NBA All-Stars: Who Got Snubbed?

The votes are in and the NBA All-Star reserves have been announced. Both the East and West rosters are set and all that is left is to play the game itself. I want to first begin by introducing the starters and reserves for each conference then go more in-depth with players unfairly left off the All-Star rosters.

-Eastern Conference-

Starters:

Guards- Dwayne Wade, Allen Iverson

Forwards- Lebron James, Kevin Garnett

Center- Dwight Howard

Reserves:

Guards- Joe Johnson, Devin Harris, Jameer Nelson

Forwards- Paul Pierce, Danny Granger, Rashard Lewis

Center- Chris Bosh

-Western Conference-

Starters:

Guards- Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul

Forwards- Amare Stoudemire, Tim Duncan

Center- Yao Ming

Reserves:

Guards- Chauncey Billups, Tony Parker, Brandon Roy
Forwards- Dirk Nowitzki, David West, Pau Gasol
Center- Shaquille O' Neal

When I saw the list of reserves for this year's All-Star game, I was pleasantly surprised to see that all the players deserving of a spot on the roster got one. All but one or two that is.

I have a problem with the fact that Shaquille O' Neal made it on the team as a reserve for the West instead of Al Jefferson. Jefferson (22.7 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 1.6 bpg) has far better numbers than O' Neal (18.2 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.6 ppg) and is a far better player and athlete at this point in each man's career. The only reason that The Big Aristotle is a reserve is because the Suns are on a bigger national stage than the lowly Timberwolves. That being said, I do not believe that Jefferson should be punished for being on a terrible team with a poor television market. Jefferson deserves the spot over Shaq and I believe the coaches made a huge mistake.

Another minor problem that I see is in the out West once again. New Orleans Hornets forward David West made the All-Star squad for a second year in a row this year. Now I know that over the past few seasons he has made a huge impact in turning his team around but there is one player that has better numbers and is the best player on his own team, Kevin Durant. The Oklahoma City Thunder turn to Durant every night to provide offense and leadership, something that West does not have to focus on doing night in and night out. Durant (24.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.7 apg) has better overall number that West (20 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and is a more consistent performer. Some will argue that Durant will get to be at All-Star weekend in the Rookie-Sophomore game but that is far below where he deserves to be. KD is an All-Star and just like Jefferson above, he suffers from a small market on the national level.

Make no mistake, the teams were picked better than most years, but to not have Durant and Jefferson in there is a joke.

Cory Guinn

cryguinn@yahoo.com

www.thejaystick.blogspot.com General Sports Writer

Teams to Watch Out for in the Tournament

64 teams get into the most well-known tournament ever, but most are pretenders. They may have got in because they won their weak division, or hit a hot streak when it came down to the conference tournament. Half of the teams in the tournament would get smoked by good teams that got stuck with the NIT. That is the system though, and it seems like most people are happy with it.

There are teams every year like Weber State, Vermont, or Cornell that don't stand a chance. There are teams like North Carolina, UCONN, and Duke that are the heavy favorites to reach the title game. But then there are teams that shock the world, and rise from the depths of the College Basketball universe. Last year it was Davidson, Western Kentucky, and Villanova that went way further than they were supposed to. Let's take a look at some teams that I think could be this year's March Madness sleeper.


I am going to try to steer clear from teams that everyone knows has the potential to get to the Final Four. If the bracket was out already, these would be teams in the 7+ seed range. My "projected seeds" are based on if the selection committee was to meet tonight and are simply my opinion on where the team would be placed.




#24 Florida Gators, 17-3 (projected 8 seed)
The Gators used to be a college basketball powerhouse, but now are stuck in "rebuilding". They have surprised a ton of people already. With big wins against Washington and Vandy, the Gators are the front-runner for the SEC Championship and more. This whole season was supposed to ride on Nick Calathes shoulders. He has done a great job; averaging 18 and 7. Let's be real though, Billy Donovan is the leader, the nucleus. Sure, he doesn't average any points, but he is one of the best coaches in the Nation and refuses to lose.



#23 Washington Huskies, 15-4 (projected 9 seed)
The season started rough, to say the very least. The Huskies started out with a loss to Portland for the first game of the season. After that, they fell to a couple of ranked opponents by a combined 28 points. They quickly turned things around after a 2-3 start with huge wins against Oklahoma State, Stanford, Oregon State, USC, and (most recently) #13 UCLA. The years of rebuilding are officially over. The Huskies and Coach Lorenzo finally have a talented team that can contend seriously in the Pac 10.



