Has Arizona State finally figured it out with it's coaching? I believe that they have with Todd Graham and what he has brought to the table. In all honesty, I was a doubter of Coach Graham when ASU hired him because of how he left Pittsburgh and Tulsa before that. Texting his Pitt players that he was leaving still doesn't sit well with me. However, that is all in the past and Sun Devil fans haven't been happier!
By extending Grahams contract that ensures that he will be the Sun Devil coach through the 2019 season and raises his contract by $300,000 to a level of $2.7 million. His contract has to be approved by the ASU Board of Regents, but that is merely a formality at this point.
I, for one, applaud the university for doing what is necessary to keep a quality head coach for their football program. Since living down here in the desert it appeared that ASU couldn't make the right choice in coaches. Dirk Koetter and Dennis Erickson never endeared themselves to the public. Koetter was abrasive with the media and alumni and Erickson let the players run the asylum and there was no discipline in the program. Heck, Koetter, even had a player kill somebody under his watch.
Enter, Graham, a guy who had, and maybe still has a reputation of continually looking for his next big job. He has embraced all the tradition that ASU has with its past. Takes the players up to Camp T for summer camp, holds his players accountable with his tough nosed discipline, makes sure his players go to class, and has brought respectability back to the program in the publics eyes. Let's face it, when the alumni are happy, the coach is happy. He gets involved with the community, takes part in Pat's Run that benefits the Pat Tillman Foundation, and basically puts a positive face on the Sun Devil program. He is an inspiring speaker, heck, he gets me fired up and wants to put the pads on when he talks to high school players or his own players about how he expects his teams to play. His teams play with urgency and passion. Seeing his players fly around and play with this passion is how Sun Devil fans want their team to play.
Here's to hoping that Graham continues this style of coaching and winning. Just saying....
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Thursday, May 29, 2014
High Expectations for the Sun Devils
In the Valley of the Sun, the expectations are as high as the sun for the Arizona State Sun Devils. They have a quarterback who is a dual threat and that will make defensive coordinators have some long hours at the house and plenty of sleepless nights.
It's about time the expectations were high down here in the desert because this program has been mired on a path of mediocrity for the last 10 years or so. They have had a lot of talk in Tempe about doing this or that, but nothing consistent at all. It's been all talk, no action. Now, it's going to change. At least that is what the prevailing thought is. The Devils finally have a coach that has a discipline plan that has been effective the past couple of years. Anything would be effective after the Devils thought that Dennis Erickson would be a good coach here. He was not, unless you think bringing in sketchy players with sketchy pasts into the program was a great idea. Erickson was the king of letting the inmates run the asylum. With Todd Graham continuing to make discipline the basis for Sun Devil success, the Devils should be contending in the Pac-12 south division.
Taylor Kelly will have plenty of receivers and running backs to throw the ball to. The one player that deserves some high recognition is a player I watched a few times in high school. D.J. Foster is his name. Coach Graham knows that if he gets Foster in space and lets his speed work its magic, Foster will be a first team all Pac-12 with ease. This kids speed is incredible, and like every coach says, "speed kills." It's one of those things you can not coach and Foster has it in spades.
If Graham can solve some of the holes that his defense has because graduation and the pros then the sky is the limit in Tempe. The defense will be the question for the team. No other Pac-12 team has more positions to fill on one side of the ball than the Sun Devils do. I have confidence in Graham that he can get it done.
Sun Devil fans should be confident in what Graham is doing and what he has done since he arrived in the desert. Hopefully, that means bigger crowds at Sun Devil Stadium to make life more unpleasant for visiting teams. Just saying...
It's about time the expectations were high down here in the desert because this program has been mired on a path of mediocrity for the last 10 years or so. They have had a lot of talk in Tempe about doing this or that, but nothing consistent at all. It's been all talk, no action. Now, it's going to change. At least that is what the prevailing thought is. The Devils finally have a coach that has a discipline plan that has been effective the past couple of years. Anything would be effective after the Devils thought that Dennis Erickson would be a good coach here. He was not, unless you think bringing in sketchy players with sketchy pasts into the program was a great idea. Erickson was the king of letting the inmates run the asylum. With Todd Graham continuing to make discipline the basis for Sun Devil success, the Devils should be contending in the Pac-12 south division.
