Big Ten Preview: Michigan State Spartans

Michigan State has been very streaky the last few seasons and that did not change last year. They started great, but then hit a wall. Mark Dantonio has a tough task ahead, have they found pieces to replace Javon Ringer and Brian Hoyer on offense? Joe Pasquali is here to breakdown Michigan State in this part of the Big Ten Preview.

Finishing T-#4 in the Big Ten
Michigan State Spartans (Predicted finish 8-4)

Summary– It’s a somewhat put up or shut up year for the Spartans, and I think they will put up. I know that sounds weird since I am predicting them for 8 wins, but they will have to earn ALL nine of them. Games at Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and Illinois, along with welcoming Iowa and Penn State to East Lansing should make a tough year for MSU. It is nice they have so many returning starters, but anytime you got a new QB at the helm a projected 8-4 year can easily become a 6-6 one.

Offense (B-)– Brian Hoyer was no Drew Stanton, but it was nice he knew the offense and managed games fairly well. Handing the ball off to Javon Ringer was mainly his job last season, and he did that pretty well. Ringer will be THE most missed offensive player in the Big Ten this season. He carried MSU on his back last year, rushing for 1637 yards and 22 touchdowns. Should be more of a running back by committee year for the Spartans, which is not always a bad thing.

Defense (A-)– This will be the best Michigan State defense the country has seen in a LONG time. Not usually known for a dominating D, MSU should surprise plenty of fans but few coaches this year. Greg Jones will be a finalist for Big Ten defensive player of the year and should strike fear into opposing offenses. Along with him, Michigan State 8 starters from a defense that ranked in the top half of the nation last year.

Special Teams (A)– Brett Swenson and Aaron Bates are the best kicker/punter tandem in the conference. Swenson was 22-28 on field goals last year, including 6-7 between 40-49 yards.

Coaching (B)– Mark Dantonio is one of the up and coming coaches in the conference and seems to have the Spartans heading in the right direction. I would have given him a higher grade, but 2009 should be tough. We’ll see how he handles it.

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Big Ten Preview: Northwestern Wildcats

Northwestern had a better than expected season in 2008, can they build on that success or was that just a senior-laden team playing in a weak Big Ten last year? Pat Fitzgerald is a coach on the rise and he will be tested this season with little returning on offense. Joe Pasquali has our Northwestern analysis in our 2009 Big Ten Preview.

Finishing T-#4 in the Big Ten
Northwestern Wildcats (Predicted Finish 8-4)

Summary– Northwestern had the quietest nine win season the country last year and turned plenty of heads in the Big Ten. Wins at Iowa, Minnesota, and Michigan proved that this Wildcat team was for real. Bad for the Wildcats however is their inexperience on offense, which will only return 4 starters, none of which are at skill positions. Their schedule is fairly easy, with Ohio State and Michigan State at home.

Offense(C+)– As stated above, NW only returns four players on offense, three offensive linemen and their Tight End Josh Brooks. Senior Mike Kafka will be at the helm for the Wildcats at QB and RB Stephen Simmons should split carries with redshirt Freshman Alex Daniel. Games against Towson, Eastern Michigan, and Syracuse will be good for the inexperienced offense to get clicking before conference play.

Defense (B+)– Northwestern will have the most underrated defense in the conference and also one of the best. Defensive End Corey Whooten missed last season with an injury but is healthy and ready to make an impact. The consensus pre-season All American will most likely be picked in the first round of next spring’s NFL Draft, but this fall he will be causing havoc in Big Ten back fields. All together Northwestern has nine returning starters on defense.

Special Teams (B)– Stefan Demos returns as the kicker AND punter for the Wildcats this season. After having a solid 2008 campaign punting the ball Northwestern has given him all of their special team’s kicking duties.

Coaching (B-)– Pat Fitzgerald is still very green when it comes to coaches in the Big Ten but showed last year that he had all the tools to make an impact. This will be a big season for Northwestern, especially with Ohio State and Michigan off the schedule.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Will Dungy Cut Ties With Vick?

Dick Ebersol, the head of NBC Sports, has recently met with Tony Dungy about his relationship with Michael Vick. Dungy is a football analyst for NBC’s “Football Night In America.” A possible conflict of interest could be taking place with Dungy’s involvement with Michael Vick’s career. He has been instrumental in landing him a job with the Philadelphia Eagles and his spiritual guidance over the last few months. Do you think Dungy’s relationship would interfere with his job at NBC?

