting year. Is Rick Majerus the backbone of all the new recruiting? I think yes.

Honestly, though, I hardly blame SLU for wanting to get out of the A10. I’m not going to lie; the A10 referees suck something awful. Other than that is the fact that I live in the St. Louis area and, having all the channels, I still get to watch hardly any SLU games on TV. Let’s be straight up honest, the A10 has some issues... officials and TV packages leading the way. Unless the A10 is magically rejuvenated this year, my advice to SLU is to look somewhere else. I mean, why not? Heck, even the MVC Tournament is held in St. Louis, in SLU’s arena! Seeing that we are on the topic of geographics, how about someone look at a map of the states that have A10 schools in them that I have posted at the top of this post (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ten_Conference)? The nearest school is in Ohio! And while the MVC is not saying yes, they aren't exactly saying no to the idea. The MVC commish was quoted saying, “I can't imagine there is an institution that is a more perfect fit for our schools.” Of course, referring to Saint Louis.

While the MVC commish has put in his 2-cents, it appears that Saint Louis is going to keep all of this on the down-low for now. I’ll give them that because I know I would be pissed if the nearest possible city to play in, besides your own, was Dayton, OH. Do you guys have any idea how much money that is in expenses considering that SLU has 11 road games this ’08-’09 season? Where as, in the MVC, the FURTHEST city is Omaha, Nebraska.

In conclusion, the Saint Louis Billikens joining “The Valley” really does seem like a valid idea. I think it would be a great move if SLU intends on staying there for a little while. However SLU, if you are not ready for a long-term commitment, stay put, or go somewhere else. With recent success, The Valley has a pretty good image right now and I know that it would be in jeopardy if you are just going to pull a one-night-stand with them. It does get a bit annoying when Saint Louis is constantly moving from one conference to another aimlessly. Either way, I do think that the addition of SLU into the MVC family would somewhat spice things up a bit considering SLU already has rivalries with Bradley, Drake, and Southern Illinois. It would only heat up if SLU was to merge with The Valley. If the MVC was to add SLU, they would likely look into adding Butler as well to make it a 12-team conference, or possibly make Western Kentucky a full-time member.

Bottom line is that I totally LOVE the idea to be perfectly honest and hope that SLU would take advantage of the opportunity. Being in the MVC would mean stepping up competition-wise but do not be alarmed… Whichever way SLU decides to go, they really do have a bright future and are only getting better.


Please tell me what you think in the comment section below. Thanks!

Justin Hulsey
StLDieHard24@gmail.com
www.thejaystick.blogspot.com

Another Chapter to the Plaxico Burress Story

After a huge 21-14 victory for the New York – football – Giants, Plaxico Burress trots off the field happy. When talking to reporters he expresses that he is thrilled with his team’s big win, as well as his reunion with the team that drafted him 8th overall in the 2000 draft. The one thing that he did not do was apologize.

Tom Coughlin decided to bench Plax for the beginning of the Giants game on Sunday due to treatments the Burress skipped earlier in the week. The short version is that he was supposed to show up for treatments regarding his injured neck on Saturday morning. He never showed up, saying that his neck was fine and he didn’t see the treatments as necessary. New York’s Wide Receiver didn’t make a huge contribution while he was playing; only recording 15 yards in three receptions.

This seems to be an issue that the Giants, simply, cannot resolve. Their best offensive player is also their biggest heartache heading into Week 9. Burress has a total of 356 yards this year (59/game), 3 touchdowns, on 28 receptions. The part that New York is upset with is that he has zero remorse for the conflicts, and he continues to violate team and NFL rules. He just doesn’t care.

He has a track record of screwing up this year. He was suspended for 2 weeks earlier in the season for breaking even more rules and was fined a total of $45,000 by the NFL (criticized refs). Looking at the bigger picture, Plaxico Burress has been punished 5 different times in the past 4 weeks by either his team, or the NFL. Now, the Giants can live with the league hammering Burress for his comments about the refs. What they can't deal with is a star player who continually acts as if he can do anything he wants as long as he produces on the field.

