Boudreau Out, Hunter In

After four years in Washington DC, the clock finally ran out for the capitals coach Bruce Boudreau. A 5-9 tail spin, specifically after a 0-3 road trip, considering the team started the season 7-0, sparked the end of Boudreau’s tenure. I think we all agree the Capitals’ struggles were not all his fault.  Maybe he lost the team after his four year tenure in the nation capital. Perhaps the team tuned him out after three extremely successful regular seasons with nothing to show for it in the playoffs. Regardless management felt that they probably needed to go in another direction. 

Whatever the case might be, the Capitals are indeed headed in a new direction with former player Dale Hunter.  After a successful coaching career in Europe for the past 10 years, the Capitals are hoping he can take the team to the new heights and have playoff success.

My question is what happens if the Capitals continue to struggle? It is clear the burden has shifted to the players and it is now on them to perform.  This team is way too talented to have lapses like this.   Hopefully Hunter can turn things around, but it is ultimately up to the players to be professionals and come to play every day.  All we can do as fans is wait and see.  Go Caps!!

Fight for the Ages

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao has been the discussion of the boxing world for the past few years. This potential bout has divided boxing fans into choosing more than just their favorite boxer. The two fighters appear to be polar opposites. They are on opposite ends of the spectrum in not only boxing style but lifestyle as well. This fight is the classic "GOOD vs. EVIL" or "HERO vs. VILLAIN" matchup that always draws interest.

THE EVIL: The outspoken and often cocky Floyd Mayweather Jr was born into a boxing family and wasted no time in embracing the family profession. Mayweather is a boxing machine almost brainwashed from childhood to become what he is now. He lives a lavish Hollywood “Money” lifestyle. Floyd has adopted the nickname, or alter ego even, of Money Mayweather. These egotistical traits are often associated by many as bad or even evil.

THE GOOD: From poverty stricken in the Philippines to international stardom, Manny Pacquiao has defied the odds. The odds to make it as one of the greatest fighters of the decade and this generation were overwhelmingly stacked against him. The likelihood of remaining humble after winning 6 world titles in 8 weight classes was slim too. Yet Pacquiao continues in good faith with his rags to riches story.

This potential fight would without question become the highest grossing fight of all time. The two best fighters of our generation clashing in an overly anticipated matchup of "good vs. evil". A win for either fighter would be the icing on the cake and easily the most memorable fight of their career. This is surely what all fans want to see. However, this “Fight for the Ages” can easily become the biggest “No Fight of All Time”.

For the record, if the fight does take place as much as I love and respect Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather would win convincingly.

The Pursuit of Perfection

The Packers are on a Pursuit for Perfection, Perhaps? Can you say that 5 times fast? The Green Bay Packers are now 11-0 after their Thanksgiving win over the divisional rival Detroit Lions. With 5 more games left to play, I'm not too sure they will lose. The Packers have the Giants, Raiders, Chiefs, Bears and Lions left to play . Only the Chiefs out of those teams have a losing record, so this is no cake walk for the Packers. Green Bay is head and shoulders above their competition and they prove it every week.

The last team to attempt perfection was the New England Patriots. We all remember how they came up short in the Super Bowl against the Giants. The Patriots acknowledged their pursuit of perfection. Will the Packers even care if they are perfect? It is a strong possibility they will sit their starters in the last 2 games of the season because they will likely remain the number 1 seed in the NFC. Personally, I think Aaron Rodgers will not allow that. I think the Packers will deflect talks on perfection. Whether they admit it or not the discussion of perfection is out there.

The Packers don't have to play a perfect game and can still beat everyone on their remaining schedule. Green Bay just has so many weapons on both sides of the ball. Even when not running on all cylinders they are better than a lot of teams playing at 100 percent. If Greg Jennings and Donald Driver are having bad games Aaron Rodgers can always rely on Jordy Nelson and JerMichael Finely. Not to mention two great running backs in Ryan Grant and James Starks. On the defensive side of the ball if Clay Matthews isn't sacking the quarterback then Charles Wooden is picking him off. At this point of the year I am not just giving the Packers the Super Bowl but I am knighting them the heavy favorites. Not saying it will be easy but it can be done. This Packers team is better than the Patriots of a couple years back and they will prove it by beating the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl. Just for the record I will be cheering for the Ravens of course.

