NBA Lockout is over!

            The NBA Lockout came to a merciful end last week. The two sides, the players and owners, came to a 10-year agreement that allows players to receive 51% of all revenue. There are a lot more numbers, statistics, and big words involved, but I don’t want to bore you, or myself. If you want to learn more about the agreement, check out this article: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/CBA-111128/how-new-nba-deal-compares-last-one

            A typical NBA season begins in November and each team plays 82 games. Now the season will begin on Christmas Day and each team will play 66 games.  The problem right now is that the new schedules have not been created. The only games set in stone are the ones on Christmas Day. Too bad the playoffs won’t be shorter.

            Preseason practice and the free-agency will begin on December 9^th.  Usually these two periods don’t begin on the same day, but because they do, it will lead to some interesting scenarios. For example, the New Orleans Hornets have only six contracted players. That means when practice begins on the morning of December 9^th, the Hornets will only have six players and their coaches. They won’t even have enough to run 5-on-5 drills.

            I’ll have more on the NBA when practices begin and the schedules are released.

0-11

            The Indianapolis Colts are 0-11 for the first time in more than 20 years, but does anybody care at this point? Honestly, it would be more shocking if they won at least one game rather than going 0-16. The Colts look worse and worse every game. After coming off a bye week, they lost to the Carolina Panthers 27-19. Now, with only five games left, changes are finally being made.

            
            Two announcements were made today regarding the Colts. The first was the firing of defensive coordinator, Larry Coyer. Hallelujah! I have already said I can’t stand the guy and his “Cover 2” defense. The Cover 2 has never worked for the Colts, not even when they went to the Super Bowl in 2006 and 2009. The only reason the Colts have been successful is because Peyton Manning and the offense made up for the defense underperforming. It’s time for the Colts to hire a guy that brings a new system and new mentality.

           

            The second decision made was that Dan Orlovsky will become the starting quarterback, and replace Curtis Painter. Painter has been pretty awful in the eight games he’s started this season. In those eight games, he has completed 54% of his passes, thrown for six touchdowns, thrown nine interceptions, and has fumbled three times. What those stats don’t show is how many bad throws Painter has made. He has a bad habit of always overthrowing the ball. A guy could be standing 5 yards away and Painter would still throw the ball right over his head. I think the only reason that has his completion percentage is above 50% is because he’s thrown so many dump off and screen passes.

            So now Orlovsky is given the reigns. The last time he started a game was back in 2008. That’s when he was the quarterback for the Detroit Lions team that finished 0-16. So the guy that was the quarterback for the worst team in NFL history is now quarterbacking a team trying claiming that title too? Awesome.

            I’m not sure what Orlovsky brings to the game that is any different than Painter, except a different name. He isn’t a mobile quarterback and he doesn’t have a rocket-arm. He’s just an average player who happens to the only other quarterback on the roster besides Painter. I feel like this is a last-ditch or lame duck move made by the Colts front office to show they still kind of care about the team.

            
            So what team does Orlovsky get to play first? The New England Patriots. The Patriots are 8-3 and one of the best teams in the AFC. They have scored at least 30 points in eight of their games this season, although their defense isn’t as prolific. But who needs a strong defense when nobody can stop your offense?

            The phrase “leading the sheep to slaughter” comes to mind when I think about this weekend’s game between the Colts and Patriots. You know Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and the rest of their team will be going 100% throughout the entire game. The Patriots are three-touchdown favorites, but I’d set the under/over for the amount of points the Pats score at 50. The Patriots are gonna smell blood, and they’re gonna go for the kill. I say the Patriots win the game 77-0 and break the Chicago Bears record of winning 73-0.

            

            On a lighter note, I got to meet Colts punter, Pat McAfee today! McAfee is probably the nicest professional athlete I have ever met. He seemed just as excited to meet me as I was to meet him and he talked to me like we had been friends forever. If you’re looking for somebody to cheer for on the dismal Colts roster; I highly suggest being a fan of McAfee’s.

That's Pat on the left.

2011 Old Oaken Bucket Game

            Indiana vs. Purdue is the rivalry in the state of Indiana, and one of the most heated rivalries in America.  The two universities have achieved about the same level of athletic success over the years, and the two are the premiere public universities in the state. They have been rivals ever since their existence, but that rivalry has been magnified because the two schools athletics programs compete against each other so often. There are four “traveling trophies”, like the Old Oaken Bucket. At the end of the season the “Crimson and Gold” Trophy is awarded to the school that has the most victories over the rival school.

            
            The Battle for the Old Oaken Bucket is a showdown that never gets any national media attention, mainly because both football teams are traditionally below average. This year is no different. That doesn’t mean it won’t be a fun game to watch though. Last year, both teams came into their final game with a 4-7 record and nothing to play for but pride. That game was won the Indiana Hoosiers in overtime, 34-31.

