Death Penalty Pt. 2- Penn State

I believe that Penn State Football deserves to receive the death penalty from the NCAA. I never thought I would favor the use of that penalty ever. It is a punishment that pretty would pretty much cripple any program for decades, if not permanently. I couldn't imagine anything happening within a program that would justify that penalty again. However, what happened at Penn State goes beyond the parameters of my imagination regarding a College Football Program.

The abuse that happened at Penn State is beyond anything that the NCAA should have to deal with and really has the capabilities to deal with. It isn't paying players. It's not recruiting violations. It's not lying to the NCAA about some silly little rules violation. This was NCAA institution believing that it's Football program was more important than the suffering of children. There was no perspective given. Penn State football and Joe Paterno and the whole damn brand were too important to allow for one minor stain and prompted this horrible cover-up.

Penn State did manage to avoid the minor stain, but is now the brand is completely tarnished.

Had officials at Penn State come forth once they had knowledge of Sandusky's actions it wouldn't have been much of a story. Yes, there would've been a fuss made about, but it would eventually blow over without affecting that athletic department to badly. As horrible as it sounds, anyone could make the mistake of employing a pedophile; they don't come with signs over there heads. However, it takes some insulated, egotistical and really just pathetic people to protect one.

Penn State didn't lack institutional control. In fact, it is hard to really put a traditional NCAA definition on what transpired there. Football was allowed to become too big. A Football coach was allowed to be too powerful. Administrators were desperate to protect the brand of the football program. And all the while children were being hurt.

The NCAA really can't issue any penalties in this case besides the Death Penalty. None of the usual penalties given by the NCAA fit the crime at all. This isn't a case where a program broke some NCAA rules; where a program was trying to gain an advantage and the NCAA punishes them by taking away scholarships or bowl bans to hurt recruiting. This is a case where a program not only became bigger than the educational institution, but became big enough to become the dominating force of the University and the area.

I think giving Penn State the Death Penalty is not only the proper punishment, but would make it clear the athletic programs should not be so powerful and important. College athletics are particularly prone to idol-worship and the danger of that has been made clear by the Sandusky case and all the fallout that has followed. Perspective is missing and it needs to be regained. The environment that was and still is in Happy Valley isn't unique and I think it's time for top-level college athletics to get a reality check.

Thanks for reading

-Michael.

My Most Dramatic Games- Misses

So, I definitely left some great games out of my Top Ten. It is always difficult to draw that line between in and out. So here is a shortlist of games that I left out:

Brazil vs. United States, 2011 Woman's World Cup
N.C. State @ Ohio State, NCAA Football, September, 2003.
Michigan @ Ohio State, NCAA Football, November 2006
Ohio State @ Michigan, NCAA Football, November 2005
Superbowl XXXIV
Superbowl XLII
St. John's vs. Ohio State, NCAA Basketball Tournament, March 1999
Ohio State @ Purdue, NCAA Football, November 2002
Wisconsin @ Ohio State, NCAA Basketball, March 2007
France vs. Italy, 2006 World Cup Final
Ohio State @ Wisconsin, NCAA Football, October 2008

Top Ten Most Dramatic Games- Part Two (1-5)

5.) Liverpool vs AC Milan, 2005 UEFA Champions League Final, May 25th, 2012: My favorite European side is Liverpool. Being an American with no cheering interest via lineage led me to make this decision mostly because that's where the Beatles are from. It looked pretty hopeless being down 3-0 at the half, but soccer is a funny game sometimes. Liverpool came out of locker room on fire and 2 brilliant goals and a rebound from a penalty had Liverpool equal to AC Milan before the game reached 60 minutes. Liverpools keeper Dudek and the defenders played heroically through the remainder of the game and extra time. The game was to be decided on Penalties, which is the cruelest way to decide a game. It is stressful to watch even without having a strong rooting interest, but when a club you support is involved it's nearly unbearable. Dudek made some great saves in the shootout and Liverpool won the Champions League on penalties 3-2.




4.) Tennessee vs. Ohio State, Sweet Sixteen 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament, March 22nd, 2007: Ohio State trailed by as many as 20 points in this game and the deficit at halftime was 17. It really looked like what seemed like a team that was going to do great things was going to get knocked out far too early. However, the gap slowly closed and Ohio State took the lead with just over 8 minutes to play in the game. It was a back and forth, stress-inducing battle for the rest of the game. The game winning play was quite unusual for basketball. Mike Conley made his first free throw to put The Buckeyes up 85-84, but missed his second with 6 seconds remaining. Tennessee brought the ball up the court quickly and were poised to attempt a lay up to win at the buzzer. Greg Oden had other things in mind though as the center had hustled back down the court and blocked the potential game winning shot as time expired.




3.) Illinois @ Ohio State, NCAA Basketball, March 6th, 2005: This was one of those games that everyone had looked at months ahead of time as being a phenomenal match-up. Illinois was looking to become he first Men's College Basketball team to go undefeated since 1976. Ohio State, on the other hand, had self-imposed a post-season ban on its talented team. That made this game, on Senior Day against the number one and undefeated Illinois Fighting Illini the biggest of the season for the Buckeyes. Illinois kept Ohio State at an arm's length throughout much of the game, leading by 11 at the half. Ohio State had closed the gap to two points in the final minute. Ohio State decided to go for the win on its final possession and Matt Sylvester (I told you he'd come up again) shot up a three and drained it with 6 seconds remaining putting Ohio State up 65-64. The final six seconds were a bit choppy, but Illinois didn't manage a good look and Ohio State had a marque victory. After several down seasons, this put Ohio State basketball back on the map and began the Thad Matta era.




2.) Arizona State vs. Ohio State, 1997 Rose Bowl, January 1st, 1997: This game along with Ohio State's loss to Michigan before it are the first two football games of which I have any clear memories. However, one must remember I was only seven at the time, so my understanding certainly wasn't what it is today. Jake "The Snake" Plummer scrambled late in the forth quarter to put the Sun Devils up 17-14. I was devastated. I started crying (I have long since stopped crying over sport's results*.) However, Joe Germaine and the Buckeye's taught me a lesson that day: to not lose faith in your team. The Buckeyes drove down the field with a lot of help from Pass Interference penalties. That drive was capped off with Germain completing a pass to David Boston for a 5-yard touchdown. Arizona State block the PAT, which left the game at 20-17 Ohio State with 19 seconds remaining. Arizona State wasn't able to make anything of their final desperate possession and the Buckeyes hoisted the Rose Bowl trophy, which was so much cooler looking back then.