Taylor Kelly will have plenty of receivers and running backs to throw the ball to. The one player that deserves some high recognition is a player I watched a few times in high school. D.J. Foster is his name. Coach Graham knows that if he gets Foster in space and lets his speed work its magic, Foster will be a first team all Pac-12 with ease. This kids speed is incredible, and like every coach says, "speed kills." It's one of those things you can not coach and Foster has it in spades.
If Graham can solve some of the holes that his defense has because graduation and the pros then the sky is the limit in Tempe. The defense will be the question for the team. No other Pac-12 team has more positions to fill on one side of the ball than the Sun Devils do. I have confidence in Graham that he can get it done.
Sun Devil fans should be confident in what Graham is doing and what he has done since he arrived in the desert. Hopefully, that means bigger crowds at Sun Devil Stadium to make life more unpleasant for visiting teams. Just saying...
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Expand the playoffs
Now that the BCS is dead and gone we can debate whether or not the playoff system is big enough. By big enough I simply mean: Is the format big enough? Four teams? Really? Now I'm not advocating we go to a format of 64 like the NCAA basketball tournament, but a more modest format of eight or even twelve teams.
Now I know some people will say that expanding it will take away from the education of the athletes. I highly doubt that because these college football players are already being asked to do quite a bit for their university. These student/athletes are not in school on Friday when they travel and don't get back in town after an away game until very early the next morning if they played a night game or late that evening if the game was during the day. The following day they will typically have film sessions or meetings. Expanding the playoff is not going to take away anymore than the usual time away from their studies. This larger playoff format adds MAYBE two or 3 weeks to the season if the NCAA decides to go past the typical first week of January with these games. I say instead of going past the first week of January, use those weeks before Christmas to play these games and have it culminate in the first week or two of January.
Somehow the NCAA should find a way to use the bowls as different rounds of the playoffs. I don't think it would be that difficult. Use the four big bowls (Rose, Fiesta, Orange, and Sugar) as the early rounds of the playoff. Then from their choose two of the sites for the following week, then once those games are done choose one of the four sites to host the National Championship game. Rotate the site of the National Championship like they did for the BCS. That way everybody gets a fair shot at the money, and lets face it, that is what all this is about. Right?
If the NCAA figured out a way to run a playoff system at the lower levels, then quite simply they can figure out an equitable way of running a playoff system at the division one level. The NCAA makes money, hand over fist with the basketball tournament. Just think how much money they would make off a playoff system with this countries favorite sport! Then they could trickle that money down to the athletes... oops, different topic, for a different day. Expand the playoffs... just saying.
Now I know some people will say that expanding it will take away from the education of the athletes. I highly doubt that because these college football players are already being asked to do quite a bit for their university. These student/athletes are not in school on Friday when they travel and don't get back in town after an away game until very early the next morning if they played a night game or late that evening if the game was during the day. The following day they will typically have film sessions or meetings. Expanding the playoff is not going to take away anymore than the usual time away from their studies. This larger playoff format adds MAYBE two or 3 weeks to the season if the NCAA decides to go past the typical first week of January with these games. I say instead of going past the first week of January, use those weeks before Christmas to play these games and have it culminate in the first week or two of January.
Somehow the NCAA should find a way to use the bowls as different rounds of the playoffs. I don't think it would be that difficult. Use the four big bowls (Rose, Fiesta, Orange, and Sugar) as the early rounds of the playoff. Then from their choose two of the sites for the following week, then once those games are done choose one of the four sites to host the National Championship game. Rotate the site of the National Championship like they did for the BCS. That way everybody gets a fair shot at the money, and lets face it, that is what all this is about. Right?