Missouri Tigers, 17-3 (projected 8 seed)
I know what you're thinking... Of course he is going to put his team on here. Well think again, because the Tigers are for real. I would know, I watch every single game and comb through everything they do. They are very, very, very good. Despite the extremely tough conference with teams like Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Baylor, etc, they will be right at the top of the list come season's end. The have the perfect mix of experience and youth, with players like Lyons, Carroll, Tiller, English, Denmon, MP3, and everyone else. We have one of the (or the) toughest home court to play at in the country. We have not lost a game in our house in a long, long time... Don't expect us to.



#22 St. Mary's Gaels, 18-1 (projected 10 seed)
This is like the Utah and Boise State of College Basketball. They are tearing up the teams they play, but they aren't much to speak of. They remind me of a team called Davidson of last year. I don't want to jump to anything but these guys have something about them. We will see just how good they are when they square off against Gonzaga twice in the next month. Here is a nice way to put it in perspective. Kobe Bryant said, "He is just too quick and too flashy to guard." You know you have something going for you when one of the best players in the world says that about you. Patrick Mills torched the Americans in the Olympics for 20 points. Back for his sophomore year, Mills will once again lead the Gaels into the NCAA Tournament averaging about the same amount of points he dropped on Kobe.



#24 Minnesota Golden Gophers, 17-3 (projected 7 seed)
The Tubby Smith hype seemed a little overblown heading into last season, but the first year coach at Minnesota turned the Golden Gophers into a 20 win team in one season. What did you expect to happen after another offseason? The talent level has increased, the losing mentality is just about completely gone and Coach Smith has a roster that can make a run deep into NCAA tourney. They will be tested, and we will find out exactly what they are capable of as the Golden Gophers host Illinois at home, but then two road games against Michigan State and Ohio State.



Davidson Wildcats, 16-3 (projected 9 seed)
What better way to finish off this list than with the team that defines this list? Last year, the Wildcats advanced to the Elite Eight in the t-ment on the back of sophomore Stephen Curry. Well, this year Curry is a junior and even better. They proved that they can compete with anyone in the Nation when they gave Oklahoma fits in November. Davidson is going to make a run at yet another perfect conference record, and will probably get it. The only thing stopping Davidson from doing things similar to last year, is Curry and his quest to become more NBA-ready. This whole season he has been focused on proving to recruiters that he can be a good point in the next level. I have seen time and time again players get TOO focused on that and cannot take care of what is at hand.




Sure, I do not have every single team that could make a run on here. If you disagree, or maybe I did not list your team that is on the outside looking in... Post your comment below so I can take a look at what you all think.



There may not even be a sleeper team this year. But if there is, I would be surprised if it was a team outside of this list.





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

No Need To Worry, St. Louis

I am ready for baseball. It is just that simple. Both basketball and football have been awesome, but when you live in or near St. Louis, you just have a natural passion for baseball. That’s just how it goes. It’s unavoidable, inevitable.

I am an avid sports fan and I love ALL sports. However, baseball is different. I closely follow the entire MLB, but I have a serious relationship with the St. Louis Cardinals. There’s no doubt that the Cards are my favorite team in all of sport. The way I see it, the Cardinal fanbase is an illustrious group. The best in all of baseball.

Cardinal fans will pack the new Busch no matter how the team is doing. Over the past few years, even the World Series year, we have had some really tough stretches. I’d be willing to bet that it was still standing-room-only. For those of you that have had the privledge of being able to attend a Cardinals’ game, you understand what I am talking about. It doesn’t matter the quality of play that the Cardinals are playing at, we still have the best fans in the MLB.
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This offseason has seemed very, very, very pointless for the Cards. At some times… Wait no, all times… it has been boring. St. Louis has signed a whole slew of great baseball players. My boy, Royce Ring, has recently been acquired. He torched the baseball world with an 8.46 ERA with the Atlanta Braves. Let’s give him a little credit though… He only played 22 innings all year and those stats are (hopefully) higher than they would be if he hung around all season. To think that an MLB pitcher would allow, on average, a point/inning, is hard to believe. But, hey, crazier things have happened.

