Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Pete Carroll vs. Charlie Weis
The national hype machine is at full speed over the USC-Notre Dame game…and I couldn’t be happier. Coach Carroll is doing the syndicated radio shows, and ESPN and the LA Times are reaching for stories. E.g. Galippo was slighted by Weis on his recruiting visit because Weis was obsessed with all things Jimmy Clausen; Will Charlie Weis have unreasonably long grass like he did in 2005? And USC’s “unknown LB’s on the verge of group stardom.”
And yes, I know this because I am a sucker for all and devour them unscrupulously. All of this got me thinking….just how different Coach Carroll and Coach Weis are. The Midwestern crew cut vs. the southern California suave; the upbeat outlook on life vs. the depressed “life’s a grind mentality.” The spark for this post was Carroll’s 60 minutes piece. (http://www.usctrojans.com/blog/2009/09/carroll-on-60-minutes.html) The interviewer relays a quote from Weis on a previous show saying, “All coaches are miserable.” He then asks Carroll, “Are you miserable?” Carroll graciously laughs it off and with that dismisses beyond any doubt how wrong Weis is. So to add some more examples of the difference in each coach—which flows through to each team’s character—I’ve amassed a few other examples to drive the point home.
Weis is the facebook status sympathy-baitor. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take. But I should expect it, this is just my luck, it’s meant to be.” -VS- Carroll’s, “just hit the surf, swam with some dolphins, watching ND film and jamming to the ‘Stones.
Weis is the angry, stressed out undergrad before finals week; Carroll shows up 15 mins late and is the first one to turn in his blue books.
Carroll rolls in a sweet Mercedes. Weis is that guy who drives a Suburban with a “Keep Tahoe Blue” bumper sticker, oblivious to the irony.
And last, Carroll finishes a mid-week practice with style. (http://www.usctrojans.com/blog/2009/10/enjoying-their-work.html)
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Stewie Mandel is on board
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/stewart_mandel/09/10/matt-barkley/index.html?eref=T1
LOS ANGELES -- The golden boy quarterback sounds too good to be true. Highly hyped high school signal callers usually are. So you get on a plane and fly 3,000 miles for a football practice. You have to see this kid for yourself. It's the Tuesday before USC's season opener against San Jose State. Less than a week earlier, coach Pete Carroll made the eyebrow-raising decision to name true freshman Matt Barkley his opening-day starting quarterback over the more experienced Aaron Corp and Mitch Mustain.
As practice begins, the QB trio moves to a side field for basic passing drills. You're no football coach, no expert on quarterback mechanics, but it takes only a couple throws from each to notice the striking disparity. At 6-foot-2, 230-pounds, Barkley is physically bigger than the other two ("It looks like he's wearing two sets of shoulder pads," jokes one onlooker), but it's not just that. His passes are sharper, crisper. The velocity, even on simple out routes, is clearly on another level.
When the Trojans go into full-blown scrimmage mode at the end of practice, you notice something else about Barkley: He carries himself like a guy who's been starting for years. He calmly looks to the sideline for the play-call, makes eye contact in the huddle, calls out the safeties' alignment at the line of scrimmage, barks the snap count and, when a pair of pass-rushers descend on him, smartly dumps the ball to his fullback.
That's when it hits you. He reminds you of someone. Not any quarterback you've covered in college, not any quarterback playing today, but a similarly shaped quarterback who, as a 13-year-old, you watched on your parents' television as he calmly led his team downfield for a game-winning Super Bowl drive.
It's like you're looking out at a young Joe Montana.
"Once every so many years, you find this one person that has something, you can't explain it, but you feel it," said Steve Clarkson, Barkley's private tutor since high school whose previous students include Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Leinart and Jimmy Clausen. "When he walks into a room, you know it. When he walks into a huddle, his teammates feel it."
After practice, a throng of reporters surrounds Barkley, all poking and prodding for any sign the 18-year-old might be nervous for his college debut. He responds calmly, pensively, but the topic genuinely seems foreign to him.
"I don't generally get nervous," said the kid with the golden-blond locks. "I feel 100 percent confident [running the Trojans' offense] because I know it works."
Four days later, Barkley, the first true freshman since Michigan's Rick Leach in 1975 to start a season-opener for a top five team, completes 15-of-19 passes for 233 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions in a 56-3 rout of San Jose State. Asked afterward what was most difficult, Barkley responds genuinely: "The run up the tunnel at halftime. That was brutal."
On Saturday night, most of the nation will get its first glimpse of Barkley when the third-ranked Trojans visit No. 8 Ohio State. Whether or not Barkley has a big game against the Buckeyes, fans may one day remember the contest as a landmark moment. If you believe the people who have watched him most closely, starting from the time he became the first freshman starter at Orange County prep power Mater Dei in 22 years, you'll be watching not only the next great college star, but also the next Tom Brady or Peyton Manning.
He's earned those comparisons thanks to more than just arm strength. "His physical gifts are well-documented -- he's got the picture-perfect throwing motion -- but his mental make-up is off the charts," said Clarkson.
In February 2008, when Barkley committed to the Trojans as a high school junior, Clarkson told SI.com's Arash Markazi that Barkley was "on track to be the greatest quarterback I've ever worked with ... We're actually working on pro stuff because that's where his mind-set it. He's now training at two levels above his peers."
At the time, it seemed like typical recruiting hyperbole. But then Barkley stepped onto the USC campus last spring and exceeded the coaches' wildest expectations. By Barkley's fifth practice, Carroll realized he was dealing with a rare phenomenon.
"He shouldn't have been able to do the things we saw him doing," said Carroll, whose previous USC quarterbacks include two Heisman winners (Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart) and a top five draft pick (Mark Sanchez). "We have a quarterback that's unusual. He's so far ahead of the curve, that it's hard to predict what he's going to be able to do."
Carroll has spent much of the past two weeks trying to explain to inquiring media members how he could possibly entrust a true freshman to lead a national-championship contender. It's obvious the coach at times grows frustrated -- not by the second-guessers, but by the difficulty he has conveying the rarity of the situation.
