The term stacking is a very emotive term in sport and one I associate with American sports. The term it's self means playing players in a sports team in a specific position because of their race or ethnic background. For example in American football black players were often associated to positions with low cognitive requirements and decision making but ones which needed speed, power and jumping ability such as wide receiver and running back. While on the other hand white players were seen to be more intelligent and so controlled positions like the quarterback. To demonstrate this point the first black quarterback did not win a Super Bowl until Doug Williams won it in 1987 with the Washington Redskins.
Today's blog is inspired by a student at school who educated myself on the fact this American term has been linked in English culture and sport. Prior to the industrial revolution when cricket was played as a recreational activity players from working class and middle class backgrounds played in the same team. However working class players experienced the stacking affect, middle class gentlemen took all the positions of power such as bowler and top order batsmen while working class gentlemen were fielders. While stacking in America took place due to race and stereotypes of perceived abilities of these racial groups stacking in cricket took place because of power. Middle class gentlemen needed to always display their power over the working class and so held these more powerful positions.
In comparison both have one thing in common they are dated terms. Even football has rules in place that currently prevent stacking from taking place and having a negative impact on the sport. The Rooney rule requires NFL franchises to interview someone from a minority ethnic group for the position of head coach, the position which requires most intelligence and decision making. However it's not a dated term in accordance to some research.
Some recent research found that stacking still takes place in Britain within cricket. The findings suggest that certain racial groups are associated with certain positions, it must be noted that this is only specific to Britain. The research found that Asian players are typically associated with high status batters and "Black" players are associated with low status bowlers. The research did state that this is not because of a player centrality theory but more to do with historical and geographical influences. In particular Asian players coming to Britain from the sub continent and "Black" players coming from the West Indies.
The linked was made that historically the West Indies produced bowlers and these bowlers flourished in English conditions and hence held down the bowling positions. While countries like India and Pakistan traditionally exported batters and so took up these roles in England. The stacking affect is clearly taking place players are playing certain positions because of their background.
Who would of thought it, that a term typically associated with America and in years pasts actually has place all be it a different term in modern Britain.
Thursday 28 February 2013
Wednesday 27 February 2013
Combine winners
The combine has finished after a very long and busy weekend and it has sent us all to YouTube or contacting anyone who has some game film to watch on certain players. My opinion on the combine is no one is a loser. Even if a player did not measure up or test as predicted it means scouts will go and watch more game film on that player to check if they have missed anything. Ultimately the player has achieved what they wanted, potential employers watching them play football.
I do believe though certain people come away from the combine as big winners and these are generally easy to spot because the incredible amount of buzz surrounding a player. I'm going to discuss my winners this evening.
1. Manti Te'o. The most watched aspect of the combine was his press conference following of the drama that was created from the cat fish scandal. I personally believe he handled it very well, he discussed the issue when reporters asked him about it but at the same time moved the topic of conversation on to focus on football. He appeared as if he had finally put the issue to bed and could focus on his football. He handled the situation well and teams wanted to talk about him as a footballer not a young person who made a silly mistake.
2. Tavon Austin. The wide receiver blow the forty up by nearly breaking Chris Johnson time and setting a sub 4.35 time. This is the event that gets most media attention and so if you want scouts to look at you this is the event to dominate. As the NFL gets quicker and faster teams look for explosive players and they will build plays around them. In less than four and a half seconds Austin increased his draft stock and earned himself a lot of money.
3. Dee Milliner. One of the question marks Milliner had against him entering the draft is his straight line speed. The best way to answer that is to set a fast forty time and he did this. His time of 4.37 now answers all scouts problems with his speed, I fully expect him to not run a forty at his pro day and to be really happy with this time. I still have other questions on Milliner such as is he a product of a brilliant system and is inexperience with his back pedal. However there is no doubt with this forty time Milliner is a winner from the combine.
I do believe though certain people come away from the combine as big winners and these are generally easy to spot because the incredible amount of buzz surrounding a player. I'm going to discuss my winners this evening.
1. Manti Te'o. The most watched aspect of the combine was his press conference following of the drama that was created from the cat fish scandal. I personally believe he handled it very well, he discussed the issue when reporters asked him about it but at the same time moved the topic of conversation on to focus on football. He appeared as if he had finally put the issue to bed and could focus on his football. He handled the situation well and teams wanted to talk about him as a footballer not a young person who made a silly mistake.
2. Tavon Austin. The wide receiver blow the forty up by nearly breaking Chris Johnson time and setting a sub 4.35 time. This is the event that gets most media attention and so if you want scouts to look at you this is the event to dominate. As the NFL gets quicker and faster teams look for explosive players and they will build plays around them. In less than four and a half seconds Austin increased his draft stock and earned himself a lot of money.
3. Dee Milliner. One of the question marks Milliner had against him entering the draft is his straight line speed. The best way to answer that is to set a fast forty time and he did this. His time of 4.37 now answers all scouts problems with his speed, I fully expect him to not run a forty at his pro day and to be really happy with this time. I still have other questions on Milliner such as is he a product of a brilliant system and is inexperience with his back pedal. However there is no doubt with this forty time Milliner is a winner from the combine.
Tuesday 26 February 2013
Young cricketers life
Last summer on the 18th June Tom Maynard died, after being chased by police officers he ended up being electrocuted on some railway tracks before being hit by a train. For those of you who do not know the story, Tom was only 22 and in his second season at Surrey County Cricket Club. He and his flat mate Rory Hamilton Brown were out that evening in Wandsworth London following the loss of a twenty twenty game.
The post-mortem examination revealed to a jury today that Tom was 3 times over the drink driving limit. Police officers were chasing him as they had seen him drive dangerously. He was also to have had cocaine present in his system.
While there are many different things that could be discussed regarding this story I have decided to take the line how unique and confusing a young cricketers life can be. In Andrew Flintoff's autobiography he discussed the problems he had when he was a young cricketer at Lancashire mentioning the club game him very little support when settling into a flat in Manchester on his own at just 19 years old. This lead to Flintoff having late nights eating take aways and drinking excessively and we know the consequences of this when Flintoff was ridiculed for his size in 2000/ 2001. Luckily Flintoff had the opportunity to turn his youthful mistakes around unfortunately Maynard will not.
Like Flintoff Maynard was a young lad living in a big city away from home for the very first time and with this comes many temptations. Surrey as a club had put some measures in place to help Tom with the maturing process such as sharing a flat with Lions team mate and club captain Hamilton Brown. With the thinking they could support one and other with their quest to play for England and Hamilton Brown could keep an eye on his young team mate. However the week before the accident both Hamilton Brown and Maynard were warned by the club for their late nights and drinking before a championship game. Yet no serious measures were taken to prevent what happened a week later.
Now I'm not suggesting all the blame lies at the door step of Surrey County cricket club in fact Tom himself needs to take some blame like wise his team mates who were out with him that night. I do believe county cricket clubs need to help young players make this transition when they move out of home have lots of money and the temptation of the big city. I was pleased to hear Surrey have announced some form of recreational drug screening today hopefully to act as deterrent not to take these substances. Clubs should also consider players schedules thinking about when they have free time and when they do not. Living accommodations maybe a young player sharing with the overseas pro. Could you imagine this scenario occurring if Maynard shared a flat with Surrey's club captain this year Graeme Smith. Most importantly teach this young players what it means to be a professional cricket commitment in your playing life and social, lifestyle, diet, training etc.
I hope this harsh lesson learnt can be a wake up call for county cricket clubs rather than just looked upon as a young immature cricketer making a mistake and clubs put some guidelines in place to support these young players.
The post-mortem examination revealed to a jury today that Tom was 3 times over the drink driving limit. Police officers were chasing him as they had seen him drive dangerously. He was also to have had cocaine present in his system.
While there are many different things that could be discussed regarding this story I have decided to take the line how unique and confusing a young cricketers life can be. In Andrew Flintoff's autobiography he discussed the problems he had when he was a young cricketer at Lancashire mentioning the club game him very little support when settling into a flat in Manchester on his own at just 19 years old. This lead to Flintoff having late nights eating take aways and drinking excessively and we know the consequences of this when Flintoff was ridiculed for his size in 2000/ 2001. Luckily Flintoff had the opportunity to turn his youthful mistakes around unfortunately Maynard will not.
Like Flintoff Maynard was a young lad living in a big city away from home for the very first time and with this comes many temptations. Surrey as a club had put some measures in place to help Tom with the maturing process such as sharing a flat with Lions team mate and club captain Hamilton Brown. With the thinking they could support one and other with their quest to play for England and Hamilton Brown could keep an eye on his young team mate. However the week before the accident both Hamilton Brown and Maynard were warned by the club for their late nights and drinking before a championship game. Yet no serious measures were taken to prevent what happened a week later.
Now I'm not suggesting all the blame lies at the door step of Surrey County cricket club in fact Tom himself needs to take some blame like wise his team mates who were out with him that night. I do believe county cricket clubs need to help young players make this transition when they move out of home have lots of money and the temptation of the big city. I was pleased to hear Surrey have announced some form of recreational drug screening today hopefully to act as deterrent not to take these substances. Clubs should also consider players schedules thinking about when they have free time and when they do not. Living accommodations maybe a young player sharing with the overseas pro. Could you imagine this scenario occurring if Maynard shared a flat with Surrey's club captain this year Graeme Smith. Most importantly teach this young players what it means to be a professional cricket commitment in your playing life and social, lifestyle, diet, training etc.