We have locked in on a few other players. Khalil Greene leads the pack and he used to be great. He logged in a 27 HR, 98 RBI season the year before last. Not to mention, 36 year old reliever Trevor Miller. He is a career 4.45 ERA middle reliever, which is not that bad considering he's a reliever. We did resign Wellemeyer, Thompson, and Duncan, both on one-year deals. So no problem right? Ehh, I’m not sure.

There are some good things to look at. We still have, basically, the same team that won 86 games last year. 86 games, in some divisions, would have landed us a spot in the playoffs.

The Cubbies and the Brew Crew really haven’t done a whole lot either. Chicago actually lost their top prospect, Pie. It seems like all three NL Central contenders are kind of idling right now but I’m not convince that it will stay that way.

When you look at it, we really don’t have that bad of a team. Some people act like we are the Washington Nationals here with nothing to look forward to. Not true.

Pitching is going to be our biggest concern. There is talk of the Cards pursuing Randy Wolf, which would be a great move. What we have now though is looking like: Carpenter, Wainwright, Lohse, Wellemeyer, and Peneiro. Carpenter played great last year in the three starts that he did have, and they say that he will be 110% come the start of the season. Wainwright was injured part of 2008, but still recorded a solid 11-3 record. Lohse led STL in most major pitching categories with a 15-6 record and a 3.75 ERA. Wellemeyer was hot and cold with a 13-9 record but had a 3.71 ERA as well. I am anxious to see what Peneiro will do this coming year. He had a great 2007, but followed up with a very rocky ’08… So we will see.

The bullpen could be anywhere from the worst, to the best. Every team’s ‘pen looks that way before the season just because relievers are rarely consistent. The closer spot for us has yet to be filled. It could be another year of situational closing. I would go ahead put Chris Perez in there and give him the job he will have for plenty of years to come. But some people say Carp should be our 9th inning man. I do not like that change. Why take one of our best arms, put him in the closer role, and have the prodigy closer-to-be throw in the middle innings? Oh, Ryan Franklin you ask? NO. I don’t want to go through all that again.

Behind the plate, we have an all-star. Yadier Molina is in his prime. Not only is he the best defensive catcher in the MLB, his batting average as improved from .216 to .304 in the matter of two years. Remember the game when he threw the runner out falling down face-forward? Yeah, I know you do.

At first base, what is there to say? We have the best player in the MLB if you ask me. Two-time MVP award winner, Albert Pujols. I predict his best season so far and another MVP.

In the middle infield, we are really throwing the chips in. Adam Kennedy looks like the starter at second-base and he says that he is ready to contend against anyone who wants to compete with him at the position. Our new shortstop, Khalil Greene, used to be really good but has been on a slight decline lately. He put in a 27 & 98 season two years ago but had a terrible season in 2008 with a .213 average. He is a decent defensive player and is super fast, and often uses his hair as a cape..

Troy Glaus should keep his spot at third that he received last season. I almost screamed when I got a text today stating that he needs shoulder surgery, but thankfully he should be okay come April. Some people complain about his average, but I hate to tell you that it isn’t getting any better than the .270 he had last year. Everyone should be EXTREMELY happy with what he did last year. Not only did he defend the hot corner, he gave us his best offensive season since he was considered one of the heavy weights in the MLB.

The outfield is led by centerfield slugger Rick Ankiel, a man with a lot of potential in Skip Schumaker, and Mr. Ryan Ludwick. Rick just needs to do his thing, provide a huge bat, and gun down some more players. Schumaker busted through as a first-year starter and is now expected to do that. Ludwick guarantees that he will pop 50 homers this season and says him and Pujols will go 1-2 in MVP voting. What he needs to do is pull a Pujols-Rolen-Edmonds, and ask Ankiel if he feels like going 1-2-3 in voting.
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If I am the one that you are talking to, I will say that the Cardinals are going to be fine. On the other hand, to be a true contender, we need to get pitching help. The way things are looking right now, I am predicting a neck and neck finish with us and the Cubs come September. Milwaukee is good but I think they will be what we were last year.

I have four words for you Mr. DeWitt and Mr. “Mo”, I want some Wolf. You do that, and hello Cubbies.

Justin Hulsey

StLDieHard24@gmail.com

http://www.thejaystick.blogspot.com/

NFL Rookies Under Review

Every April the National Football League, better known to most as the NFL, hosts a draft where each team selects a few select players from the college ranks to join their professional team. Most teams have areas of concern that they feel can be fixed through getting the top talent through the draft. As I sat around on my couch after thinking about this past season I began to realize how many rookies made an immediate impact. The following players, some drafted sooner than others, show signs of having promising careers in the NFL.