I was listening to the Dan Patrick Show and he mention that Ebersol told Dungy that he needs to end his relationship with Michael Vick, due to conflict of interest. It is reported that Dungy has obliged and will end the professional relationship with the trouble quarterback. Now that he has a job, Ebersol thinks that Dungy’s job is over. I believe he would still help Vick spiritually, since he preaches religion in all of his public speaking engagements and in his book, “Quiet Strength.”

Dungy did have a conflict of interest with Vick, but it would be the same conflict that would happen if Peyton Manning would call him about information on an opponent. It’s a double-edged sword and NBC didn’t want that to muddle up the broadcasts.

I believe that Dungy would be critical of Vick if he had to on a national broadcast. If he ends up playing and made a horrible play, I believe Dungy would call him out on it. He has integrity and knows that he has a job to do, even if he has a strong personal or professional relationship with Michael Vick. I hope he can keep his nose clean without Dungy checking up on him. I know he has done horrible, horrible things in the past, but I believe in second chances. I haven’t posted much about Michael Vick in the past, because I believe that everything about him, was overly-opinionated and so one-sided, it wasn’t fair. I hope he turns around his life and can find piece without the competition of dog fighting forever.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Big Ten Preview: Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin fans have always had a pretty decent-to-good product on the field over the last decade. Joe Pasquali tackles the Wisconsin Badgers in our Big Ten Preview. Who will take over for P.J. Hill this season? With their QB and all their WRS back, will they change their offense and rely on the pass? This season their team looks a little thin, but will a season of 7-5 be a success?

Finishing T-#6 in the Big Ten
Wisconsin Badgers (Predicted Finish 7-5)

Summary– This is a team that could surprise a lot of people this season. Penn State is off the schedule and they have a pretty favorable set up other than going to Columbus. I still can’t figure out why they are ending the season with a December 5th game in Hawaii. Maybe it will prove to keep the team bowl ready and prevent the huge layoff most Big Ten teams face. I wouldn’t be surprised if this team won 8 or 9 games, but they have too few returning men on the offensive and defensive line. B.B. ball relies heavily on both of those units functioning.

Offense (B-)– PJ Hill was the focal point of this offense last year and he will be missed. However, the new RB John Clay appears to be of the same build (6’2” 247 lbs.) and should be another big back that fits into the Wisconsin game plan. Wisconsin ranked 1st in the Big Ten in Rushing last season but 7th in passing. With Senior Dustin Sherer returning at QB and all of his WR’s, look for that to change. I expect Wisconsin to air it out a bit more this year, especially with only two starters returning to the O-Line.

Defense (B-)– Wisconsin ranked 4th last season in the Big Ten when it came to total defense but are only returning two out of their front seven. In a conference where a lot of teams like to run the football, this could prove bad for the Badgers. The secondary remains mostly intact and junior strong safety Jay Valai is a difference maker.

Special Teams (B)– Philip Welch and Brad Nortman return to do the kicking and punting duties respectively. Welch was 20-24 last year and was very solid, especially for a freshman.

Coaching (B+)– Bret Bielima has done very well in the post Barry Alvarez era and has quietly become one of the best coaches in the conference. With a favorable schedule it’ll be interesting to see what the Badgers do this year.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Review: The Class Of Football by Adam Shefter

NFL Hall of Fame speeches are great to listen to and everyone can take something from them. Former NFL Network, and currently ESPN football analyst, Adam Shefter knew this and he compiled a book of some of the best excerpts from speeches given in Canton, OH at the NFL Hall of Fame inductions throughout the years. Inductees always talk about the principles of life and lessons learned while playing the game and growing up within it. Check out the review of the book, “The Class of Football” edited by Adam Shefter, published by Harper Collins.

Listening to a Hall of Fame speech in any sport is great theater. They have spent hours, days, and weeks prepared his Hall of Fame speech and he knows that what he says at that podium will resonate with their fans. They talk about their mentors, their childhood, the history of the game, family, and teamwork. It’s as if each inductee has a checklist that every speech must have to ensure a great moment. They always dream of this very moment and is probably one of the first foe (nervousness) could get the very best of them. Continue reading →

Brian Posehn Is A Funny Dude

I ran a “Mitch Fatel Is A Funny Dude” post a few days ago and got a great response. I love comedians and I’m going to start to feature some of my favorite acts out there. Brian Posehn is a quirky guy who has had bit parts in “Just Shoot Me,” “The Sarah Silverman Program,” “The Comedians of Comedy,” and my favorite, “3 South.” After the jump, check out some clips of his comedy.