With Plax continuing to think that he is above the law, his relationship with Tom Coughlin worsens and worsens. Burress says after the game that his job is to catch passes and that everybody will not always see eye-to-eye. He would later also state that it was a “simple miscommunication.”

It is obvious that Coach Coughlin and Plax do not get along. When asked about the situation after the game, Tom acted like the questions were not valid. On Sunday, after the game, Plaxico said that, “Coughlin doesn’t know me. I typically work with the WR’s Coach and the Offensive Coordinator and not Coach Coughlin. He doesn’t know how I do things,” and when asked about their relationship, Burress just says, “I would say it’s a working relationship.”

Though it's very easy to misread people when they talk around questions, that isn't the case in this situation. Burress has never been high on Coughlin's rules -- and there have been published reports that Burress has violated more of those than we'll ever know -- and this seems very much like a clash of wills. In fact, Burress has been making headlines off the field for months now, going all the way back to the offseason when he was lobbying for a new contract that he eventually received. My view on it? I think that Plaxico knows he can now do whatever he feels on doing because the Giants are stuck with him for another 5 years.

The thing that New York really needs to worry about is keeping this team together. Teammates such as Amani Toomer and Shaun O’Hara have publically said that they are sick of the whole Burress-situation. Sick of talking about him over the team’s success. A huge factor to last year’s Championship run was the team’s chemistry and it is obvious that the chemistry might be in jeopardy. Not only do they lose chemistry but if Plax is sitting on the sidelines, they lose a ton of big-play capability and young bucks (like Smith and Moss) are forced to step up and pick up slack. I would say that they are without-a-doubt the best team in the NFC but this whole thing leads to an enormous downfall. The question I ask you is... Can the Giants repeat as Super Bowl Champs while dealing with this mess?


Please tell me what you think in the comment section below.

Justin Hulsey
StLDieHard24@gmail.com
http://www.thejaystick.blogspot.com/

Ranking the Big-12 Quarterbacks

This is, officially, the year that the Big-12 passes the SEC in conference dominance. This could possibly be the best Big-12 class that has ever been put together, and it shows. All this due largely in part to the Big-12 Quarterbacks who have been simply astonishing. It is almost guaranteed that at least 3 of the Heisman finalists will be from the B-12 and will be QBs. The Quarterbacks are so good that a guy like Oklahoma State’s junior Zac Robinson, one of only three quarterbacks in the nation to rush for more than 800 yards and throw for more than 2,800 last season, can't get a sliver of national attention. When it comes to QB rating, the Big-12 owns 4 of the top 5 spots, 3 of 5 in passing yards, 3 in completion %, 4 in TD passes, and on and on and on. The Big-12 Quarterbacks are simply blowing away opponents and putting up some hefty numbers doing so.

The proven talent at this position goes way deep in the conference. Yet each of them has something to prove either as an individual or as the leader of a team for the rest of this college football season. For example, Mizzou’s Chase Daniel(no ‘s’) must beat Texas and win in the Big-12 Championship to have a shot at the National Championship, as well as the Heisman Trophy. If 2008 continues to fulfill its headline as The Year of the Quarterback in the Big 12, it will be because these 12 players have overcome the hurdles that await them.

With that said, I have brought it upon myself to rank the top-5 Big-12 QBs from best to “worst”.

Note: These rankings have NOTHING to do with NFL potential or readiness but to do with their ability in the NCAA and how they conduct themselves on the football field.


1. Colt McCoy
In 2006, McCoy surpassed all expectations for a redshirt freshman. He even set a then-NCAA first-year record with 29 touchdown passes. Last season, that number fell to 22, while his interceptions rose from seven to 18. Mack Brown took all responsibility of McCoy’s “decline” saying that they put too much on him, asking him to lead that team as a sophomore, and also pointed out the Colt was simply not ready to be that guy that everyone thought he was.