-Quarterback Matt Ryan, 3rd overall pick, Atlanta Falcons

Ryan was brought in to revitalize an offense that was torn apart after former quarterback Michael Vick was arrested in the off season. The NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year played mistake free football while leading the Falcons into the playoffs with a 11-5 record. Ryan completed 61.1 percent of his passes while throwing for 3,440yards and 16 touchdowns.

-Linebacker Jerod Mayo, 10th overall pick, New England Patriots

The Patriots had an aging defense that was in need of a major youth movement. They drafted Mayo out of Tennessee to give them youth and energy. He made 128 tackles on the season in helping the New England defense return to dominating form. Mayo was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year after his strong season.

-Quarterback Joe Flacco, 18th overall pick, Baltimore Ravens

When Baltimore drafted Flacco they were hoping for him to be their quarterback of the future. Flacco, a little known quarterback from Division II Delaware, showed why the Ravens used a first round pick to draft him throwing for 2, 971 yards and 14 touchdowns while compiling 11-5 record and leading the team within one win of the Super Bowl.

-Running back Chris Johnson, 24th overall pick, Tennessee Titans

Johnson was the biggest surprise pick of last year's NFL Draft. The Titans have used him as their primary running back and it has paid off big. The first year Pro Bowler compiled 1, 488 totals yards and scored 10 total touchdowns for the team with the best record in the NFL this year at 13-3.

-Safety Kenny Phillips, 31st overall pick, New York Giants

Phillips was brought into New York to give the defense a big hitter in the secondary. He has made 67 tackles and one interception while helping the Giants’ defense prove deserving of last year’s Super Bowl ring and helping them return to playoffs once again.

-Wide receiver Eddie Royal, 42nd overall pick, Denver Broncos

The Broncos needed help on offense this season and got it in big way when they drafted Royal in the second round. He caught 91 passes for 980 yards and five touchdowns.

-Running back Matt Forte, 44th overall pick, Chicago Bears

Forte was drafted in the second round to give the Bears a much needed running game. Chicago got more than they expected when they plugged him into the starting running back role. While the Bears have struggled, none of the problems should be attributed to Forte who lead the team in rushing and receiving amassing 1,715 total yards and 12 touchdowns.

-Running back Steve Slaton, 89th overall pick, Houston Texans

Having played in a high-powered offense in college, Slaton had big expectations in the NFL. Most teams looked past him in the early rounds because of his size but the Texans needed a running game to stabilize their weak offense. He proved to be the most valuable part of the Houston offense while accumulating 1,679 total yards and 10 touchdowns.

If these few players continue to work hard and play up to their potential we should all expect to see them around for a long time in the National Football League.

We always love your thoughts and comments here at The Jay-Stick. It is so simple, no subsciption is required.

Cory Guinn

cryguinn@yahoo.com

http://www.thejaystick.blogspot.com/ General Sports Writer

Midseason Honors

We’re about halfway through the season, and soon the fun will begin. As we approach the final stretch, let’s think as if we are already there. If the season ended today, what would the awards look like? One of my favorite things to do as a sports fan is awarding players, often well before the actual titles are handed out.

Note: These awards have nothing to do with pro-potential and all that mumbo-jumbo. Simply this year’s performance and the impact/value that the player brings to his team.


ALL-AMERICAN 1ST TEAM

G- Stephen Curry, Davidson
The most explosive player in the country just continues to do his thing. Unarguably the best junior in the Nation. Curry leads everyone in points/game, he is 5th in steals/game, 5th in assists/game, and he is making 38% of his threes. I could go on and on with stats but we all know that this guy should be on this list, no questions. He has had some off days when teams get smart and put (usually) two long-armed defenders on him to disrupt his shot, but then he will come out and light up the court again that next game. However, even when he does have an off night, you can still bet on him dropping 30. He is a scoring machine anywhere on the floor.

G- James Harden, Arizona State
This guy, as well as his team, has kind of gone under the radar all season. Before researching for this post, I didn’t even know a ton about him. That surprises me though. He is the leader of the #15 team in the Nation. Averaging 22 PPG, along with six rebounds, and four assists, the best thing about this guy is he is so young. Whether he will be back next year or not I do not know, but this sophomore is dominating the Pac 10. He shoots with a better percentage than Curry does – 54% FG and 42% from beyond the arc. Considering he has a ton of room to improve, he is one of the best that I have seen at the “and 1”. He has it down to a science, and when he goes to the line he knocks it down. He is used to being double or triple teamed and it just shows his maturity, unselfishness, and poise.

F- Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
Say hello to the accolades, Mr. Griffin. This guy is just a ridiculous athlete, and will soon hear his name announced as the #1 player picked in the upcoming draft. He is a big, strong guy that dominates the post with his points and rebounds. He should get the rebound title this year, averaging 14/game. His 6’10” 250 lb frame lets him do whatever he wants in the paint. There is nothing wrong with this guy… Perfect low-post size, great hands, very athletic for a near- 7-footer, scrappy kind of player, battles on every play, he is able to get on it and run the floor, good enough ball handling to dribble on fast-break, still a good passer (3 assists per), is there anything else you need???

F- Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
Even though “Physco T” was out the first couple games, and got off to a slow start, he has still done plenty to get on this list. Heck, he would make my All-Decade team. He is the heart and soul of the best college basketball team, possibly, we have seen in a while. He is the most intense (borderline insane) player that I have ever witnessed play in the collegiate level. He is a big-time scorer, a big-time rebounder, in a big-time conference. He is the perfect example on why players should hang around in college instead of leaving after their freshman, sophomore, or junior seasons. Due to him staying at Chapel Hill for the full four years, his game is more polished and he is a more mature player than the good majority of the Country. He is very experienced and comes through in the clutch better than most, which can also have to do with hanging around. North Carolina has had one of the toughest schedules of all the #25 teams, but still Hansbrough puts in 23 & 8 every night.

C- Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut
Thabeet is arguably the best pure center in the NCAA and has undoubtedly the coolest name. Thabeet is averaging a double-double and is an anchor in the third ranked Huskies squad. Thabeet better be looking over his shoulder because Arizona State’s Jordan Hill is gaining on him at the center position. He is improving constantly and still has plenty of room to grow. He does exactly what any team would ask of somebody like Hasheem. He clogs up the paint, takes care of the boards, and drills the hook shot. Teams do not go into the paint when playing UCONN because of this dude. If you drive, it is inevitable, he will block you. He averages 13 points/game, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, and makes his shot at a 67% rate. Last year’s Roy Hibbert is the closest that I can compare him to… but Thabeet is much better.

2ND TEAM

G- Darren Collison
G- Ty Lawson
F- Luke Harangody
F- Sam Young
C- Jordan Hill


PLAYER OF THE YEAR

F- Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
Say hello to the accolades, Mr. Griffin. This guy is just a ridiculous athlete, and will soon hear his name announced as the #1 player picked in the upcoming draft. He is a big, strong guy that dominates the post with his points and rebounds. He should get the rebound title this year, averaging 14/game. His 6’10” 250 lb frame lets him do whatever he wants in the paint. There is nothing wrong with this guy… Perfect low-post size, great hands, very athletic for a near- 7-footer, scrappy kind of player, battles on every play, he is able to get on it and run the floor, good enough ball handling to dribble on fast-break, still a good passer (3 assists per), is there anything else you need???

Honorable Mention:
G- Steph Curry, Davidson


FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

C- Greg Monroe, Georgetown
Considering the way he has played, what he offers to Georgetown, it is no stretch to call Monroe the best freshman in the Nation thus far. Greg has stepped up and contributed consistently for the Hoyas since day one, filling the Hibbert void. He has established himself as arguably the most important piece to the #12 Hoyas’ puzzle, and erasing any doubts that people had of him coming out of high school. In the game against UCONN, he owned the game that I put on the All-American team in Monroe’s position. On both ends of the floor, he showed everyone that he has the versatility, skill-set, and feel for the game better than most college vets. I have him as the #3 big-man in the NCAA, behind Thabeet and Hill.

Honorable Mention:
G- Willie Warren, Oklahoma


MAJOR CONFERENCE WINNERS

ACC- North Carolina Tar Heels
Big 12- Oklahoma Sooners
Big East- Pittsburgh Panthers
Big Ten- Minnesota Golden Gophers
Pac 10- Arizona State Sun Devils
SEC- Florida Gators


FINAL FOUR PREDICTION

I will leave the rest for you, but here will be the final four teams remaining. I hate to just pick the favorites so do not hate me if I go on a limb on some or all of these four.