"You guys are looking for typical things," Carroll said after the San Jose State game. "This is not a typical kid." Indeed, much of Barkley's back story fits the Tim Tebow/Colt McCoy "too good to be true" mold.
Raised in a devout Christian household (his father, Les, is a former USC water polo player), Barkley played acoustic guitar for his church choir. He and his family founded Monarchs for Marines, a Mater Dei-related charity that raised more than $100,000 for the families of wounded and fallen soldiers. He spent winter break of his senior year volunteering at an orphanage in South Africa.
Following a recent practice, someone asked Barkley about pictures supposedly floating around the Internet of him "chatting up coeds."Coeds? ... You mean girls?" said Barkley. "No, I don't associate with them. "I like to have fun, don't get me wrong, but I'm not going to be out doing anything crazy. You don't have to worry about that."
Entering fall camp, Barkley was the clear No. 2 behind Corp. But even before the third-year sophomore injured his leg, opening the door for Barkley, the freshman's summer film study had enabled him to close the gap. Teammates soon noticed his mature demeanor.
"He's never really been scared or intimidated," said Trojans safety Taylor Mays. "He just kind of gets the ball and does his thing. Coach Carroll has confidence in him, so why shouldn't we?"
This isn't the first time Barkley has displayed accelerated development. In 2005, he became the first freshman to start at quarterback for Mater Dei since Todd Marinovich in 1983. (His predecessors included Leinart and Colt Brennan.) In '07, he became the first junior to win Gatorade's National Player of the Year award.
To become the Trojans' starter, Barkley had to master an NFL-style offense that even Leinart struggled with his first two years as a Trojan. "Every guy we've brought in here, we thought they had a chance [to play as a freshman], but they hit a wall," said Carroll. "We thought John David [Booty] could, but it just didn't happen. It took him a long time. Matt wasn't behind the curve -- he was ahead."
With a loaded supporting cast at his disposal, Barkley won't have to approach the wall, let alone hit it. With four returning starters on the offensive line, a deep stable of tailbacks (Joe McKnight, Stafon Johnson and C.J. Gable among them) and a veteran tight end (Anthony McCoy), fullback (Stanley Havili) and receivers (Damian Williams and David Ausberry), Barkley won't have to throw for 300 yards a game. Against San Jose State, USC leaned heavily on its running game (rushing for 342 yards), with many of Barkley's yards coming on quick bootlegs and catch-and-runs by his receivers. Presumably, quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, the 32-year-old former Denver Broncos assistant and Jay Cutler mentor who replaces Steve Sarkisian as the Trojans' play-caller, will stick to a similar plan against the Buckeyes. If needed, however, Carroll insists Barkley can run nearly any part of USC's package. "There aren't many throws he can't make," said Carroll. "As far as setting up and throwing it, he can do all of that. That's not even an issue.
"The biggest problem we have is our receivers getting out there, because the ball comes so quickly, sometimes they're not quite ready for the throws. He has a natural sense for getting rid of the football. He doesn't wait to see guys, he throws the ball when guys are just beginning to get in the open areas. That's a knack."
The one thing Carroll can't yet access is how the freshman will react when faced with 105,000 hostile fans at the Horseshoe on Saturday night. Barkley himself admitted: "I probably don't know what I'm in for. I'm not going to worry about that." Carroll is not going to worry, either. Last week, he made a point of emphasizing he doesn't view his faith in Barkley as "a gamble."
"Under the circumstances, I see this as a good, solid decision," he said. However, should the freshman falter on the big stage Saturday and make a game-costing mistake (he threw three interceptions in USC's four preseason scrimmages), Carroll will hear no shortage of backlash from local critics.
Of course, the ever-rosy coach isn't thinking that way. "Think how cool this is going to be if this kid can hold it together," said Carroll. "And he gives us every indication that he will be able to."
His new star shares that optimism. "I don't even know how crazy it will be, but that won't faze me," Barkley said. "This is fun. This is easy. This is what I was made to do."
Upon watching him play, you may think the same thing.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The Case for Christ
After a couple of inconveniences took place today I felt the need to send BDW a text message in my slight fit of rage. The thesis to my message was this, we need vulgarity back and we need it now. See, since God and I broke up I have taken the time to reflect on our relationship and focus on the better things that we shared. Even though things didn't work out, it doesn't mean we have to relegate ourselves to petty bickering and avoiding each other at all costs. I already have an ex-girlfriend for that. Instead, why not use our failed relationship as a stepping stone towards bettering the world around us? While we were together I took a lot of things for granted, but this one stands out the most. As Christians we have a higher calling in regards to morality. Our calling is so much higher than everyone else's that we demand that everyone live by our moral standards, see: gay marriage. Included in our righteousness is a fairly strict guideline for what you can and cannot say. In short, you can enslave people of a particular race for hundreds of years until your government decides it's illegal, but you even think of murmuring the f-word and you might as well jump on orbitz and purchase your own ticket to hell. Are these rules a little ridiculous? Sure, but it doesn't hurt anyone to refrain from using dirty language. Which brings me back to my thesis. See, when it was bad to cuss or use swear words, those words meant something. They maintained the ability to make something very miniscule seem emphatic, they made the hair on your neck stand up and they sent a chill down your spine. Cuss words had power. Now they're so watered down that they no longer have any power or meaning. The strongest of cuss phrases have been minimized by the likes of Paris and Perez Hilton. The example I gave BDW was this, imagine you're in a bar (or ice cream parlor for those who don't sin) and there's a man in there that's probably on his 8th or 9th round of cookies n' cream (we'll just stick with one). As he sits there he's talking, to no one in particular, about how he just got laid off, his house lost 60 per cent of it's value, his car got repoed and of course, his wife left him. At the very end of his diatribe he utters the words "Fuck my life." Immediately you get the chill down your spine and hairs begin to rise. You're powerless as you grab the clerk by the shirt lapel and say "give that man another double scoop of cookies n cream and put it on my tab." Coming from the bowels of this poor man's tormented soul, these words meant something. Now unfortunately, these same powerful words have been diminished to the point where they are expressed simply as "fml". Not 30 seconds later two peroxide blondes come stumbling into the parlor asking for half a scoop of ultra light yogurt that they're going to split between the two of them, as they wait for the clerk who is still un ruffling his shirt from the near-strangling you just gave him, you hear one air-headedly express to the other one "Like, OMG I didn't hear my alarm clock this morning and I overslept by like 10 effing minutes. I was like totally stressing out because I thought I was going to be late to my waxing appointment and I was like seriously, fml. like." . . . . "omg really?". . . . "Like yeah!"