1.) Ohio State vs. Miami, 2002 BCS National Championship Game/2003 Fiesta Bowl, January 3rd, 2003: This was it. Ohio State finally had a chance to play for the National Title. 1999-2001 had been disappointing seasons by Ohio State standards. Not much was expected of the 2002 Ohio State team. However, they pretty much muddled their way to a perfect season to face the vaunted Miami Hurricanes. I felt pretty confident about Ohio State going into this game even though they were the decided underdogs. It was tight throughout with Ohio State's defense playing very well and the Ohio State offense largely being led by, surprisingly, Craig Krenzel's running ability. The game ended in regulation tied 17-17 and headed to Overtime. Miami got the ball first and scored a Touchdown. Ohio State was down to a 4th and 14 before Krenzel hit Jenkins to get the first down, which led to the big controversy. On another 4th down, Miami was called for defensive pass interference. I will maintain that an infraction was committed for as long as I am able to. The joy I felt when I saw that yellow flag flicker across the edges of the screen was as great as any I've ever felt. The Buckeyes punched in a TD and another to start the 2nd Overtime before Ohio State's defense held Miami on a 4th and Goal to win the National Title.




Thanks for reading and tomorrow I'll briefly talk about some games that were left off the list.

-Michael
*For the most part

My Ten Most Dramatic Games- Part One (6-10)

I should start out by saying this list is 100% personal. I'm not trying to tell you what the 10 most dramatic games of all time are. This is about the 10 games I have witnessed as a fan that I found most dramatic. This means that there is a clear bias towards the teams I cheer for. This also is only going to be "Happy" Dramatic moments. That is to say the team I wanted to win won. This is likely to become a series of posts and the sad times may be documented later.

10.) Queens Park Rangers @ Manchester City, English Premier League, May 13th, 2012: In terms of soccer drama, it is hard to get better than this; at least when you aren't really a supporter of either team. This game had implications on the top of the table as well as the relegation zone on the last Sunday of the season. With nine other games going on simultaneous to this one and the results of two of the other game having a direct impact on how the table will end up in regards to these two teams, it was very dramatic. The results from the other games changed the attitudes of the supporters of both clubs, which added to the fantastic nature of this game. It really looked like Manchester City were going to suffer another heart break, but two stoppage time goals gave them the title in the must unbelievable of fashions.


9.) Wisconsin @ Ohio State, NCAA Football, October 29th, 2011: This is the only regular season Ohio State football game that will make the list. There have been many great ones, but I think this one was the most emotionally turbulent one for me. I felt like Ohio State had the game pretty well in hand when the Buckeyes took the lead 26-14 with just 4:39 left in the game. However, the Ohio State defense that had played so well had a meltdown in the final 5:00 and two quick Wisconsin scores later it was 29-26 to the Badgers with 1:18. I had basically conceded defeat at that point. The ineffective nature of the Buckeyes' passing game made me think even field goal range was unlikely. However, Ohio State managed to score on a late deep pass as Wisconsin broke down in coverage as Braxton Miller scrambled. Ohio State won 33-29. This was the highlight in what was otherwise a very disappointing season last year and given the way that team struggled it made this victory all the better.



8.) LSU @ Ohio State, NCAA Basketball, December 31st, 2005: This is the only one on the list that I actually attended. A New Year's Eve match-up between two surprising team early in the 2005/2006 college basketball season. It was looking pretty hopeless for the Buckeyes'. LSU was absolutely dominating the paint and Tyrus Thomas was seeming blocking every shot Ohio State put up. Things began to turn when LSU's Point Guard commuted an intentional foul with about 5 minutes left and the Tigers up 15. The Buckeye's were down 10 with about two and a half minutes to play. However, LSU had scored what would end up being their last basket with around 3:30 to go and the Buckeye's made a frantic run ending with a Matt Sylvester (more on him later in the countdaow) to put the Buckeyes up 78-76 with 12 seconds left to play and that would be the final score.




7.) Texas vs. USC, 2005 BCS Championship Game/2006 Rose Bowl, January 4th, 2006: This was a heavy-weight match-up, between the two giants of that College Football season. It was a game that saw Texas have a strong first half, but USC came roaring back in the second half. The Trojans were up 38-26 deep in the forth quarter, but a scoring drive led by Texas QB Vince Young narrowed the gap to five points. USC took a gamble on 4th and 1 with around two minutes left to go expecting to get a first down against a Texas defense that had struggled against the run. Texas made the stop and that led to the dramatic Touchdown scramble by Young into the corner of the Endzone to give the Longhorns their victory 41-38.




6.) Algeria vs. The United States, 2010 World Cup, June 23rd, 2010: This was a crucial game for the United States Men's National Team. A win guaranteed advancement in to the knock-out stages of the World Cup and first place in their group (which is an exceedingly rare thing for the USMNT.) An early goal by Clint Dempsey was disallowed an a phantom offside call, which brought to mind the terrible blown call that disallowed an American goal by Maurice Edu in the previous game against Slovenia. Algeria was playing a terribly negative. They packed it in, fouled to make the game choopy and despite there being a possibility for them advance seemed quite content to just spoil the U.S. World Cup hopes. It was a bit overwhelming as a U.S. fan as the game approached the 90th; one felt that his or her team had been fucked by the referees and the universe and how unfair it would be to knocked out like this. However, in stoppage time after an Algeria cross and header, GK Tim Howard threw a quick, but deep outlet pass to Landon Donovan and the break was on. A few passes and a Goalie deflection later, Donovan drove the ball into the back of the net to get the United States a place in the Round of 16 with the 1-nil victory.



Thanks for reading and part two with the top 5 will be out tomorrow

-Michael

Perilous Game

Today, tragic news broke about the death of retired All-Pro Linebacker Junior Seau. He likely committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest. That particular method of suicide has become a bit of trend for former NFL players as it seems to be a way to preserve the brain for research. Most notably, former Bears Safety, Dave Duerson, shot himself in the chest telling his family beforehand to donate his brain for research.

It has become quite evident that the brain injuries suffered by professional football players are creating major mental health issues for former players and very early onset for neurological problems. There's also the problems that come along with the game even without head injuries. The physical toll of football is immense. Chronic, crippling pain, and disability are the reality for a lot of retired NFL players and that must take a terrible toll on one's mind.

Along with brain damage, often there is another stress that goes along with the end of a career in professional sports. Retirement age for a NFL player is probably going to happen when a man is in his 30's. To make it in the NFL, you have to be an elite talent, an elite athlete. It is what that person does for the majority of their life up to the point where they can no longer do it. They work to become a professional football player for years and then have to work to stay at that top level for years.

An NFL player, who is good enough to make the field (and therefore suffer injuries) is  put on a pedestal throughout his career. They are revered by fans. They are on T.V. and their play or contract or haircut is the subject of debates on sports talk radio. In the fall, tens of thousands of people come to cheer him on or root against him every Sunday

Then a player retires. He instantly stops being that guy. People now talk about him in the past tense and he is no older than 40. A player works since his teenage years, if not before, to become a professional and before the age of 40 he has reached his pinnacle with so much life left. One is forced to live with the feeling that he has already served his primary purpose in life. Even if he doesn't have to worry about finances, that is still a terrible strain on the mind; to feel like you've done your job and are just waiting to die.

We continue to learn about how unsafe the game of football actually is. It is such a fantastic that it is hard to advocate that it should be banned. However, the risks are too great for one to advocate it continuing in its current form.