Until the Next time.....

Zeke Out

NBA: Effects of a Lost Season

The likelihood of losing the entire NBA season appears greater than ever. It is now time to think of the consequences of cancelling an entire NBA season. After such an epic 2010-11 season where the NBA regained countless fans David Stern and the NBA executives/owners couldn’t have selected a worse time for this work stoppage.

What could have been better about last year’s season? There was headline after headline. One in particular was polarizing, either you were for or against LeBron. There was the Carmelo Anthony saga and the resurgence of the New York Knicks. There was Derrick Rose and a MVP in a Chicago Bulls uniform again. Celtics, Lakers, Mavericks. These headlines were universal and they lasted the entire season; all the way through to the game 6 of the highest rated NBA Finals in 11 years, where LeBron and the Miami Heat fell in dramatic fashion to the Dallas Mavericks. Anti-LeBron nation was ecstatic while LeBron supporters were left devastated and confused.  The NBA was back and in bold fashion.

Now we are forced to ask what is to become of an aging Kobe Bryant a year removed from the NBA. Who will go to play overseas? What will happen to the aging Boston Celtics squad? Will Tim Duncan consider retiring? These are the insignificant questions compared to the bigger picture. Will the NBA consider consolidation? Who is to decide if a franchise should be removed from the NBA? How will the NBA draft sort out without season standings to refer to? How many fans will the NBA lose? But most importantly, when will there be an NBA again? Are we naive to believe there will be a season next year after 2 years of failed discussions and 1 canceled season? For the sake of my basketball jones, I certainly hope not.

Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and it has a lot to do with all the food I get to eat on this day. But, what also is great about Thanksgiving is the amount of football I get to watch on Turkey-day. This Thanksgiving we have a great slate of games to look forward to. Let’s start with the least entertaining game of the day. The Dallas Cowboys take on the Miami Dolphins. Will Demarco Murray continue his brilliant rushing attack or will the Dolphins shock the Cowboys as they did the Redskins and Bills the last 2 weeks? The next game we have to look forward to is the Baltimore Ravens hosting the San Francisco 49er’s. This game has all sorts of story lines. Which Harbaugh will go home with the Turkey day victory? The Ravens seem to only be able to beat good teams and the Niners are still trying to prove they are elite even though they have an 8-1 record. Which great defense will prevail? Ray Lewis, old school, against Patrick Willis new school? The last game which is actually played first on Thanksgiving is the match up between the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions. This looks like it is going to be a shoot out between Aaron Rodgers and Matt Stafford. This is also a classic Thanksgiving match up that everyone is used to seeing. Which defense will be able to make the big play? Well here are my Thanksgiving picks: Cowboys, Ravens, and Packers. Enjoy your turkey and of course some pie.

Until the next time…

Zeke Out

Malc's Top 5 Heisman Candidates

Trent Richardson- The 5'11', 224lb running back has become the only offensive threat for Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide. His 1,523 yards from scrimmage account for 35.1 percent of Alabama's offense. He is ranked first in the SEC and seventh nationally in rushing, with 120.5 yards per game. Just as impressive is his 18 touchdowns, first in the SEC and fifth nationally. In the Crimson Tide’s biggest game of the year against the LSU Tigers, the number two ranked defense, the junior accounted for 169 yards from scrimmage. This was the most given up all year against the Tigers Defense. Considering he might run away with the Doak Walker award as the best running back in college football, Trent Richardson has surmounted himself as the leading Heisman Candidate.

Andrew Luck- The 4th best Quarterback on the planet? At least some might argue this case. Nevertheless the quarterback is having another outstanding season for the Stanford Cardinals. Most analysts had considered him as the leading Heisman candidate coming in the 2011 season, and the senior quarterback has definitely not disappointed. Passing for almost 3,000 yards, 31 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions, Andrew Luck has lead the 9th ranked Cardinals to a 10-1 season. His worst performance came against the 4th Ranked Oregon Ducks where he threw 2 interceptions. Many college football analysts expressed that game may have hindered his chances of winning the Heisman.