            
            The Hoosiers this season are a dismal 1-10. They have struggled all year to find success with new head coach Kevin Wilson. I.U.’s only victory is against South Carolina State. They have been beaten by Ball State and North Texas. Purdue has a 5-6 record and with a win against the Hoosiers they become bowl eligible. The Boilermakers best win was against Ohio State, but they also lost to Wisconsin 62-17.

            
            Both teams rely heavily on their mobile quarterbacks to score points. The Boilermakers typically use two quarterbacks to try and confuse defenses, Caleb TerBush and Robert Marve. TerBush has passed for 1600 yards and 11 touchdowns.  Marve has passed for 533 yards and three touchdowns. IU has used three different quarterbacks this season, Edward Wright-Baker, Tre Roberson, and Dusty Kiel. Obviously none of these guys have been able to produce a lot of offensive success. Roberson has started the past four games and will most likely get the start against Purdue.

            
            The Purdue Boilermakers and Indiana Hoosiers football teams face off for the 114^th time Saturday in Bloomington.  Check out the game on the Big Ten Network at 3:30 on Saturday.

My predicted score: Purdue-34, Indiana-28

UPDATE: Purdue beat Indiana 33-25 to win the 2011 Old Oaken Bucket and become bowl-eligible.

Thanksgiving Football

            For the first time in a long time, there are significant football games being played on Thanksgiving. That’s right; there will be something other than your crazy uncle to entertain the family. Along with the three NFL games on Thanksgiving, there are also plenty of tasty college football matchups to watch in the second to last week of the season.

Thursday

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions-12:30 on FOX. The Packers come in with the league’s best record (10-0) and the league’s best quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. The Lions (7-3) have one of the best defensive lines the NFL and they will need to bring their best game and put pressure on Rodgers.

Miami Dolphins at Dallas Cowboys- 4:15 on CBS. The Dolphins started 0-7 and appeared to be the Colts biggest competition for the number one draft pick. They then put in backup quarterback Matt Moore and have won three straight. The Cowboys have been up and down all year and come into this game with a 6-4 record. If quarterback Tony Romo can play at the same level he did against the Bills two weeks ago, the Cowboys should have no problem winning.

San Francisco 49ers at Baltimore Ravens- 8:20 on NFL. For the first time in NFL history, two brothers will go to face each other as opposing head coaches. Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers have stunned the world as they have become one of the best teams in the league, and have a 9-1 record. John Harbaugh continues to lead the superb Ravens, as they are currently on top of the AFC North and have a 7-3 record. This could be a preview of the Super Bowl.

#25 Texas Longhorns at Texas A&M Aggies- 8:00 on ESPN. These two teams have been playing each other for more than 100 years, but this will be the final game in the series. Both teams are bowl-eligible but aren’t playing for much more than pride.

UPDATE- Packers beat the Lions 27-15. Cowboys beat the Dolphins 20-19. Ravens beat the 49ers 16-6. Longhorns beat the Aggies 27-25.

Friday

Big East Conference games- This conference can be won by any of five teams, and every team in the conference can still become bowl-eligible. There are games Friday and Saturday and all should be fairly fun to watch.

#3 Arkansas Razorbacks at #1 LSU Tigers- 3:30 on CBS. This will be a game that has huge national title implications. If the Razorbacks win, that opens the door for them and Alabama to slide into the Top 2 in the BCS Rankings. If LSU wins, they win the SEC West and face Georgia next week for the SEC Championship. Arkansas has the best offense in the SEC, and LSU has the best defense in the country.

UPDATE- The Big East race got a little clearer. If Louisville wins next Saturday they win the conference and a BCS Bowl Bid. LSU beat Arkansas 41-17 and will play in the SEC Championship.

Saturday

Ohio State Buckeyes at #15 Michigan Wolverines- 12:00 on ABC. It isn’t a shocker that Ohio State comes in to this game as the underdog, and with a record of 6-5. However, Michigan being 9-2 and ranked 15^th is a huge surprise. Nobody expected new head coach Brady Hoke to turn the program around so quickly. Michigan has Denard Robinson on offense, and a pretty stout defense to back him up. They have lost to Ohio State eight straight times, so this will be a great opportunity to end that streak.

#2 Alabama Crimson Tide at #24 Auburn Tigers- 3:30 on CBS. Alabama has hopes of playing in the national title, but they have to get past Auburn first. Last year Alabama cruised to a huge lead, but Auburn came roaring back in the second half to win the game. This year Alabama is a much better team, and Auburn is a little worse. The Crimson Tide should have no problem beating the Tigers.

#5 Virginia Tech Hokies at Virginia Cavaliers- 3:30 ABC. Whoever wins the Commonwealth Cup will also win the ACC Coastal Division. That team also gets the chance to play Clemson for the ACC Championship.

#19 Penn State Nittany Lions at #16 Wisconsin Badgers- 3:30 on ESPN. Whoever wins this game wins the Big 10 Legends Division, and gets to play Michigan State next week for the Big 10 Championship. The Penn State has one of the best defenses in the country, but they will be tested by one of the most underrated offenses in the country. Penn State will need their offense to be productive if they expect to win.

