Jason Kidd, Elvis Dumervil and Athletes Getting Arrested

Posted on July 16, 2012 by wcornblatt

When I woke up Sunday, there really wasn’t much news in the sports world. There was a lot of Jeremy Lin speculation and a couple of passing stories. The truly ugly part of Sunday’s news lineup is that I considered a boring day in sports and two all-stars were arrested. Elmis Dumervil, pro-bowl Defensive End for the Broncos, was arrested on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge and Jason Kidd, a 10-time all-star and NBA champion, was arrested for DWI.

All too often in sports, these sort of events go unnoticed. It seems as if crime and sports go hand in hand. On any given day you can find an arrest of another player or coach who foolishly thought they were above the law. It’s a sense of entitlement that makes fans that would give up drinking for a lifetime to play professional sports angry and disgusted. Jason Kidd signed a three-year, $9.5 million deal with the Knicks Thursday. Part of his responsibility was to mentor Jeremy Lin, by Sunday he was arrested. The worst part is he’ll pay a fine, maybe a stern scolding from management and move on like it never happened. Just another drunk athlete behind the wheel, a millionaire basketball player putting everybody on the road at risk.

It’s a frustrating battle for fans looking to find relatability and normalcy in athletes. We want to connect and we often do, but it’s the actions of those like Kidd and Dumervil that alienate us. Dumervil really had to get into an argument with another car on the road? He really wants to live a thug life so bad that he just had a gun on him? Really? His $61.5 million contract through 2015 wasn’t enough? Setting a payday record for his pass-rushing position just wasn’t enough of a motivation to lead a respectable life?

Jason Kidd couldn’t have gotten a driver? He got in the accident a mile and a half from his house. He couldn’t have planned before the night to get as plastered as he wanted to, but have a cab come? I’m a broke 21-year-old and I figure out ways to get sober rides home. So when athletes tell us they made a mistake, and that we all make mistakes, it’s just not true. Dumervil and Kidd won’t pay like your average citizen would, and until we as an audience react differently to incidents like this, it’ll continue happening.

Tim Tebow’s Next Step

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Glen G

With the Peyton Manning free agency debacle over and done with we can all go back to focusing on other sports that are actually still running. The NBA is getting near playoff time and so is the NHL, and both leagues are offering exciting action night in and night out. However, just when you thought you were done hearing about the NFL for a while, a story line emerges: What’s to happen with Tebow?

Last season everyone across the country, fan or hater, became a follower of Tim Tebow. A two-time National Championship winner (and Heisman Winner) during his collegiate days with Florida, Tebow was one of the most scrutinized NFL prospects of this generation, often because of his unorthodox style of play. Scouts liked to point out his poor throwing mechanics and lack of experience in a pro-style offense, but despite these things, Tebow was just as unworldly as his time with Florida. His plethora of awards speak for themselves and Tebow’s play last season (which was just his second as a pro) only took his legend status to a new level. The phenomenon surrounding the man has already been documented extensively so I will not retell his tale, but in short, he had a season that should have guaranteed him a shot at being the franchise quarterback. Scouts, experts and whoever the hell else wants to throw in their opinion can argue with me all day about the guys inability to do damage through the air, or his lack of field vision which results in poor throws at times, but you can’t argue the guys heart or his dedication to peak physical conditioning. In all my years of watching pro sports I’ve never seen a player invest more into winning than Tim Tebow. For instance, how many other Quarterbacks in the league will run the ball 20+ times in a game, knowingly risking injury on many of those carries? The answer is near zero, because no one else plays like Tebow. It’s hard to accept that his style of play is effective, but it is just that.

At the end of last season The Denver Bronco’s VP John Elway said Tebow would be the team’s starter heading into training camp, but quite frankly he lied to all of us. It’s fine to lie to reporters and to the media, but this lie seemed like one that was aimed at Tim Tebow himself. It makes me question the character of Elway, a QB I always respected for his guts and determination when he was driving the Broncos to championships in the 90’s. However after this whole ordeal, it’s hard to not feel a bit let down that the Denver organization would abandon such a promising starter for instant satisfaction; despite the fact that the replacement may be the greatest to ever play the position. I understand that Denver wants to win championships, but who’s to say Tebow couldn’t have gotten them there? In just his first season as starter he led the team to a gutsy playoff win over a Pittsburgh team that many believed had championship hopes. Tebow may not make the game look pretty, but he gets results and he gets wins; that’s the bottom line. The signing of Peyton Manning is sure to improve Denver in the short term, but try to remember that Manning is getting older and he’s coming off some extensive surgical work which, rightfully so, has everyone wondering if he’s still the real Peyton Manning or if he is just willing himself to play. Peyton is my favorite player of all-time, and it pained me to see him leave Indy, but it almost pained me as much to hear that he was going to end the Tebow show before it even really had a chance to work.