After a year of maturing and preparing to become the leader of his team, McCoy is pwning everybody. Halfway through the season, you would have to admit that Colt has the Heisman firmly in grasp. McCoy, like Matt Stafford of Georgia, can combine the benefit of two years' experience with an easier brand of leadership that comes with age.


2. Sam Bradford
Bradford led the nation in passing efficiency as a freshman with a rating of 176.5, which was a tie for the seventh-best single-season rating in history. He threw 36 touchdowns and only eight interceptions, and he completed 69.5 percent of his passes. I would say Bradford has more than proven that he has received his vaccine for a sophomore slump.

Bradford is 2nd in the nation in TD passes and leads in QB rating, the list goes on and on. Sure, his team lost to Texas this past week, (which was why I flip-flopped him and McCoy) but Bradford still threw for a mind-blowing 390 yards and 5 touchdowns. His only Achilles heal might be interceptions. He threw 2 against Texas and is on pace for 12 on the year which might be a little more than desired when you consider he really isn’t throwing that much.


3. Chase Daniel
The senior from Southlake, Texas, has played his entire career as if he has needed to prove something. He had to prove Texas wrong after they stopped recruiting him after his Junior year in high school. He had to prove that a man of his size (6-0, 225) could play big-time quarterback. He had to prove that Missouri should be taken seriously in the conference and on national stage. Daniel has done all of that. He has thrown for 10,235 yards, 78 touchdowns and only 27 interceptions (all Mizzou records). Last season, he was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and finished fourth in the Heisman vote.

Now, he needs to prove that he can rebound himself and his team from an embarrassing loss to Oklahoma State that should have never ever happened. Daniel threw the ball 52 times for 390 yards, 1 TD, and (oh my) 3 INTs. Some think that the OKST game draws a close to all Heisman hopes for Chase but I would have to disagree. With big wins over Texas, Kansas, and then the B-12 Championship, not only would Chase become the front-runner again but would also propel his team back toward #1.


4. Graham Herrell
Like his predecessors in Lubbock, Harrell has stats on steroids. In 2007, Harrell threw for 5,705 yards and 48 touchdowns, both of which led the nation. But, like Kliff Kingsbury, B.J. Symons, Sonny Cumbie and Cody Hodges before him, Harrell has garnered more stats than he has respect. Unfortunately, the skepticism will continue even while the Red Raiders challenge for the Big 12 South championship.

Most skeptics think the way they do because, yes, Texas Tech throws the ball like nobody out there. Herrell threw it 713 times last year and is on pace for 600 this year. He already has more attempts than most teams will gather all season. However, this year is different than last for Herrell. Herrell has only thrown 3 interceptions so far compared to last year’s 7 at this point in time. He finished with 14 last year and will be around 6 this year. That will grab many voters when they case their ballot. It takes an extremely good QB to only throw 6 interceptions on 600 pass attempts.


5. Todd Reesing
The Jayhawks went 12-1 last season in no small part because of Reesing. He is listed at 5-11, which must be in his platform cleats, yet Reesing threw for 3,486 yards, 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He also proved, as Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has said all along, that the spread offense doesn't need tall quarterbacks, only smart ones.

Todd is off to a very familiar start for himself in his Junior year, on pace for more pass yards but three fewer TDs. However, it is evident that the Jayhawks are not quite as good as their team last year but still has a respectable 16th ranking. He will have to show what he is made of with some ridiculous games left that include: #1 Texas, #4 Oklahoma, #7 Texas Tech, #11 Mizzou, as well as Nebraska. That means that Kansas only has two games left that they will be favored in and only one sure-thing win. Pretty stupid of me to say that though, as this season has been anything but sure-thing.


There you have it. There aren’t many (if any) conferences out there that can say their #5 QB is as good as Todd Reesing is, and there aren’t any that can say they have 5 QBs as superior that these men are.