I hope this harsh lesson learnt can be a wake up call for county cricket clubs rather than just looked upon as a young immature cricketer making a mistake and clubs put some guidelines in place to support these young players.
Sunday 24 February 2013
UK round 1 of NFL combine
Day 2 of the NFL combine is nearly in the books with quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs wrapping up their on the field drills. Yesterday the offensive linemen took to the field and one of the competitors was one of the two UK participants. Menelik Watson is an offensive linemen from Florida State whom originated from Manchester. On Saturday he completed his combine drills including the individual drills and the forty yard run.
Watson's background is a complicated one and one which could easily be a typical a story written in Hollywood. He comes from a single parent home deeply below the poverty line growing up on one of the most crime ridden areas of the UK, it was a tough back ground. Watson was always determined to get out of this situation through sports he has pursued careers in soccer and basketball none of which unfortunately worked out.
Then two years ago when he faced a dilemma already having a young daughter he had one final opportunity try football a sport he had never played or go back to Manchester and raises his family. His body has come straight out of an NFL offensive line factory, he is 6 feet 5 and weights 310 lbs. If you could draw up an NFL tackle it would look like Watson.
What makes Watson stand out at the combine is his lack of football experience. He has only played two competitive years of football and many of these players are coming of double that just at college. This year Watson started every game at right tackle which in its self is pretty remarkable to get a starting after just one year at a junior college the year before. In that one year his ability and athleticism just stood out. He has fantastic quick feet which makes him ideally suited to the tackle position, great athleticism and movement for such a big man and has good strength. This raw physical ability has had NFL scouts drawling , if this is what he is able to achieve after just two years imagine what he could achieve in an NFL program.
At the combine yesterday many scouts expected to see him blow it up with all this athleticism previously mentioned. However yesterday he appeared like a rabbit in head lights and froze a little on stage. He looked a bit slow during the forty and then in individual drills his footwork looked a bit slow and sloppy. While this is not a good thing its not the end of the world, what will count for Watson is how he interviews with teams. He needs to show teams that he has a decent football IQ, is willing to learn and all his potential can be fulfilled.
What this experience can be used for is a learning experience for other UK athletes who enter the NFL and get the opportunity to attend the combine like Tom Wort who will tomorrow. The combine is very American and something in the UK we have nothing like. I still believe although Watson has not had the best weekend he will still get drafted in the 2nd round. He is a bit of a development project who may see some playing time in year 1 but more than likely it will be in year 2.
Watson's background is a complicated one and one which could easily be a typical a story written in Hollywood. He comes from a single parent home deeply below the poverty line growing up on one of the most crime ridden areas of the UK, it was a tough back ground. Watson was always determined to get out of this situation through sports he has pursued careers in soccer and basketball none of which unfortunately worked out.
Then two years ago when he faced a dilemma already having a young daughter he had one final opportunity try football a sport he had never played or go back to Manchester and raises his family. His body has come straight out of an NFL offensive line factory, he is 6 feet 5 and weights 310 lbs. If you could draw up an NFL tackle it would look like Watson.
What makes Watson stand out at the combine is his lack of football experience. He has only played two competitive years of football and many of these players are coming of double that just at college. This year Watson started every game at right tackle which in its self is pretty remarkable to get a starting after just one year at a junior college the year before. In that one year his ability and athleticism just stood out. He has fantastic quick feet which makes him ideally suited to the tackle position, great athleticism and movement for such a big man and has good strength. This raw physical ability has had NFL scouts drawling , if this is what he is able to achieve after just two years imagine what he could achieve in an NFL program.
At the combine yesterday many scouts expected to see him blow it up with all this athleticism previously mentioned. However yesterday he appeared like a rabbit in head lights and froze a little on stage. He looked a bit slow during the forty and then in individual drills his footwork looked a bit slow and sloppy. While this is not a good thing its not the end of the world, what will count for Watson is how he interviews with teams. He needs to show teams that he has a decent football IQ, is willing to learn and all his potential can be fulfilled.
What this experience can be used for is a learning experience for other UK athletes who enter the NFL and get the opportunity to attend the combine like Tom Wort who will tomorrow. The combine is very American and something in the UK we have nothing like. I still believe although Watson has not had the best weekend he will still get drafted in the 2nd round. He is a bit of a development project who may see some playing time in year 1 but more than likely it will be in year 2.
Just one bowler away
England go 2-0 up in New Zealand as they claim the one day international series to go along with the twenty twenty series. It came as no surprise really as Ashley Giles had a much deeper squad to work with this time round than that he had in India. England were just resting one player as part of the rotation policy due to the increasing demand on international players, that player being Kevin Pietersen.
The England team should and did beat New Zealand, both teams are in dramatically different positions in the international pecking order. New Zealand are rebuilding trying to find players like Taylor who this team can be built around while England are looking to take those final steps in preparation for the Champions trophy later this year in which they are serious contenders. I believe they are just one missing piece from being serious contenders.
Assuming KP comes straight back in the team probably for the Morgan given Bell and Roots current form this is how I currently see the state of the team. You have a genuine opening bowling combination that can rival any in the world including the multiple options South Africa currently have. James Anderson took his 229 ODI wickte yesterday, he is now England's leading wicket tacker in limited overs cricket and is in the top 5 bowlers in the world. At the other end you have the less consistent but more veracious Finn who is England's strike bowler. When England sniff blood send Finn in and he will knock them over. Broad is on his way back to fitness and taking baby steps to get himself back to the world beater he was a couple of years ago. We also possess the number 1 spinner in the world and I mean number one because unlike other spinners Swann bowls in all conditions and in all scenarios.
The batting is beginning to look like one of the most settled line ups we have ever had in 50 over cricket. Bell and Cook set a good pace for England at the top and both have showed they are capable of batting for a considerable amount of time. Trott at 3 is reliable and a player you can always bank on, KP at 4 is perhaps the best one day batter in the world. Then England have unearthed its next talent Joe Root, who this winter has showed he has the mentality and skill to play at the top level. The most enjoyable thing to watch was how adaptable he is, in the second game of the series when England needed to accelerate the run rate he scored a run a ball 80. Then in the next game when England had all the time in the world they just needed someone to grind out a win he got a 56 ball 28 not out. He could potentially be the modern day Michael Beaven. Then England have put Butler at 6 which I really like considering the change of rules where the batting power play is taken in over 35. Butler is primed to take advantage of this power play which will be crucial in the champions trophy where the last power play is typically the most dangerous in England.
The final position I have not spoke about is the 5th bowling spot/ 7th batting spot. Chris Woakes took it up for this series and did a reasonable job. When he was younger he excited me because I thought he would kick on and be a bowler who bowls above 90mph and a batter who gives it a hit. Its his bowling that I still have question marks about against a good batting line up I'm not sure you could get 10 overs out of him. I would like to see Woakes go back to Warwickshire and do two things. One add another yard of pace which is needed at the next level and two be more consistent with his skills, when he bowls a yorker it needs to be accurate when he bowls a slower ball it needs to be disguised. The advantage Woakes has is this England set up abides by the law and possession is nine tenths of the law. Woakes is in possession so he will be given plenty of opportunity to go on and nail this place down.
Looking forward 10 days to the test matches I expect England to dominate the test matches and carry on from the great result they got in India. England are just 6 tests away from the opening Ashes test so every ball counts now.
The England team should and did beat New Zealand, both teams are in dramatically different positions in the international pecking order. New Zealand are rebuilding trying to find players like Taylor who this team can be built around while England are looking to take those final steps in preparation for the Champions trophy later this year in which they are serious contenders. I believe they are just one missing piece from being serious contenders.
Assuming KP comes straight back in the team probably for the Morgan given Bell and Roots current form this is how I currently see the state of the team. You have a genuine opening bowling combination that can rival any in the world including the multiple options South Africa currently have. James Anderson took his 229 ODI wickte yesterday, he is now England's leading wicket tacker in limited overs cricket and is in the top 5 bowlers in the world. At the other end you have the less consistent but more veracious Finn who is England's strike bowler. When England sniff blood send Finn in and he will knock them over. Broad is on his way back to fitness and taking baby steps to get himself back to the world beater he was a couple of years ago. We also possess the number 1 spinner in the world and I mean number one because unlike other spinners Swann bowls in all conditions and in all scenarios.
The batting is beginning to look like one of the most settled line ups we have ever had in 50 over cricket. Bell and Cook set a good pace for England at the top and both have showed they are capable of batting for a considerable amount of time. Trott at 3 is reliable and a player you can always bank on, KP at 4 is perhaps the best one day batter in the world. Then England have unearthed its next talent Joe Root, who this winter has showed he has the mentality and skill to play at the top level. The most enjoyable thing to watch was how adaptable he is, in the second game of the series when England needed to accelerate the run rate he scored a run a ball 80. Then in the next game when England had all the time in the world they just needed someone to grind out a win he got a 56 ball 28 not out. He could potentially be the modern day Michael Beaven. Then England have put Butler at 6 which I really like considering the change of rules where the batting power play is taken in over 35. Butler is primed to take advantage of this power play which will be crucial in the champions trophy where the last power play is typically the most dangerous in England.