The NFL and NFLPA need to work together to ensure a future of football. Former players need easy, affordable and anonymous access to mental and physical healthcare as well as a guarantee of their financial security given the tremendous sacrifice an NFL player must make. The NFL can change the rules all they like, but that isn't going to stop the danger in the game. Safety gear needs to innovated to protect the after-football life of current and future players.

A story like the death of Seau, makes me wonder whether or not football is worth it. Not every former player lives in misery after their career, but it seems as though a disproportional amount suffer from pain, mental illness, and neurological problems, which is fatal combonation in too many cases. There just has to be a better way to do this though. There is no way to justify continuing this spectator sport, if it is causing such problems for its participants. There needs to be a change in the mentality of football and an improvement in the technology of football, because we can't continue to have a game that is killing its players.

Thanks for reading

-Michael

Season Preview: Columbus Crew

The Crew's success in 2011 was surprising. The expectations were low given Warzycha's implosion of the team following the 2010 seaswon. The team peaked reaching the top of the Eastern Conference in mid-August, but after an embarrassment in Seattle the team limped through September, only earning one point in that month, and only managed to make the playoffs as a wild card. After the 1-0 defeat in Colorado, it was a disappointing end to a season that looked promising during the summer.

The issue the Crew had last season was a severe lack of attacking prowess. The struggles were particularly evident early in the season, but while they improved later on the attack was far from potent. Double-digit goal scorer Andres Mendoza didn't have his option picked up by the Crew this nor did MLS and Columbus Crew all-time scoring leader, Jeff Cunningham. These losses are not particularly painful as Mendoza may be the worst player ever to score more than 10 goals and Cunningham was unproductive in his return to the team last season.

The attack has had two big additions this off-season. Milovan Mirosevic and Olman Vargas were brought in from Chile and Costa Rica (respectively) on non-DP contracts. Mirosevic may add the vision and skill going forward from the central midfield that the Crew lacked so desperately last season. Vargas could be a Strike partner for the returning Emilio Renteria who had an injury plagued season in 2011. There could also be more additions to the strike force before the start of the season or even during. The club would like to add a DP striker but hasn't been able to snag one preseason and will likely try again during the Summer Transfer Window.

The defense was strong prior to the late-season meltdown. There was a lack of depth at Center Back, which was most painfully exposed by Julius James' absence against Seattle. Depth has been added with the addition of Carlos Mendes. The new area of concern is Left Back. Shaun Francis is the clear starter with the loss of Josh Gardner in the Expansion draft to Montreal. He doesn't really have a back up though. It looks as though Warzycha is going to address this with an "unnamed target".


Scheduling

The Crew along with the other teams in the Eastern Conference got a boost this offseason with the change to the MLS schedule format with the addition of Montreal. In 2011, teams played 34 games with each team playing each team in the League at home and away. In 2012, MLS is moving to a 'conference-based' schedule. A team in the Eastern conference will play seven of the other teams in the conference 3 times and the remaining two twice as well as playing the nine teams from the western conference once.

The Eastern Conference was undoubtedly the weaker of the conferences in 2011 and looks to be the same in 2012. Avoiding a game with L.A. or Seattle and replacing it with one against Toronto or Chicago helps a team's chances at acquiring points significantly. It also means that the point totals from the Eastern conference are going to be bloated making the Supporter's Shield less significant.


Starting 11

I think it is likely that the Crew will go with a 4-4-2 or a variation of it for this season. Warzycha has shown himself to an aggressive manager, but he isn't entirely immune to the 4-5-1 bug, but I think two strikers is the best way to go. Here's my predicted starting 11:

GK: Hesmer
D: Miranda, James, Marshall, Francis
M: Gaven, O'Rourke, Mirosevic, Duka*
F: Vargas*, Renteria

*Position not secure

The two biggest exits of the offseason were Emmanuel Expo and Robbie Rogers. They were every game starters in the midfield last season. Expo never really adapted well to playing in the central midfield and Mirosevic will be an improvement in that slot. Filling Rogers' spot down the left wing is a little more tricky, which is what makes Duka not secure in that spot.

Dilly Duka seems to be the guy next in line and seems ready for a breakout year. However, the wing may not be the best place for him. He is also a right footed player and that always has the danger of making the field narrow going down the left side. His best competition for that spot would definitely be Bernardo Anor. He is left footed and showed a lot of promise when Robbie Rogers was away for the Gold Cup last season. He is also pretty good with set pieces, which is something that the Crew need with the loss of Josh Gardner.

Up front Vargas is likely the starter right now. Heinemann has a chance at the spot, but it seems that the team are going to add another striker to pair with Renteria.



Prediction

The point total will be inflated compared to 2011, but I think 2012 won't be much of an improvement in end result. The Eastern Conference was very muddled last season, so a finish could be anywhere between 2nd and 6th for the Crew depending on how things go this season. Ideally the Crew would be able to avoid the Wild Card round by finishing in the top three. I'm fairly confident the Crew will be playing the post season.

Thanks for reading and please comment

-Michael

National Champtionship Prediction

I think the National Championship game this year stands in stark contrast with the turn college football* seems to have complete this year. These are two teams with outstanding defenses that are the highlight of their teams. They both actually have pretty damn good offenses as well, but they're defenses carry the day. Defense has really come to be a bit of a relic as the smart people who come up with offensive schemes have realized just how handicapped the defense is by the rules.

When Alabama and LSU met in the regular season, it was a game dominated by defenses and mistakes**. It was pretty clear that both defenses were well ahead of their offensive counterparts. I do think Alabama played a better game than LSU and would've won by a relatively large margin with an average Field Goal Kicker.

When looking at the game tomorrow there is one major variance from the last time. Jarrett Lee is no long in the picture for LSU. Sixty minutes of Jordan Jefferson at QB will be an improvement for the LSU offense.

However, even with LSU's improvement at QB is likely to be outweighed by the long layoff. A month between games causes rust and rust generally favors the defenses. I think Alabama's defense is better than the LSU defense. I also think Alabama's running game is stronger, which is less effected by the layoff.

I think the game will be similar to their first meeting. I don't see a lot of scoring or even an average amount of scoring. It'll be a game of field position and ball control. I think Alabama did both of those things better in the first game, but missed field goals did them in. That problem hasn't been remedied, but I think Saban will do a good job of working around it. I expect Alabama to punt at the edge of Field Goal range and trust their defense. Also, I expect Alabama has prepared for having to attempt quite a few fourth down conversion.

I think Alabama is going to win the National Championship game. I don't think the 'home-field' advantage is going to be nearly as strong as it has been for LSU in New Orleans in the past. Alabama will score touchdowns in what will otherwise be a battle of fields goals due to necessity and that will win the game.