Purdue Boilermakers at Indiana Hoosiers- 3:30 on the Big 10 Network- I will have a more detailed story of the Old Oaken Bucket later in the week.

#22 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at #4 Stanford Cardinal- 8:00 on ESPN. Same as the Purdue-Indiana game.

Other notable Saturday games: Iowa State at #9 Oklahoma, #13 Georgia at #23 Georgia Tech, #17 Clemson at #12 South Carolina, UCLA at USC.

UPDATE: Michigan beat Ohio State, Alabama blew out Auburn, Virginia Tech shutout Virginia, Wisconsin dominated Penn State, Purdue won by a touchdown, Stanford handled Notre Dame, Oklahoma beat Iowa State, Georgia beat Georiga Tech, South Carolina beat Clemson, and USC beat UCLA.

Sunday

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets- 1:00 on CBS. The Bills started 6-2 but have lost three straight. The Jets started 5-3 but have lost two straight. Both teams are desperate to get back on track and win. This game will also have big implications in the AFC Wildcard race as it’s unlikely either team will win the AFC East.

Chicago Bears at Oakland Raiders- 4:05 on Fox. The Bears have been demolishing opponents lately but their quarterback, Jay Cutler, got injured in the last game and could be out the rest of the season. That means their backup quarterback, Caleb Hanie, will get to start. The Raiders are on their third quarterback of the season with Carson Palmer after the starter and backup got injured. Both teams are playing great, but are flying under the radar as Super Bowl contenders.

Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers- 4:15 on CBS. The Broncos, led by Tim Tebow, have won three straight to move to second in the AFC West. The San Diego Chargers are heading in the completely opposite direction. They have lost five straight and are third in the AFC West, just above the dismal Chiefs. If the Broncos win, they may put the nail in the Charger’s coffin for the 2011 season.

New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles- 4:15 on CBS.  Just when you think the 4-6 Eagles can be thrown out of the playoff picture, they get a much needed and improbable win against the Giants. I hate to say it, but if the Eagles can beat the Patriots they could still make the playoffs by running the table and finishing 10-6 to sneak into the playoffs.

UPDATE: Jets beat the Bills, Raiders beat the Bears, Broncos beat the Chargers, and the Patriots beat the Eagles. It's pretty to safe to say the Eagles are out of playoff contention and the Chargers are about to be too.

            It’s a great weekend to do nothing but eat food, hang with family and friends, and watch football. Have a great Thanksgiving weekend everybody!

2011 Sprint Cup Season Review

             Tony Stewart is the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion! Stewart claimed the third title of his Hall of Fame career and added his name to a list of incredible drivers with three or more championships. Stewart became the first owner/driver to win the Sprint Cup Championship since 1992. Stewart is also the first champion without the last name of Johnson to win a championship since 2005.

            
            Everybody knew that the final race at Homestead-Miami was going to be a battle between Stewart and Edwards, but it was one of the most incredible races I’ve ever seen.

            Edwards started from the pole and led just about the first 100 laps of the 267 lap race. In the mean time, Stewart fought his way from the back of the pack twice. The first time was for a mistake on pit road and the second time was because his crew had to repair his front grille. Eventually Stewart was right up in the front with Edwards and both fought desperately to lead more laps than each other. On restarts the two would go three-wide to pass slower cars and race back up to the lead. The two stuck to each other like glue. Whenever Stewart gained a position on Edwards, in less than a lap Edwards would be right back behind Stewart, or vice versa.

            With about 30 laps left, Stewart was in first and Edwards was in second. At this point, whoever won the race would win the Championship. For 30 continuous laps, two of the best drivers in the world pushed the limits of their cars, themselves, and their opponent. With 5 laps to go, Stewart was still and first and Edwards trailed him by only one second. 3 to go and the distance remained the same. You could start to feel that Edwards had nothing left for Stewart. Stewart got the white flag and never let up. He came off of Turn 4 to the checkered flag and only when he crossed the finish line then did know he that the Championship was his.

            Stewart celebrated like a true champion, and Edwards acted like a champion too. Both drivers are class-acts and deserve the success they had this season. Congrats to Tony Stewart, the #14 Office Depot team, and Stewart/Haas Racing!

           

            
            Tony Stewart winning the Championship was just one of the many headlines the Sprint Cup season had. Here are some of those other stories that made 2011 great. Brad Keselowski, David Ragan, Paul Menard, Marcos Ambrose, Trevor Bayne, and Regan Smith all won the first races of their Sprint Cup careers. Jeff Gordon won twice during the season and moved himself up to third on the all-time win list. Kasey Kahne broke his win drought and won a race for the soon-to-be-extinct Red Bull Race Team. Jimmie Johnson’s five-year Championship streak ended. Kyle Busch was punished by NASCAR and his sponsors for his on-track antics.