The final position I have not spoke about is the 5th bowling spot/ 7th batting spot. Chris Woakes took it up for this series and did a reasonable job. When he was younger he excited me because I thought he would kick on and be a bowler who bowls above 90mph and a batter who gives it a hit. Its his bowling that I still have question marks about against a good batting line up I'm not sure you could get 10 overs out of him. I would like to see Woakes go back to Warwickshire and do two things. One add another yard of pace which is needed at the next level and two be more consistent with his skills, when he bowls a yorker it needs to be accurate when he bowls a slower ball it needs to be disguised. The advantage Woakes has is this England set up abides by the law and possession is nine tenths of the law. Woakes is in possession so he will be given plenty of opportunity to go on and nail this place down.
Looking forward 10 days to the test matches I expect England to dominate the test matches and carry on from the great result they got in India. England are just 6 tests away from the opening Ashes test so every ball counts now.
Thursday 21 February 2013
Ponting is back
A couple of months ago I wrote a blog regarding Ricky Ponting and how it will be a great shame not being able to watch him play again. Problem solved by Surrey County Cricket Club, who today Ricky Ponting signed a 2 month contract with. Ricky will be playing for a short period of time at the Kia Oval as Smith will be off playing for South Africa in the champions trophy.
The county got really excited earlier this winter when they managed to land Smith as not only their over seas player for this summer but also their county captain. With the busy international schedule this year Smith is going to be called away from his county duties for a brief period leaving Surrey in a dilemma with no overseas player or captain. So who better to call up than one of the most successful international captains of all time and the second leading test run scorer of all time. I would say that is a pretty decent replacement.
For those of you worrying that Poniting no longer has the skill to succeed at the professional level I draw your attention to a recent double hundred scored by himself in the Australian domestic cup. Hopefully Ponting will not only bring his top class batting skills to South London but also his leadership. The reason why Surrey desperately chased Smith was because of his leadership qualities he can bring to this young team that is still maturing and already been through some rough moments last season. Hopefully Ponting can also bring his strong head to guide this team through the summer and maturation process.
The final comment I have regarding this signing is the timing. Ponting will be eligible and available to play in the twenty twenty competition and the tickets for this competition go on sale........ Tomorrow. Some well timed buzz.
The county got really excited earlier this winter when they managed to land Smith as not only their over seas player for this summer but also their county captain. With the busy international schedule this year Smith is going to be called away from his county duties for a brief period leaving Surrey in a dilemma with no overseas player or captain. So who better to call up than one of the most successful international captains of all time and the second leading test run scorer of all time. I would say that is a pretty decent replacement.
For those of you worrying that Poniting no longer has the skill to succeed at the professional level I draw your attention to a recent double hundred scored by himself in the Australian domestic cup. Hopefully Ponting will not only bring his top class batting skills to South London but also his leadership. The reason why Surrey desperately chased Smith was because of his leadership qualities he can bring to this young team that is still maturing and already been through some rough moments last season. Hopefully Ponting can also bring his strong head to guide this team through the summer and maturation process.
The final comment I have regarding this signing is the timing. Ponting will be eligible and available to play in the twenty twenty competition and the tickets for this competition go on sale........ Tomorrow. Some well timed buzz.
Tuesday 19 February 2013
Only possibility is trade
It seams like every off season there is some type of drama un folding in the green half of New York. It's been will Revis turn up for training camp and sign a new deal, what role will Tebow play and Favre at quarterback. It looks like this off season is no different and taking the spot light once again is Darrell Revis.
Revis unfortunately missed a lot of the 2012 season due to injury but is still with out doubt the best defensive player in football and defiantly the best player on the Jets roster. Revis current contract expires at the end of next season and is searching for a deal which will make him the best payed defensive player in football. The new general manager recently told Revis and the world through a press conference that no one is set on the roster and open to trade talks. This has been pushed on the new general manager as the roster is in awful shape both in a talent perspective and financial.
Revis yesterday spoke on NFL total access about a breakdown in communication with the team and appears to be miles away from the team and not an integrated part of the roster. The only future I can see for both Revis and Jets which makes both camps happy is a trade. First of all the Jets would get financial relief when it is in a poor CAP situation. Secondly any trade will also likely mean stock piling some draft picks likely a first round and or even some quality players. Allowing them to re-build this poor roster. Thirdly it involves a tricky road they have already been down in trying to sign Revis to a long term contract. They have no franchise tag option to use on him next year when he would be able to just walk away from the team and he would likely hold out during camp this off season creating more drama surrounding the franchise. A road they do not want to go down again.
It is also a win situation for Revis, he would more than likely go to a team with more chance of winning now than the Jets. He would finally get paid like the defensive star he is because any team fading for him will ensure they have enough CAP room to sign him to a long term deal.
I never thought I would see the day when it was the best situation for a team to trade away its best player and best defensive player in the league. However the truth being this situation is only a month or less away.
Revis unfortunately missed a lot of the 2012 season due to injury but is still with out doubt the best defensive player in football and defiantly the best player on the Jets roster. Revis current contract expires at the end of next season and is searching for a deal which will make him the best payed defensive player in football. The new general manager recently told Revis and the world through a press conference that no one is set on the roster and open to trade talks. This has been pushed on the new general manager as the roster is in awful shape both in a talent perspective and financial.
Revis yesterday spoke on NFL total access about a breakdown in communication with the team and appears to be miles away from the team and not an integrated part of the roster. The only future I can see for both Revis and Jets which makes both camps happy is a trade. First of all the Jets would get financial relief when it is in a poor CAP situation. Secondly any trade will also likely mean stock piling some draft picks likely a first round and or even some quality players. Allowing them to re-build this poor roster. Thirdly it involves a tricky road they have already been down in trying to sign Revis to a long term contract. They have no franchise tag option to use on him next year when he would be able to just walk away from the team and he would likely hold out during camp this off season creating more drama surrounding the franchise. A road they do not want to go down again.
It is also a win situation for Revis, he would more than likely go to a team with more chance of winning now than the Jets. He would finally get paid like the defensive star he is because any team fading for him will ensure they have enough CAP room to sign him to a long term deal.
I never thought I would see the day when it was the best situation for a team to trade away its best player and best defensive player in the league. However the truth being this situation is only a month or less away.
Monday 18 February 2013
What's this combine thing?
In 4 days time the NFL world will centre upon Indianapolis for the regularly NFL combine. Over the next week many of my blogs will focus on the combine as I concentrate looking at this years college players preparing to enter the NFL through the draft in April. Therefore I thought it would be a good idea before it all gets going to actually look at what this combine is.
The combine began in 1977 the purpose of the combine back then was to get all the college players together so that their future employers (NFL teams) could conduct medial tests to check their fitness. This would save each player having to do a medical test with each team. Thirty six years later the whole process has changed dramatically.
There are three parts to today's combine it begins with arriving on the particular day your position is required. On the first day you will participate in lots of measurement tests such as height and weight as well as a muscular strength test. Here players are tested how many times they can bench press 225lbs. Players also complete what is called the Wonderlic test which is an aptitude test and players this year for the first time will complete a second aptitude test. On day two players go to the field at Lucas Oil stadium where they complete many other fitness tests such broad jump and the showcase piece the 40 yard dash. They also have many positional specific drills in which they compete in. During the evening players will also have 15 minute interviews with teams if they request to see the specific player. This is really important as for many of the players it will be the first time they meet the team that will draft them in 2 months time.
Do not believe for one minute that the combine is the main tool in which teams use to help them draft a player. In fact the very opposite it is a small tool used to get a small amount of detail about a player, such as clearing up a medical issue or understanding a players speed. Teams and scouts use the combine to either cement their opinion on a player or send them back to the film room to watch that player some more.
I hope this small amount of information will inspire some of you to follow the combine this week or keep up to date with it through this blog.
For blog updates follow me on twitter michael_hume6
The combine began in 1977 the purpose of the combine back then was to get all the college players together so that their future employers (NFL teams) could conduct medial tests to check their fitness. This would save each player having to do a medical test with each team. Thirty six years later the whole process has changed dramatically.
There are three parts to today's combine it begins with arriving on the particular day your position is required. On the first day you will participate in lots of measurement tests such as height and weight as well as a muscular strength test. Here players are tested how many times they can bench press 225lbs. Players also complete what is called the Wonderlic test which is an aptitude test and players this year for the first time will complete a second aptitude test. On day two players go to the field at Lucas Oil stadium where they complete many other fitness tests such broad jump and the showcase piece the 40 yard dash. They also have many positional specific drills in which they compete in. During the evening players will also have 15 minute interviews with teams if they request to see the specific player. This is really important as for many of the players it will be the first time they meet the team that will draft them in 2 months time.
Do not believe for one minute that the combine is the main tool in which teams use to help them draft a player. In fact the very opposite it is a small tool used to get a small amount of detail about a player, such as clearing up a medical issue or understanding a players speed. Teams and scouts use the combine to either cement their opinion on a player or send them back to the film room to watch that player some more.
I hope this small amount of information will inspire some of you to follow the combine this week or keep up to date with it through this blog.
For blog updates follow me on twitter michael_hume6
Sunday 17 February 2013
Wenger time for change
Coming of the back of another poor performance for Arsenal and exiting another cup with trophy aspirations squashed some fans are calling for change at the club. Fans have discussed many different changes from inside the board room to player personal and even a change in manager. Before I shed my views on the later change I will say I'm a massive Arsene Wenger fan and believe he is the right man to lead Arsenal. I remember when he came in over 15 years ago and totally changed the fortunes of this club and therefore always has my backing.