Alabama 14
LSU 13

-Michael

*The NFL is in much the same boat.
**Normal people seem to call it boring, but I'm not normal

Bowl Predictions: Pre- National Championship

So the rest of my predictions are as follows (I'll actually probably write something about the National Championsh):

Ticket City Bowl: Houston vs. Penn State
Winner: Penn State

Capital One Bowl: Nebraska vs. South Carolina
Winner: South Carolina

Outback Bowl: Michigan State vs. Georgia
Winner: Georgia

Gator Bowl: Ohio State vs. Florida
Winner: Florida

Rose Bowl: Oregon vs. Wisconsin
Winner: Oregon

Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Stanford
Winner: Oklahoma State

Sugar Bowl: Michigan vs. Virginia Tech
Winner: Michigan

Orange Bowl: West Virginia vs. Clemson
Winner: West Virginia

Cotton Bowl: Arkansas vs. Kansas State
Winner: Arkansas

BBVA Compass Bowl: SMU vs. Pitt
Winner: Pitt

GoDaddy.com Bowl: Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois
Winner: Northern Illinois

Bowl Predictions: Pre-New Year's Day

The next round of picks:

Independence Bowl: Missouri vs. North Carolina
Winne: Missouri

Little Caesars Bowl: Purdue vs. Western Michigan
Winner: Purdue

Belk Bowl: North Carolina State vs. Louisville
Winner: North Carolina State

Military Bowl: Toledo vs. Air Force
Winner: Toledo

Holiday Bowl: Cal vs. Texas
Winner: Texas

Champs Sports Bowl: Florida St vs. Notre Dame
Winner Florida: State

Alamo Bowl: Baylor vs. Washington
Winner: Baylor

Armed Forces Bowl: BYU vs. Tulsa
Winner: Tulsa

Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers vs. Iowa State
Winner: Rutgers

Music City Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest
Winner: Mississippi State

Insight Bowl: Iowa vs. Oklahoma
Winner: Oklahoma

Meineke Car Care Bowl: Texas A&M vs.Northwestern
Winner: Texas A&M

Sun Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Utah
Winner: Georgia Tech

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Illinois vs. UCLA
Winner: Illinois

Liberty Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt
Winner: Vanderbilt

Chick-fil-A Bowl: Auburn vs. Virginia
Winner: Auburn

Bowl Predictions Pre-Christmas Bowls

Last year I rather disastrously picked against the spread. Also, there was the fact that I ended up someplace where I couldn't blog to post predictions for a lot of games. So this year I hope to alleviate both those things. I'm not picking against the spread. It's more challenging, but it also is friggin impossible*. I'll also make sure to have all my prediction posts written and scheduled to go up in case a similar incident happens**. So, here are my picks for the pre-Christmas bowls:

New Mexico Bowl: Temple vs. Wyoming
Winner: Temple

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Ohio vs. Utah State
Winner: Utah State

New Orleans Bowl: San Diego State vs. UL Lafayette
Winner: San Diego State

Beef O' Brady's Bowl: Florida International vs. Marshall
Winner: Marshall

Poinsettia Bowl: TCU vs. Louisiana Tech
Winner: TCU

Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State vs. Arizona State
Winner: Boise State

Hawaii Bowl: Southern Miss vs. Nevada
Winner: Southern Miss

-Michael

*It's also the reason I have to hide from my bookie
**I don't expect it to

BCS Rambles

I'm not one who is terribly opposed to the LSU vs. Alabama rematch. It's impossible for anyone to know for certain whether Alabama is better that Oklahoma State or Stanford. I personally think they are. The resume is probably actually better for Oklahoma State, but the so-called 'eye test' makes me think Alabama is better.

I don't really have that much sympathy for Oklahoma State. Yes, it is unfortunate that this system isn't going to give the opportunity to disprove my theory about them vs. Alabama. However, they had an opportunity, in this system, to derive us of the usual controversy. All they had to do was beat Iowa State* and none of this would be an issue.

What I will concede to the Oklahoma State case is they were punished for losing later than Alabama. It's really simple with the way the polls work: lose early. Oklahoma State lost after Alabama, which allowed reactionary pollsters to jump them ahead of the Cowboys and that just doesn't change. I don't know exactly how to describe that dichotomy. Once a team is at a place in the polls they just don't get jumped unless they lose regardless of outside factors. It's using the rankings to justify the rankings; it has little to do with on the field performance or 'body of work'.

I'm definitely in favor of a playoff system. I have come to the conclusion that it is unlikely to be created anytime soon. I don't know why the powers-at-be are so opposed to its creation, but they are. I believe that it will take one of the smaller schools (i.e. Boise St.) finally making it into that game and possibly winning for there to be any movement towards change. I believe once the big conferences see their big financial pie being cut into by the smaller ones they'll want a change.

If the BCS is going to be used to determine who is going to be the National Champion for the foreseeable future, I'd like for it's influence on the Rose, Fiesta, Sugar and Orange bowl removed. Those bowls' committees ought to be able to determine the teams they want to play without having to follow the BCS rules. I think the match-ups this year would be improved. Here's how what I think would be the differences.

BCS

Rose: Oregon vs. Wisconsin

Fiesta: Oklahoma State vs. Stanford

Sugar: Virginia Tech vs. Michigan

Orange: Clemson vs. West Virginia

Without BCS

Rose: Same

Fiesta: Same

Sugar: Arkansas vs. Michigan

Orange: Kansas State vs. Clemson


As it is I'm not particularly excited about watching the Sugar or Orange bowl, but I would be if those were the match-ups. I know it would hurt the Boise State's and Utah's of the world, but if they were really deserving of a bid they would get an invite to a big game without the BCS mandate. It also means the Big East won't be reward for mediocrity and a highly ranked team that is third in its conference is forced aside.

I think it is pretty clear that the system to decide the champion in college football's Division 1 "FBS" is broken. I actually think the decision to change the names for the two subdivisions of Division 1 from 1-a and 1-aa to FBS and FCS is pretty funny. It basically the NCAA saying Division 1 with a legitimate champion and Division with who the fuck knows. I really have no understanding why there hasn't been a playoff instituted in what was Division 1-a. It would be such a huge money maker; just look at how huge the contract for the Basketball tournament is. On top of that the bowl system could still exist as the NIT and CIT still can exist in Basketball. The Bowls may be a big money generator in themselves, but I think a playoff would make that figure seem tiny if they gave it a chance.

I do think that there will be an evolution to the heavily suggested Plus-1 model eventually. I welcome that change. It's not what I think is a perfect playoff would look like, but it's a start. More importantly, once they start with four teams, I guarantee that it will expand. Things like that just can't help themselves. Playoffs get bigger; just look at NCAA Basketball Tournament or what the MLB did this offseason. It would expand to eight teams, then twelve and down the line to sixteen.

People who are opposed to a playoff system often will say that a playoff doesn't get rid of controversy. That a playoff will have a controversy about 16 vs. 17 and such. That's true, but a playoff would push that where it's non-consequential for the National Championship. Look at the Basketball Tournament. There's controversy about bubble teams that Sunday night, but by noon on Thursday no one gives a damn anymore.