            
            My favorite stories from the 2011 season are Trevor Bayne winning the Daytona 500, Regan Smith winning the Southern 500, and Johnson’s streak ending.

            
            The first race of the season is also NASCAR’s most prestigious, the Daytona 500. This is a race that every driver dreams of winning. Nobody EVER dreamed that 19-year old Trevor Bayne, in his first Sprint Cup start of his career, would join the ranks of Daytona 500 winner. The race was full of wrecks that took out the best competition, but Bayne survived and crossed the line in first place. Bayne, a kid from Tennessee who loves God and always has a smile on his face, went from a no-name to household name in less than 24 hours. The week following Daytona, Bayne made appearances on “SportsCenter”, “David Letterman”, “Good Morning America”, and more.

            
            Less than three months later, another feel good story was made. Regan Smith is 28 years old and winner of the 2008 Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year. Last season he began driving the #78 car for Furniture Row Racing based out of Colorado, the only race team in NASCAR not headquartered in North Carolina. Smith put himself and his company on the map when he one of NASCAR’s most prestigious and oldest races, the Southern 500 at Darlington Speedway. Darlington was NASCAR’s original superspeedway and one of the most challenging tracks on the schedule. Who would have thought a guy with less two and a half years experience and an upstart, one-car team could win there? Well that’s just what Smith did. On the final restart, Smith held off Carl Edwards for two laps and won the race.

             
            Johnson fell out of contention for the Championship about four races ago but it still doesn’t seem right that he is not the champion. Johnson had two wins and about a dozen Top 5 finishes, but was not able to finish in the Top 5 consistently once the Chase started. Johnson finished the season 6^th in points, his lowest finish since his rookie year in 2001. In each of the past ten seasons he has finished 6^th or higher in the points standings. That may be more impressive than five straight championships.

            
            Along with those great stories, there were also a lot of great races. My favorite race was the Fall Atlanta race. This was a race that was run on the Tuesday after Labor Day because rain had postponed it from being run Sunday. The race was won by Jeff Gordon, which was his 85^th of his career. How he did it was way more impressive though. Gordon had to hold off a hard-charging Jimmie Johnson for the last 20 laps. The guys were driving on worn tires and you could see their cars sliding up the track coming out of every turn searching for grip. A couple of times Johnson was able to pull alongside Gordon but he never had the speed to get all the way past him.

            This race reminded me a lot of the Gordon-Earnhardt “rivalry” in the late 90’s. Back then it was Earnhardt giving the torch to Gordon, now it’s Gordon handing the torch off to his teammate Jimmie Johnson. Earnhardt and Gordon would rough it up sometimes, but the two had a mutual respect and understanding for their opponent. The same can be said for Gordon and Johnson.

            What was your favorite moment of the past year? What was your favorite race? Let me know in the comments section.

            I will have another article posted that details some of those moves that have been done and some that are expected to be made in the off-season before Daytona in February.

Basketball news

            As the NBA Lockout gets worse and worse every week, college basketball is stepping up as America’s main form of basketball entertainment. The season started off on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier with the match-up of North Carolina and Michigan State. North Carolina won the game in deciding fashion but it was a really awesome spectacle to behold. 

            On the other side of the country in Madison Square Garden, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski won his 903^rd game of his coaching career. Also partaking in the games at The Garden that night were Kentucky and Kansas. Kentucky won that game and right now appear to be one of the best teams in the country.

            

            The season is still very young. Who knows what will happen when teams start playing equal or better competition, or how the conferences will shuffle around. My hats go off to the men and women that cover the entire college basketball scene. There are over 300 schools that partake in Division-1 basketball, and they are separated into over 20 conferences. Knowing how each school is performing and who their best players are takes a lot of time researching. That being said, I will mostly be focusing on Indiana and Big 10 teams. But like I have done in the first two paragraphs, I will touch on the teams that are the best in America periodically.

            

            Here is how I would rank the D-1 basketball teams in Indiana, as of all games played thru November 16^th.

Notre Dame (3-0) - I’m not just putting them here because they’re my favorite team, it’s because they are the best team. Last season they were one of the Top 5 teams in the powerhouse Big East Conference and earned a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. This season they return two starting seniors, Scott Martin and Tim Abromaitis, who will have to be leaders for the younger players on the team. The Irish have beaten Mississippi Valley State, Detroit, and Sam Houston State. Their first big tests come November 21th against Missouri and then November 30^th against Gonzaga.

Purdue (2-0) - The Boilermakers finished 2^nd in the Big 10 last year and were lead by JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore. Those two were drafted and this team is now lead by fifth-year senior Robbie Hummel. Most people outside of Indiana have probably never heard of this guy, but that’s not because he isn’t good. Hummel has missed the past two seasons because of injury. He has the potential to be one of the best players in the Big 10 and if he lives up to that potential he can take Purdue far. Purdue has beaten Northern Illinois and High Point. Their next big game is December 3^rd against Xavier.

- Purdue beat Iona 91-90. This team has to perform better if they expect to even be competitive once conference play starts.