To answer your question, no, this doesn't end in someone strangling the two peroxide blondes to death. My dissertation, however, ends with this: we need Christ back in our lives. Not for salvation and believe it or not, not for money either, we need Christ just so that cuss words can mean something again.
That's SO gay?
So i had just finished a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and was about to turn off the TV when an ad starring Hillary Duff came on telling 2 girls who had said, "that's so gay" about a skirt they didn't like to "knock it off".
Not believing what i had just witnessed, i jumped on youtube and typed "that's so gay" into the search bar. So there's quite a few of these floating around and i'm a little miffed. So I'll start with the definition of the word.
Gay
~adjective
1. having or showing a merry, lively mood: gay spirits; gay music.
2. bright or showy: gay colors; gay ornaments.
3. given to or abounding in social or other pleasures: a gay social season.
4. licentious; dissipated; wanton: The baron is a gay old rogue with an eye for the ladies.
While it's true that the word "gay" has enjoyed a double life for hundreds of years, it wasn't until the late 19th century that it began it's association with homosexual behavior/lifestyle. Before that, as early as 1637, the Oxford English Dictionary gives one meaning as, "addicted to social pleasures and dissipations" -think 'Slideshow'. During the 60's the bastardization of the word spread faster than the swine flu so that today "gay" in the sense of "homosexual" has chased out all other uses of the word... until now. The word "gay" is being bastardized again. Amongst young people "gay" has replaced stupid, dumb, retarded, etc. The pejoration of the word spread overnight thanks to youtube and social network sites, and what was forty years of gold medals for the gay community is now in jeopardy.
My argument is this:
Where was the outcry from joyful, happy people when they lost the only word to describe them to homosexuals? Just kidding.
When kids refer to something as being "gay" they aren't speaking out against homosexuals (in most cases anyways). They have collectively assigned a new meaning to the word just as during the 20th century, a new meaning was assigned to the word.
I understand where they are coming from. When someone says, "gay community" you're not thinking about a community of atrasado mentales. They own 95% of the word and the shit they get from everyone else, the last thing they need is for their word to have a negative connotation to it.
Is it worth fighting for?
Here in lies the problem. I have several friends who are gay who say, "that's so gay", gay meaning stupid, or cheesy, or, you know, gay! They don't have a problem with it. Can the gay community unite under this mantra? That remains to be seen.
Why is it such a big deal all of a sudden?
Simple. Just when the gay community was gaining momentum, they lost a key battle in a state they thought they had in the bag. I'm talking about California & gay marriage. This was a wake-up call to the gay community that even in the most liberal of states, they are still at least a generation away from equal rights. Rights i believe they should have. So they are out to improve their image amongst that next generation. I don't blame them. Especially when I support Obama going after that same generation to stress to them the importance of an education.
Possible outcomes?
The negative connotation is removed from our vernacular and gays get equal rights down the road.
or,
"That's so gay" turns into the new n word where gay people sing it whenever they want and straight people say it but only to other straight people.
Notice how the video below tries to kill 2 birds with one stone. In some circles, homosexuality is still viewed as a sexual deviancy so this vid puts it in the same class as race & religion.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Shawne Merriman's Tweets
Since Shawne Merriman has been tied up lately, I thought I'd offer what his tweets would have been had his blackberry not been confiscated at county. Alas, ladies and gentlemen, tonight's top 10 list! [adjusting tie]
10. @County, attorney not answering cell, need 58 large 4 bail aSaP!!!
9. At least I didn't get shot like Foley! Haha, that krazy fool!
8. Is John Clayton goin' all over-dramatic on espn news yet? BS. Roll w/ Fox Sports, and btw, watch my show Pro Football Preview Tuesdays at 9
7. Ironic Tila Tequila can't handle her liquor
6. Just found out my bunk-mate has tryout w/ raiders on Monday! LOL!
5. Damn, gots Comish Goodell texting me right now…brb
4. No worries, just secured SD Co Sheriff deal on this "business trip"; they now sponsored by Lights Out Clothing and Verve Energy. 56 always hustlin'!!!
3. Just showed warden how do lights-out dance, hooked me up wit warm cookies xoxo :-)
2. thx @Pacman_luvsgirls for bail $$$. Knew my boy always roll wit stacks of straight cash dimes @5am
1. Didn't do it...if really wanted to choke her, Ida used something else! Zing! JK
10. @County, attorney not answering cell, need 58 large 4 bail aSaP!!!
9. At least I didn't get shot like Foley! Haha, that krazy fool!
8. Is John Clayton goin' all over-dramatic on espn news yet? BS. Roll w/ Fox Sports, and btw, watch my show Pro Football Preview Tuesdays at 9
7. Ironic Tila Tequila can't handle her liquor
6. Just found out my bunk-mate has tryout w/ raiders on Monday! LOL!
4. No worries, just secured SD Co Sheriff deal on this "business trip"; they now sponsored by Lights Out Clothing and Verve Energy. 56 always hustlin'!!!
3. Just showed warden how do lights-out dance, hooked me up wit warm cookies xoxo :-)
2. thx @Pacman_luvsgirls for bail $$$. Knew my boy always roll wit stacks of straight cash dimes @5am
1. Didn't do it...if really wanted to choke her, Ida used something else! Zing! JK
Friday, September 4, 2009
USC 2009 Season Preview
"We didn't do a lot of fancy things or anything like that," said USC coach Pete Carroll, whose team won eight straight to finish last season. "We just played ball." - August 30, 2003.