I don't think the scenario that we saw with the BCS this season is all that unusual. It was unique, but it seems to be just a variation on the discussion that goes on after most seasons. Teams get excluded from a chance at the Crystal Ball unfairly. The unfairness of the system is a problem that predates the BCS, but it is made very clear by the nature of the BCS.

My final thought on this issue as it pertains to this year is that LSU should win the A.P. National Championship unless they are absolutely embarrassed by Alabama in the National Championship game. I think Alabama has a very good chance at winning the game, but LSU did what they needed to do in the regular season and beat Alabama away from home. They don't deserve to be punished by this rematch. Also a split National Championship is a nice jab at the flawed nature of the BCS.

Thanks for reading and please comment

-Michael

Browns' Monday- Predictions Edition

Here is how I think the Browns will do this season

vs. Cincinnati W
@ Indianapolis L
vs. Miami W
vs. Tennessee W
@Oakland W
vs. Seattle W
@ San Francisco L
@ Houston L
vs. St. Louis L
vs. Jacksonville W
@ Cincinnati W
vs. Baltimore L
@Pittsburgh L
@ Arizona W
@ Baltimore L
vs. Pittsburgh L

Record: 8-8

I'm not going to do much of a write up, but here are some of the questions I hope this season will answer:

Is Peyton Hillis a one-year wonder?

Receivers? Are there any receivers on this team?

Is defensive personnel good enough? or was it too specialized by Mangini for the 3-4 to have any hope of being decent this year?

Will Colt McCoy continue to impress?

And finally

Will the lack of major offseason moves by the front office prove to be wise?

Thanks for reading

-Michael

Buckeye Sunday- I Know It's Actually Wednesday Edition

Ohio State 42
Akron 0

Important Stats

Joe Bauserman: 12-16, 163 yards, 3 TDs, 1 Rushing TD

Braxton Miller: 8-12, 130 yard, TD

Jake Stoneburner: 4 receptions, 3 TDs

The season opener against Akron went as one might expect. Akron is a very poor college football team and Ohio State was able to dominate them. Given the way this game went, it's pretty surprising the scoreline wasn't worse.

I must confess that I ended up napping through most of the Forth Quarter*. So, I didn't get to see as much of Braxton Miller as I would've liked to. I thought he looked good in what I saw, after his first drive. I do know that Bauserman was very impressive and I think he deserves the starting job. There shouldn't be any splitting of the duty once the Buckeye's stop playing MAC teams. Miller can get a package or two, but it should be Bauserman's job.

Another area of question for Ohio State heading into this game was the defense. Many starters were lost after last season. It's always nice to shutout another FBS school, but Akron was largely hapless on Offense.

It's hard to get a good read on this team yet. Akron was a bad team. Ohio State should dominate that team. It's just hard to gain any relative perspective from this game. Toledo will be a better test to judge this team by, especially defensively.

The Toledo Rockets have moved away from their Air Raid style offense and now show a much more balanced attack under their Head Coach, former Ohio State Assistant Tim Beckman. They were able to drop 58 points on New Hampshire last week and clearly much more of a threat offensively than Akron. They also gave up 22 points against that team, which shows that they're lacking defensively.

Prediction:

Ohio State 55
Toledo 17

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It was a pretty typical week one around College Football with the exception of the weather. Very few upsets, a few scares and a lot of massive blowouts.

The big news this week is that Texas A&M have been invited to join by the SEC. That is pending a lawsuit filed by Baylor to stop the move. That is just desperation by Baylor, because A&M leaving will collapse the house of cards that the Big 12 became once Nebraska and Colorado left. Baylor is desperate because they would be invited to make a move to the Pac 12 with Texas and Texas Tech and could be left without a home. If I were Baylor, I would be calling the Big East, because if they're willing to take TCU they'd probably be willing to take Baylor.

I suspect the temporary break to the wave of conference expansion has ended with this move. The conference landscape could be dramatically changed at this time next year. If the Big 12 collapses, which looks very likely, there will only 5 BCS conferences. There could only be 4, if the ACC And Big East are successfully pillaged and are forced to merge.

I just find this all quite interesting. I don't know if in the end the so-called "super conferences" will be good or bad for the game, but the politics and speculation that it's taking to get there has been entertaining. Perhaps the bit I'm most curious about is the SEC. The addition of Texas A&M is an indication of their willingness to expand and they'll need at least another team to balance their division. I think Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia are all potential editions. There just has been no indication or inclination on which way these schools and where the SEC wants to go.

So here I my guesses as to what the "super conference" additions will be:

Big 10

Missouri
Pitt
Rutgers
Syracuse

SEC

Texas A&M
Florida State
Georgia Tech
West Virginia

PAC 12

Texas
Texas Tech
Oklahoma
Oklahoma St

I think at that point the ACC and Big East would merge to keeping their 16 best teams. Then I think the Mountain West will pick up the remnants of the Big 12 and in theory could get BCS status.

Thanks for reading

-Michael
*I stayed up super late the night before, because the U.S. Men's National Team had a friendly that didn't end until well after 1 am and the puppies were buttholes the next morning.

College Football Predictions

Today is the first day of the College Football season. This should be an interesting season. Off the field issues are rampant across the board and NCAA penalties could pose an challenge the BCS has yet to see; a top ranked team that isn't eligible to play for a championship. Conference realignment seems imminent, which could create interesting conference battles.

Today, I'll be posting my predictions for the upcoming season. I'll start with how I think my favorite Ohio State Buckeyes will fare this year following a difficult off-season. I believe Ohio State is still the best team in the Big 10. It's not like there are lots of slouches on this team behind the suspended players. I think Ohio State will be able to win its division and play in the Big 10 title game, if the team is bowl eligible. I personally think its highly unlikely to see a bowl ban. No matter how much ESPN makes it sound terrible, what Ohio State's actually been accused of isn't severe enough to warrant that penalty unless the NCAA breaks precedent.

There is a QB controversy in Columbus. I believe Bauserman deserves to start the season at the #1 slot. People seem to think Miller would be able to fill Pryor's shoes, but I don't think he could live up to expectations if he was thrown into the fire. I think Bauserman will be able to lead this team well, especially if there is the development of a dependable running game.

Here's how I see the regular season going for Ohio State:

Ohio State

vs. Akron W
vs. Toledo W
@ Miami (FL) W
vs. Colorado W
vs. Michigan State W
@Nebraska L
@Illinois W
vs. Wisconsin W
vs. Indiana W
@ Purdue W
vs. Penn State W
@Michigan W

That's 11-1 and a birth in the Big Ten title game.

Opening game score prediction

Ohio State 59
Akron 10


Here's how I see the BCS conferences shaking out

ACC

Championship Game: Virginia Tech vs. Florida St.

Champion: Virginia Tech

I'm not really sold on Florida State. However, I don't think there's enough competition in the ACC particularly in their division to stop them from making a strong run into the title game, but I think Virginia Tech is a better team and even has a shot at running the table and going to the BCS Title Game

Disappointing Team: Miami (FL)

For Obvious reasons.