Just like Fatel, Posehn is going to be at the Columbus Funny Bone here in a couple of months. I am definitely going to check it out, I heard he is hilarious in person. His “Nerd Rage” comedy album was hilarious, it’s just track after track of huge build-ups and great, smart punchlines. He loves metal and I can only imagine him as a odd teenager, he probably drove a Trans Am. I would think that he would have probably been best friends with Chuck Klosterman if they knew each other back then.

I mentioned the show “3 South,” in the preview and not many of you are probably familiar with the show. It was a short-lived animated show on MTV (2002-09) that took place in a college dorm. It was hilarious and I need to find it on DVD. If anyone knows where I could get the entire series, email me.

Big Ten Preview: Illinois Fighting Illini

Ron Zook has had a few great recruiting years at Illinois, but when is the talent going to produce another Rose Bowl appearance? Illinois could go either way this year, if they stay healthy. Joe Pasquali is here to preview Illinois’ chances in the 2009 Big Ten season.

By the way, I wish I was named Juice.

Finishing T-#6 in the Big Ten
Illinois Fighting Illini (Predicted Finish 7-5)

Summary– 2008 was a disappointing season for the Fighting Illini and all signs point to them having a bit of a rebound in 2009. Juice Williams returns to lead a team that lost three straight games to end the season and kept Illinois home for bowl season. We’ll find out early on how good this team is, with Missouri, Penn State, Michigan State, and Ohio State all within their first five games. Not the way I’d want to start a season….

Offense (B+)– Juice Williams is one of the most exciting players to watch in the conference, showcasing his ability to run and pass every Saturday. Lining up with him will be another player equally as exciting in Arrelious Benn, a WR that every team has to plan for. Look for these two to hook up early and often in 2009.

Defense (C+)– Only two players of the front seven return to a defense that gave up way too many rushing yards last season (152 yards per game, 9th in Big Ten). The entire secondary returns, which is good news surprisingly for the rush defense as well. Ron Zook likes his safeties and nickelbacks to creep up to stop the run, experience back there should help the new defensive line and linebackers get acclimated.

Special Teams (B)– If Arrelious Benn returns kicks for Illinois, I’ll change my ranking to an A. He is that explosive. Matt Eller and Anthony Santella return to do the kicking and punting respectively. Both are fairly average.

Coaching (B+)– Ron Zook is an A+ recruiter but a pretty average big game coach. This will have to change for Illinois to get over the hump in the Big Ten. Don’t see it happening in 2009.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Big Ten Preview: Michigan Wolverines

Joe Pasquali, our resident Michigan football fanatic, is back for another Big Ten Preview post. He is going to breakdown his favorite team and one thing jumps out and surprises us, he shows no bias in this post. This is a guy who stuck by Ryan Mallett and Lloyd Carr! The Wolverines really have nowhere to go but up, so where does Joe have them finishing this year in the Big Ten? Check it out.

Finishing #8 in the Big Ten
Michigan Wolverines (Predicted finish 6-6)

Summary– Only place to go is up for the Michigan Wolverines. Having their worst season EVER in 2008 has to make the Maize and Blue pessimistic for 2009, but fear not, it will be a better season. Last year was the first year of Rich Rodriguez’s new system, a system players do not learn overnight. Also, having their easiest schedule in ten years can’t do anything but help.

Offense (C+)– Michigan’s offense was dreadful last season, peaking with six lost fumbles at Notre Dame. Steven Threet was the starting QB most of last season but transferred away this past off-season along with RB Sam McGuffie. Freshmen Tate Forcier with share time with a couple other QB’s that will lead an offense that returns nine starters. At the RB and WR positions Michigan may have the most speed and depth in the Big Ten. It will just be a matter of the freshman QB can get the ball to them.

Defense (B+)– Five starters’ return to a defense that really wasn’t as bad as their numbers showed last season. The thing that hurt the Wolverines more than anything was being on the field most the game due to a impotent offense that turned the ball over a lot. Brandon Graham is a freak at DE/OLB and Donovan Warren is one of the better corners in the Big Ten. Look for the group as a whole to be better as long as the offense stays on the field.

Special Teams (A-)– Zoltan Mesko not only has one of the best names in the nation, but one of the best legs as well. The All American returns to boot the ball around the Big House for the Maize and Blue. If UM’s offense starts out slow, he could be one of the most important players on the team.