It would be a great storyline if Tebow can find another team, but that seems uncertain because of the type of player he is. Teams seem unwilling to commit to Tebow, much like the Broncos were heading into last season…and look where he took that very mediocre team. A lot of that success can be directly attributed to how much of a match-up nightmare Tebow is, being one of the hardest players to account for because of his speed and strength. His ability to hit like a tough running back makes him a problem to bring down and because he runs options, pitches and draws so often the throwing game is often open for big play possibilities (take a look at his performance against the Steelers in the playoffs; that’s Tebow at his finest). I for one hope Tebow finds a new suitor and gets a chance to prove that he can be a full time starter in this league, because critics will always be around trying to dispel players for not fitting into the norm. Tebow is far from the norm, but he is very effective and very smart, and he will be an important player (if even just for “trick” plays) for whatever team is lucky enough to sign him.

What is Tebow’s Trade Value? Would You Want Him As Your Starter? Thoughts?

The New Look AFC West

Posted on March 19, 2012 by wcornblatt

Certain divisions in sports are eternally competitive. The AL East is partially responsible for baseball’s change to its playoff format. In the NFL, rapid and drastic changes have shifted the face of the conferences and divisions, the AFC West looks completely revamped. Head coaching changes for the Chiefs and Raiders mean major identity shifts. The Raiders switched personalities with significant moves by new GM Reggie McKenzie, most noticeably the hiring of former defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. The idea is a return to the smash mouth football that the Raiders built their foundation on. Romeo Crennel will hope to keep the Chiefs competitive. He has a loyal following within the team and gives them a sense of comfort that was missing under former coach Todd Haley. Though Haley showed flashes of brilliance and a proclivity for offensive genius, his inconsistency was too much to handle. The Chargers lost star receiver Vincent Jackson and running back Mike Tolbert to free agency, but their largest move was keeping head coach Norv Turner, who was on the hot seat after a tumultuous season.

Despite all of this, the greatest of them all, and the most compelling, is the Broncos’ quarterback change. Rather than sticking with golden boy Tim Tebow, the Broncos attained legend Peyton Manning. The monster free agent settled on Denver after an elongated selection process. Now, Tebow will likely be traded, and Manning will make Denver immediately competitive, nobody saw this coming. When Manning announced his departure from Indianapolis, there were many front-runners. Miami, Arizona and even San Francisco seemed appealing, but apparently Denver’s loyal fan base and solid defense were enough to woo Manning, along with contributions from longtime friend John Elway. The AFC West is a strong division, but trying to predict it is an exercise in futility, especially with the latest addition of a hall of fame quarterback to a team already at playoff caliber.

Where Should Manning Go?

Posted on March 10, 2012 by wcornblatt

Peyton Manning could go to virtually any team in the NFL, but the contenders have been narrowed down to just a few squads. After the Jets resigned Mark Sanchez and the Redskins traded for the Rams 2^nd pick, the major destinations left for Manning to go to are Miami, Arizona, Denver, Seattle and Kansas City.

Which team is the most fitting?

Miami Dolphins – Miami certainly has the pieces in place to win. Their defense finished 15^th in yards per game allowed last year, and they proved to be resilient even with Matt Moore as their quarterback. Brandon Marshall is a big target that Manning could focus on, and Reggie Bush flying out of the backfield gives him the check-down option he loves so much. The problem is it just doesn’t feel right. Miami, as a city, doesn’t seem to have the low-key sense of community Peyton truly loved in Indianapolis. Also, he’ll be entering a division where he’ll have to face the Patriots and Jets twice a year, something that nobody wants. Still, Miami is the favorite, I just don’t think it’s the best destination.