Big East

Champion: West Virginia

Basically because I pick them every year.

Disappointing Team: They're all disappointing

Just waiting for TCU.

Big 10

Championship Game: Nebraska vs. Ohio State*

Champion: Ohio State*

I think the Buckeyes will be able to win a second match-up with the Cornhuskers in the championship game. It'll be a neutral field that'll likely be closer to an Ohio State home game and by them hopefully the issues with Ohio State will have been sorted out.

Disappointing Team: Michigan State

The Spartans got a very friendly schedule last year to gain a share of the Big 10 title. Their schedule isn't friendly this year and their record will reflect that.

Big 12

Champion: Oklahoma

I don't think Oklahoma is deserving of their preseason #1 ranking, but I do think they're the class of the conference. Plus they don't have to worry about a let down in the Big 12 championship game any more.

Disappointing Team: Texas A & M

This is another team, like Florida State, that I don't quite believe in. Plus with their imminent conference move, it is likely to be a distraction filled campaign.

Pac 12

Championship Game: Oregon vs. Arizona

Champion: Oregon

I think USC will win the South Division, but they aren't eligible to play in the game. Oregon will be a very strong team and I think they'll be able to run their Pac 12 schedule.

Disappointing Team: Washington

They finished the year strong last season, but I think this season they will take a step back. They'll win the Apple Cup, so take solace in that.

SEC

Championship Game: South Carolina vs. Alabama

Champion: South Carolina

This year I think is South Carolina's best hope for an SEC title. Alabama, Auburn, and LSU all have concerns and the East Division looks pretty weak. I'm pretty sure this will season will break the SEC's iron grip on a BCS title game slot. I think the their won't be anyone dominate enough to keep the overall recorded needed for that birth.

Disappointing Team: Georgia

I don't see them having that great of a season. I think their name got them the preseason ranking and they'll start sliding after a week one defeat.


Highest rated non AQ school: Boise State

Here are my predictions for BCS match-ups

Rose: Ohio State* vs. Stanford

Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Boise State

Orange: Alabama vs. West Virginia

Sugar: South Carolina vs. Wisconsin

National Championship: Oregon vs. Virginia Tech



National Champion: Oregon

Oregon showed last year that they are legitimate Title contenders. They'll have tough test at Stanford, but I think they'll win that game and the rest of them. I'm not sure how they got jumped by Oklahoma and Alabama in the preseason pull, but I think it'll provide them with some edge. Oregon does, however, have an NCAA investigation hanging over their head, which could mess up their season. Given the NCAA's slow going nature, I still think they'll be the ones who lift the trophy at the end of the season even if it gets taken away from them in the future.


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I'm not going to spend much more than a few sentences on the individual awards. My prediction is that Marcus Lattimore (RB, South Carolina) will win the Heisman trophy this year. That's all. I'll start doing Pasta's Player of the Year rankings after week 6.

The one prediction I will make with certainty is that all of these will be wrong.

Thanks for reading and please comment.

-Michael
*If eligible for postseason play.

MLS Playoffs

MLS since its inception has implemented rules to try to 'Americanize" soccer. During the early years, MLS used a descending clock rather than the traditional ascending one. MLS regular season games used to go to penalties*, but they did away with that. Then they just had a golden goal period after regulation to determine a winner, but that was done away with as well. Draws may be irrationally loathed by an Americans who are unfamiliar with Soccer and used to American Football and Basketball, but they are an important part of soccer and MLS realized that in 2004. Over the years MLS has also made its rules more lax in regards to roster slots for Foreign Internationals.

MLS has moved away from trying to make the game more palatable for the vaunted, largely mythical "American" sports audience and it has improved the quality of the league incredibly. If one could somehow put any MLS team from 1996 onto a pitch with any of today's teams, a 2011 MLS team would do better than what the Sounders did to my beloved Crew yesterday. However there is still something that rather bothers me about MLS. It's that there are playoffs.

Virtually every American sports league has a regular season that is used to determine the positioning for the teams that qualify for the post season. Playoffs by nature always have the risk of being inequitable. In one off scenarios, strange things happen and the better team doesn't advance. I feel that it is particularly unfair to have the league champion in MLS determined by playoffs rather than regular season results.

MLS has the most fair regular season in all of American sports. It is, as in Europe, a complete round-robin in which every team plays every other team at home and away. At the end of the MLS season there is little doubt that the team at the top of the overall table has had the best season. Having a post-season to determine which team gets MLS Cup is unfair to the team that showed itself to be the best in the grueling 6-month schedule.

If the playoffs were to start today, the Columbus Crew would start off the plays in the same standing as the LA Galaxy despite the Galaxy being top of the table and Seattle, Dallas and Colorado having more points, because of the conference alignment used to determine playoff seeding. Given the nature of the MLS schedule the Crew shouldn't be given a fresh start with equal chance at the Cup in late October.

Playoff soccer, while very exciting, is also a problem in determining which team truly is best. Goals can be hard to come by in soccer. An inferior team can "pack it in" for an entire game and, with luck, prevent a superior team from scoring. It is very common to see that style adopted during important games and playoff matches. A team who is playing entirely defensively only need to be able to spring a single counter-attack that results in a goal and they could advance knocking out perhaps a team that is more deserving of the Cup. Playoff soccer is in essence a crapshoot and it is no way to determine which team gets the MLS Cup.

I'm not opposed to all playoff soccer. It's exciting and there are competitions already established that use that format. The U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League each use playoffs at least to some degree and MLS teams participate.

MLS does deserve credit for having a trophy for the regular season champion, the "Supporter's Shield," which also gives a place to the winning side in the Champions League. Also, while I don't think any playoff system should be used, the system adopted by MLS is unique and more fair than in most sports. It places importance on both conference and overall point total.

Perhaps the primary issue is that teams simply play to get into the playoffs and will take their chances in the tournament. The system makes games in October more important than the ones in April. The champion of the league should reflect which team has been the best through the long season not the team that gets hot late. MLS could still have a playoff to determine a Champions League spot at the end of the season to reward a team that is coming into form late, but it shouldn't determine who gets the trophy.

Thanks for reading and please comment

-Michael
*MLS penalties were not the traditional penalties either. They were much more akin to Hockey.

Me Chewing Out an Imaginary Bob Bradley

Why did you turn to a 4-5-1 formation? I know Jozy getting injured against Jamaica took out our best striker, by a wide margin, but why does that mean putting someone out top alone. If anything, Agudelo or Wondolowski need a partner in attack. They're not the type of strikers to play alone. The only U.S. striker who has the capabilities to play alone successfully is Altidore. So why in his absence did you not replace him with a midfielder and not a striker? Another problem was you didn't call the best inform striker we have. Charlie Davies is recovered and scoring goals like mad for DC. He should've been on the roster.