Substitute 10 straight in this statement and you have the driving thesis for the start of this season. How can a team with so many uncertainties still be ranked in the top 5? How can a team expect the suffocating defensive performances when it lost 8 starters to the NFL? How can it replace a top quarterback who is know starting for the Jets? It got even more intriguing last week when Matt Barkley was named the starter. How in the world can a true freshman lead the program? It's just a matter of time before someone steps up in the Pac-10 to challenge USC, and on and on it goes.
My simple answer: Pete Carroll. It's not so much in his schemes as it is in the philosophy he preaches. His competitive ethos in every drill, every scrimmage, every task takes over and molds his team to reflect his approach. Just as important, teams take on the personality of their leaders. He keeps his players loose, comfortable and having fun. Why has USC under Carroll dominated at otherwise hostile environments (at Aurburn, Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Nebraska) or in the BCS? Easy. He mentions it any chance he gets and it shows on Saturdays: no situation is bigger than anything we have prepared for or any challenge tougher than what we practice within our team. Why did Sanchez get drafted as high as he did after only a year of starting? Simple, teams looked at how he practiced. How in the world did Oregon come out so flat last night? Have you ever listened to Chip Kelly? One cannot forget that these are kids we're talking about. They are talented but impressionable and Carroll knows how to bound them. That's his style; other coaches do it differently. This training camp, Jim Tressel took away everyones cell phone, computer, TV for a week to get the players to focus and bond. Carroll takes his team bowling, movie night and pulls pranks on them. You tell me which team is less tense in big games? Again, not a coincidence. Critics add, "with the injuries suffered in training camp--Corp, O'Dowd, Armstead, Spicer--it doesn't make sense to be as phsyical in preparation when the season is as tough as it gets. But that's precisely what makes them who they are. Why he's never lost a November game. This team maintains this pace throughout the season and simply gets better as the season progresses. The collateral damage of injuries is just an unfortunate footnote.
So, given this background allow me to get into detail on the strenghts of this team and what to expect.
Control the Lime of Scrimmage. On Defense, DL coach Franklin can go a solid 10 deep (9 if you don't count DE Armstead who's injured.) Everson Griffen likely had the best off-season of any player. He is the next defensive star. There were some plays on 11-on-11 where he would drop into coverage with Taylor Mays near his back pocket. This combo with the weakside LB and the corner locks down half the field. Griffen would explode to the slot receiver or back coming out on a check down. On one play, he completely blew up a well-executed screen pass, tipped it and ran it for a pick-6. Game changer. At times this fall camp, this group thoroughly dominated a veteran offensive line. This group sans Griffen hasn't been getting much attention, but there is a noticeable nastiness as a unit that wasn't there last year and that included 2nd rounder Moala and 4th rounder Kyle Moore. (this is Franklins first year back, not a coincidence). Control the LOS and let your speedy linebackers fly around. Blow up the pocket, pressure the QB with only your front four and let your secondary hawk to the ball. Guys like transfer Hebron Fangupo, sophomores Malik Jackson, Jurrell Casey and freshman or RSF Wes Horton, Nick Perry and Devon Kennard don't play like underclassman. It was 2 recruiting classes ago that Carroll just cleaned house with D-Linemen. Fast-forward 2 years and boys...we comin!
On Offense, you've undoubtedly read about the talent and leadership. I won't expand on that much here since I agree with almost all of it. Like Carroll implied in the post's opening, you know what we're going to do, dare you to stop us. O-Linemen love nothing more than a punish defenses with phsyical run-blocking. It's the best, deepest line in the country. There will be plenty of 16 play, 8 minute run-control drives to go around.
Barkley, Corp. Barkley makes the most anticipated QB debut in recent memory. Fact is, this decade the starting quarterback for the University of Southern California Trojans is the highest profile position in college football. name me what other position has its holder named as a Heisman contender simply by starting off well? Happened to Mark Sanchez after Ohio State and Virginia. Happened to John David Booty in 2007. Not sure how the two before him fared. But Barkley's 9 months removed from high school? Yes, but physical that doesn't matter. Can he bounce back after taking a hit?; after all, he hasn't been touched since he arrived on campus. Don't know but the kid is built for it. Listed at 6-2, 230 he's got a thick frame, strong lower body. You can see him explode when he throws. The mental part, the nerves, the composure is the wild card. Will he get fazed? Yes! Who doesn't? Will he keep firing back? Absolutely. Seeing the three QB's go through their warm-up progressions at full speed yesterday, it is obvious he's got the best arm to make every thrown. The strength to gun a deep 20 yard out to Damian Williams, the touch and quick delivery to McKnight in the flat, the anticipation and accuracy to hit McCoy on a corner route. It's all there. A thought I had before I shared it with Mark May who mentioned it last night--interceptions are not created equally. Aggressive decisions and inaccuracy are different. The accuracy is as good as Sanchez; no hyperbole here boys. You either have it or you don't. They both clearly do. Will Barkley forces throws into coverage? Of course he will. He played 4 years under a system that let him fire at will. He made tough throws because he had to arm and confidence to do so. He says he feels like he just has to play within the system and let the talent around him take over. With Carroll and Bates preaching conservative ball-control style, it will take time for Barkley to fully grasp it. Bates' play calling is the easy part, but when Barkley has a risk/reward split-second decision, then we'll see the development. Will it be too little, too late? Don't know, but that's the fun in it. We comin!
Second on the Barkley, Corp breakdown. It is what it is. Corp was clearly nowhere near 100% even 3 weeks after his injury. Maybe it was naiive for us to expect it was no more than a scratch. That is unfortunate. Carroll made his decision early before the scrimmage and he's saying it the way he has very tactically. Corp isn't 100% and Barkley gives us the best chance to win. Barkley played beautifully, has handled everything we've thrown at him. Yes, both are correct. Although not Carroll's style, I do think there is a possibility of seeing both play at Ohio State and/or beyond. The irony is that by the, Barkley will be the more experienced of the two. With Corp hobbled, it wouldn't be close. Barkley gets the job. With Corp healed, he adds an element Carroll has never had at QB. This kid can flat out run. I'm not talking Colt McCoy sissy plays or Tebow fullback plows; rather, a control scramble and selective run plays. In the spring, he won the job with his ball control; his mobility was just gravvy. Get him out of the pocket and he is just as dangerous. Surprise a defense and run a bootleg or a designed run after faking a deep stretch hand-off with McCoy leading the way? Fageddabootit! Se me para.