Indiana (3-0) - The Hoosiers began the long road back to relevance three years ago when Tom Crean took over as head coach. In his three seasons so far the Hoosiers have finished 6-25, 10-21, and 12-20. The only bright side to those records is at least the team is winning more games each season. This year Crean has one of the best freshmen in the country at his disposal, Cody Zeller. Zeller was touted as one of the best recruits in the country and he is probably the best player currently at IU. Hopefully Indiana can get to 15 wins this season and out of the Big 10 basement. Indiana has beaten Stony Brook, Chattanooga, and Evansville. Their first test comes December 10^th against Kentucky, but in a game they have a chance to win watch their December 17^th matchup with Notre Dame.

Butler (1-1) - The Bulldogs have played in the past two national championship games, but yet they NEVER get the respect they deserve. If any other team in the country even made it to the Final 4 two years in a row they would be praised like gods. This team will go as far as their coach and leader, Brad Stevens, takes them. Stevens is one of the best coaches in America, and I think he will really earn that title this year. The Bulldogs are missing their best players from the last two seasons and players are going to have to step up. Butler has lost to Evansville but beat Chattanooga. They take on Louisville November 19^th at home and if they can win that game they will prove they should be taken seriously. If they lose that one their next big game is against Xavier, December 7^th.

Now we hit the teams I know nothing about.

Indiana State (2-0) - The Sycamores finished 20-13 and won the Mountain Valley Conference Championship last season. The Sycamores haven’t played any real competition so it’s hard to judge how good they actually are. They play Texas Tech next week and Vanderbilt in mid- December. They start conference play on December 28^th.

Valparaiso (2-1) – Valpo went 23-11 and nearly won the Horizon Championship in 2010. This year the Crusaders are hoping to beat in-state rival Butler for that title. The Crusaders’ two wins come against cupcakes and their lone loss it to Arizona by nine points. The first big test comes against Ohio State on November 25^th. They then start conference play on December 3^rd against Butler.

Evansville (1-1) - This team beat Butler, but I don’t think they’re necessarily better. The Purple Aces finished 16-16 last season and their only quality win was again a win against Butler. The only strong opponent the Aces have before conference play is North Carolina, which I highly doubt they’ll win. Evansville competes in the Missouri Valley and their conference play starts December 29^th.

IPFW (1-1) and IUPUI (1-1) - I’m putting these two schools together because neither is great and both are satellite schools of the same universities. IPFW= Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. IUPUI= Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. IUPUI had a couple of good seasons a few years ago when NBA start George Hill was on the team. Since then they have not been nearly as good. Last year IPFW finished 18-12 and IUPUI 19-14. The IPFW Mastodons get some chances at semi-quality wins when they take on Iowa, Valparaiso, and Purdue. IUPUI gets their chance at big wins when take on Georgetown and Louisville.

Ball State (0-1) - The Cardinals should be winning their conference every year. They play in the MAC and I couldn’t even tell you which team won the MAC title last year. No matter who won, Ball State is in a basketball state with a lot of talented players. There is no reason why a school the size of Ball State isn’t more competitive.

            The 2011 season has only just begun, and there is still 5 months until the NCAA Tournament starts so anything can happen. I will post new stories periodically and update my “Hoosier State Rankings” (that name is a work in progess).

          

Sprint Cup Series Finale

            What started nine months ago is about to come to fantastic end. No, nobody’s pregnant. It's the season finale of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This final race will decide one of the closes championship races in the history of the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. Carl Edwards is in first place, but Tony Stewart is only three points back. In the points system, each position is awarded one points. 1^st place gets 43 points, 2^nd gets 42, 3^rd gets 41. You get the picture.

Here’s a list created by NASCAR.com that shows every scenario that could play out Sunday.

• If Edwards finishes ahead of Stewart, Edwards win the championship.

• If Stewart wins the race, he wins the championship.

• If Stewart ties Edwards, Stewart wins the championship.

• If Edwards leads a lap, Stewart needs to finish four spots ahead of him if Stewart doesn't lead a lap.

• If Edwards leads the most laps, Stewart needs to finish five spots ahead of him if Stewart doesn't lead a lap.

• If Stewart leads a lap, he needs to finish two spots ahead of Edwards if Edwards doesn't lead a lap.

• If Stewart leads the most laps, he needs to finish one spot ahead of Edwards if Edwards doesn't lead a lap.

• If both Stewart and Edwards lead a lap, Stewart needs to finish three spots ahead of Edwards.

• If both Stewart and Edwards lead the most laps, Stewart needs to finish three spots ahead of Edwards.

• If Stewart leads the most laps and Edwards leads a lap, Stewart needs to finish two spots ahead of Edwards.

• If neither Edwards nor Stewart lead a lap, Stewart must finish three spots ahead of Edwards.

            Luckily, it won’t be that confusing watching the race. There will be some kind of graphic displayed that shows a real time look at the points standings throughout the whole race.