I also believe Arsenal and Arsene face unfair competition in which they can not match. If you shared players wages evenly amongst all 20 clubs in the premier league each club would get 5%. It has been proven that how much a club spends on players wages correlates to success and ultimately league position. In Arsene's first 7 years as manger when he experienced great success Arsenal actually spent 7.5% of the leagues players salary. At the time this was the greatest proportion by any club in the premier league.
The next 6 seasons where no success was experienced Arsenal did increase its proportion of player salary spend in the premier league to 8.8%. However in the same period the two oil rich clubs Chelsea and Manchester City spend over 10% each and show no sign of reducing their wage bill. Manchester United are also just outside this 10% mark. This makes Arsene's job so difficult in competing for the premier league against these 3 clubs and add in the evidence that players wages correlates to success Arsene has a tough job.
Arsene being an economic mastermind had noticed this correlation back in 1996 when he came to London along with other holes managers of English clubs had not spotted. These holes being players diets, use of statistical data and a great understanding of foreign markets which no other manager at the time had. He utilised these holes to propel Arsenal up the league and fill their trophy cabinet with silver.
Arsene now needs to show that he can change. Managers and clubs have caught up with him mainly through copying his great practises. All clubs now have a team of maths geeks who scrawl through data, 5 star chiefs who travel every where with the teams ensuring all the players eat correctly and have scouts that travel to the far corners of the globe hoping to find that next Henry or Veira. Wenger needs to find new holes and then capitalise on these in order for him to do this he will need to change.
I also believe Arsenal and Arsene face unfair competition in which they can not match. If you shared players wages evenly amongst all 20 clubs in the premier league each club would get 5%. It has been proven that how much a club spends on players wages correlates to success and ultimately league position. In Arsene's first 7 years as manger when he experienced great success Arsenal actually spent 7.5% of the leagues players salary. At the time this was the greatest proportion by any club in the premier league.
The next 6 seasons where no success was experienced Arsenal did increase its proportion of player salary spend in the premier league to 8.8%. However in the same period the two oil rich clubs Chelsea and Manchester City spend over 10% each and show no sign of reducing their wage bill. Manchester United are also just outside this 10% mark. This makes Arsene's job so difficult in competing for the premier league against these 3 clubs and add in the evidence that players wages correlates to success Arsene has a tough job.
Arsene being an economic mastermind had noticed this correlation back in 1996 when he came to London along with other holes managers of English clubs had not spotted. These holes being players diets, use of statistical data and a great understanding of foreign markets which no other manager at the time had. He utilised these holes to propel Arsenal up the league and fill their trophy cabinet with silver.
Arsene now needs to show that he can change. Managers and clubs have caught up with him mainly through copying his great practises. All clubs now have a team of maths geeks who scrawl through data, 5 star chiefs who travel every where with the teams ensuring all the players eat correctly and have scouts that travel to the far corners of the globe hoping to find that next Henry or Veira. Wenger needs to find new holes and then capitalise on these in order for him to do this he will need to change.
Thursday 14 February 2013
Kelly's first move
One of the most intriguing things this off season and moving into next season is can Chip Kelly bring his fast paced, quick scoring, high octane offence to the NFL. The offence he created in Oregon was one of the most explosive to play football characteristically its very fast paced almost like a hurry up offence, it scores quickly meaning its defence does spend a lot of time on the field but the offence scores a lot of points and he spreads teams out putting his play makers in space and the opportunity to win.
Today Kelly quietly made his first signing bring in the five year veteran quarterback Dennis Dixon who has spent time in Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Dixon to no surprise is an Oregon Duck alumni and was starting quarterback when Kelly was offensive coordinator. In that 2007 season Dixon had a really good year as a quarterback he throw for 20 touchdown and had a completion percentage above 65 and also rushed for over 500 yards.
There is obviously a degree of trust there as well as knowing the offence Kelly likes to run a little bit. It can work in two ways first Dixon can come in and challenge Vick for playing time keeping Vick honest and he can also teach Vick the offence helping him come to grips with this new system.
I like this move from Kelly because he knows he does not have the quarterback in Philadelphia who he wants for the future. He also knows that this years free agency and draft class is weak for quarterbacks, with this move he gets a guy he knows and could even do a steady job for him.
Follow me on twitter at michael_hume6 to get updates on all my blogs.
Today Kelly quietly made his first signing bring in the five year veteran quarterback Dennis Dixon who has spent time in Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Dixon to no surprise is an Oregon Duck alumni and was starting quarterback when Kelly was offensive coordinator. In that 2007 season Dixon had a really good year as a quarterback he throw for 20 touchdown and had a completion percentage above 65 and also rushed for over 500 yards.
There is obviously a degree of trust there as well as knowing the offence Kelly likes to run a little bit. It can work in two ways first Dixon can come in and challenge Vick for playing time keeping Vick honest and he can also teach Vick the offence helping him come to grips with this new system.
I like this move from Kelly because he knows he does not have the quarterback in Philadelphia who he wants for the future. He also knows that this years free agency and draft class is weak for quarterbacks, with this move he gets a guy he knows and could even do a steady job for him.
Follow me on twitter at michael_hume6 to get updates on all my blogs.
Tuesday 12 February 2013
Playoff...... Not American Football, Basketball or Rugby but....... Soccer
Today's blog is inspired by a column I read in today's Daily Mail (not my usual paper) and continues with a theme I have discussed in many of my blogs. In past blogs I have discussed ways of making the English Premier League more of an even league to play in, as I'm sure we could all predict prior to this season the title was going to one of three destinations. We also know with still 3 months of the season remaining we can narrow that very small field down to one, as United have all but won the league. In the past I have mentioned creating a more even and exiting league by introducing salary caps or restricting the number of non English players but today I read about introducing a play off system.
The more I read into it the more I could really see this happening in the premier league. It will attract so much excitement and attention if you have had a grand final as the show piece at the end of the season in front of a sold out Wembley. This would attract an incredible amount of TV money, sponsorship and media attention the FA would not be able to resist. The workings of this could take any format from the top 4 playing in a knockout top position v fourth and second v third and the two winners going to the final. Or second v third with the winner playing the top finished team in the final. There are multiple options, I'm sure you can even think of your own.
There is no denying how much excitement and entertainment this system would create. Just take this season for example how demoralising it must be starting the season as one of the 17 teams that know your not going to win the league or being one of the 19 teams two thirds of the way through the season knowing your not going to win the league. Soccer needs to keep its fans hocked for larger parts of the season and this would achieve that.
With renewing the TV deal fast approaching this could be an avenue a very lucrative avenue that gets explored in the not to distant future. Why this seams as a really drastic change to soccer in this country just take this final thought. The grand final would probably rival any sporting event worldwide including the Super Bowl and at first Rugby did not want to make this change but it is now the highlight of their season. A soccer playoff in May consisting of the best teams in the country with a grand final on the last day of the season between the best two teams would create something unforgettable.
The more I read into it the more I could really see this happening in the premier league. It will attract so much excitement and attention if you have had a grand final as the show piece at the end of the season in front of a sold out Wembley. This would attract an incredible amount of TV money, sponsorship and media attention the FA would not be able to resist. The workings of this could take any format from the top 4 playing in a knockout top position v fourth and second v third and the two winners going to the final. Or second v third with the winner playing the top finished team in the final. There are multiple options, I'm sure you can even think of your own.
There is no denying how much excitement and entertainment this system would create. Just take this season for example how demoralising it must be starting the season as one of the 17 teams that know your not going to win the league or being one of the 19 teams two thirds of the way through the season knowing your not going to win the league. Soccer needs to keep its fans hocked for larger parts of the season and this would achieve that.
With renewing the TV deal fast approaching this could be an avenue a very lucrative avenue that gets explored in the not to distant future. Why this seams as a really drastic change to soccer in this country just take this final thought. The grand final would probably rival any sporting event worldwide including the Super Bowl and at first Rugby did not want to make this change but it is now the highlight of their season. A soccer playoff in May consisting of the best teams in the country with a grand final on the last day of the season between the best two teams would create something unforgettable.
Monday 11 February 2013
The scrum has fallen
Bit of a different view today I'm focusing upon a sport I have not focused on before in this blog, that being Rugby. I will not for one minute pretend to be an expert in the sport one little bit, I like to watch and can teach it at school. I have limited playing and coaching experience but I feel this has little affect on what I observed yesterday.
While watching the England Ireland game yesterday which turned out to be a magnificent win for the away team I spotted something I had seen often in international rugby in recent years. The scrum has become a skill or component of the game that is an absolute mess at the top end of the game. Yesterday twenty two scrums were attempted and if the referee were to apply the rules 100% correctly including full binding and not allowing a scrum to continue because you expect the ball to be out of there very soon, then only 3 of the scrums were legal. All of the others had something wrong with it including front rows not binding correctly, number 8 and flankers disengaging to quickly and turning of the scrum.
I'm not meaning to slate the England and Ireland packs for not being able to scrum affectively in fact part of the blame can be put on the ground as the turf just slipped from under the packs feet. However this is an observation I have made across many international games. The referee can rarely get the two teams to scrum correctly first time and second time the referee normally allows the scrum to take place even if a foul is occurring. The scrum is an extremely difficult skill 16 people all working together and against each other, therefore how are we meant to teach it to younger rugby players if there is no good model or example at the top level which they can watch.