Last point on Barkley especially for Coach. Trust me, even with your UCLA degrees in hand, you will grow to love this kid. Not because of what he does on the field, but off the field. The way he handles himself. He's a devout Christian and one can tell the relationship he has with his family after practice. Where Sanchez oozed leadership and charisma, Barkley blends a humble confidence with a playful attitude. He talked the same with everyone before and after he was named the starter. Will Harris would get in his ear every chance he had on and off the field. One day after practice, Will goes over and starts talking to Matt's mom. Barkley sees him, runs over, jumps on his back and jestingly says, "mom, don't ever talk to this guy." Good comraderie. We comin.
Those are the major themes obviously, but there are players and positions I will be watching closely.
Fullback. Havili and Shoemate. The best 2 deep FB in the country no doubt. Havili has the flexibility to run like a tailback and catch like a tight end. The FB can be the toughest player to match up against. Why? Mostly schemes. The cover assignment out of the backfield makes it hard for the MLB. Most teams will never run a pass play for their FB's so it's not an issue, plus most offenses only have them as a 3rd, 4th outlet option, if at all. USC has a deadly arsenal. Ohio State first TD last year anyone? Shoemate is one of the players I'm most excited about. He was recruited as a top local WR out of Servite but realized the quickest way on the field was a backup fullback. He beefcaked up but still has some of the best hands on the team. He's faster than Havili and will see plenty of action. Remember this FB breakdown when you hear Kirk Herbstreit praise them after their "mismatched" touchdowns. We comin!
Brice Butler, #19, WR. Right now, he's listed as Ausberry's backup after RoJo's injury. This 6-3 redshirt FR is silky smooth, great hands and can run.
Jarvis Jones, #10, LB. True freshman will get plenty of action. Physically a beast. Playmaker. The next great LB.
Will Harris, #26, SS. Was going to back up Pinkard before he moved to CB after Wright's ineligibility.
Michael Morgan, #17, LB. Love this guy's speed. Fastest USC LB I've ever seen. Hope he stays healthy.
Curtis McNeal, #6 RB/returner. From the Darren Sproles camp of speedy, tough backs. Not likely to crack the 4-man rotation, but returning kicks, I guarantee he will take one deep. Count it.
Allen Bradford, #21, RB. Saved my favorite breakout player for last. I won't talk him up much and will let his play handle it once he gets is carries. This guy is hungry to star, can catch and runs with anger.
That's it boys. Enjoy the season. Tomorrow is the start of the best time of the year. We Comin!
Substitute 10 straight in this statement and you have the driving thesis for the start of this season. How can a team with so many uncertainties still be ranked in the top 5? How can a team expect the suffocating defensive performances when it lost 8 starters to the NFL? How can it replace a top quarterback who is know starting for the Jets? It got even more intriguing last week when Matt Barkley was named the starter. How in the world can a true freshman lead the program? It's just a matter of time before someone steps up in the Pac-10 to challenge USC, and on and on it goes.
My simple answer: Pete Carroll. It's not so much in his schemes as it is in the philosophy he preaches. His competitive ethos in every drill, every scrimmage, every task takes over and molds his team to reflect his approach. Just as important, teams take on the personality of their leaders. He keeps his players loose, comfortable and having fun. Why has USC under Carroll dominated at otherwise hostile environments (at Aurburn, Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Nebraska) or in the BCS? Easy. He mentions it any chance he gets and it shows on Saturdays: no situation is bigger than anything we have prepared for or any challenge tougher than what we practice within our team. Why did Sanchez get drafted as high as he did after only a year of starting? Simple, teams looked at how he practiced. How in the world did Oregon come out so flat last night? Have you ever listened to Chip Kelly? One cannot forget that these are kids we're talking about. They are talented but impressionable and Carroll knows how to bound them. That's his style; other coaches do it differently. This training camp, Jim Tressel took away everyones cell phone, computer, TV for a week to get the players to focus and bond. Carroll takes his team bowling, movie night and pulls pranks on them. You tell me which team is less tense in big games? Again, not a coincidence. Critics add, "with the injuries suffered in training camp--Corp, O'Dowd, Armstead, Spicer--it doesn't make sense to be as phsyical in preparation when the season is as tough as it gets. But that's precisely what makes them who they are. Why he's never lost a November game. This team maintains this pace throughout the season and simply gets better as the season progresses. The collateral damage of injuries is just an unfortunate footnote.
So, given this background allow me to get into detail on the strenghts of this team and what to expect.
Control the Lime of Scrimmage. On Defense, DL coach Franklin can go a solid 10 deep (9 if you don't count DE Armstead who's injured.) Everson Griffen likely had the best off-season of any player. He is the next defensive star. There were some plays on 11-on-11 where he would drop into coverage with Taylor Mays near his back pocket. This combo with the weakside LB and the corner locks down half the field. Griffen would explode to the slot receiver or back coming out on a check down. On one play, he completely blew up a well-executed screen pass, tipped it and ran it for a pick-6. Game changer. At times this fall camp, this group thoroughly dominated a veteran offensive line. This group sans Griffen hasn't been getting much attention, but there is a noticeable nastiness as a unit that wasn't there last year and that included 2nd rounder Moala and 4th rounder Kyle Moore. (this is Franklins first year back, not a coincidence). Control the LOS and let your speedy linebackers fly around. Blow up the pocket, pressure the QB with only your front four and let your secondary hawk to the ball. Guys like transfer Hebron Fangupo, sophomores Malik Jackson, Jurrell Casey and freshman or RSF Wes Horton, Nick Perry and Devon Kennard don't play like underclassman. It was 2 recruiting classes ago that Carroll just cleaned house with D-Linemen. Fast-forward 2 years and boys...we comin!
