Friday, December 31, 2010

Do Not Celebrate!

On Thursday night, in the inaugural game of the Pinstripe Bowl, Kansas State battled Syracuse in an exciting game. The game featured big play after big play. One of the most exciting plays of the game happened in the fourth quarter. With 1:13 left to play Kansas State running back Adrian Hilburn scored on a 30 yard TD run to pull within 2 points of Syracuse. After scoring such a potential game changing TD Hilburn celebrated in the end zone by saluting the fans. This seemingly harmless TD celebration irked or offended the officiating crew so much they threw a penalty flag and issued Kansas State a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.  This meant Kansas State had to try the 2 point conversion from the 17 yard line, an extremely harder feat to pull off. After missing the 2 point conversion and failing to recover the onside kick Kansas State ended up losing the game 36-34. Although the penalty wasn't the only reason for the lose, Kansas State fans have a legitimate gripe with the officials. Their overly aggressive enforcement of the excessive celebration rule made the 2 point conversion astronomically harder to convert.

The intent of the excessive celebration rule is a good thing. It was put in place to prevent players from mocking or disrespecting the opposing team and from setting a poor example of sportsmanship. For such a visible and influential organization it is good that they are trying to set a positive example. Unfortunately, this eagerness to penalize players for celebrating after scoring important plays is all to common in college football. Players are routinely penalized for minor things such as an inadvertent spike in the wrong direction or a to exuberant fist pump. As in the Pinstripe Bowl or the BYU vs UW game in 2008, these penalties can have an impact on games.

NCAA college football officials need to change their current way of determining when to call excessive celebration penalties. If a player gets in the face of an opposing player or blatantly disrespects the fans they should be penalized.  When a player is just celebrating an exciting result without obviously offending anyone, let it go. In such an adrenaline driven sports players need a way to let off a little when something goes their way. There is no reason that the outcome of a game should be put into question because a player decided to celebrate a touchdown with a salute.

Friday, December 24, 2010

What to do at the QB Position; or the Matt Hasselbeck Conundurm

Over the first 10 games of the season Matt Hasselbeck was one of the Seahawks best players. He was also one of the reasons fans felt like that wins could keep coming. Despite limited offense weapons and a patchwork offensive line he was playing well. He only had 7 INT and 2 fumbles over the 10 game span and the Seahawks were 5-5. However, after week 11 something changed. In the three games against the Chiefs, Panthers and 49ers, Hasselbeck had 10 turnovers. Then last Sunday with the Seahawks battling the NFC's best team Hasselbeck threw two more interceptions and lost another fumble (his worst of the year as it was recovered for a defensive TD). The performance was bad enough to get Hasselbeck pulled from the game in the third quarter and replaced with Charlie Whitehurst. With last week's three turnovers included, Hasselbeck now has a total of 13 in the last four games. His inability to keep possession of the ball cost Seattle three of those four games.

Witnessing these four poor performances in a row caused a commotion in the Seattle sports fan base. Everyone started talking about the QB position. The conversations have mostly been centered around what to do next year. Hasselbeck will be a free agent then and probably want to be a starter somewhere. Most fans can be split into three separate groups. The first thinks that the problem lies somewhere else then Hasselbeck. They point to the terrible offensive line, the mediocre receiving corps, and/or the lack of a running threat as a reason for Hasselbeck's poor play. They argue that given the right tools around him he could still be a good QB. They want to re-sign him. The second group thinks the problem rests squarely on Hasselbeck's shoulders. Much like Shaun Alexander in 2007, Hasselbeck has lost it. For whatever reason, he cant play the QB position effectively anymore. He needs to be benched, the faster the better and on top of that the Seahawks need to cut all ties with him this off season. The third group tends to sit in the middle, unable to make up their minds. They remember how great Hasselbeck once was, while at the same time admitting to his bad play now. This cautious fans tends to want to take the wait and see approach. They dont want to risk throw away the chance at a established QB for the unknown, but they also dont want to be stuck watching a fading star drag the team down.

I remember a very similar discussion last year. Over the final games of the season last year Hasselbeck struggled mightily. Take a look at the graph labeled QB rating compare. It shows Hasselbecks rating game by game for both the 2009 and 2010 seasons. The slope of the trend line for 2009 is -2.43. The slop of the trend line for 2010 is -2.29. These are strikingly similar results. They cause me to believe that age is the primary reason for Hasselbeck's struggles. He is 35 years old now and he can longer take the wear and tear of a 16 week long NFL season. Especially one where there aren't many other offensive weapons to protect him. His body and mind seem to only be able to withstand about nine or ten weeks of NFL beatings before he simply breaks down.