Denver Broncos – Denver might just seem like the most fitting team for Peyton at a glance, it’s a tight-knit community dedicated to football. They made the playoffs last year, mostly due to strengths other than their quarterback, he’d be a semi-god there. The problem is it’s a running team that would have to change philosophies more than any other team in the Manning race, and the Tebow factor just gives it a weird vibe. I cant see him ending up here in the end.

Seattle Seahawks - A relatively unlikely destination for Manning, but has appeal. They have a young team with an excellent defense. Their fan-base and crowd is debatably the largest in the country, and he’d be entering a weak division. Seattle has no quarterback at all right now, which would leave out the complications other teams have with Manning and their future at the position. However, Seattle just resigned Marshawn Lynch and might want to look for a young quarterback to lead them in the future.

Kansas City Chiefs – The most interesting of all potential destinations. KC was never really a big part of the discussion for Manning, but recently have become a part of the talks. They have a solid defense, good running backs and a notoriously loyal crowd. The city has the Midwest feel Peyton loves. The problem is that last year was a mess for the Chiefs, and new coach Romeo Crenell might not instill the confidence Peyton needs to commit to a new team.

Arizona Cardinals – I believe Arizona to be the best destination for Manning to go to. They have the best receiving core of the potential landing spots for Manning, they won 7 of their last 9 last year. Kurt Warner came to Arizona late in his career and experienced enormous success. It’s a comfortable living scenario, and most importantly, coach Ken Whisenhunt has a twisted enough football mind to understand and embrace Manning’s unique play-calling. Whisenhunt’s creativity is part of the reason Warner succeeded, and could be a major factor for Manning, and any scenario where Peyton gets to throw to Larry Fitzgerald is a win for fans all over.

Even After The Denver Broncos Loss – Tebowmania Lives On

Posted on January 16, 2012 by jbecker

Tim Tebow’s performance in his wild-card playoff game victory sparked more tweets per second than any topic before; including last year’s Super Bowl and the death of Osama bin Laden. A bible verse, John 3:16, was Google’s No. 1 search for a day simply because the quarterback threw for 316 yards that game (and not to mention had tremendous fantasy football stats). But it wasn’t just about his first playoff game, Tebowmania went completely viral this NFL season. There were Tebow tattoos, photo-shopped Tebow centaurs, he even had Saturday Night Live do a skit about him (if you missed it View Here). Then the Broncos and their feisty quarterback ran into Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the Patriots, and the national sensation was immediately put to a screeching halt.

Twitter references to “Tebow Time,” which hit it’s peak during overtime of the Broncos’ win against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 8, was at it’s climax just before Saturday’s kickoff vs New England. “Tebow Time” quickly disappeared off the Twitter trending topics as it became clear that the Broncos’ playoff run was over. In its place? Shaun Ellis, the Patriots’ defensive end who sacked Tebow to the turf during the New England’s 45-10 beat-down.

Don’t worry though folks, Tebowmania isn’t going to end anytime soon. Broncos executive John Elway confirmed on Monday that Tim Tebow has “earned” the right to be the starting quarterback heading into Broncos’ training camp next year. Elway also made it clear that Tebow has much improving to do.

Elway spoke at the season-ending press conference saying “the passing game wasn’t where we wanted it to be.” He also stated that the team will have to “be in the market” to bring in more quarterbacks. No surprise there considering there are only two quarterbacks on the roster: Tebow and Adam Weber. Brady Quinn will probably leave via free agency and the Broncos will pickup a veteran backup or a rookie quarterback in the NFL Draft to compete for the starting position.

It would be shocking to me if Tebow isn’t the Week One starter next season. The Broncos want to see Tebow’s improvement after a full offseason of work with his new coaching staff. They also want options if Tebow struggles. Trust me, Elway doesn’t want to bring in another quarterback that’s content just holding the clipboard on the sidelines.

It’s a no brainier that Elway wants a QB likeTom Brady, who doesn’t? Elway stressed needing an offense that can consistently throw down the field. Tebow has earned the right to keep playing. But Elway’s words made it clear that Tebow will continue to be evaluated closely and will need to develop as a pocket passer to be “that guy” Elway is looking for. I believe Tim Tebow will be a good fantasy football pick next season, because in the words of my favorite ESPN analyst Skip Bayless “All He Does Is Win Football Games!”