On Offense, you've undoubtedly read about the talent and leadership. I won't expand on that much here since I agree with almost all of it. Like Carroll implied in the post's opening, you know what we're going to do, dare you to stop us. O-Linemen love nothing more than a punish defenses with phsyical run-blocking. It's the best, deepest line in the country. There will be plenty of 16 play, 8 minute run-control drives to go around.
Barkley, Corp. Barkley makes the most anticipated QB debut in recent memory. Fact is, this decade the starting quarterback for the University of Southern California Trojans is the highest profile position in college football. name me what other position has its holder named as a Heisman contender simply by starting off well? Happened to Mark Sanchez after Ohio State and Virginia. Happened to John David Booty in 2007. Not sure how the two before him fared. But Barkley's 9 months removed from high school? Yes, but physical that doesn't matter. Can he bounce back after taking a hit?; after all, he hasn't been touched since he arrived on campus. Don't know but the kid is built for it. Listed at 6-2, 230 he's got a thick frame, strong lower body. You can see him explode when he throws. The mental part, the nerves, the composure is the wild card. Will he get fazed? Yes! Who doesn't? Will he keep firing back? Absolutely. Seeing the three QB's go through their warm-up progressions at full speed yesterday, it is obvious he's got the best arm to make every thrown. The strength to gun a deep 20 yard out to Damian Williams, the touch and quick delivery to McKnight in the flat, the anticipation and accuracy to hit McCoy on a corner route. It's all there. A thought I had before I shared it with Mark May who mentioned it last night--interceptions are not created equally. Aggressive decisions and inaccuracy are different. The accuracy is as good as Sanchez; no hyperbole here boys. You either have it or you don't. They both clearly do. Will Barkley forces throws into coverage? Of course he will. He played 4 years under a system that let him fire at will. He made tough throws because he had to arm and confidence to do so. He says he feels like he just has to play within the system and let the talent around him take over. With Carroll and Bates preaching conservative ball-control style, it will take time for Barkley to fully grasp it. Bates' play calling is the easy part, but when Barkley has a risk/reward split-second decision, then we'll see the development. Will it be too little, too late? Don't know, but that's the fun in it. We comin!
Second on the Barkley, Corp breakdown. It is what it is. Corp was clearly nowhere near 100% even 3 weeks after his injury. Maybe it was naiive for us to expect it was no more than a scratch. That is unfortunate. Carroll made his decision early before the scrimmage and he's saying it the way he has very tactically. Corp isn't 100% and Barkley gives us the best chance to win. Barkley played beautifully, has handled everything we've thrown at him. Yes, both are correct. Although not Carroll's style, I do think there is a possibility of seeing both play at Ohio State and/or beyond. The irony is that by the, Barkley will be the more experienced of the two. With Corp hobbled, it wouldn't be close. Barkley gets the job. With Corp healed, he adds an element Carroll has never had at QB. This kid can flat out run. I'm not talking Colt McCoy sissy plays or Tebow fullback plows; rather, a control scramble and selective run plays. In the spring, he won the job with his ball control; his mobility was just gravvy. Get him out of the pocket and he is just as dangerous. Surprise a defense and run a bootleg or a designed run after faking a deep stretch hand-off with McCoy leading the way? Fageddabootit! Se me para.
Last point on Barkley especially for Coach. Trust me, even with your UCLA degrees in hand, you will grow to love this kid. Not because of what he does on the field, but off the field. The way he handles himself. He's a devout Christian and one can tell the relationship he has with his family after practice. Where Sanchez oozed leadership and charisma, Barkley blends a humble confidence with a playful attitude. He talked the same with everyone before and after he was named the starter. Will Harris would get in his ear every chance he had on and off the field. One day after practice, Will goes over and starts talking to Matt's mom. Barkley sees him, runs over, jumps on his back and jestingly says, "mom, don't ever talk to this guy." Good comraderie. We comin.
Those are the major themes obviously, but there are players and positions I will be watching closely.
Fullback. Havili and Shoemate. The best 2 deep FB in the country no doubt. Havili has the flexibility to run like a tailback and catch like a tight end. The FB can be the toughest player to match up against. Why? Mostly schemes. The cover assignment out of the backfield makes it hard for the MLB. Most teams will never run a pass play for their FB's so it's not an issue, plus most offenses only have them as a 3rd, 4th outlet option, if at all. USC has a deadly arsenal. Ohio State first TD last year anyone? Shoemate is one of the players I'm most excited about. He was recruited as a top local WR out of Servite but realized the quickest way on the field was a backup fullback. He beefcaked up but still has some of the best hands on the team. He's faster than Havili and will see plenty of action. Remember this FB breakdown when you hear Kirk Herbstreit praise them after their "mismatched" touchdowns. We comin!
Brice Butler, #19, WR. Right now, he's listed as Ausberry's backup after RoJo's injury. This 6-3 redshirt FR is silky smooth, great hands and can run.
Jarvis Jones, #10, LB. True freshman will get plenty of action. Physically a beast. Playmaker. The next great LB.
Will Harris, #26, SS. Was going to back up Pinkard before he moved to CB after Wright's ineligibility.
Michael Morgan, #17, LB. Love this guy's speed. Fastest USC LB I've ever seen. Hope he stays healthy.
Curtis McNeal, #6 RB/returner. From the Darren Sproles camp of speedy, tough backs. Not likely to crack the 4-man rotation, but returning kicks, I guarantee he will take one deep. Count it.
Allen Bradford, #21, RB. Saved my favorite breakout player for last. I won't talk him up much and will let his play handle it once he gets is carries. This guy is hungry to star, can catch and runs with anger.
That's it boys. Enjoy the season. Tomorrow is the start of the best time of the year. We Comin!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
The Big Ten's Inferiority Complex
Even the Wall Street Journal is getting in on the bashing.
To win a national championship today in college football, a school must have certain building blocks. A massive fan base that buys tickets and makes donations. A legacy of success that attracts recruits. An administration willing to pay for top-flight coaches and facilities.