This made me think if the scrum is becoming a bit of a laughing stock and instead of being able to restart the game following a foul we are taking more time out of the game trying to perform a skill which is rarely performed correctly, is it needed. Free kicks could be given instead of scrums to speed the game up, reduce the number of people in the scrums or referees be more tighter to encourage correct scrimmaging technique. I will not pretend to have the answer but I would suggest it is an area of the game which needs focusing on.
While watching the England Ireland game yesterday which turned out to be a magnificent win for the away team I spotted something I had seen often in international rugby in recent years. The scrum has become a skill or component of the game that is an absolute mess at the top end of the game. Yesterday twenty two scrums were attempted and if the referee were to apply the rules 100% correctly including full binding and not allowing a scrum to continue because you expect the ball to be out of there very soon, then only 3 of the scrums were legal. All of the others had something wrong with it including front rows not binding correctly, number 8 and flankers disengaging to quickly and turning of the scrum.
I'm not meaning to slate the England and Ireland packs for not being able to scrum affectively in fact part of the blame can be put on the ground as the turf just slipped from under the packs feet. However this is an observation I have made across many international games. The referee can rarely get the two teams to scrum correctly first time and second time the referee normally allows the scrum to take place even if a foul is occurring. The scrum is an extremely difficult skill 16 people all working together and against each other, therefore how are we meant to teach it to younger rugby players if there is no good model or example at the top level which they can watch.
This made me think if the scrum is becoming a bit of a laughing stock and instead of being able to restart the game following a foul we are taking more time out of the game trying to perform a skill which is rarely performed correctly, is it needed. Free kicks could be given instead of scrums to speed the game up, reduce the number of people in the scrums or referees be more tighter to encourage correct scrimmaging technique. I will not pretend to have the answer but I would suggest it is an area of the game which needs focusing on.
Sunday 10 February 2013
Blog in the life of Desmond Trufant Part II
Two weeks have passed since I last checked in with Trufant and it has been a pretty quiet couple of weeks in comparison to the weeks ahead. The raving reviews have continued since the Senior Bowl as scouts have gone away and re-watched the tape. He even ranked in NFL.com scouts Bucky Brooks top 4 cornerbacks entering this years draft and had him going in the first round of his latest mock draft.
Since the Senior Bowl Trufant has retuned to the University of Washington and is working very hard in preparation for the NFL Combine next week. I like that he has returned to his University to work rather than going to an elite athlete performance centre. For me it shows he is grounded and knows he can work hard in familiar surroundings which should prepare him ideally for the biggest interview process of his life.
Trufant has said he is not working on anything in specific in preparation for the combine rather he is preparing for everything. He wants to display his consistency across all the disciplines from the 40 to the skills drills to the interviews in the evening. One thing to keep an eye on is his brothers 40 time 4.38, I'm sure he will want to beat this for bragging rights but it will also boost his draft stock if he was to beat it.
In two weeks time I will review Trufants Combine what the buzz is coming out and how he is preparing for his schools individual work out session.
Since the Senior Bowl Trufant has retuned to the University of Washington and is working very hard in preparation for the NFL Combine next week. I like that he has returned to his University to work rather than going to an elite athlete performance centre. For me it shows he is grounded and knows he can work hard in familiar surroundings which should prepare him ideally for the biggest interview process of his life.
Trufant has said he is not working on anything in specific in preparation for the combine rather he is preparing for everything. He wants to display his consistency across all the disciplines from the 40 to the skills drills to the interviews in the evening. One thing to keep an eye on is his brothers 40 time 4.38, I'm sure he will want to beat this for bragging rights but it will also boost his draft stock if he was to beat it.
In two weeks time I will review Trufants Combine what the buzz is coming out and how he is preparing for his schools individual work out session.
Saturday 9 February 2013
Rocky times ahead in Oxford
As I watched Oxford loose to a team lower than them in division two this afternoon I looked and listened and could not help but think the club and team face a really rocky period. As some fans and pundits still talk of playoffs and must win games the top 7 is a long way away and just steadying this sinking ship would be a more realistic achievement.
First of all on the pitch the team is now on a four game winless run and the fixtures come thick and fast and they happen to be good clubs. Today's match was easily the bank win as games against Fleetwood, Gillingham and Port Vale are all around the corner. On top of that the squad also has some serious injuries Craddock the clubs top goal scorer is out for a while, Leven the teams most creative player is out for the season alongside the starting centre half Durberry. Having said all this it's hard to see where the next win will come from.
I'm also a big fan of manager Chris Wilder, I believe he is one of the better coaches in the league and over the last months while a group of supporters have been calling for him to be removed I have thought exactly the opposite. The problem is this section of supporters is ever growing with every loss and today I witnessed its impact upon the players. Normally Oxford fans are really loud and get behind their team, they are not ones to silently wait for goals but more to lift their team and give them the extra man. However over the last couple of months the crowd has got quieter and quieter, a strange atmosphere has crept over the Kassam. This has filtered its way to the players, who are not appearing to play for their manager. I'm not saying the Oxford boys are not giving 100% effort for their manager like Rovers may have earlier in the season for their ex manager but I would question are they playing to his system? Taking his ideas on board and then responding to them on the pitch?
Then there is the financial battle of the field the club is going through with trying to make a decent revenue from its ground and even attempting to own it's own ground. All in all Oxford may not face rocky times but actually be experiencing them. The best way to steady the footballing ship is on the pitch but as I have explained this is easier said than done.
First of all on the pitch the team is now on a four game winless run and the fixtures come thick and fast and they happen to be good clubs. Today's match was easily the bank win as games against Fleetwood, Gillingham and Port Vale are all around the corner. On top of that the squad also has some serious injuries Craddock the clubs top goal scorer is out for a while, Leven the teams most creative player is out for the season alongside the starting centre half Durberry. Having said all this it's hard to see where the next win will come from.
I'm also a big fan of manager Chris Wilder, I believe he is one of the better coaches in the league and over the last months while a group of supporters have been calling for him to be removed I have thought exactly the opposite. The problem is this section of supporters is ever growing with every loss and today I witnessed its impact upon the players. Normally Oxford fans are really loud and get behind their team, they are not ones to silently wait for goals but more to lift their team and give them the extra man. However over the last couple of months the crowd has got quieter and quieter, a strange atmosphere has crept over the Kassam. This has filtered its way to the players, who are not appearing to play for their manager. I'm not saying the Oxford boys are not giving 100% effort for their manager like Rovers may have earlier in the season for their ex manager but I would question are they playing to his system? Taking his ideas on board and then responding to them on the pitch?
Then there is the financial battle of the field the club is going through with trying to make a decent revenue from its ground and even attempting to own it's own ground. All in all Oxford may not face rocky times but actually be experiencing them. The best way to steady the footballing ship is on the pitch but as I have explained this is easier said than done.
Friday 8 February 2013
Finance in Football
Yesterday the FA finally responded to the pressure the government has been putting football under. That pressure is to clean up the financial situation in English football and remove the fear the government has of having to bail out another football club that gets its self into a Leeds or Portsmouth state.
The FA announced yesterday a 3 year plan which they described as making football more sustainable. In fact the plan has more loop holes than a 7 year olds shoe lace. The plan is a two point statement the first being no club can make a greater loss than £105m other the next 3 seasons. My first point against this is why is this not set to zero how can any club making a loss be financially sustainable, I understand this is a bit radical considering the losses some premier league clubs run but in my opinion that is the only way you can be 100% sustainable. Clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea who have some of the biggest losses can also by-pass this ruling as it does not include stadium redevelopments and academies there is also nothing stopping a rich owner ploughing more money into the club and just calling it a sponsorship deal to mask over the operating losses.
The second part of the plan is centred around wages. The FA announced if you pay more than £52m in wages in one year the next year you will only be allowed a £4m increase on this (so having £56m the following year for wages). The FA has made this clear that this is not a salary cap and I would respond by saying we can clearly see that. The final details of how this will work are to be voted on in April but i would suggest a hard salary cap to not only help financial stability but also fair play. However it is a step in the right direction to make players wages actually reflect reality. The one question mark I have over this is the timing by introducing this now it reflects really badly on club owners as they try to take a bigger slice of the eagerly anticipated TV revenue.
This plan put in place by the FA is only in the infancy stage of helping create financial sustainability in football but I feel they need to be stronger reducing the loop holes that even a amateur like me can spot and at the same time create fair play.
The FA announced yesterday a 3 year plan which they described as making football more sustainable. In fact the plan has more loop holes than a 7 year olds shoe lace. The plan is a two point statement the first being no club can make a greater loss than £105m other the next 3 seasons. My first point against this is why is this not set to zero how can any club making a loss be financially sustainable, I understand this is a bit radical considering the losses some premier league clubs run but in my opinion that is the only way you can be 100% sustainable. Clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea who have some of the biggest losses can also by-pass this ruling as it does not include stadium redevelopments and academies there is also nothing stopping a rich owner ploughing more money into the club and just calling it a sponsorship deal to mask over the operating losses.
The second part of the plan is centred around wages. The FA announced if you pay more than £52m in wages in one year the next year you will only be allowed a £4m increase on this (so having £56m the following year for wages). The FA has made this clear that this is not a salary cap and I would respond by saying we can clearly see that. The final details of how this will work are to be voted on in April but i would suggest a hard salary cap to not only help financial stability but also fair play. However it is a step in the right direction to make players wages actually reflect reality. The one question mark I have over this is the timing by introducing this now it reflects really badly on club owners as they try to take a bigger slice of the eagerly anticipated TV revenue.