Midwest- Clemson Tigers
West- North Carolina Tar Heels
East- Syracuse Orange
South- Wake Forest



If you wouldn’t mind, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. All you have to do is write a comment and submit. There is no subscribing to anything. Just write one or two sentences and click.

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

Carroll Embarrasses Himself

On one of the biggest days of young Mark Sanchez’s life, classless Pete Carroll decided to voice his opinion. The man who coached Sanchez to four Rose Bowl wins (Mark sat the bench during the 2006 National Championship), 2008 First Team All-Pac10 honors, 2008 First Team All-American honorable mention honors, and a bright NFL future, really put a dent in a day that should have been one of Sanchez’s finest.

Before yesterday, I really looked up to Pete Carroll. I thought he was on a certain pedestal when compared to other coaches. It would be hard to argue that he isn’t the best coach in the college game today. He is USC’s coach, the most decorated team in NCAA history. They have a hard time losing, and year in and year out they have a title-contending team. By all means, do not get me wrong, I think Carroll is one of the best college coaches to grab the clipboard. But as a man, things are different.

The dude gets what he wants, when he wants it. Out of all of the college coaches the currently hold the job, he has a higher winning percentage than all of them. I cannot imagine the percentage of players he lands after recruiting them. I know if I was Mr. Superstar football player, USC would be right at the top of my list for where I wanted to go to school. For those reasons, you usually see Pete Carroll jumping up and down with a huge smile on his face like a little school girl. Life is good for Pete. However, yesterday, we saw him whining like a little school girl.

What he did was low, and he embarrassed himself.

It doesn’t happen often, but when Carroll has a bad day, apparently you know it. His star Quarterback left for the NFL before his senior season and he did not like that one bit. Like I said before, he acted like a girl in his press conference following Sanchez’s announcement. As Carroll sat only five feet away from Sanchez, he decided to completely rain on what should have been a joyous day for Mark.

What proved to be a very awkward press conference concluded with Carroll treating his former QB like some kind of traitor. "We don't see this decision the same," Carroll said. "Mark's going against the grain on this decision and he knows that. He knows coming out early is a tremendous challenge for a quarterback and the statistics don't back up that it will be easy the way he's going about it. I am disappointed in that the information that we have wasn't compelling enough to make it clear to him," Carroll said. "Our view of it is, and as you guys will see as you dig into this a little bit more, you'll see that these early entry quarterbacks are less than 50-50 successful."

After his statements, Carroll wanted nothing to do with Sanchez. He got up and walked out, not supporting Sanchez what-so-ever like he did with numerous of players prior. He treated Sanchez as if he was statistics, instead of a person. Like he was numbers, instead of an excellent Quarterback.

“Congratulations, son. You deserve this. You’ve earned your chance. You are ready for the next level. You made my life as a coach a tad bit easier, and I can’t wait to see you excel in the big leagues. Good job.” Carroll could have said a number of things to that effect. For Christ sake, congratulate the dude. HE brought YOU your Rose Bowl this year. I don’t care if you mean it, but the least you could do was say good job. Yet, it almost sounds like he doesn’t want Sanchez to do well in the NFL. He went as far as to post a big ole article about why Sanchez is making a bad decision, like he hopes to prove Sanchez wrong.

That press conference was live, in front of tons of people. Can you think of what the conversation is like between the two behind closed doors??

It was understandable for Carroll to say whatever it took to get Sanchez to come back to school. Whatever he said to Taylor Mays amazingly kept him on campus for another year. But once Sanchez made his decision to go pro, Carroll should have respected his decision and saved his "50-50 failure" talk for another underclassman down the road. The fact that he couldn't resist taking one last public shot at Sanchez's decision before leaving the press conference early says a lot about the kind of man Carroll is when things don't go his way. Luckily for him, those moments are few and far between.

Unlike your former coach, Mark Sanchez, I will be rooting for you. Well wait, I will be unless the 49ers take you at #9. Have fun in San Fran or anywhere else you land. I wouldn’t mind one bit seeing you play for my Rams at some point, and I wouldn’t go on a rant if you left.



Please let me hear your thoughts via the comment section below. It is very simple and does not require any kind of blogger.com subscription so feel free.