But it's become clear that one element trumps them all: local talent. The best players, increasingly, come from the South and West, and that's a problem—potentially a permanent one—for the Big Ten Conference.
As the college-football season starts this week, the Big Ten—an ancient group of Northern schools stretching from Iowa to Pennsylvania—is again out to rebuild its tattered reputation. The conference has lost its last six appearances in the Rose Bowl, equaling its longest losing streak there ever. It has won two Associated Press national titles since 1969—in 1997 and 2002—while the Southeastern Conference has won the last three in a row. The general knock on the Big Ten is that its players are slower than those in the other power leagues. Last year's 1-6 bowl record weighs on the minds of its fans and players alike. "I feel personally responsible," says Minnesota linebacker Lee Campbell.
But it's become clear that one element trumps them all: local talent. The best players, increasingly, come from the South and West, and that's a problem—potentially a permanent one—for the Big Ten Conference.
As the college-football season starts this week, the Big Ten—an ancient group of Northern schools stretching from Iowa to Pennsylvania—is again out to rebuild its tattered reputation. The conference has lost its last six appearances in the Rose Bowl, equaling its longest losing streak there ever. It has won two Associated Press national titles since 1969—in 1997 and 2002—while the Southeastern Conference has won the last three in a row. The general knock on the Big Ten is that its players are slower than those in the other power leagues. Last year's 1-6 bowl record weighs on the minds of its fans and players alike. "I feel personally responsible," says Minnesota linebacker Lee Campbell.
Money and tradition have nothing to do with the conference's decline. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten is college's biggest, richest and oldest major conference. The average undergrad enrollment at each of its 11 members—roughly 30,000—is greater than that of any other league, and the amount it shares in revenue has also been superior to that of the other major conferences. The conference's teams also have been perfectly willing to spend money on football. Ohio State's Jim Tressel and Iowa's Kirk Ferentz earn above $3 million a year, placing them among the 10 highest-paid college coaches in the country. Average coaching pay is comparable to rival leagues.
Strategy isn't the problem, either. The league has adapted to modern ways and largely shed its conservative, three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust offensive approach. Last year, Penn State installed a new offense that gained more yards per game than national-champion Florida, and Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez helped pioneer the "spread" attack that forces opponents to defend the entire field.
Even top-level recruiting is solid within the region. When the North produces an elite prospect, such as Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor of Jeannette, Pa., those players still tend to remain near home.
The main problem seems to be rooted in the population growth of the South and West, and the greater zeal for high-school football in those regions. Historically, Pennsylvania and Ohio rank third and fourth all-time in terms of the number of NFL players born within their borders. Florida is fifth. But today, Florida has nearly twice as many active players as Ohio and more than three times as many as Pennsylvania. The South and West continue to benefit because of the national population trend: 47 of the 50 fastest-growing metropolitan areas between 2007 and 2008 were in those regions, according to the Census Bureau. Playing football also is just not as important to Northerners. In the last school year, more high schoolers in Georgia played football than in Pennsylvania, according to data from the National Federation of State High School Associations, even though Pennsylvania has nearly three million more residents.
Where this is hurting the Big Ten is with elite, one-of-a-kind players who can dominate a game. None of the top-25 recruits in this year's freshman class, as ranked by recruiting site Rivals.com, were from a Big Ten state or chose a Big Ten school. Besides Michigan, which is coming off a 3-9 season and has been sidetracked by a report of possible NCAA violations, the conference's pillar programs aren't significantly changing their recruiting patterns. Ohio State's 2009 roster lists a combined 12 Floridians, Californians and Texans, compared to 14 in 2002. Penn State is only slightly less reliant on its region: 59% of its current players are from Pennsylvania, Ohio and New Jersey, down from 65% seven years ago.
"It's become apparent in the Midwest that the rare guys who can change the game on a dime are few and far between because of the talent pool," says Jeremy Crabtree, a recruiting editor at Rivals.com. "The Big Ten schools have to go to new territories. They have to go to Florida."
The Big Ten has been fighting negative perceptions of its football since the 1970s, when highly favored (but overly conservative) Big Ten teams repeatedly suffered embarrassing losses in the Rose Bowl. Jim Murray, the famed Los Angeles Times sports writer, would also lampoon Ohio State coach Woody Hayes, whose militaristic manner came to symbolize the Big Ten. "Woody was consistent," Mr. Murray quipped. "Graceless in victory and graceless in defeat."
In 1976, Mr. Hayes's unbeaten Buckeyes lost by 13 to a UCLA team they'd routed by 21 that season. In 1984, 10-1 Illinois faced 6-4-1 UCLA, which had several players ill from food poisoning. The result: UCLA 45, Illinois 9. "This makes me sick," Illinois defensive tackle Don Thorp ironically said afterward.
The Big Ten's performance dramatically improved in the 1990s, when more of its teams began playing on grass fields like at the Rose Bowl instead of Astroturf or similar surfaces—but the rise of the South and West in the past few years has dimmed the picture again.
The standard response from Big Ten players, coaches and administrators is that the conference will be back. "We're playing the best of the best in their backyard," says commissioner Jim Delany, referring to the fact that most bowl games are played in SEC and Pac-10 territory. "If you look at it over a long period of time, we're about .500 against the SEC. It's cyclical."
"I don't know that anyone in this conference has an inferiority complex," says Ohio State's Mr. Tressel. "If you watch ball games, our guys will play toe-to-toe with anyone. If you watch the NFL draft, they'll get selected at the same regularity of almost every conference."
Circumstances may finally be turning in the Big Ten's favor. The Sept. 12 Southern California-Ohio State game—the league's next opportunity to prove its worth—is in Columbus, marking USC's first Big Ten road trip under coach Pete Carroll. USC will be playing with a freshman quarterback and without one of its top wide receivers. Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark says he'll be a Buckeye fan that day, even though rival Ohio State is the Nittany Lions' top competition for the Big Ten title.