This plan put in place by the FA is only in the infancy stage of helping create financial sustainability in football but I feel they need to be stronger reducing the loop holes that even a amateur like me can spot and at the same time create fair play.
Thursday 7 February 2013
Wilshere next Messi?
In last nights England v Brazil friendly many English fans were excited at getting their first look at a young, talented and perhaps future worlds best player. Instead it was another 21 year old instead that took centre stage and showed the world his great potential. Jack Wilshere has fought his way back through some horrific injuries over the last year or so but finally looks like he is back to his best or even better.
In last nights game everything good that England created came through Wilshere in the centre midfield. He honourably said after the game it was great to have Gerrard alongside him to keep him going in the second half and to be at his assistance. Yet it appeared it was Wilshere dishing out the instructions and being the man at the centre of the controls. He was the one with the driving runs through midfield and he was the one who rolled Walcott in or gave Welbeck a ball to run on to. These are Wilshere's strengths no other England or Arsenal player looks as comfortable in possession or can make such a range of passes. Many English players can look comfortable in possession but very few do when going forward. He can make forward threatening passes and his driving runs from midfield normally involve taking on a player or two to put his team in a more dangerous position.
In this blog I'm going to refer to Wilshere and his position in the England team but what I mention is defiantly applicable to Arsenal. Wilshere is like no other centre midfielder we have had, he looks to move the game on at a faster pace, has a greater awareness for what is about to happen and has the skills to do something about this. England also have to play a system around Wilshere there is no use playing a target man up front who does not run between defenders, or wingers/ full backs who are not prepared to go forward. He is also better suited to a 3 man midfield, having players around him helps with maintaing possession and Wilshere is only going to be dangerous if he has the ball.
The most exiting thing about Wilshere is he stills has bags of potential to fulfil. He is only 21 and still on the comeback from a string of injuries. He needs to add a few things to his game such as his finishing, he his not the most natural in front of goal and how special would he be if he could add goals to the end of those driving runs were he has beaten multiple players. I also believe he needs to add that killer instinct in the final third, for all the hard work he does he needs to just to be that person that adds the final pass or cross to claim the assist.
His character is not a concern from what I have read and listened to, he is willing to work hard, grounded and has a good network of people around him. Having all these should allow him to develop into an absolute great player.
If he was to go half way to adding those missing components to his game then we can start making that comparison I mentioned in the headline. I thought it would be interesting to consider this comparison though as when he skipped past players yesterday it was very Messi esc.
In last nights game everything good that England created came through Wilshere in the centre midfield. He honourably said after the game it was great to have Gerrard alongside him to keep him going in the second half and to be at his assistance. Yet it appeared it was Wilshere dishing out the instructions and being the man at the centre of the controls. He was the one with the driving runs through midfield and he was the one who rolled Walcott in or gave Welbeck a ball to run on to. These are Wilshere's strengths no other England or Arsenal player looks as comfortable in possession or can make such a range of passes. Many English players can look comfortable in possession but very few do when going forward. He can make forward threatening passes and his driving runs from midfield normally involve taking on a player or two to put his team in a more dangerous position.
In this blog I'm going to refer to Wilshere and his position in the England team but what I mention is defiantly applicable to Arsenal. Wilshere is like no other centre midfielder we have had, he looks to move the game on at a faster pace, has a greater awareness for what is about to happen and has the skills to do something about this. England also have to play a system around Wilshere there is no use playing a target man up front who does not run between defenders, or wingers/ full backs who are not prepared to go forward. He is also better suited to a 3 man midfield, having players around him helps with maintaing possession and Wilshere is only going to be dangerous if he has the ball.
The most exiting thing about Wilshere is he stills has bags of potential to fulfil. He is only 21 and still on the comeback from a string of injuries. He needs to add a few things to his game such as his finishing, he his not the most natural in front of goal and how special would he be if he could add goals to the end of those driving runs were he has beaten multiple players. I also believe he needs to add that killer instinct in the final third, for all the hard work he does he needs to just to be that person that adds the final pass or cross to claim the assist.
His character is not a concern from what I have read and listened to, he is willing to work hard, grounded and has a good network of people around him. Having all these should allow him to develop into an absolute great player.
If he was to go half way to adding those missing components to his game then we can start making that comparison I mentioned in the headline. I thought it would be interesting to consider this comparison though as when he skipped past players yesterday it was very Messi esc.
Wednesday 6 February 2013
Super Bowl review
Here you go fans I have finally recovered from all the excitement and watched the game a couple of times and so here is my review of the big game. First of all regardless of the half time performance, the lights going out and all the sub story lines that went along with this Super Bowl it was easily the best Super Bowl I have ever watched. It had everything, late drama, quality football offensively and defensively and two great coaches who also happen to have two of the most tactically astute minds in the game.
It's hard to know where to start with such a great game like this one but much of the focus has centred upon the two quarterbacks, Flacco and Kapernick. Both in my opinion had fantastic Super Bowls and took their games to the next level. First of all Kapernick did all the things we expected he used his athletic prowess to beat the Ravens D and is a master of the option read offence. He also stepped up in areas I did not expect, he had total control of the offence making multiple changes to the play at the line of scrimmage showing his understanding of the offence in just his first year as a starter. In the past I have criticised his throwing ability but he can make all the throws and throws it like a laser, he is on target with great velocity. His performance was close to excellent, he did have one interception and I think in the off season he needs to work on his anticipation rather than waiting for receivers to run un-covered but he will be back on the biggest stage I'm sure.
Flacco had easily the best game of his career and what stood out for me is how dangerous he is in the red zone. When it comes down to the most important part of the field his decision making is so precise it helps the ravens offence which is not the most explosive score points. He also displayed great pocket movement something he has not done in the past. The offensive line is much better and generally had a good game but the 49ers can get after the quarterback but Flacco was able to buy his receivers some time by stepping up and sliding in the pocket. Adding these two relatively new elements to his game can take Flacco to elite status he already has a cannon of an arm, is strong and can make all the throws. Baltimore are going to have to pay their Super Bowl MVP quarterback this off season.
The 49ers MVP for me though was TE Davis no one could cover him all day. If you read my Super Bowl prediction blog I predicted a big game from Davis and he did not disappoint. He runs crossing routes better than any TE currently in the game and has the speed to take him away from covering line backers making him so open hence why he has become Kapernicks go to guy. One man for the Ravens who deserves a lot of attention is kick returner and receiver Jones. That return was sensational and he had no right to return it for a TD, it was poor coverage from the 49ers and it is in my opinion the factor that killed of the 49ers. What was just as surprising was he stood up on offence catching a TD as well something he has struggled with all season.
I could go on for days analysing the football aspect of the Super Bowl but I will not I will finish with one final view. I also realise there has been a bit of an overload in American Football over the last couple of days so promise tomorrow will be something different.
There is only one place I can leave this Super Bowl review blog and that's with the person who this Super Bowl belongs to. Ray Lewis finally has his second ring and can leave the game from the highest podium. Off the field I'm sure his leadership was invaluable this week especially to the younger players, I'm sure he was also an inspiration to the Ravens and their fans. His performance will not be remembered it was close to awful with missed tackles and not able to get of blocks. However I noticed one thing that I thought was rather interesting and that was the birth of the next great Ravens leader. There will never be another Lewis he is perhaps the greatest leader in all of sports but on Sunday one man that stood next to Lewis at MLB came to the front. Ellerbe was regularly calling plays and positioning defenders, he was the man in the middle that set the tone for the defence. I'm expecting big things from Ellerbe and Lewis might be leaving the Ravens in capable hands.
I will always remember this Super Bowl not for the power shortage or this new dynamic option read offence making it to the big game or two brothers going head to head for the biggest prize but for one mans desire to finish his illustrious career at the highest point. I do not think I need to remember his performance because he has over 200 games worth of great performances but I doubt I will ever witness such a great leader and inspiration to one franchise. Congratulations Ravens, congratulations to the biggest raven of them all Ray Lewis. See you in five years for your hall of fame speech.
It's hard to know where to start with such a great game like this one but much of the focus has centred upon the two quarterbacks, Flacco and Kapernick. Both in my opinion had fantastic Super Bowls and took their games to the next level. First of all Kapernick did all the things we expected he used his athletic prowess to beat the Ravens D and is a master of the option read offence. He also stepped up in areas I did not expect, he had total control of the offence making multiple changes to the play at the line of scrimmage showing his understanding of the offence in just his first year as a starter. In the past I have criticised his throwing ability but he can make all the throws and throws it like a laser, he is on target with great velocity. His performance was close to excellent, he did have one interception and I think in the off season he needs to work on his anticipation rather than waiting for receivers to run un-covered but he will be back on the biggest stage I'm sure.
Flacco had easily the best game of his career and what stood out for me is how dangerous he is in the red zone. When it comes down to the most important part of the field his decision making is so precise it helps the ravens offence which is not the most explosive score points. He also displayed great pocket movement something he has not done in the past. The offensive line is much better and generally had a good game but the 49ers can get after the quarterback but Flacco was able to buy his receivers some time by stepping up and sliding in the pocket. Adding these two relatively new elements to his game can take Flacco to elite status he already has a cannon of an arm, is strong and can make all the throws. Baltimore are going to have to pay their Super Bowl MVP quarterback this off season.