If the NCAA figured out a way to run a playoff system at the lower levels, then quite simply they can figure out an equitable way of running a playoff system at the division one level. The NCAA makes money, hand over fist with the basketball tournament. Just think how much money they would make off a playoff system with this countries favorite sport! Then they could trickle that money down to the athletes... oops, different topic, for a different day. Expand the playoffs... just saying.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Beaver Believing
Lets talk about the other school in the state of Oregon. Yep, those Oregon State Beavers. The Beavers are coming off a tough year in 2013. It was an up and down year for the Beavs. They started off on a pretty rough note, losing to Eastern Washington at HOME. Ugh. That was certainly not a way to get the legions of faithful Beaver fans excited about last year. However they won their next five, albeit, against some suspect competition. They righted the ship, and then... it went down hill fast. They ran up against quality competition such as Oregon, Stanford, Washington. They won their bowl game in Hawaii against those pesky Broncos from Boise State. Now 2014 is approaching and I think we are headed for a slightly better year from the Beavers.
The positives the Beavers have is that they will have good skill players at those positions despite the loss of Brandin Cooks on offense and Scott Crichton on defense. Sean Mannion is returning for his senior season and that was a relief for most Beaver fans because he had a breakout campaign last year. Over 30 touchdowns and over 3,000 yards passing will make believers out of anybody. He showed more poise in the pocket, stronger arm strength, and just more confidence in what he was doing. His downside, he is not mobile. When the pocket collapses, so does he. He is Dan Marino quick which tells you everything about his mobility.
Most of the defense comes back and that will help points stay off the board. Last year was tough to watch due to the fact that experience with the defense was a non factor. This year it'll be a much improved defense. The defensive line will be strong and give people fits to game plan for, as well as a strong linebacker core. These guys will be responsible for giving the offense more opportunities to put more points on the board.
The area in which I have a little trepidation is the offensive line. They lost some talent there, but they will be anchored by their starting center, Isaac Seumalo. Seumalo has been starting since he was a true freshman. The whole left side of the offensive line is gone and being replaced. They will also be replacing the right guard position as well. Beaver fans, that means, Sean Mannions blind side is new and half the right side is new. That's a big deal to me and it should be to you. If these guys on the line can not gel together, then Mannion will be on his back many times and that'll lead to a frustrating season. I'm hoping that coach Mike Riley will get this line issue resolved.
Let's go through their schedule: Portland State: win. Hawaii: win. San Diego State: win. They get out of the gate 3-0. Next up USC: loss Colorado: win (easily) Utah: win. Now comes Stanford: loss, a big loss. California: win. Washington State: win. Arizona State: loss, close loss, but the Devils will be competing again for the Pac-12 south title and will be inspired. Here come the Huskies: win, the Beavs pull out a close win. Finally, the Ducks: loss. Even though the game was close last year, I see the Ducks winning by a couple of touchdowns. So, in the end the Beavers end up with an 8-4 record and another mid-level type of bowl.
Beaver fans want better, but considering the division they are in and the fact they play in the Pac-12, a conference in which everybody beats up on everybody else in the conference I think this is how it'll play out for the Beavers. I want them to finish with a better record, but I need to be realistic about the program and the talent they have. Just saying...
The positives the Beavers have is that they will have good skill players at those positions despite the loss of Brandin Cooks on offense and Scott Crichton on defense. Sean Mannion is returning for his senior season and that was a relief for most Beaver fans because he had a breakout campaign last year. Over 30 touchdowns and over 3,000 yards passing will make believers out of anybody. He showed more poise in the pocket, stronger arm strength, and just more confidence in what he was doing. His downside, he is not mobile. When the pocket collapses, so does he. He is Dan Marino quick which tells you everything about his mobility.
Most of the defense comes back and that will help points stay off the board. Last year was tough to watch due to the fact that experience with the defense was a non factor. This year it'll be a much improved defense. The defensive line will be strong and give people fits to game plan for, as well as a strong linebacker core. These guys will be responsible for giving the offense more opportunities to put more points on the board.