Please tell me what you think at the comment section below.


Justin Hulsey
StLDieHard24@gmail.com

Changes Under Way for the Rams

Remember the Mike Martz years? The old saying is “you get a little good with the bad” right? Well that’s exactly what that era in Rams’ history was. You had the “Greatest Show on Turf” years when we dominated the league... but we also had times when you had to ask yourself what the hell is Mike doing? He is an offensive genius and I cannot deny him that.

Then came along Scott Linehan. A complete change from Martz, Linehan was calm, cool, and collective. After years with the Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins, Scott had finally landed his first head coaching gig EVER. Expectations where high and the fans were looking for the glory years once more. Trust me, I was one of them.

Well that was then and this is now. Now Scott Linehan is fired. Last week Monday, Chip Rosenbloom gave Linehan the (expected) boot. Scott Linehan took control of an 8-8 team in 2006, and was fired September 29, 2008, after the team started the season 0-4 following a 3-13 performance the previous season. Linehan’s combined Rams’ record halts at 11-25 in three years. He was 1-1 in the playoffs, playing both games in his first season in ’04.

His firing was inevitable following a 0-4 start in which the Rams’ were arguably the worst team in the NFL. Losses to the Eagles (38-3), the Giants (41-13), the Seahawks (37-13), and the Bills (31-14) brought the combined score to umm about 116-29... making us the team with the worst offense and defense in the NFL J. It was so bad that I was convinced that Mizzou could beat them. The Rams’ have lost 17 of their past 20 games (8 in a row), most of them being absolute blow outs. During the Week 4 game against the Bills, signs even read “Congress: Bail out the Rams!!!”

It was no doubt that the Rams’ wanted Scott out as well. Two days after Linehan benched team QB Marc Bulger, Bulger and RB Steven Jackson publically ripped Linehan. Jackson saying, “I just don't like it at all. There are more people that can take the blame for this. I don't think it's fair that one person takes the blame. You don't put your head guy, the general, the staple center, and you bench him with no excuse. It's not right,” and Bulger reportedly saying, “I can’t and won’t ever play for that man again.” So now, Scott, you have your two biggest stars tired of you, what else could go wrong…. except for being fired!

Since then, Bulger (Rams’ highest paid player ever) has regained his job and will be starting Week 6. Speaking of, the road ahead is not easy. The Rams play the 4-1 Washington Redskins this week, followed by the 4-1 Dallas Cowboys the week after.

Linehan needed to be fired but he is not the only one. The team can also blame recent drafts, as well, for the recent suckiness. This year’s past draft was the best I have seen in a long time for the Rams after drafting future stars Chris Long, Donnie Avery, Justin King, and Keenan Burton but before that the drafts were awful. Sure, in 2007 we got Adam Carriker who has turned out to be not half bad but we also drafted Brian Leonard? Jon Wade? Who is he? In 2006, (the punk who always gets us pentalized) Tye Hill? Joe Klopfenstein? Claude Wroten? Again in 2005, Alex Barron is not playing like a 1st rounder three years ago. The rest of that draft class you ask? There are no current starters besides Barron. These guys are supposed to be really good by now! What’s going on, front office?

Back to the Linehan being fired... Who took his spot? Good ole Jim Haslett. Our former Defensive Coordinator who allowed 116 points! Hooray! Now, don’t get me wrong... I kinda like the guy but that sentence just does not sound right, “Defensive Coordinator who allowed 116 points!” I am just saying, some have a legitimate excuse to think he is the wrong man for the job. Believe it or not, Rosenbloom actually insists that Jimmy is, in fact, not the Interim coach but the full time, all out coach of the Rams. With Haslett taking the reins, former assistant coach and LB coach Rick Venturi will now take the Defensive Coordinating job.