The 49ers MVP for me though was TE Davis no one could cover him all day. If you read my Super Bowl prediction blog I predicted a big game from Davis and he did not disappoint. He runs crossing routes better than any TE currently in the game and has the speed to take him away from covering line backers making him so open hence why he has become Kapernicks go to guy. One man for the Ravens who deserves a lot of attention is kick returner and receiver Jones. That return was sensational and he had no right to return it for a TD, it was poor coverage from the 49ers and it is in my opinion the factor that killed of the 49ers. What was just as surprising was he stood up on offence catching a TD as well something he has struggled with all season.
I could go on for days analysing the football aspect of the Super Bowl but I will not I will finish with one final view. I also realise there has been a bit of an overload in American Football over the last couple of days so promise tomorrow will be something different.
There is only one place I can leave this Super Bowl review blog and that's with the person who this Super Bowl belongs to. Ray Lewis finally has his second ring and can leave the game from the highest podium. Off the field I'm sure his leadership was invaluable this week especially to the younger players, I'm sure he was also an inspiration to the Ravens and their fans. His performance will not be remembered it was close to awful with missed tackles and not able to get of blocks. However I noticed one thing that I thought was rather interesting and that was the birth of the next great Ravens leader. There will never be another Lewis he is perhaps the greatest leader in all of sports but on Sunday one man that stood next to Lewis at MLB came to the front. Ellerbe was regularly calling plays and positioning defenders, he was the man in the middle that set the tone for the defence. I'm expecting big things from Ellerbe and Lewis might be leaving the Ravens in capable hands.
I will always remember this Super Bowl not for the power shortage or this new dynamic option read offence making it to the big game or two brothers going head to head for the biggest prize but for one mans desire to finish his illustrious career at the highest point. I do not think I need to remember his performance because he has over 200 games worth of great performances but I doubt I will ever witness such a great leader and inspiration to one franchise. Congratulations Ravens, congratulations to the biggest raven of them all Ray Lewis. See you in five years for your hall of fame speech.
Tuesday 5 February 2013
Are they tipped to return?
Still having massive Internet problems at home and so can not access my game pass to watch the Super Bowl again and give a full review. Hope to be back up and running soon so watch this space. In the mean time I wanted to think which team is more likely to return to the Super Bowl next season.
First of all going to two Super Bowls in a row is a very difficult fate which not many have done only New England in more recent history. I have also maybe got bit of a surprising opinion and actually doubt Baltimore's chances of returning to the Super Bowl. I'm even going to make a massive statement and say they do not even get in the playoff next season.
I actually thought this over a month ago as the ravens were crawling into the playoffs, they face a an off season of big change. On top of that they have a Super Bowl to celebrate all before preparing to play in a very competitive AFC north.
The main change is they will loss Ray Lewis no team will ever be the say if you take out such a big leader. He was a leader on and off the pitch and they will not be able to replace him for his leadership skills they will be able to replace him as a MLB. His play gradually declined he does not shed blocks as easily as he once did, lacks a few strides of pace and is not the cover linebacker teams now require. Therefore the Ravens may get an upgrade in this department but they will feel a bigger loss in the locker room. Ed Reed is uncertain to his plans next year and the Ravens heavily rely on him to make plays on the back end. The un-song hear on the Ravens D is Ngata easily the best defensive linemen in the NFL. He picked up a serious injury in the Super Bowl and could face an off season of surgery and time away from the practise field. This defence needs to become younger and more athletic.
The offence will be more consistent and less change will take place. The only issue is Flacco's contract he enters the off season with no contract and with his performances in 2013 he is going to require top dollar. Getting this could be a length procedure and again could result in more time not on the practise field. Also as NFL offences get more dynamic with read option offences scoring more points and scoring quickly I question can this offence keep up with others.
On the other hand 49ers who have been to the championship game two years in a row and just need to take one more step and win the Bowl. The defence is still young and I expect will add a couple more pieces on the back end to continue to get younger and help make plays. The only question mark is Justin Smiths health, this defence needs him healthy to free up other players to make plays. Get him back quickly and this defence is solid and built to be productive for many years.
The offence is ever evolving, I think we have only seen half the deck when it comes to Kapernicks cards. The biggest obstacle he faces is there is tape out there on him now and ever D coordinator this off season will be working out how to stop the option read offence. I think we are going to see part 2 of this offence next season which I expect to involve more of an illusive back who will gradually be Gore's replacement. We have learnt Kaepernick can throw a great ball all over the park, so NFL be worried if the 49ers add another receiver to play opposite Crabtree.
The 49ers unlike the Ravens will return to the playoffs next year and probably go deep. I expect the NFC to be a tough conference though next year with young teams like the Seahawks and then Packers and Saints returning to their best but the 49ers will be amongst them.
One final side note a quality stat from a sixth former today, forever 2 minutes of televised live NBA there will be 2 and half minutes of commercials during that game. Unbelievable stat.
First of all going to two Super Bowls in a row is a very difficult fate which not many have done only New England in more recent history. I have also maybe got bit of a surprising opinion and actually doubt Baltimore's chances of returning to the Super Bowl. I'm even going to make a massive statement and say they do not even get in the playoff next season.
I actually thought this over a month ago as the ravens were crawling into the playoffs, they face a an off season of big change. On top of that they have a Super Bowl to celebrate all before preparing to play in a very competitive AFC north.
The main change is they will loss Ray Lewis no team will ever be the say if you take out such a big leader. He was a leader on and off the pitch and they will not be able to replace him for his leadership skills they will be able to replace him as a MLB. His play gradually declined he does not shed blocks as easily as he once did, lacks a few strides of pace and is not the cover linebacker teams now require. Therefore the Ravens may get an upgrade in this department but they will feel a bigger loss in the locker room. Ed Reed is uncertain to his plans next year and the Ravens heavily rely on him to make plays on the back end. The un-song hear on the Ravens D is Ngata easily the best defensive linemen in the NFL. He picked up a serious injury in the Super Bowl and could face an off season of surgery and time away from the practise field. This defence needs to become younger and more athletic.
The offence will be more consistent and less change will take place. The only issue is Flacco's contract he enters the off season with no contract and with his performances in 2013 he is going to require top dollar. Getting this could be a length procedure and again could result in more time not on the practise field. Also as NFL offences get more dynamic with read option offences scoring more points and scoring quickly I question can this offence keep up with others.
On the other hand 49ers who have been to the championship game two years in a row and just need to take one more step and win the Bowl. The defence is still young and I expect will add a couple more pieces on the back end to continue to get younger and help make plays. The only question mark is Justin Smiths health, this defence needs him healthy to free up other players to make plays. Get him back quickly and this defence is solid and built to be productive for many years.
The offence is ever evolving, I think we have only seen half the deck when it comes to Kapernicks cards. The biggest obstacle he faces is there is tape out there on him now and ever D coordinator this off season will be working out how to stop the option read offence. I think we are going to see part 2 of this offence next season which I expect to involve more of an illusive back who will gradually be Gore's replacement. We have learnt Kaepernick can throw a great ball all over the park, so NFL be worried if the 49ers add another receiver to play opposite Crabtree.
The 49ers unlike the Ravens will return to the playoffs next year and probably go deep. I expect the NFC to be a tough conference though next year with young teams like the Seahawks and then Packers and Saints returning to their best but the 49ers will be amongst them.
One final side note a quality stat from a sixth former today, forever 2 minutes of televised live NBA there will be 2 and half minutes of commercials during that game. Unbelievable stat.
Monday 4 February 2013
Match fixing
I was going to give my Super Bowl review today but to be honest I have still not recovered from all the excitement. Therefore I'm going to take one more look at the coaches film this evening and relive it all again and then give a much more level head review. Today's blog will focus on the big news today that match fixing has hit soccer.
In recent time cricket has played the victim of match fixing but it appears that something much bigger is about to explode in soccer. The two do have one similarity and that is the operation of this crime seems to be based in Asia. Even the match fixing involved in county cricket was based other in the East and police are aiming their investigations in that direction again.
Today it was revealed that over 600 games have been involved in match fixing over the last 4 years, worldwide and hundreds of officials, clubs and players are part takers. What has caught the headlines is that one of these games took place in England and was a champions league tie. The match at the moment can not be named for identity reasons.
The fear is that the news uncovered today is literally the tip of the ice berg and now the public is aware more and more answers are going to be needed therefore the truth is going to have to be uncovered. The game faces a serious worry tonight as the image of the game could be scared forever. I believe over the next few weeks more and more games, clubs, officials and players are going to be called out as match fixers.
Of course anyone would need to be found guilty and then have the opportunity to prove their not guilty. In the past cricket has taken a harsh stance dishing out life time bans and facing legal prosecution and jail. Will soccer take a similar stance and could we see big time players facing some serious punishments. I have a horrible feeling this is only going to get worse before it gets better.
In recent time cricket has played the victim of match fixing but it appears that something much bigger is about to explode in soccer. The two do have one similarity and that is the operation of this crime seems to be based in Asia. Even the match fixing involved in county cricket was based other in the East and police are aiming their investigations in that direction again.
Today it was revealed that over 600 games have been involved in match fixing over the last 4 years, worldwide and hundreds of officials, clubs and players are part takers. What has caught the headlines is that one of these games took place in England and was a champions league tie. The match at the moment can not be named for identity reasons.
The fear is that the news uncovered today is literally the tip of the ice berg and now the public is aware more and more answers are going to be needed therefore the truth is going to have to be uncovered. The game faces a serious worry tonight as the image of the game could be scared forever. I believe over the next few weeks more and more games, clubs, officials and players are going to be called out as match fixers.