The area in which I have a little trepidation is the offensive line. They lost some talent there, but they will be anchored by their starting center, Isaac Seumalo. Seumalo has been starting since he was a true freshman. The whole left side of the offensive line is gone and being replaced. They will also be replacing the right guard position as well. Beaver fans, that means, Sean Mannions blind side is new and half the right side is new. That's a big deal to me and it should be to you. If these guys on the line can not gel together, then Mannion will be on his back many times and that'll lead to a frustrating season. I'm hoping that coach Mike Riley will get this line issue resolved.
Let's go through their schedule: Portland State: win. Hawaii: win. San Diego State: win. They get out of the gate 3-0. Next up USC: loss Colorado: win (easily) Utah: win. Now comes Stanford: loss, a big loss. California: win. Washington State: win. Arizona State: loss, close loss, but the Devils will be competing again for the Pac-12 south title and will be inspired. Here come the Huskies: win, the Beavs pull out a close win. Finally, the Ducks: loss. Even though the game was close last year, I see the Ducks winning by a couple of touchdowns. So, in the end the Beavers end up with an 8-4 record and another mid-level type of bowl.
Beaver fans want better, but considering the division they are in and the fact they play in the Pac-12, a conference in which everybody beats up on everybody else in the conference I think this is how it'll play out for the Beavers. I want them to finish with a better record, but I need to be realistic about the program and the talent they have. Just saying...
Greatest of All Time Talk
As someone who appreciates athletes in all eras I get really tired of listening to people debate who is the greatest of all time in any sport. It's a ridiculous argument to me simply because you are typically comparing different athletes in different eras.
I see people debate this in all sports. In football it's really a pointless debate. The rules for the offense and defense were different. The schemes in which teams, both pro and college ran were/are totally different. Let's take a look at football. Back in the day, say the 40's, 50's, and 60's, offenses were running offenses. Wing-T, wishbone, two back sets were all the rage back then. Throwing the forward pass was an after thought. To coaches, throwing the ball was to big of a chance to take. So when people talk about the greatest quarterback of all time and they are comparing John Elway or Dan Marino to Fran Tarketon or Johnny Unitas or even Y.A. Tittle it's a fruitless debate. Unitas, Tittle, and Tarkenton played in era when running the ball was the norm, not throwing.
Even today when you compare Dan Marino (my favorite) and John Elway to Peyton Manning or Drew Brees that's a lame debate as well. Here's why. Defenses in the 80's and 90's, especially defensive backs were pretty much allowed to assault receivers, hold, grab, or whatever they needed to do to not allow the pass to be completed. These days, if the cornerback barely touches the receiver they are called for a flag, so this has allowed quarterbacks to throw for 4,000 yards or better on a regular basis. Fans like to see offense, so the change in rules has allowed current quarterbacks to look like they are so much better than their counterparts from earlier eras.
People also like to make the argument that the greatest of all time is the one with the most championship rings. Nah, so somebody is going to look me or you in the eye and tell us that John Elway is somehow a weaker quarterback than say Terry Bradshaw or Tom Brady because Elway has does not have as many rings is also flawed. Look at the talent Bradshaw or Brady had and compare it to Elway and the deck he was dealt. Same could be said for Marino, no rings, he had one shot and went up against a 49er team that was stacked. I don't think I need to remind people who was on that team in San Francisco. If people want to use the "ring" argument in sports, then guess what, Bill Russell is the greatest player of all time in any sport. Eleven rings. Period. End of the argument.
Why can't people just appreciate the greatness that they have seen or will see in the future in any sport they watch? Because people want to believe they lived during the greatest era and any other era is not as worthy, that's why. Personal bias gets in the way when making debating this. Just saying....
I see people debate this in all sports. In football it's really a pointless debate. The rules for the offense and defense were different. The schemes in which teams, both pro and college ran were/are totally different. Let's take a look at football. Back in the day, say the 40's, 50's, and 60's, offenses were running offenses. Wing-T, wishbone, two back sets were all the rage back then. Throwing the forward pass was an after thought. To coaches, throwing the ball was to big of a chance to take. So when people talk about the greatest quarterback of all time and they are comparing John Elway or Dan Marino to Fran Tarketon or Johnny Unitas or even Y.A. Tittle it's a fruitless debate. Unitas, Tittle, and Tarkenton played in era when running the ball was the norm, not throwing.