Casey Keenum- The redshirt senior from Abilene, TX has had an astonishing career at the University of Houston. This year has been nothing short of exceptional. The quarterback has passed for 4,269 yards, 38 touchdowns, and only 3 interceptions. On October 27, 2011 Casey became the all-time leader in total touchdowns by an FBS quarterback. During that game he threw for an epic 9 touchdowns and 534 yards. His brilliant performances throughout the 2011 season have catapulted him to the top of the Heisman list.

Robert Griffin III- Griffin might just be the best athlete in all of college football. Also known as RG3, the junior quarterback has made the Baylor Bears relevant in the 2011 college football season. The former track star has passed for 3,572 yards, 33 touchdown, and 5 interceptions. Just in case that wasn't enough, he has also rushed for over 500 yards and 5 touchdowns. After leading his team to a great victory over the Oklahoma Sooners, RG3 has definitely bolstered his chances of winning the Heisman.

Brandon Weeden-The 28 year old senior quarterback for the Oklahoma State Cowboys is proving it is never too late to fulfill your dreams. After leaving major league baseball and going back to school, he has led the Cowboys to a remarkable 10-1 season. Weeden has passed for 4,111 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Like Andrew Luck however, his 3 interception game loss against the 6-4 Iowa State Cyclones, likely hurt his chances of winning the Heisman.

Coach K

Excellence, it's definitely  a word that can be used to describe Michael William Krzyzewski.  The Three time National Championship winner, 12 time coach of the year, ambassador of education, humanatarian of sports, leader, and motivator is consider by many to be the best coach ever. Coach K, as he is known by his fans worldwide, has exhibited class and humility as he passed his long time mentor and idol Bob Knight as the winningest coach in Division I Basketball. On tuesday November 15, immediately after he won his 903 victory over the Michigan State Spartans, he embraced coach Knight, thanking him for his help throughout his coaching career.
In an era where it seems collegiate scandals are brought to our attention every other day, with Syracuse University being the latest, The Duke Blue Devils Basketball Program has been a model of excellence. In his 28 year tenure at Duke, the hall of famer has built a dynasty that few programs in the history of the game  can imgaine. With his No.6 Ranked Duke squad poised  for another national championship run in the 2011-2012 season, Coach K is not planning on stopping anytime soon.
Being a Maryland affiliate,  Duke basketball has crushed my heart on numerous occassions. However, it is refreshing to know that doing things the right way is not obsolete. Morals and ethics should not be compromised for the sake of winning.  Certainly there are coaches who should also be considered when you talk about the greatest coach ever. John Wotten, Phil  Jackson, Vince Lambardi are a few who should be in the conversation.  Nevertheless, the Duke Blue Devils head basketball coach will always stand on top of my list.   Congratulations Coach K!! It has certainly been a pleasure of mine watching you over the years. You truly are the greatest of all time.

The DC Drought

The year was 1991; the last time DC area fans were able to call their professional home team champions. The Washington Redskins had won their third and final Superbowl defeating the Buffalo Bills under Joe Gibbs and the renowned “Hogs”.  Since then there has been an absolute drought that many even have dubbed The DC Curse. What exactly the curse is I have no idea. Perhaps a deal between the sports gods and a former president gone awry. Whatever the case may be, make no mistake it is in full effect. The Wizards/Bullets last and only NBA Title came in the 1977-78 season. The Nationals brought baseball back to DC in 2005 but seemingly left behind our chances to win a world series. The Capitals appear to be our only immediate hope but after spectacular regular seasons they routinely make early exits in the playoffs. Eventually, as all droughts do, this too will come to an end. The only question is when?

NFL Rookie of the Year

1.       Cam Newton –  Newton silenced all critics Week 1 of the season with a 422 yard 3 touchdown performance.  Not too shabby for this rookie’s NFL debut especially when many people questioned if he even had the tools to be a passer in this league. Since then we’ve only been witnessing what many are speculating to be the best rookie season from a QB ever. He has made the Panthers competitive and has looked good doing it. He gets it done through the air but can also hurt you with his legs. Newton has earned the top spot on my list.