            
            If I had to choose one of the drivers to cheer for it would be Edwards since I picked him to win it all right before the Chase started. He’s also never won the championship before, while Stewart has won it twice. No matter who wins it, most of the NASCAR family will be happy that Jimmie Johnson didn’t.

            
Catch the race on ESPN this Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Then be sure to check back next week for a season review and a look at what’s going down before Daytona in February.

Indianapolis Colts Mid-Season Review

           The Indianapolis Colts have reached the pinnacle of bad teams. They are 0-10 and officially the worst team in the NFL. They are worse than the 2-7 Rams, the 2-7 Panthers, and the 2-7 Dolphins. They rank 31^st in total offense, 29^th in total defense, 30^th in points scored, and 32^nd in points allowed. They lost to the New Orleans Saints 62-7. They lost to the Texans 34-7 in a game that could have easily been worse. They lost to the Atlanta Falcons 31-7. Last week they lost to the freaking Jacksonville Jaguars 17-3. It pains me to write all that because there were real dreams of being the first team to play in the Super Bowl in their own city. There cannot be another team in NFL history that has gone from being so good to being so lousy in just one season.

           

            I don’t even know where to start with the Colts. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is going right. Quarterback Curtis Painter is horrible (I’m eating my words after praising him), the offensive line is underperforming, there is no running game, wide receivers are dropping passes every game, linebackers don’t know how to tackle, and cornerbacks don’t know how to cover receivers. There have been mental and physical breakdowns at every position by every player.

Offense

            A team’s offense only goes as far its quarterback allows it, and with Curtis Painter, that offense is stuck in the mud. I pleaded and pleaded that Painter be the starter since Week 1 because I believed he was the best QB on the team besides the injured Peyton Manning. Painter did eventually to start Week 4 against Tampa Bay and performed well as he threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns. Although the Colts lost and dropped to 0-4, it seemed like Painter could win some games. Painter threw for another two touchdowns against the Chiefs, and then one more against the Bengals. That “success” came to a screeching halt in Week 8 against the Saints. In that game Painter threw an interception, fumbled the ball, and threw for less than 100 yards and no touchdowns.

            In the three games since, Painter has combined for five interceptions, no touchdowns, and just 440 yards. Somehow, Painter has gotten worse and worse each game. When he first started playing he looked comfortable in the pocket and in control of the offense, now he looks confused and seems to be hurrying passes. I’m not exactly sure what’s going on with him. How can you go from nearly beating the Buccaneers and Chiefs to being dominated by the Titans, Falcons, and Jaguars?

            
            Part of Painter’s problem is he is not getting the necessary protection from his offensive line, who has struggled since the beginning of the season, partly because this unit has been riddled with injuries since the preseason. Right now the Colts only have nine offensive linemen on the depth chart, which means guard Joe Reitz has no backup. Another issue is the lack of experience and playing time several of the players have. Reitz is only in his second year, Jeff Linkenbaum is in his third, and Anthony Castonzo is a rookie. Even though Jeff Saturday and Ryan Diem have more than 20 years experience between them, neither has ever played with any other quarterback besides Peyton Manning.

            
            The wide receiving corps has underperformed this year too, but I’m not too shocked by that. It’s been a pretty well-known fact the receivers for the Colts owe many of their high statistics to Peyton Manning. In the handful of games I have watched I have seen countless passes dropped by Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, and Dallas Clark. These guys are supposed to have the best hands on the team but sometimes they play like they’ve just eaten a Butterfinger on the sideline. Painter may make some bad throws, but he doesn’t get a lot of help from his receivers.

            
            Finally, the running game for Indianapolis has been absolutely nonexistent. At least you could sometimes count on the receivers to make a big play, but none of the running backs for the Colts have excelled at any point this season. Joseph Addai has not and will never be an elite running back. In fact, he probably wouldn’t be a starter on half of the teams in the NFL. His back up, Donald Brown, has worn out his welcome. He has never proved to me that he has enough talent to even be in the NFL. He’s too small to break tackles and too slow to run by anybody. The only guy that has impressed me this season is Delone Carter. He won’t ever be a Pro-Bowler but he has potential. The Colts need to get rid of Addai and Brown and draft a legit running back.

Defense

            As bad as the offense has been, this unit has been even worse. Indianapolis has never had a good defense since I’ve been watching them play. Even in 2006 and 2010 when the Colts went to the Super Bowl, the defense struggled mightily at times. With no offensive production, it’s been made obvious how inferior the defense is compared to other teams.The only bright spot is the defensive line. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis have both played to their highest ability all season, just like they have during their entire careers. They put constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks; they force fumbles, and get sacks. Another guy that I have noticed putting up a good effort is defensive tackle Drake Nevis.

            The linebackers and secondary have struggled in every aspect all season. Linebackers miss tackles and don’t wrap. They let tight ends get by them. They don’t cover underneath receivers or screen passes. Many of them act like they don’t know how to play the position. The cornerbacks and safeties are the same. None of them can play adequate one-on-one defense against any receiver. None can tackle anybody. Again, none of them seem like they know what they’re doing.  