Coaching (B)– Rich Rodriguez will be judged heavily on what he does this year for UM. A program as big as Michigan should never have a rebuilding season that only produces 3 wins. If Michigan does not get to six wins this year, he will be on the hot seat.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Big Ten Preview: Minnesota Gophers

The Minnesota Gophers probably wishes that Brett Favre could help their team as well. They had a decent year last season, but can they build on it or was it a flash in the pan? Joe Pasquali is back to discuss where Minnesota will finish in the Big Ten this season.

Finishing #9 in the Big Ten
Minnesota Gophers (Predicted finish 5-7)

Summary– Minnesota is one of those teams that looks really great on paper. All-Conference Quarterback in Adam Weber throwing to a pre-season All American in Eric Decker. Eight returning starters on defense and a schedule that has five games that Minnesota should definitely win. The problem with Gopher football is that Minnesota doesn’t win the games they should, and they’ll go 5-7.

Offense (C+)– The Weber and Decker show should be fun to watch this season, that’s if Minnesota’s offensive line can keep Weber on his feet. Senior Center Jeff Tow-Arnett is the lone starter to a line that allowed 90 sacks last season, second worst in the conference. Minnesota was 104th in the nation when it came to running the ball. Calling them one dimensional is a bit of an understatement. Unless you got Drew Brees back there, one dimensional won’t cut it this year.

Defense (C)– All conference corner Traye Simmons is the lone bright spot on a defense that was very subpar last season. They ranked 10th in the Big Ten last year in total defense, giving up 383 yards a game, 240 of those yards coming through the air. Lee Campbell (MLB) led the Gophers with 80 tackles last year and will have to improve on that if Minnesota is going to stop anyone.

Special teams (C-)– Minnesota did not have a kickoff or punt return for a touchdown last season. They have a brand new kicker and punter, though both are upper classmen. This is not a “special” special teams unit.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Big Ten Preview: Indiana & Purdue

Friend of the White Boy, Joe Pasquali, starts off his 2009 Big Ten Preview with the lowest teams on the totem pole, Indiana and Purdue. One team starts out with a new coach (Purdue) and the other is stuck with an inept coach (Indiana). The 2009 season may be lost for these teams, but is there any hope for the near future, Joe discusses this and much more in this post.

Finishing #10 and #11 in the Big Ten
Indiana and Purdue (Predicted finish combined 5-19)

Summary– All twenty of you Purdue and IU football fans will surely be angry I combined your two storied (hahahaha) programs in my Big Ten breakdown, but I did for good reason. Both teams share so much in common that I couldn’t separate the two and was continually mixing them up as I tried to write. Both teams will not win a game September 19th EXCEPT for when they play each other November 21st. One of them has to win that game.. I hope..

Offense (D)– Purdue will once again throw the ball fifty times a game but all Boilermaker fans will be talking about what could have been since Justin Siller was suspended for the season. Purdue will be the worst team offensively in the conference…besides IU who could be worse. Dual threat QB Kellen Lewis was dismissed from the team and Ben Chappell will be taking over in his place. IU’s offensive line is very sketchy, and though Chappell has a strong arm he is not very mobile and will get hit. A lot.

Defense (C)– IU has two of the best defensive ends in the conference with Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton, both who received some national attention on All American lists. Austin Thomas and Nick Polk add legitimacy to the linebacker core and IU should actually be decent at stopping the run this season. Purdue is the exact opposite, with a weak front seven that should roll over like an obedient dog but a secondary that ranked 2nd in the Big Ten last season. The question is, did they rank so well because everyone just ran the ball on them? Probably, but I am trying to give them SOME credit.

Special teams (C)– Both teams have below average return games and place kickers who either did not get a chance to kick a lot of field goals (Purdue) or just missed a bunch (IU). Considering they have returning starters on special teams, this could prove to be a strong point. (insert applause)

Coaching (C-)– I am not saying Danny Hope (Purdue) and Bill Lynch are bad coaches, they will do as best as they can with the players they have, but they are not part of the Big Ten’s elite. Danny Hope is taking the reins from Purdue legend Joe Tiller and will catch a lot of flak for probably have a losing season, something Tiller only did twice in 12 seasons. Lynch had a great first season with IU at 7-5 but does not have the horses to make a dent in the Big Ten. Start hitting the recruiting trail.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Coming Soon: Big Ten Football Preview

Since our homebase is located in Big Ten Country, we feel that we have to do the token “Big Ten Preview.” Our friend, Joe Pasquali, is taking care of this task. He has been to plenty of Big Ten games over the last few years, he’s a big U. of Michigan fan, but shows no bias to the Wolverines. I don’t want to step all over his lengthy preview, so I will be releasing it in ten parts in reverse order of our predicted finish this season. Joe did a great job and I know you will like it.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Who Will Win American League Cy Young?