2.       Andy Dalton – Another rookie quarterback with a great Rookie of the Year campaign. Dalton has revitalized and brought hope back to Cincinnati. Dalton has led the Bengals to a 6-3 start while in the AFC North, one of the toughest divisions in football.  He has thrown for over 1,800 yards, and has 14 touchdowns with just 9 interceptions earning him a rating of 82.6. Not bad for a rookie taken in the second round!

3.       DeMarco Murray – Steal of the draft without question. The 7^th selection in the 3^rd round has exploded onto the scene and been the key ingredient in the Cowboys turnaround. He has rushed for 674 yards while averaging 6.7 yards per attempt. His good vision combined with speed reminds me a lot of the Arian Foster mold.

4.       A.J. Green – Ochocinco who? A.J. Green has made Bengal fans forget about Ochocino. He is the best rookie WR of the draft. He is leading rookie receivers in all categories with 41 receptions, 6 touchdowns, and 635 yards. He is the favorite target for fellow rookie quarterback Andy Dalton and a big reason the Bengals have turned it around.

5.       Patrick Peterson – He has been an absolute game changer and is flat out electrifying. He has returned 3 punts for touchdowns in 9 games. He has pulled down 2 interceptions, deflected 8 passes, and racked up 38 tackles.

NCAA

NCAA- No College Admits All


This is what it seems like NCAA means in college football at this day and age. Every big school seems to have some sort of scandal going on weather it involves paying student athletes, student-athletes violating policies or coaches covering up an infraction. If i read the sports section, watch ESPN or even watch the news all I hear about is another school with more problems. I don't know if technology and  the social media is allowing this information to reach the public fastier and easier than in the past years but, it seems like stuff like this was not happening in then. Now on the one hand the infractions that are occurring, they were definitely happening but schools did a much better job of covering there tracks in the past or people always turned there heads. Ohio State, USC, Penn State are among many schools with scandals that are currently in effect. It is crazy how these incidents affect so many different people. Not only everyone that attends the school, players, coaches but just imagine what there families are going through. Also what happens to all those college recruits that have their minds set of attending those colleges. They are at a lost, not sure which way to go. When I was choosing a college it was one of the biggest, most difficult decisions I ever had to make so for someone to have to do it twice really, in a lack of better words SUCKS. All these colleges really need to get there act together and start making positive headlines and not negative ones. Not to mention giving some of these athletes an opportunity to make some money in colleg,e not everyone makes it to the pro's but that is a whole different story. Until the next time...

Zeke out!!!!!!

Murphy's Mid-Season NFL MVPs

1.  Aaron Rodgers. Is there any other answer to the question? No, but for pity’s sake I felt obligated to make it at least a 5 player list. Aaron Rodgers has been the absolute best player in the NFL through the half-way point of the 2011 season. Week in and week out he provides us with a stellar performance.  This is one of the best seasons from a quarterback I have ever seen.

What is missing from this historic season we’re witnessing? Efficiency?…check. Rating?...check Touchdowns?…check. How about just flat out entertainment? To answer the questions, Aaron Rodgers is doing it all. In doing so he has catapulted himself to the top of the MVP race and the best active QBs list. Stats like these will do that: 129.1 QB Rating, 72.5% Completion Percentage, 24 touchdowns, and oh by the way only 3 interceptions.

2. LeSean McCoy. He is possibly the most dynamic player in the NFL with the ball in his hands. Leading the league in rushing (825 yds), tied for 1^st in rushing touchdowns (9), 2 receiving touchdowns, 0 fumbles certainly qualify a spot on the list.

3. Calvin Johnson. The best WR in the game? He would be my first choice. Johnson is a big target with sure hands and phenomenal leaping ability. He has all the tools, and finally has a QB to get him the ball. Johnson has an NFL leading 11 TD receptions, 804 yards, and 47 receptions. He is on pace to have 20+ touchdowns this year.

4. Drew Brees. Quietly having a really good season behind the headliner Aaron Rodgers. His team is on top of the division under his lead despite a very questionable defense. Brees has thrown for 19 touchdowns, 2,682 passing yards, QB rating of 100+, and 11 interceptions.