This offseason the Seahawks have to find an heir to Matt Hasselbeck's QB throne this offseason. I think this is the best approach the Seahawks can take would be to sign Hasselbeck to a 1 year deal and draft a QB in the second or third round. They have weakness in too many other parts of the team to spend their first pick on a QB. Hasselbeck can still pass as a serviceable QB for at least part of a season. This means the Seahawks don’t need to find a new QB that can step right into the fray in week 1. Whoever they draft/sign can sit for a few weeks and learn under the tutelage of a three time pro bowler. Around midseason the coaching staff can re-evaluate the situation. If the Seahawks are still in the hunt and Hasselbeck is playing well, great! The rookie QB can keep sitting on the bench and learning. If things are going well but Hasselbeck is struggling, you have a young and fresh QB who can step in and try his hand at running the offense. Finally, if the team is struggling yet again they can put in the rookie and let him gain valuable in game experience against the best football players in the world.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

The Little Engine That Fielded: David Eckstein

"Yay! We're going to Chuck E. Cheese!"
With the recent signing of Orlando "O-Dawg" Hudson and the trade for Jason Bartlett, the San Diego Padres have effectively ended the David Eckstein era in San Diego.  It is certainly a sad day, as the Eckstein era, all two years of it, was grittier than grit.  Many (me, just now) have said that David Eckstein is so gritty, they have expected True Grit to be about him.  It was not, much to the disappointment of the masses (again, me).

However, no matter how bleak the outlook is for Eckstein, no mere man can stop him from hitting .260 and being passable in the field.  No, Eckstein will certainly get a job, and he will most certainly display effective baseball skills in the body of an 8-year old child.

Sure, Eckstein may not hit another walkoff homerun like he did this season, but he will remain gritty to the extent that gravel seems clean.  What is most surprising about all this is that David Eckstein has forged this mighty career despite being 5-7, 170 (how anyone can in good conscience list him at 170 pounds is beyond me.  Shame on you, Yahoo! Sports).  For comparison's sake, here is a list of people bigger than the Ecks Man:
  • Martha Stewart
  • Fozzy Bear
  • Rihanna
  • Antman (both in human and ant form)
  • At least two of the original Oompa Loompas
  • Napoleon Bonaparte
  • A life-size bust of Napoleon Bonaparte's head only
  • Most double amputees
  • Carlton Banks
This has been a brief list of people bigger than David Eckstein.  Excuse me, as it is past 8 p.m. and that means it is David's bedtime, he's got a lot to do tomorrow, like (presumably) hustle his way through a mountain.

Monday, December 20, 2010

The Beginning of the Joe Webb Era

Tonight during the MNF game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears, DE Corey Wootton put this hit on QB Brett Favre. The hit put a hurt on the already injured Favre and knocked him out of the game. During the week leading up to the game former backup Tavaris Jackson was put on IR because he came down with a wicked case of turf toe (probably the wimpiest sounding injury ever) last weekend after his start against the NY Giants. With no one else to turn to, the Vikings turned to Joe Webb. When he lined up under center in the second quarter it ushered in a new era for the proud Minnesota franchise, one in which some guy named Joe Webb plays QB. I for one look forward to years of domination from this somebody.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Washington Basketball: Get Taller!

"No! I said box out!"
Eons ago, the city of Seattle had a professional basketball team.  Yes, a surprise, I know, but it was indeed real.  Strangely enough, the heyday of these "SuperSonics" (who curiosly employed Vin Baker, who no one would describe as moving at sonic speeds) fell in times without Seattle-based players around.  Way back in the late 70s, when denim jackets were cool and people were just starting to hate ABBA, the Sonics were playing for championships.  Guys like "Downtown" Fred Brown and "No Town" Wally Walker were pushing the Sonics into the NBA's elite with staunch defense and a sound strategy of Let-Jack-Sikma-Do-Stuff.

The best Washington-born NBA player of the era? A tie between Steve Hawes and James Edwards, both sound players with long, anonymous careers.  Strange, but perhaps the basketball roots of Seattle were planted here, and the players would be coming soon, right?

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

A Few Tidbits from Around the Web

What an exciting time in the sports world. The regular season of college football is coming to an end and it looks like Western Washington University will finish with their second consecutive perfect season. The NFL regular season is in the heat the playoff races. Someone in the NFC West will go to the playoffs. The NHL is nearing their mid season. Basketball, both college and pro, is in full swing. The Seattle area team, the UW Huskies, looks to dominate the Pac-10. Even baseball has stuff happening. The winter meetings just finished up down in Orlando Florida.