Of course anyone would need to be found guilty and then have the opportunity to prove their not guilty. In the past cricket has taken a harsh stance dishing out life time bans and facing legal prosecution and jail. Will soccer take a similar stance and could we see big time players facing some serious punishments. I have a horrible feeling this is only going to get worse before it gets better.
Sunday 3 February 2013
New Orleans
Tonight New Orleans will hold the most watched event ever. The whole eyes of the world will be looking at one city and in particular one stadium the Super dome. What ever happens sporting wise between Baltimore and San Francisco there is one guarantee the city of New Orleans will put on one hell of an event and even bigger party.
This is not the first time the worlds eyes have been centred upon this great city in the state of Louisiana. Back in 2005 hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans causing great damage and fatality, it was the worst hurricane to ever hit the city. It made parts of the city inhabitable for years and thousands of people have never returned back to the city losing property and loved ones.
During this terrible time when thousands of people of were homeless they sought shelter for days at the home of the New Orleans Saints, the Super dome. This great stadium became an iconic symbol of the city as it was a place of refuge and repatriation with family.
Since this day New Orleans has been in a rebuilding phase. People have built their lives back together in the city that loves to party. Tonight the world will witness the last stage of that rebuilding phase as it plays host to Super Bowl 47. The Super Dome already looks magnificent once again being the icon of this city and the French quarter is prepped to hold one of the best parties ever.
New Orleans people have had some dark days since 2005 but I have a feeling tonight the city will be illuminated with joy in what is bound to be a bright future. Have a great night New Orleans and enjoy the Super Bowl everyone.
This is not the first time the worlds eyes have been centred upon this great city in the state of Louisiana. Back in 2005 hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans causing great damage and fatality, it was the worst hurricane to ever hit the city. It made parts of the city inhabitable for years and thousands of people have never returned back to the city losing property and loved ones.
During this terrible time when thousands of people of were homeless they sought shelter for days at the home of the New Orleans Saints, the Super dome. This great stadium became an iconic symbol of the city as it was a place of refuge and repatriation with family.
Since this day New Orleans has been in a rebuilding phase. People have built their lives back together in the city that loves to party. Tonight the world will witness the last stage of that rebuilding phase as it plays host to Super Bowl 47. The Super Dome already looks magnificent once again being the icon of this city and the French quarter is prepped to hold one of the best parties ever.
New Orleans people have had some dark days since 2005 but I have a feeling tonight the city will be illuminated with joy in what is bound to be a bright future. Have a great night New Orleans and enjoy the Super Bowl everyone.
Saturday 2 February 2013
Super Bowl Preview
On the eve of the Super Bowl brings my last preview and prediction of the season. It's a game I love and always look forward to with great anticipation but it is also the last game of the season which is never a good thing. Later this week I will do some seasonal reviews but for today it's all looking forward to tomorrow's big game. I'm going to look at both teams in great detail in today's blog, I have watched all their playoff games, listened to the press conferences and experts and feel more equipped than any other game I have watched.
Baltimore
There is no where else to start than saying this game is defiantly Ray Lewis's last ever game. The previous three games have been emotional affairs knowing this fact and this is going to be no different. That last game speech is going to move mountains let a-known football players, that field entrance is going to be more entertaining than Beyonce's half time performance and he is bound to make one more explosion play it could be an interception or fumble. I expect Baltimore to ride this emotional roller coaster for one more game and the player they refer to as their big brother to lead them.
Lewis has been playing well in the playoffs leading the team in tackles but this defence as been stout. They managed to control the games two best passers with neither of them having much success. I expect the Ravens to do a similar good job of the 49ers they will have come up with ways to contain Kaepernick and different ways to attack that pistol read option offence. I think the Ravens secondary will keep a lid on the receivers all night as they have done for much of the playoffs. Where this defence can win the game for Ravens is by pinching a possession or two,they will need to do this at critical times to prevent Kaepernick getting into a rhythm.
The offence has not relied on Rice in the playoffs as much as I had thought but hopefully he sees a lot of the ball on Sunday. Through Rice the game can be controlled and with Bernard a nice change of pace this rushing attack is something serious. They are going to have a tough time because the 49ers run defence is stout. So much rides on Flaccos play they need to take their shots deep to Smith who is a deep threat king and this is the throw Flacco throws best. What he must do is trust his arm across the middle Boldin has played brilliantly in January and will be a good option come Sunday night and has the experience of playing the big game.
San Francisco
The 49ers have been building up to this game for a couple of years now. They made it to the championship game last year and this year have made that final step and it appears that final piece to the puzzle fell into place this year. That piece of course being Kaepernick the quarterback. He is playing this read option offence like no one could have imagined, I think he makes the best reads out of all the quarterbacks that run this offence. When he runs he is explosive so quick and sensible knowing when to hit the sideline or slide down. He throws a strong football meaning it comes out with great velocity I still question his intermediate routes and his all round precision but I feel these questions could be answered come Monday.
There are two even more dangerous parts to this offence in my opinion. One being Frank Gore teams and now spying Kaepernick leaving plenty of running room when Kaepernick makes all the correct reads. He has had great success in the playoffs and I think he may continue to on Sunday this will be Ray Lewis responsibility to shut down. Then there is TE Davis he is a match up nightmare and the Ravens do not have a natural line backer who matches up well to stop him. He also shows up on big games.
Finally the defence, I have said for numerous weeks I think this defence is the most complete defence in football. However recently I have spotted a hole through the injury of Smith. Justin Smith is not playing his best due to the injury he has been carrying for the last coupe of months. This has meant extra responsibilities for Aldon Smith in stopping the run which has in turn worn him down and preventing him for getting to the quarterback as much. They will need to set Smith free at some point in this game as the Ravens O-Line has played outstanding this last month.
There you go a few key match ups to look forward to tomorrow and that's without mentioning Lewis riding of in to the sunset, this Super Bowl being a family affair and Moss and Reed on potentially joining Lewis. Without putting it of any more my Super Bowl prediction I will not hide the fact I want the Ravens, being a sucker for a fairy tale but my head says 49ers. With Kaepernick they could explode at any minute and that defence is totally solid. 49ers win this in a low scoring game by 5 points.
Baltimore
There is no where else to start than saying this game is defiantly Ray Lewis's last ever game. The previous three games have been emotional affairs knowing this fact and this is going to be no different. That last game speech is going to move mountains let a-known football players, that field entrance is going to be more entertaining than Beyonce's half time performance and he is bound to make one more explosion play it could be an interception or fumble. I expect Baltimore to ride this emotional roller coaster for one more game and the player they refer to as their big brother to lead them.
Lewis has been playing well in the playoffs leading the team in tackles but this defence as been stout. They managed to control the games two best passers with neither of them having much success. I expect the Ravens to do a similar good job of the 49ers they will have come up with ways to contain Kaepernick and different ways to attack that pistol read option offence. I think the Ravens secondary will keep a lid on the receivers all night as they have done for much of the playoffs. Where this defence can win the game for Ravens is by pinching a possession or two,they will need to do this at critical times to prevent Kaepernick getting into a rhythm.
The offence has not relied on Rice in the playoffs as much as I had thought but hopefully he sees a lot of the ball on Sunday. Through Rice the game can be controlled and with Bernard a nice change of pace this rushing attack is something serious. They are going to have a tough time because the 49ers run defence is stout. So much rides on Flaccos play they need to take their shots deep to Smith who is a deep threat king and this is the throw Flacco throws best. What he must do is trust his arm across the middle Boldin has played brilliantly in January and will be a good option come Sunday night and has the experience of playing the big game.
San Francisco
The 49ers have been building up to this game for a couple of years now. They made it to the championship game last year and this year have made that final step and it appears that final piece to the puzzle fell into place this year. That piece of course being Kaepernick the quarterback. He is playing this read option offence like no one could have imagined, I think he makes the best reads out of all the quarterbacks that run this offence. When he runs he is explosive so quick and sensible knowing when to hit the sideline or slide down. He throws a strong football meaning it comes out with great velocity I still question his intermediate routes and his all round precision but I feel these questions could be answered come Monday.
There are two even more dangerous parts to this offence in my opinion. One being Frank Gore teams and now spying Kaepernick leaving plenty of running room when Kaepernick makes all the correct reads. He has had great success in the playoffs and I think he may continue to on Sunday this will be Ray Lewis responsibility to shut down. Then there is TE Davis he is a match up nightmare and the Ravens do not have a natural line backer who matches up well to stop him. He also shows up on big games.
Finally the defence, I have said for numerous weeks I think this defence is the most complete defence in football. However recently I have spotted a hole through the injury of Smith. Justin Smith is not playing his best due to the injury he has been carrying for the last coupe of months. This has meant extra responsibilities for Aldon Smith in stopping the run which has in turn worn him down and preventing him for getting to the quarterback as much. They will need to set Smith free at some point in this game as the Ravens O-Line has played outstanding this last month.
There you go a few key match ups to look forward to tomorrow and that's without mentioning Lewis riding of in to the sunset, this Super Bowl being a family affair and Moss and Reed on potentially joining Lewis. Without putting it of any more my Super Bowl prediction I will not hide the fact I want the Ravens, being a sucker for a fairy tale but my head says 49ers. With Kaepernick they could explode at any minute and that defence is totally solid. 49ers win this in a low scoring game by 5 points.
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