5. Matt Forte. He is likely accountable for more of his team’s offense than any other individual player in the league. He has great numbers behind a bad offensive line. In fact he would be #2 on the list if he had more touchdowns. But the numbers don’t lie! 805 yards rushing, 2 rushing touchdowns, 436 receiving yards, and 1 receiving touchdown will earn you a spot on Murphy’s Mid-Season MVPs.

MVP-Aaron Rodgers or ????

In the 2010-2011 NFL season, the quarterback of the  New England Patriots Tom Brady was name the first unanimous regular season MVP.  The numbers clearly speaks for itself.  After throwing for almost 4,000 yards, thirty-six(36) touchdowns and only 4 interceptions, he was playing at a level that was head and shoulder above the competition.
 Fast Forward to the 2011-2012 NFL season, and it seems like we are headed down that road again.  Aaron Rodgers the quaterback for the defending champions, Greenbay Packers, is not only having a manificent season; some might argue that he is playing at a level that has never been seeing at the quarterback position.  Check out these numbers; 2,619 passing yards, 24 touchdown, 3 interceptions, a rediculous completion Percentage of 72.5, and not forgetting a quarterback rating of 129.1. Oh yea, just in case you forgot, his team is also undeafeated with a 8-0 record.  What??!! You have got to be kidding me, this dude is putting up video game numbers!!
So the questions remains; are we in for a second consecutive unanimous NFL  MVP winner? Or are there legitimate MVP candidates around the league? Well lets see who's out there; you can definitely make a case for leSean McCoy who is having an unbelivable season for the Philadelphia Eagles, maybe Drew Bress, or even the raining MVP Tom Brady, who seems to be in the discussion every year.  What about Eli manning? By the way is quietly having an incredible season, some might even say his best season ever.  Eli, who stated at the beggining of the season that he feels disrespected by different sports outlets and should definitely be mention when talking about the top quaterbacks in the league, is absolutely making a strong case for himself.  The quarterback has lead the New York Giants, a team with all its injury problems on both the offense and defense, a sur par running game, to a 6-2 record leading the NFC east.  If you haven't been watching, he has also led his team on four consecutive game winning drives including the big one in Foxborough where Tom Brady and the New Englad Patriots never loses.  After Brady scored a touchdown with 1:30  left in the 4th quarter, Eli took his team down the field and caped it off with a strike in the endzone to his tight end for the game winning touchdown.  It was a Brady like performance.  His stats mid way through the season has definitely back up his claim as one of the top quarterbacks in the league.
But let's be real, Aaron Rodgers is having a season for the ages.  Unless what would be one of the worse collapse in NFL history, he will probably run away with this award before the end of the season.  However I think Eli Manning has definitely put himself in that discussion; and even if he doesn't win the MVP, he has made it very hard to deny that he is unquestionably one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

Are Collegiate Sports Uglier Than Ever?

Scandals. From Miami, to Ohio State, to USC, to Penn State there seems to be a recurring trend of illegal activity from universities all over the country. Could it be these activities are new occurrences that have just recently developed?

I doubt it. What has changed is the ability to hide these infractions. Technology and social media are shedding light where these universities use to be able to hide. Collegiate and even high school level players have been receiving money, gifts, and special treatment for generations. Whether it is wrong is for a different discussion.

The problem is the NCAA itself. Double standards exist from top to bottom in this organization. Players are held to different standards than coaches. This may makes sense if players were held to a lower standard, but unfortunately this is not the case. Coaches, who often take place in awarding improper benefits to players, have simply left to coach in the professional ranks and get away scot free. While players face violations, suspensions, and damage to their name. 

The solution is not to penalize and reprimand these young adults, many of whom are underprivileged. The solution is to change the system. Student athletes already receive scholarships. Why not provide them with a reasonable stipend (allowance) included but in addition to their scholarship money. Student athletes as a whole bring millions upon millions of dollars to their universities.  The allowance should simply cover costs of living (food, transportation, etc.)  This could stop a player from accepting some of these improper benefits because the need won’t be as high. Will it stop all? Of course not, but we have to start from somewhere.