Even today when you compare Dan Marino (my favorite) and John Elway to Peyton Manning or Drew Brees that's a lame debate as well. Here's why. Defenses in the 80's and 90's, especially defensive backs were pretty much allowed to assault receivers, hold, grab, or whatever they needed to do to not allow the pass to be completed. These days, if the cornerback barely touches the receiver they are called for a flag, so this has allowed quarterbacks to throw for 4,000 yards or better on a regular basis. Fans like to see offense, so the change in rules has allowed current quarterbacks to look like they are so much better than their counterparts from earlier eras.
People also like to make the argument that the greatest of all time is the one with the most championship rings. Nah, so somebody is going to look me or you in the eye and tell us that John Elway is somehow a weaker quarterback than say Terry Bradshaw or Tom Brady because Elway has does not have as many rings is also flawed. Look at the talent Bradshaw or Brady had and compare it to Elway and the deck he was dealt. Same could be said for Marino, no rings, he had one shot and went up against a 49er team that was stacked. I don't think I need to remind people who was on that team in San Francisco. If people want to use the "ring" argument in sports, then guess what, Bill Russell is the greatest player of all time in any sport. Eleven rings. Period. End of the argument.
Why can't people just appreciate the greatness that they have seen or will see in the future in any sport they watch? Because people want to believe they lived during the greatest era and any other era is not as worthy, that's why. Personal bias gets in the way when making debating this. Just saying....
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Fans or Fanatics?
When I watch college football I enjoy seeing the excitement of the game. What I dont like seeing are the douchebags that take away from the excitement of the game. You know who I am talking about. Its the guy that is drinking all game, yelling about how the coach stinks or how the players are not giving their all.
I absolutely hate this type of guy or fanatic! I know that fan is short for fanatic, but to me there is a difference between the two words and types of people. To me a fan can see the big picture with their team, accept the good, accept the bad, and be respectful in their cheering for their team. Fans try to understand the game, understand the games nuances, and back their team in a vibrant way. Student sections at many college football games do not understand this. I have been called about every name in the book as I was getting to my seat and I will not even mention the names my kids or wife have been called. The Sun Devil student section is the worst to me. Just brutal language comes out of there as well tortillas. Every call made against ASU gets horrific language and the typical "the refs hate us" comments. Now I know this happens everywhere, but I have sat in most of the Pac-12 stadiums and ASU has fanatics, not fans.
A stadium that has fans is UCLA. I have sat and watched games at the Rose Bowl and every time its been a great experience. The fans are respectful, cheer and boo without going over the edge. I have had conversations about the game with fans in Pasadena and they are very knowledgeable about the game of college football. They well read in reality with their team. Even when that means there team is good or bad or somewhere in between.
If more fanatics were fans instead of over the edge, drunk, and out of touch with how good or bad their team really is then the experience at college football games would be better for fans and their families. I hope fans take their game back and drive the fanatics out of the game. Just saying....
I absolutely hate this type of guy or fanatic! I know that fan is short for fanatic, but to me there is a difference between the two words and types of people. To me a fan can see the big picture with their team, accept the good, accept the bad, and be respectful in their cheering for their team. Fans try to understand the game, understand the games nuances, and back their team in a vibrant way. Student sections at many college football games do not understand this. I have been called about every name in the book as I was getting to my seat and I will not even mention the names my kids or wife have been called. The Sun Devil student section is the worst to me. Just brutal language comes out of there as well tortillas. Every call made against ASU gets horrific language and the typical "the refs hate us" comments. Now I know this happens everywhere, but I have sat in most of the Pac-12 stadiums and ASU has fanatics, not fans.
A stadium that has fans is UCLA. I have sat and watched games at the Rose Bowl and every time its been a great experience. The fans are respectful, cheer and boo without going over the edge. I have had conversations about the game with fans in Pasadena and they are very knowledgeable about the game of college football. They well read in reality with their team. Even when that means there team is good or bad or somewhere in between.
