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.
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