Then there's the starting line-up against Mexico in the final. Not only did you not even bother to start an actual striker, none of the six midfielders you started actually played the role. Dempsey is definitely capable of playing that role, but he was never the most forward midfielder. It really seemed as though there was a lot of confusion as to who should fill what role. Bedoya and Adu both were playing RM. Donovan seemed to be playing CAM, which is a role he's capable of playing, but he really belongs out wide. Dempsey was on the Left. Bradley and Jones played a central holding role. It was really just a cluster fuck in midfield.

There is a reason why no one's ever used a 4-6-0 formation. It's because it doesn't work and no one with even a rudimentary understanding of Soccer strategy would ever try it. It's surprising that we even managed any goals yesterday. It was lucky that for the first time in this tournament our guys actually finished efficiently.

What made it most evident that this team is not progressing is the failings in defense that have been a signature of tenure as manager. It is either lack of talent or poor coaching. If it's that the players aren't good enough, why have failed to bring in new defenders to try to improve this problem? There are plenty of good defenders eligible defenders who haven't gotten a real look under your regime. However you've stuck with roughly the same group of defenders. I don't think that's the case though. I think those are the best defenders that our nation has produced an they are more than good enough.

It is clear that good defending is not the priority of the coaching staff. There is an absolute lack of discipline. There isn't any understanding of who should have which responsibility. The frequency of defensive errors by this team is unacceptable.

It's unfortunate that our Soccer Federation felt that you getting the team into the knockout rounds was good enough to give you another stint. If it were up to me, you'd have been let go then. We can't afford another wasted four years. I hope the painful underachievement since The World Cup by this team will be enough to open their eyes and bring someone new in. Our window is closing. This cycle will be our last/best chance and you have become a hindrance to greater achievement.

-Michael

U.S. Soccer Needs a Hub

I've been ranting on Twitter about the terrible locations the U.S. Soccer Federation has chosen for the important matches of the Gold Cup. The Semi-Finals were in Houston were U.S. fan support was at a minimum the support the other teams was high. Green was the dominant color because the overwhelming majority of fans that were there were supporting the Mexican team against Honduras. The atmosphere around that match was so much more energetic than the U.S. match. It seems like if we're going to host the tournament we ought to at least give our team the home-field advantage. I'm certain the final tonight at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles will be much of the same with Mexican support greatly outnumbering U.S. support.

I think the United States Soccer Federation needs to stop treating our National team like a touring team. I understand that the United States is a big place, but we need to behave like the other soccer powers and recognize the demographics and have what I'll call a soccer hub. Every time the U.S. Men's National teams takes a trip to Mexico they play in the same place. Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. It's exceedingly hostile, it has high elevation and terrible pollution. The United States has never won a game there.

Why shouldn't the United States do the same thing? We should give ourselves the greatest home-field advantage we can for big games. It's not that the team shouldn't play games outside of one place, but important games should be played in the most advantageous place.

I have come up with a list of five cities to potentially to fill this role. The rankings are not arbitrary .

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1) Seattle, Washington

Stadium: Qwest Field (67,000)

Hispanic Population: 6.6%

An important factor is that it has the most rabid and largest fan base of any professional soccer team in the United States. They're already well organized, loud and have a love for the game. That's not mention that Qwest Field is probably the loudest stadium in the country. The Seahawks are often accused of pumping in artificial noise because it gets so loud. Also, importantly it has a low Hispanic population.

There are two cons with Seattle. First is location. It's in a corner and a very long trip for the member's of Sam's Army not located in the Northwest. Second is weather. Seattle isn't exactly a warm weather city, but it isn't exactly a cold weather one either. Given that most other CONCACAF teams are entirely warm weather a cold weather city would help in those winter qualifiers.

Seattle is probably the best location for Fan Support and the worst in terms of environmental advantages.

2) Boston, Massachusetts

Stadium: Gillette Stadium (69,000)

Hispanic Population: 17.5%

Boston showed that they can turn up for a big game before the Gold Cup with that (forgettable) friendly against Spain. It's definitely a cold weather city and a pretty small Hispanic population for that major of a city.

The fan support in Boston won't be as strong as it would be in Seattle.

3) Denver, Colorado

Stadium: Invesco Field (76,000)

Hispanic Population: 34.1%

Denver is definitely the environmental winner. Not only is it a cold weather city; it also has elevation on it's side. However, our biggest rival is Mexico and elevation isn't a problem for them. It would be an issue for nearly everyone else in CONCACAF thoug

The problem is the high Hispanic population, which is overwhelmingly Mexican. Also fan support for the Rapids isn't great and I don't suspect the Men's National Team could come close to filling the stadium.

4) Chicago, Illinois

Stadium: Soldier Field (61,500)

Hispanic Population: 28.9%

The coldest of the cold weather cities. Also Soldier Field is a historic stadium that would make an excellent home for a team. It is also as centrally located as you could hope for.

However, it has similar problems to Denver. High Hispanic population and not great support for the Fire.

5) Columbus, Ohio

Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium (20,000)

Hispanic Population: 4.5%

Well, this is just selfish. Columbus always does turn up the U.S. team though even in shitty conditions like cold, rainy/snowy like against Mexico in 2009. Columbus Crew Stadium is also the first soccer specific stadium built in the country and the only one on the list. A really low Hispanic population as well.

The problem is capacity. Columbus has a huge stadium, but that one doesn't work at all for soccer (see Crew prior to the current stadium.)

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I want to apologize if I sound like a Latino hater. I'm really not. I welcome immigrants into the United States. I don't care if they continue to support their national team. I just want the U.S. to have a home field advantage. Large groups of Hispanics supporting their team in the stadium runs contrary to that.

What do you think of this? Any other cities you'd like to suggest?

Thanks for reading and please comment.

-Michael

The Sky Isn't Falling... Yet

I don't think Tressel should've been forced to resign. I'm disappointed that Gene Smith and Gordon Gee didn't stick by him when they said they would. However, I'm done with being his apologist. The Sports Illustrated Article that published late last night is pretty damning. There are ways pick at the article. Just like pretty much everything else that has become news about Ohio State since December the sources are dubious. Most of the sources really lack believability as they're anonymous, have an ax to grind or are criminals. That being said I won't deny any of the claims in that article. I've been denying for 6 months and everything is proving to be true thus far.

I suspect that Terrelle Pryor and probably the rest of the Players who were suspended will enter the NFL Supplemental Draft. First, I think they're loyalty was to Tressel. That's why they stayed. Second, with this entire shit storm, it's pretty clear that Pryor won't be playing at all next Season at Ohio State and I wouldn't be surprised if the others aren't implicated in this as well.

It was worrying when the allegations about the 6 players came out six months ago. When ever Journalists and the NCAA start digging around in a major College Football town, they're going to find stuff. There are too many boosters who want to feel like they're part of the success of the team and the players aren't mature enough to resist. Major College athletics is corrupted everywhere. It's not just Columbus, Ohio where stuff goes down no matter how much ESPN tries to say otherwise.