If more fanatics were fans instead of over the edge, drunk, and out of touch with how good or bad their team really is then the experience at college football games would be better for fans and their families. I hope fans take their game back and drive the fanatics out of the game. Just saying....
Friday, May 23, 2014
Can Chris Peterson coach in the Pac-12?
This is the question that many Husky fans will have this season. I remain skeptical of him coaching at the Pac-12 level. Husky fans were happy with the hire, but to many their happiness was a bit tempered because going from Boise State to a major college football conference is definitely a challenge for any coach.
Boise State pretty much ran the table in their conference for many years under Peterson and always squawked about not getting the respect they deserved. They won that's for sure, but to me, they never played anybody. Sure Nevada had a couple of decent teams and beat Boise State a couple of times, but that was really the only competition they had. Seeing Peterson coach against inferior competition gave me a false sense of what he could actually do against quality competition every week. People will say when he had quality opponents like Oklahoma, TCU, or Oregon he won. I say any coach can get wins over teams when he has a month to prepare. The Oklahoma win was the most memorable due to the hook and ladder play, followed by the statue of liberty play. Still, they never played anybody during the regular season. They went to play Georgia a couple years later and they lost during an early season game. After that loss to the Bulldogs my skepticism about him coaching at the next level rose.
Other Boise State coaches who went to the next level didn't fair so well either. Dan Hawkins went from Boise State to Colorado and was gone a few years later. Dirk Koetter came down here to Arizona State and was gone a few years later. Could it be that Boise State and it's competition schedule create a false sense of security for coaches coming out of there? I think so.
Peterson is going to have prove he can recruit quality up to UDub. Big time college football is all about recruiting. Washington is a phenomenal school and Husky Stadium is one of kind in terms of the crowd and the scene right off of Lake Washington. If Peterson can not sell that atmosphere up there, he will be a failure, and I for one rather doubt he can do that. The proof will be in the wins he brings to Washington and that WILL not be easy considering they are in the Pac-12 North division. A division which has Oregon, Stanford, and Oregon State in it. The other thing that will work against Peterson is that Husky fans are not the most patient fans around. They demand quality and wins and will move onto the next coach if Peterson does not produce.
I could be totally wrong, but with the track record of past Boise State coaches at the next level I don't think I will be incorrect. It will be interesting to watch this fall...
Boise State pretty much ran the table in their conference for many years under Peterson and always squawked about not getting the respect they deserved. They won that's for sure, but to me, they never played anybody. Sure Nevada had a couple of decent teams and beat Boise State a couple of times, but that was really the only competition they had. Seeing Peterson coach against inferior competition gave me a false sense of what he could actually do against quality competition every week. People will say when he had quality opponents like Oklahoma, TCU, or Oregon he won. I say any coach can get wins over teams when he has a month to prepare. The Oklahoma win was the most memorable due to the hook and ladder play, followed by the statue of liberty play. Still, they never played anybody during the regular season. They went to play Georgia a couple years later and they lost during an early season game. After that loss to the Bulldogs my skepticism about him coaching at the next level rose.
Other Boise State coaches who went to the next level didn't fair so well either. Dan Hawkins went from Boise State to Colorado and was gone a few years later. Dirk Koetter came down here to Arizona State and was gone a few years later. Could it be that Boise State and it's competition schedule create a false sense of security for coaches coming out of there? I think so.
Peterson is going to have prove he can recruit quality up to UDub. Big time college football is all about recruiting. Washington is a phenomenal school and Husky Stadium is one of kind in terms of the crowd and the scene right off of Lake Washington. If Peterson can not sell that atmosphere up there, he will be a failure, and I for one rather doubt he can do that. The proof will be in the wins he brings to Washington and that WILL not be easy considering they are in the Pac-12 North division. A division which has Oregon, Stanford, and Oregon State in it. The other thing that will work against Peterson is that Husky fans are not the most patient fans around. They demand quality and wins and will move onto the next coach if Peterson does not produce.
I could be totally wrong, but with the track record of past Boise State coaches at the next level I don't think I will be incorrect. It will be interesting to watch this fall...
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