In a recent St. Louis Post Dispatch interview with Haslett, they discuss a variety of things Haslett is going to change off the field to create more discipline that really impressed me. Take a look:

You’ve already made some interesting decisions. You wanted the bushes trimmed around the practice field, and you wanted some boxes and stuff cleared out of the lobby. Why?

“[…] The main lobby is not a holding center for boxes and stuff. If you are a guest and you walk in, the main lobby is the first thing you see. You don’t have stuff thrown all over your living room – boxes and garbage thrown around. And when the players walk onto the field, the bushes are about 10 feet high – they’re overgrown and there are weeds. That doesn’t mean you’re going to win or lose games, but I think it’s the appearance that, hey, this is a nice organization […].”

Also, you’ve taken the benches out of the indoor practice facility. Why?

“We are not sitting on benches. We’re not sitting on helmets. This is not the Greatest Show on Turf anymore where guys could just sit around and get up and practice. We’re not that type of team anymore. […] I don’t want guys sitting on helmets. I don’t want guys sitting on the railings. Sitting on bags. Sitting on the benches. You’re only out here for two hours. Concentrate on what you’ve got to do, and I don’t think we need to sit down.”

What is your general football philosophy? How do you go about the business of winning games?

“First of all, you’ve got to have good players. You’ve got to have the right type of players. I like guys that are tough, hard-nosed guys. That like playing the game. I don’t think you draft guys now unless they love the play the game. The money should not be an issue. On the field, I think field position’s big in the National Football League. You have to play well enough on defense. You’ve got to know what you have on offense. You’ve got to know what kind of players you have. Can you score a lot of points? Are you a grind-it-out football team? There’s more than one way to skin a cat. […].”

You can see the rest of this interview at www.stltoday.com.

For me, that is the best attitude the guy could have. He thinks outside of the box and knows what needs to be done off the field as well as on it in order to win football games. The dude knows what he is doing and has been in this situation before. In 2000, Haslett was hired in New Orleans to try and rejuvenate a 3-13 team the year before. Not only did he improve the team, he led them to a 10-6 record, their first ever playoff win, and a ton of accolades for himself including the AP Coach of the Year.

Who knows how this will all play out. Haslett has the swagger and the right mindset to turn the talent we have into some victories. We may be worse than before, or we just might decide to stop jacking around and get something done with this season before it’s too late.


Justin Hulsey
StLDieHard24@gmail.com

Writing Positions

We are always looking for help here at FANdemonium Sports! We currently have three writers, but are interested in getting a fourth.

It would be nothing too, too serious. There would be no definite pay but profit sharing is possible if you hang around. We would just be asking for at least an article per week regarding general sports (unless you specialize in a certain sport)... look at the previous posts for examples.

This is a great opportunity to get your stuff out there for 30-80 of different people per day. It looks great on resumes, and is just a fun thing to do with your free time - writing about sports that is.

If you ask any of the other two writers that put their content on this site, I am sure they would tell you that I am pretty laid back as to what you write. If I need something about a certain topic, I may send you an email... but about 90% of the time I just expect a weekly article. Basically, you can write about whatever you want as long as it is about something in the world of sports. I view it as a hobby, not a job... therefore, I would not treat you as an employee but as a friend that also likes sports.

Thanks. I appreciate your time, and look forward to hearing from you.

The FS Team

Including myself, we have three writers here at FS... but we are always open to discussing a job with anyone.

Justin Hulsey
Founder / General Sports Writer
StLDieHard24@gmail.com
Justin is a 16 year old living in a small town about 40 miles away from St. Louis, MO. His life and passion is sports. Not only a few sports, but sports in general. He is set to attend Missouri University for Sports Journalism (after two years at ECC) after his high school tenure is through. Once he is out of college, he looks forward to getting his career started with newspapers on his way to the ultimate dream of working in Bristol. His favorite teams are the St. Louis Cardinals, Rams, and Blues, the Chicago Bulls, Mizzou Tigers, SLU Billikens, and the Texas Longhorns.
Started FS in October of 2008.