Coaching

            That title is an oxymoron, as the coaching this year has been invisible. Head coach Jim Caldwell is a lousy excuse of a coach. I was not a big fan of Tony Dungy, and I have never been a fan of his protégée, Caldwell. Caldwell coaches the same way that Dungy did, with “quiet leadership”. He very seldom gets angry or yells at his players. In fact, he rarely shows any kind of emotion. Look around the NFL and check out all the good teams, such as the Packers, Steelers, Ravens, 49ers, and Patriots. They all have coaches that are emotional and are leaders. Caldwell is neither, and that is blatantly obvious this year. I don’t care that this is only Caldwell’s third year and his best player is out, the awfulness of the Colts starts with him.

-The Colts really missed out a great opportunity last year when Jim Harbaugh decided to leave Stanford and coach an NFL team. How great would it have been to bring Harbaugh back to where he played at?

            
            While I’m complaining about coaches, the guy that REALLY needs to go is defensive coordinator (there’s another oxymoron), Larry Coyer. Coyer has been a part of 17 coaching staffs since 1965. That averages out to a new team/school every 3 seasons. Usually when a team has a great coordinator or coach, he sticks around a few years. Maybe most teams realized what the Colts haven’t, that this guy sucks. If the Colts do keep Coyer than they HAVE to change their defensive scheme. They need to get rid of the “Cover 2” and play something else.

Front Office

            Owner Jim Irsay and team president Bill Polian have obviously not been doing their job. I don’t care how great Peyton Manning is, there is no way this team, or any team, should be this awful. The Colts being winless is a perfect example of how these two have gotten lazy in the past few years because they knew they could always win with Peyton.

            
            In the last six NFL drafts, the Colts have acquired 46 players. Of those I count 23 that have had a positive impact, or at least enough of an impact that I know who they are. Of those 46, only 2 have been to the Pro Bowl. Of those 46, only 25 remain on the team. I’m not sure how all that compares to other teams in the NFL, but in my opinion that shows poor drafting skills.

            
            I’m about to start rambling so you can skip this paragraph if you want. My biggest pet peeve about who the Colts draft is they NEVER get anybody from the best conferences in college football. In the six drafts since 2006, seven players came from the SEC, three from the Big 12, eight from the Big 10, and five from the Pac 12. Nobody is from Alabama, Oregon, Florida, Penn State, or Texas. Heck there’s nobody from Notre Dame! The Colts HAVE to start looking at players that come from college football’s power conferences and from those teams I listed. The kids on those teams play the best competition week in and week out. They start their college careers as recruits and they graduate NFL-ready. Enough with drafting players like Pierre Garcon, Donald Brown, Joe Lefeged, and David Caldwell who played for schools that don’t have strong football programs. None of them have the talent to play in the NFL.

-The only exceptions to this rule would be offensive lineman Ryan Diem and kicker Adam Vinatieri. Diem has been pretty good over the years and played college ball at Northern Illinois. Vinatieri is one of the best field goal kickers ever and was drafted out of South Dakota State.

            
            Irsay and Polian owe it to the city of Indianapolis and fans of the Colts to put together a better team than what they have. I have faith that Irsay will work diligently to field a competitive team, but I’m not so sure about Polian.

           

            
            There are still six games left on the Colts schedule, but there is no incentive or reason to win any of them. The only incentive is to lose games so the franchise can have the number one pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Colts are a team full of players that have no leaders. It’s just about a bunch of guys going out and doing the bare minimum to get a pay check. I will not watch one more Colts game this season. Why should I put in any effort to cheer them on when they don’t put out the same effort?

            
            My lack of interest is the exact opposite of many Colts fans. The only thing about having a horrible season is that you learn who the true fans are. The fans that will watch each game like it’s their last and that the Colts have as good as chance to win as they ever did. The fans that will wear their Colts gear everyday with the same amount of pride they did after the Super Bowl win in 2006. Or you could say that I’m realistic and why should I waste my time watching my favorite team lose?