The American League Cy Young race is full of the usual suspects. You usually have a dominant picther from the Yankees and Red Sox (check), one from the AL Central division leader (check), and a few dark horses that are no longer in the divisional race (check). Check out who are the favorites and who could come from behind over their last 7 or 8 starts of the season.

Leading Candidates

Justin Verlander – He is tha anchor of a nice pitching staff in Detroit. He currently 14-7 with a 3.38 ERA and has an alarming 211 strikeouts in only 181 innings of work this season. He had a dismal 2008 season and it is nice that he bounced back. The Tigers are currently winning their division, but it could hurt him that he won’t get as much exposure as pitchers on the Red Sox and Yankees. I think he will at least finish in the top three in voting and could take the award.

C.C. Sabathia – He had a rough start to the season, but over the last two months, he has been great. It helps him that he gets a lot of run support from the modern-day “Murder’s Row” the Yankees have assembled. He has a fairly high ERA to be up for the Cy Young, he’s currently at 3.59. He is leading the league in wins (15-7) and his WHIP is 1.13, which is great. It will help him that he’s on the Yankees and that he probably should have won the award last season, but he switched leagues mid-season.

Roy Halladay – His season has been marred with “Am I getting traded?…okay, how about now?” banter all season. He has had a great year despite all of the distractions, he’s 13-7 with a 3.03 ERA. He has been a workhorse with five complete games and will easily get to 200 innings this year. He’s still a leading candidate for the Cy Young, even if his chances aren’t as great as Verlander or Sabathia’s at getting another Cy Young.

Zack Greinke – If the season ended at the beginning of June, then Greinke would have been the unanimous winner, but the Royals hit bottom and Greinke had a few bad starts. He still had a great year and is still leading the AL in ERA with a 2.43, a full .3 a head of the next guy on the list, Seattle’s Felix Hernandez at 2.73. Greinke has a 12-8 record with 5 complete games, if he were on a contender, I am confident that he would be a 20-game winner. He is also currently 2nd in the AL in strikeouts with 197. If he had run support, Greinke would be in stronger position to win the AL Cy Young.

Dark Horses

Josh Beckett – The Red Sox may not win the AL East this year, but they are fighting for their Wild Card life. Beckett has helped them by pitching well, but he has been erratic at times. He has a 3.65 ERA, but is 14-5 this year. He had a month-long stretch that he barely gave up any hits, but that streak has ended and he’s hittable again. I would say that he’s a dark horse to win it, unless he can pull out a perfect game between now and the end of the season.

Scott Feldman – The young ace of the Texas Rangers isn’t used to being considered for end of the year awards, but he deserves a little recognition. He’s currently 13-4 with a 3.87 ERA for the Rangers, but only has 84 strikeouts, but that isn’t his expertise. He has helped the Rangers contend for the AL Wild Card and with Kevin Milwood, Dexter Holland, and Tommy Hunter has transformed the Rangers starting rotation. He has too high of an ERA to win, but should garner some votes.

Jared Weaver – Weaver had a horrible first couple weeks of the season. At one point his ERA was nearing double digits. Over the last few months, he has trimmed his ERA down to 4.03. He is 13-5 with 143 strikeouts for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Over the course of his dominance, they have bolted all the way to the best record in the American League. Weaver also has a high ERA to win this award, but the way he has pitched lately could change some minds.

Jeff Niemann – At the beginning of the year, The Tampa Bay Rays were needing to trim down their starting rotation and Niemann was almost the odd man out. He has pitched great this year and especially at home in Tropicana Field, he has a 2.67 ERA at home. This season, Niemann is 12-5 with a 3.87 ERA, something that the Rays didn’t expect from him, those numbers were expected out of David Price, Scott Kazmir, or Andy Sonnanstine. He’s not a sexy pick for the Cy Young, but if can get the Rays into the playoffs and dominantly pitch the rest of the way, there’s a slim chance.

I would say that award is Justin Verlander’s to lose. He just has to stay the course and pitch consistently and he should take it home. C.C. Sabathia should finish second, but as much press that the Yankees garner, he could leapfrog Verlander if they keep winning and getting ample run support for their pitchers. At this point it’s too close to call, but when it’s all said and done, Verlander should finally win the AL Cy Young.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.