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

BCS Bowl Preview

Well, Happy New Year! The New Year means different things for some people. For some, it means a new start. Some people have New Year’s resolutions that last until April. In the sports world, it means that Conference games start soon in College Hoops. As well as, the start of the NFL Playoffs. MLB teams start to sign big-name players and set their teams for the start of Spring Training in a couple months. More importantly, however, is the beginning of the BCS Bowl season. Tonight marks the very start of the only bowls that count. I know this is meant for a different article but, do we really need 34 flipping bowls? I mean, come on, the San Diego County Credit Union Bowl? That is for another time though.

I was thinking of something to write about today on my day off and what better than running through the BCS Bowls? As the Rose Bowl starts as I speak, I will run through the BCS matchups while giving you constant updates.


First, as they sing the National Anthem, the Rose Bowl:

#5 USC vs. #8 Penn State. We finally have a great matchup for the Grand Daddy of them all. There are many times were the winner of the Pac10 or Big10 are playing in the BCS National Championship, but this year both teams will meet in the Rose Bowl.

Make no mistake about it, besides the Championship game; this might easily be the best matchup of all the bowls. Both teams are very similar. While having on-and-off offenses, both teams’ defenses are unbelievable. Both teams rank in the top-15 in all major defensive statistical categories.

You know Joe Pa is looking at the Oregon State game and what they did to get USC into the 4th quarter. Penn State will try to spread things out and throw the ball. Penn State must avoid the linebacking crew, however. Those three will destroy you if you let them.

As I am watching the game right now, USC is already showing that they will be firing down field all game. That being the only breaking point in the Penn State D... the pass defense. USC will lull you to sleep with running it to the outside, and then Sanchez will gun it downfield.

IF Penn State is with USC in the 4th quarter, I think that they will have a shot with an arguably better offense.

Jay’s Prediction: USC- 23, Penn State- 17


USC strikes first, 7-0. Now let’s look at the Orange Bowl:

#12 Cincinnati vs. #19 Virginia Tech. In another battle of Conference Champs, the Big East will take on the ACC. While those Conferences may not be the best all-around in the BCS, both of these teams have had impressive victories and deserve their spot here.

This will be a very interesting matchup in what is, honestly, not the most hyped-up BCS bowl this season. The high-powered Bearcats’ offense (led by Junior QB Tony Pike), will take on the stout Hokies’ defense. One has to give and I, personally, will be excited to see which one does.

The Hokies will have to get some serious production from Tyrod Taylor if they expect to keep up with Cincinnati. Turnovers have been a big problem for the Bearcats. VT will also have to force some interceptions, fumbles, etc. to hang around. With Tech only averaging 175 passing yards per game, they will have to find a way to move the ball.

Cincinnati simply has to do exactly what they have done throughout the season. Move the ball and score. If they can consistently move the ball, they will not have a problem with the Hokies’ shaky offense. Just take it to them and it will be all good. Let’s not forget to mention the Bearcat defense. The D-Line is what has done it for the Cats this season. They have led the Big East in sacks all season long.

Jay’s Prediction: Cincinnati- 24, Virginia Tech- 13

USC in control and driving, 17-7. How about some Sugar?

#4 Alabama vs. #6 Utah. The Crimson Tide will take on an undefeated Utah Utes team that dominated the MWC this year. They will be doing it without, arguably, their best player. An offensive lineman, Andre Smith was suspended for violating the team’s weight-control rule.

The guy will likely be the #2 pick in the NFL Draft, so this makes a huge impact on the game. John Parker Wilson will be forced to get rid of the ball quickly and make smarter, more accurate throws.

Smith will not affect Alabama’s MO, their defense. The Tide has dominated on that side of the ball all year, ranking in the top-6 in both total defense and total scoring defense. This matchup is very similar to the Florida game. The Utes have an extremely similar offensive attack to the Gators, led by star Quarterback Brian Johnson (2700 yards, 24 TDs).

To win, Utah will have to shun all doubters and defeat ‘Bama’s defense. Not to mention, shut down star WR Julio Jones, and put pressure on Wilson.

Alabama just has to keep their cool and don’t let the “heavy favorite” title hurt them. Utah is coming to play, so do not let a Boise State-upset occur. They need to contain Johnson while on defense and make smart plays on the other end. Hand the ball off, and then launch it to one of my favorites… Julio Jones.

Andre Smith won’t completely derail Alabama’s train.

Jay’s Prediction: Alabama- 30, Utah- 21


At the half, it is ALL USC, 31-7. Now a peek at the Fiesta Bowl.