It's strange though how much the tenor has changed since we found out about the Tattoo scandal in December. Back then it was about how unfair it was that the players couldn't sell their own property. Now it's all encompassed in this business and those are such terrible violations of NCAA rules. A lot more has come out since then, but it all still points back to the dealings at the tattoo parlor. It seems to me this scandal is blown out of proportion.

I've already had my rant about the lack of legitimacy of the NCAA though.

However, I don't think Ohio State fans should fret too much. Just because Tressel and in all likely Pryor are gone doesn't mean next year is a waste. It still seems to me that OSU should be favorites for the Big-10 again. Even if some key players are missing, it's not a huge deal, because the back-ups at Ohio Sate are pretty damn good. Recruiting may be down for a while, but it'll recover.

The only thing that could really screw Ohio State up is the NCAA being to heavy handed with their ruling in August. There will be penalties and they're deserved, but all these media hype may make them want to slaughter the Buckeyes to try and show they aren't horribly corrupt and useless. Ohio State doesn't deserve penalties as severe as what USC received, because despite the hype these violations aren't as bad as what Reggie Bush did all by himself.

I think a fair* ruling would be Scholarship reductions similar to USC, increasing the player suspensions, vacating the wins from 2010, and a "show-cause" penalty for Tressel.

Thanks for reading

-Michael

*I'm not really objective here though and the NCAA has no concept of what "fair" is so it's kind of useless.

Columbus Crew 2011: The Rant

Robert Warzycha was almost without doubt the best wide player the Crew have ever had. He's the all-time assist leader for the club. He came to MLS from the EPL long before David Beckham and the Designated Player rule. His talent as a player is unquestionable, but it isn't translating that well to the role of manager. His particular short-coming seems to be in building a squad. It's not that he hasn't brought in talented players. It's that they don't fit well together and is a train wreck on the pitch.

The Crew have played ten games in MLS this season and have only managed eight goals. That's not horrendous until you get the kicker: four of those goals are from penalties. Four goals from the run of play. That's just pathetic especially in the MLS where, to put it nicely, defense is not the strength. The Crew definitely have players that are capable of producing goal. Cunningham alone is just short of becoming the MLS all-time leading scorer*.

The biggest problem with this team became evident to me in the first leg of the Crew's CONCACAF Champions League match-up against Real Salt Lake. That game was the worst soccer game I've ever watched. It's not that it was a nil-nil draw, because I will defend the value of 0-0 games until I'm blue in the face. There were virtually zero chances created. The Crew had plenty of control of the ball and the better of the play, but it would always breakdown in crucial moment.

There is a breakdown between the midfield and the attackers with the Crew this season. The Crew have had the better of the play frequently this season and a dominant defense as well. The midfield play has been poor, but I don't think that's because the midfielders themselves are bad at the game. These guys played well last year. It's that they are longer be utilized properly.

This year is the first year that The Crew has become Warzycha's team. The past two seasons it's been the roster that was built by Sigi Schmidt before he ditched** the Crew for Seattle. Following the 2010 MLS season Warzcha was able to let many of Sigi's signings go and he did just that. He also brought in a few players, but the cuts definitely outweighed the gains.

The problem with the midfield is the absence of a true center midfielder. Kevin Burns and Dejan Rusmir are central mids, but they are defensive and don't really help in the attack. The four other midfielders who see playing time are all wide players like Warzycha was. There is a myth that Expo can play CM, but he doesn't do it very well at all. His pace would be much better used on the wing and his lack luster passing and ball control would be better hidden. The Crew really need a player in the Center midfield who can control the ball and make plays and players like that were shown the door this winter.

Also, this didn't fit neatly into my argument, but I geniuenly hate the 4-5-1. The switch to the 4-4-2 last weekend was a start.

All that being said, the Roster can't be cured during the season. In theory a trade could happen, but I don't think that's likely. The Crew does have the talent to compete in the MLS, but it's going to require better utilization. I think Renteria can be used to help fill the hole in central midfield by putting him into a CAM or CF role. I think the Crew's roster could be best used in the 4-3-1-2 formation like this(more accurately what I would do):

I don't particularly love Gaven in that role, but I think he's the best option for it. He could be subbed out for Rusmir or Burns if the Crew can get a lead and it would be a more 4-1-2-1-2 look.

Forgive the sloppiness of it and thanks for reading

-Michael

*At this rate he won't get the record though.
**Never forgiven

Browns' Draft Discussion

For a team with such a poor defense, it's amazing how specialized the Brown's defensive roster became under Eric Mangini. Therefore, the transition to the 4-3 defense isn't going to be a very smooth one. Most notable is the absence of a player who is a good fit at 4-3 defensive end. Matt Roth may work, but I doubt he'll be an average DE. Marcus Bernard is a great pass rusher, but he's not going to work with his hand in the ground on every play. That being said, I'm still advocating the Brown's drafting a Wide Receiver with their first pick.

I almost always advocate drafting defense and offensive line players high. I really hate that almost every first round pick the Browns have had sine their return has been spent of an offensive player. I believe that a philosophy where defenders are drafted high and you can find offensive talent later works well.

However, The Browns offense can't function with any success with the players it has now. There is no receiving threat. All but a few defenses in the NFL can line up with the Browns receiving corps one-on-one and not worry about getting beat. That means the running game can be easily stuffed and on passing downs there's freedom to bring heavy blitzes. I think Colt McCoy could be a good NFL Quarterback, but he will certainly fail in this offense.

There is a lot a hesitance about drafting a Receiver so high in the draft. An argument that is heard a lot is that a receiver only can have an impact when he touches the ball, which requires a lot of things to happen before hand. Whereas other positions can have impacts on every play. I don't think that's right. A talented receiver can create more fear in a defense than any other player on the field. The defense isn't able to compact against the run with out the risk of allowing a deep Touchdown.

Obviously, The Browns shouldn't take just any receiver at the 6th pick. A.J. Green is one of the top prospects in the Draft. He would be the number one person on my board if I were in the Browns' Front Office. Julio Jones is a bit more interesting. He certainly wasn't considered worthy of the 6th pick prior to the combine. He was very impressive at the combine; posting big numbers. Of course that can be deceiving. The combine makes a blind man out of a lot of talent scouts.

I think Jones is worth the pick. Hist talent is evident. He's not as sure of a thing as I think Green is, but that doesn't mean he won't work out in the NFL.

As the Browns are drafting sixth, here is how I think the Browns should rank their prospects:

1. A.J. Green WR- Georgia

2. Julio Jones WR- Alabama

3. Marcell Dareus DT- Alabama

4. Patrick Peterson CB- LSU

5. Robert Quinn DE- UNC

6. Nick Fairley DT- Auburn

Everyone always wants to trade down and that wouldn't be a terrible choice for the Browns. However, it is almost impossible to trade out of a high pick. A team has to give up so much to move up in the draft and it's such a risk. Trading up can set a Franchise back if it goes wrong. So, usually a team is trapped in a high pick and needs to take the player that is best for their franchise.

Thanks for reading.

-Michael