"I feel like everyone in the Big Ten needs to take all of this as a sign of disrespect," he says. "We're perceived as a very weak conference, which is not true. We're as fast as everyone else; we're as strong as everyone else. We just need to start winning these games."
Strategy isn't the problem, either. The league has adapted to modern ways and largely shed its conservative, three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust offensive approach. Last year, Penn State installed a new offense that gained more yards per game than national-champion Florida, and Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez helped pioneer the "spread" attack that forces opponents to defend the entire field.
Even top-level recruiting is solid within the region. When the North produces an elite prospect, such as Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor of Jeannette, Pa., those players still tend to remain near home.
The main problem seems to be rooted in the population growth of the South and West, and the greater zeal for high-school football in those regions. Historically, Pennsylvania and Ohio rank third and fourth all-time in terms of the number of NFL players born within their borders. Florida is fifth. But today, Florida has nearly twice as many active players as Ohio and more than three times as many as Pennsylvania. The South and West continue to benefit because of the national population trend: 47 of the 50 fastest-growing metropolitan areas between 2007 and 2008 were in those regions, according to the Census Bureau. Playing football also is just not as important to Northerners. In the last school year, more high schoolers in Georgia played football than in Pennsylvania, according to data from the National Federation of State High School Associations, even though Pennsylvania has nearly three million more residents.
Where this is hurting the Big Ten is with elite, one-of-a-kind players who can dominate a game. None of the top-25 recruits in this year's freshman class, as ranked by recruiting site Rivals.com, were from a Big Ten state or chose a Big Ten school. Besides Michigan, which is coming off a 3-9 season and has been sidetracked by a report of possible NCAA violations, the conference's pillar programs aren't significantly changing their recruiting patterns. Ohio State's 2009 roster lists a combined 12 Floridians, Californians and Texans, compared to 14 in 2002. Penn State is only slightly less reliant on its region: 59% of its current players are from Pennsylvania, Ohio and New Jersey, down from 65% seven years ago.
"It's become apparent in the Midwest that the rare guys who can change the game on a dime are few and far between because of the talent pool," says Jeremy Crabtree, a recruiting editor at Rivals.com. "The Big Ten schools have to go to new territories. They have to go to Florida."
The Big Ten has been fighting negative perceptions of its football since the 1970s, when highly favored (but overly conservative) Big Ten teams repeatedly suffered embarrassing losses in the Rose Bowl. Jim Murray, the famed Los Angeles Times sports writer, would also lampoon Ohio State coach Woody Hayes, whose militaristic manner came to symbolize the Big Ten. "Woody was consistent," Mr. Murray quipped. "Graceless in victory and graceless in defeat."
In 1976, Mr. Hayes's unbeaten Buckeyes lost by 13 to a UCLA team they'd routed by 21 that season. In 1984, 10-1 Illinois faced 6-4-1 UCLA, which had several players ill from food poisoning. The result: UCLA 45, Illinois 9. "This makes me sick," Illinois defensive tackle Don Thorp ironically said afterward.
The Big Ten's performance dramatically improved in the 1990s, when more of its teams began playing on grass fields like at the Rose Bowl instead of Astroturf or similar surfaces—but the rise of the South and West in the past few years has dimmed the picture again.
The standard response from Big Ten players, coaches and administrators is that the conference will be back. "We're playing the best of the best in their backyard," says commissioner Jim Delany, referring to the fact that most bowl games are played in SEC and Pac-10 territory. "If you look at it over a long period of time, we're about .500 against the SEC. It's cyclical."
"I don't know that anyone in this conference has an inferiority complex," says Ohio State's Mr. Tressel. "If you watch ball games, our guys will play toe-to-toe with anyone. If you watch the NFL draft, they'll get selected at the same regularity of almost every conference."
Circumstances may finally be turning in the Big Ten's favor. The Sept. 12 Southern California-Ohio State game—the league's next opportunity to prove its worth—is in Columbus, marking USC's first Big Ten road trip under coach Pete Carroll. USC will be playing with a freshman quarterback and without one of its top wide receivers. Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark says he'll be a Buckeye fan that day, even though rival Ohio State is the Nittany Lions' top competition for the Big Ten title.
"I feel like everyone in the Big Ten needs to take all of this as a sign of disrespect," he says. "We're perceived as a very weak conference, which is not true. We're as fast as everyone else; we're as strong as everyone else. We just need to start winning these games."
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Ignore the guy, or unfriend the piece of shit?
So slideshow recently turned me on to a website that profiles the worst facebookers.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/08/20/annoy
Check it out here:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/08/20/annoying.facebook.updaters/index.html#cnnSTCText
Sadly, I have a classic abuser known as the "Sympathy-Baitor" on my friends list. I bring this to the attention of the Doing Work Staff to ask if I am simply overreacting and just ignore this guy on my newsfeeds, or unfriend him altogether. I am well aware that there's an option to ignore his wall posts but if he baits another friend into responding I still see the damn post.
Here are his wall posts from the last month and a half, you tell me.
Edward Campos tengo un defecto soy un feo
Edward Campos ''Some people want things to happen, some people make things happen.''
Edward Campos Being patient sucks!!!
Edward Campos Losers make excuses, winners make it happen.
Edward Campos fuck!!! got screwed over again...nice guy got screwed!
RECENT ACTIVITY
Edward Campos Greata!!! my headlight went out! just my effin luck!
Edward Campos is about to have a nervous break down from all of this bullshit! please shoot me!
Edward Campos Amor, amor, amor, AMOR quiero que me vuelvan a mirar tus ojos! amor, amor quiero vuevlar a besar tus labios rojos! como te voy a olividar!
Edward Campos Having a rough week... people that im beginning to really care about or i think thats what it is...think differently!
Edward Campos is about to have a nervous break down from all of this bullshit! please shoot me!
Edward Campos Amor, amor, amor, AMOR quiero que me vuelvan a mirar tus ojos! amor, amor quiero vuevlar a besar tus labios rojos! como te voy a olividar!
Edward Campos Having a rough week... people that im beginning to really care about or i think thats what it is...think differently!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)