#3 Texas vs. #10 Ohio State. For the 5th time in the past eight seasons, the Buckeyes are going to be hanging around Glendale, Arizona.

The last time that Ohio State was in Glendale, they got shackled 41-14 in the National Championship against the Florida Gators two years ago. It wasn’t the last time that the Bucks were embarrassed. In the only big games that Ohio State played this year, they were smacked around. The USC game looked like it was over before it began, and Penn State looked like the ’85 Bears.

Ohio State will be out to prove their self in another big game. The Ohio State/Texas matchup has always seemed to be a good one and, hopefully, Ohio State will look for some redemption. I am anxious to see how they respond to being the underdog.

The Buckeyes will need to score early and often in order to stay around. Nobody honestly expects the Buckeyes to win this game so why not open up the playbook and look to score, score, score.

They need to score a ton to win this game, but do not be fooled… Scoring 45 points does not necessarily mean you will win against this Texas team. The ‘Horns have a stellar offense anchored by Heisman-runner up Colt McCoy. Does anyone remember the last time a Longhorn was runner up for the Heisman? Do you remember what he did in his respective bowl game? Yeah.

Ohio State is going to be focused on Colt McCoy, and why not? Colt shattered the Comp % record with his 79% completion percentage to beat Daunte Culpepper (if my memory serves me right). The QB is amazing, we all know that… Texas needs to use some play action plays. The Buckeyes are going to be so focused on McCoy, they will get so confused when you throw some play action at them. Plays of that nature are used to get the defense sold on the run when, actually, the QB has it. Ohio State may be anticipating that too much and it, in a way, counteracts itself.

Ohio State will play great, they will play amazing in fact… but a few late turnovers doom the Buckeyes and Texas will sneak out of it with a W.

Jay’s Prediction: Texas- 31, Ohio State- 27


As USC continues to dominate the Nittany Lions, 38-17, here comes my outlook on the BCS National Championship.

#1 Oklahoma vs. #2 Florida. Every single year there are people whining about the BCS and I have expressed my thoughts on that, but this is the system they choose to use and this is the Championship. End of story. So let’s sit down and enjoy the game, because it will be a good one.

The College Football world hasn’t seen as much hype and buildup media-wise since 2005 when, my man, Vince Young squared off against Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. You can only hope that this year’s game is anywhere close to the ’05 game.

Although Oklahoma is the #1 team in the nation according to rankings, history and the numbers show Florida as the favorite. First let’s look at the Heisman. Sam Bradford won it and numbers show that the Heisman winner, in most cases, do not win their bowl game. Heisman trophy winners are 2-6 in their respective bowl games since 2000, including 1-5 in the National Championship game.

We can talk about the Heisman “curse” all we want, and some people say it is irrelevant all considering, but check out Bob Stoops. Oklahoma’s head coach straight up struggles when it comes to winning BCS Bowl games. Since taking over in 2000, Stoops is 4-4 in bowl games. More importantly, he is 2-4 in BCS Bowl games and 1-2 in the National Championship.

The Sooners are statistically the underdog but if they are going to win, they need to keep to Sooner-football this season and what they did to win. Let’s be honest, there isn’t a decent defense in the entire B12 Conference. Bobby, I’m not going to tell you to not worry about defense… but do not think you are going to have a good defensive game because you won’t. This is going to be a showdown. A very high-scoring affair. Just do what you did to my Mizzou, Oklahoma State, etc, etc, etc and run up that scoreboard like no other. Just let Bradford do his thing. Your star RB is out but maybe it isn’t a bad thing.

Florida, obvious, MUST MUST MUST MUST MUST stop one of the best offenses in NCAA history (if not the best). They need to buckle down on defense and get to work. You have watched the tape, prepared, done whatever you need to do; you know what needs to be done to win. All you got to do now is execute. On the other end, don’t you worry… Oklahoma is going to score. Hopefully not 60+ like usual, but they will score, and you will have to match that.

Wow, it is going to be a good one. Oklahoma is just going to do their thing. Florida will put up a fight, but won’t keep up.

Jay’s Prediction: Oklahoma- 42 (nope, not 62), Florida- 35


Oh, what perfect timing. USC denies a Penn State comeback and continues Trojan tradition, 38-24.


Let me hear your thoughts in the comment section below. Please feel free to fill the board up, I appreciate them all.

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