Cory Guinn
General Sports Writer
cryguinn@yahoo.com
Cory is a 19 year old college student at North Greenville University where he is majoring in Print Media. He writes for the school newspaper covering sports and hopes to one day own his own sports magazine with his top goal of being part of the ESPN crew. He has been an avid sports fan for all of his life and wouldn't want it any differently. He is a serious fan of the Duke Blue Devils, Texas Longhorns, Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, Atlanta Braves, and Dallas Cowboys.
Writer Since: January 2009

Joseph Kelley
General Sports Writer- specializes in MLB

opethguitarist@gmail.com
Joseph Kelley graduated from the University of Houston in December 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and is currently hanging out in Spring, Texas. Joseph's expertise lies in the MLB and fantasy baseball, but he follows everything outside of hockey. He has participated in fantasy sports since 2004. He is in charge of the FBJ Writer's League and runs many custom leagues. He writers for two other sites as well... MLB Center and Fantasy Baseball Journal.
Writer Since: April 2009


You can contact any of these guys by emailing the address listed below their name. However, for issues regarding writing positions, advertising, or any other important matter.. contact Justin, FS webmaster, at StLDieHard24@gmail.com.

Thanks, and make sure you leave a review... located at the bottom of the home page.

About FS

Well if you click on this link, then you are apparently somewhat interested in what FANdemoniumsports.blogspot.com is all about. Whether it be who we are here at FS or if you just want to know what the point of all this nonsense we write is, I am typing this up to let you know. I will try to cover how all this began, how it has gone, and how it is going. If you want to know anything else, feel free to contact me.

The site started in October of 2008 and has been chugging ever since. When it all began, the site was named "The Jay-Stick", but after wanting a more sports-sounding title I decided to make the switch to the current name, FANdemonium Sports (FS).

As I am sure you already know, the word "fandemonium" came from the word pandemonium which is often used in the sports world; meaning chaos, havoc, hell, uproar, medlam. The word originated in the book Paradise Lost; it was the capital of hell. I changed it to FANdemonium, and it only makes sense. As the blog indicates, the articles are for the FANS, by the FANS.

It all began with blogging on FanNation for a while until I wanted to take my stuff to the next level. I was familiar with Blogger and, therefore, decided I would start this blog. I did not know how long I was going to stick with it or how many people were going to check it out. I wasn't sure if I was going to get 40 views a month, or - our current average - 40 per day. With luck and persistant writing, it is choice B that has been working so far.

At the current moment, we are getting anywhere from 30-80 views per day. When I started this up, I had no idea what to expect. I knew that there would not be a ton of hits at first, but I have been pleasantly surprised thus far.

Other than myself, there are two other writers. Cory Guinn has been writing for FANdemonium Sports since February, and I couldn't have asked more from him. I wanted roughly one article per week and I get one every week, no exceptions. It is good quality material that I love associating with my site.

Lucas Cipkowski is our other writer here at FS. He specializes in the NBA, but can cover whatever needed when it comes down to it. He has been writing for us for about a month. Hopefully he will hang around for as long as possible.

Forget them guys though... In a nutshell, I am just a 16 year old that is crazy about sports. Am I an expert? I don't know... but I would like to think I know a thing or two. For that reason, I decided to throw together a spot to gather my work. Looking at things as a whole, I want FANdemonium Sports to be known as a place where you can find grade-A articles covering the world of sports. So far, I think we have accomplished just that.

Advertising

You need a place to advertise your site? We can do it here at FANdemonium Sports! I will accept a link exchange 100% percent of the time so send me an email. Contact me at StLDieHard24@gmail.com for more info.


Sites that we current have sponsership agreements with include:

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Get MO Nation.

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SportsBlogs

The Hater Nation

The Waiver Wire

Through the Mind of a Sports Maniac



If you want to see your name on that list, you NEED to get ahold of me so we can work something out!