Indiana Ice

             On Friday night I attended an Indiana Ice game. For those of you who don’t have a clue who the Ice are, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. I’m doing some research on semi-pro hockey in Indianapolis and I am learning a whole bunch that some of you may find very interesting. So before I get to the game, I’m gonna do a history lesson.
            There has been a minor league hockey team in Indianapolis since 1939 when the Indiana Capitals were created. Their home, the Pepsi Coliseum (which has an incredible history all its own), was built in 1939 and still stands today at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The Capitals played in the International-American Hockey League and then the American League until 1952. They won their league championship twice, in 1942 and 1950.
            As far as I can tell there was no hockey team until the Indianapolis Racers were formed in 1974 and lasted until 1978. They did not play at Pepsi Coliseum though; they played their games at Market Square Arena which was located in downtown Indianapolis. This was because the team was part of the World Hockey Association, a major-league professional hockey league that rivaled the National Hockey League (which still exists today). The Racers had great records after each of their seasons but they never won a league championship. In the middle of the ’79 season, the team declared bankruptcy and never recovered. Since then Indianapolis has never had a major league hockey team. The Racers are best known for the signing of hockey legends Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky attended my alma mater, Broad Ripple High School for a couple of years while he played for the Racers, how cool is that??  
            After the Racers went away, the Indianapolis Checkers were created.  The Checkers played from 1979 to 1984 in the Central Hockey League. They won the CHL Championship twice, in 1982 and 1983. The Checkers then moved to the International Hockey League where they played from 1984 to 1987. After the ’87 season the team was moved to Colorado.
            In 1988, the Indianapolis Ice was formed. The team played in the International Hockey League for one season and then moved into the Central Hockey League where they remained until 2004. Their main home was the Pepsi Coliseum, but they also played games at Market Square Arena and Conseco Fieldhouse.
            In 2004, the current Indiana Ice was created from the purchase of the Danville (Illinois) Red Wings. The Ice are a part of the Eastern Division in the United State Hockey League. The Ice’s first three seasons all produced losing records, but since then the team has averaged 37 wins and 19 losses. The Ice also won the USHL Championship in 2009. Hopefully this is a team that sticks around for a while.

            Alright, so now I’ll talk about what I actually saw. The Ice took on the Green Bay Gamblers in a matchup that was decided in overtime. In the first period the Gamblers took a quick 1-0 lead, but almost immediately the Ice retaliated as they scored three straight to take a 3-1 lead. Right before the period ended the Gamblers scored and only trailed by one.
            In the second period the teams learned how to play defense as only one goal was scored, which was by the Ice. Heading into the third period the score was 4-2. That’s when the Ice began to collapse. The Gamblers scored two goals to tie the game, one coming with just four minutes left in the period. With a 4-4 tie, the game went into overtime. In overtime, the Gamblers made quick work of Indiana’s defense and scored the game-winning goal in less than three minutes.
            Even though the Ice lost, it was still a great time. I have only been to four hockey games, one was earlier in April when I saw the St. Louis Blues play and the other two were at least eight years ago when I saw the Ice play. For this last Ice game though I got to sit right on the ice, which to put bluntly, it was awesome. It is an exhilarating experience watching players being slammed into the Plexiglas wall right in front of you. I strongly recommend that everybody sit right on the ice at a hockey game sometime in their life, it is something you will not forget.

Notre Dame vs. Maryland preview

            Before we get to this week’s preview, here’s how the season has gone after ten weeks.

            
            The Fighting Irish are in a football purgatory of sorts. The Irish stand at 6-3 and have three games left. Although it hasn’t been a bad season thus far, it has been far from great. The Irish dropped their first two games to South Florida and Michigan. At 0-2 most fans were ready to jump ship and smack the panic button, but fortunately the Irish defeated then #15 Michigan State. Notre Dame continued to win as they beat Purdue, Pittsburgh, and Air Force.

            
            The Irish had restored peace in the Blue and Gold universe, just in time for when USC came to town. In that game the Irish were beaten on all fronts and lost 31-17. After the loss the record for the season was 4-3. Three losses basically takes a team out of contention to going to a BCS Bowl (A Bowl Championship Series Bowl Game is one of five of the most prestigious bowl games. They are the Rose, Orange, Sugar, Fiesta, and national championship). A BCS Bowl was one of the goals the team made before the season and was an expectation of nearly all Notre Dame fans.

            
            Last week the Irish beat Wake Forest and face Maryland this week. Next week’s opponent is Boston College. Those three ACC teams have a combined record of 9-18, so even if the Irish win the next two games and move to 8-3, they won’t earn much respect. The final game of the season is at Stanford. Stanford is one of the best teams in the country and if Notre Dame can win, or at least keep the game close, that will earn more respect and attention than winning those other games.

            
            So why are the Irish in a state of “purgatory” or "limbo"? If the season ended right now Notre Dame would be invited to play in the Champs Sports Bowl. If Notre Dame finished 9-3 they will most likely still play in the Champs Sports Bowl. The only way Notre Dame can get to a better bowl game would be to finish 9-3 and be ranked in the Top 14 in the BCS Rankings at the end of the season. Champs Sports Bowl here we come!

            
            There isn’t much to preview for the game this Saturday against Maryland, or even next week against Boston College. This week’s game is being played at FedEx Field in Washington D.C. as part of the “Shamrock Series”. I have no idea what the Shamrock Series is, but apparently it’s the reason Notre Dame is wearing a special helmet this week.

The helmet that will be worn for the Maryland game

The endzone art has been painted for Notre Dame. I wonder if the Redskins logo will be there for the game.

            
            The Irish need to just play a complete game on both sides of the ball and try not to beat themselves. They are the superior team and can win this game easily. If they win and move to 7-3, maybe they’ll finally get back into the Top 25.