With all this stuff going on in the wide wide world of sports, the internet has been plenty busy churning out sports related content. Here are a few note worthy links to check out.
  • On the Big League Stew, the Baltimore Orioles player Luke Scott exposes his birther side.
  • During the winter baseball meetings, Mike Salk from the 710 radio show Brock and Salk interviewed Jack Z. Red Mike's summary of their discussion here.
  • David Aldridge wrote a very interesting piece for NBA.com about the state of NBA basketball in Seattle.
  • After another big loss last Sunday, The Seattle Times sports columnist Jerry Brewer wrote this great review of the Seahawks season.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Evil Empire: The Adrian Gonzalez Trade

Cue "Baby Come Back" by Player
Years ago, the Red Sox brass created the nickname we all know today for the Yankees: the "Evil Empire."  It was an understandable name that sprung from everyone's frustration; the Yankees, with their financial wherewithal, were able to buy any player they wanted and cover up their mistakes thanks to their ridiculous budget.  Teams the like the Twins, who were forced to let players go in their prime because of budget restrictions, were unable to keep up with the way the Yankees ran their franchise.

However, the tables have, to some extent, turned nowadays.  Certainly, the Yankees still spend money like nobody's business, buying up free agents practically on a whim, but continue to use homemade players as their cornerstone (see Robinson Cano, Brett Gardner, etc.).  The Red Sox, for all their complaining, have become just as bad if not worse.  The Red Sox have continually displayed the same attitude to free agency as the Yankees of years past, throwing piles of money at guys like Daisuke Matsuzaka (total cost upwards of $100 million for a career 4.18 ERA) and J.D. Drew ($14 million a year for a .255 avg).

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Huskies Game 6 and 7: Hooray!

Nothing wakes up the Huskies like losing to the best.  After those close losses in Maui, the Huskies didn't miss a beat back at home, destroying Long Beach State just as they should of.  Once again, this game was total domination with really no down points, outside of Thomas continuing his questionable shot selection.  Otherwise, not much noteworthy in this game, though the excellent team play of the Huskies was a plus (7 players in double figures.) Furthermore, CJ Wilcox has a beautiful shot and, unlike Terrence Ross, knows exactly when to use it.  My goodness, he is everything I could have imagined.

Now, the Huskies have and always should destroy teams like Long Beach State.  It's games against Texas Tech that matter, and boy did the Huskies show up.  Another 100 plus points in this game, which actually made this the highest scoring team in Husky history (no other team had scored 100 points in 4 games before). 

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Cortland Finnegan vs Andre Johnson

By now most of you have probably already seen the Cortland Finnegan vs Andre Johnson fight (if you haven't check it out here). After being provoked all game by the Titan CB, Andre Johnson flipped in the fourth quarter. During the fight managed he to rip Finnegan's helmet off and get a couple of good shots at his head. The NFL's reaction to this fight was $25,000 fines for both players involved but withhold suspensions. My reaction was that this seemed like a fair enough penalty to Johnson's outburst but that it was about time someone whooped Cortland's ass!

Including his latest, Finnegan has already accumulated 4 fines this year, from the NFL, for his in game actions. According to the Tennessean, it brings his total up to $45,000. Some people have tried to defend Cortland by saying that the illegal hits and personal fouls are just unfortunate side effects that come along with someone playing that hard. This many fines does not happen to guys that are just playing hard. You do not accidentally continue to rake up the personnel fouls week after week. While on the field, Finnegan is one of the biggest bastards in the NFL. He ranks right up there with the Pittsburgh Steelers terrible twosome of Jerome Harrison and Hines Ward.

Finnegan's controversial style of play isn't a new thing. The Titans fifth year CB has been pestering opposing players with his dirty play ever since he came into the league in 2006.  This was at least his third incident against the Texans. In 2008 he was fined $25,000 for two vicious hits on QB Matt Schaub; and last season Finnegan managed to piss off the Texan's WR corps so much that one on play Andre Johnson threw him to the ground by the facemask and later Jacoby Jones threw a punch on the sidelines. The Titan's defensive back doesn't just reserve his dirty play for the Houston team. In 2008 he was involved in a fight with Reche Caldwell then of the Rams. In that same year he had an altercation with his own teammate. During a game against the Ravens, Finnegan screamed at the then defensive team captain Keith Bulluck. His notorious reputation dates back even further. After the 2007 season, in an ESPN story, respected WR Brandon Stokley also singled out Cortland Finnegan as a player with bad intentions.

When, like Cortland Finnegan, you constantly talk trash, shove guys in the face, tackle them late and resort to numerous other kinds of dirty play you are basically being a bully. Most players are going to shrug it off. They dont want to succumb to it. This is the right thing to do. The NFL is going to fine the offenders. The monetary penalties are designed to discourage these perpetrators.

However, money does not talk to all players. Take Cortland Finnegan (or James Harrison who has been fined $125,000 already this year). When the punishment for a dirty play does not discourage a player, that punishment is failing. Sometimes, someone just has to stand up and give that cheap player a taste of their own medicine. This is exactly what Andre Johnson did. He took matter into his own fists and tried to teach that little punk Cortland Finnegan a lesson.

Sources: The Tennessean, Yahoo Sports, ESPN