I first had to fight whether I cared enough about today's loss in the FIBA Men's Olympic Basketball qualifier to pen a piece harnessing my thoughts about the Canadian national team, and after some though provoking analysis, it's clear to me that I can classify today's loss to Venezuela as disastrous......we just lost to Venezuela for gosh sakes! The analogy to this Canadian squad losing to the Venezuelans would be to the Belarusians KO'ing the Swedes in ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake. What went wrong, how does a team that includes two recent first overall picks in Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett get beat, albeit on a last second controversial call to a much inferior opponent? Steve Nash is widely viewed as a Canadian hero, and the way he evolutionized basketball in Canada will always go down with high esteem but conversely ignoring the praise for just one second, I place a significant amount of blame on him because he was largely responsible for constructing this team. My biggest complaint enlies with the issue that a basketball supernova in Nash couldn't convince Cleveland Cavaliers renowned rebounder Tristan Thompson to come play for the National team. You don't see Wayne Gretzky or Captain serious himself Jonathan Toews decline an invitation to play for their esteemed country. It's absolutely pathetic and this is coming from a loyal Cleveland Cavaliers fan if for no other reason than they include one of my athletical heroes in Lebron James. Thompson will live or die by the excuse that stalled contract negotiations with the Cavaliers debilitated his ability to play for Canada, but I don't buy that one ioda. The simple truth is, and some Americans are as if not more guilty and that is a perceived lack of passion from playing internationally, as the patriotism just doesn't resonate as it does in other sports. Sure, I totally understand that this is the summer for when the tournament adheres which is the players off-season, but it's about time that these players start showing a greater appreciation for these program that greatly assisted them when they were amateur athletes prior to turning professional. I elt as if Steve Nash, who oversees the program could've done a better job selling his own brand and better selling the brand of Basketball Canada in enticing Thompson to come play. I hold Nash as much responsible as I do Nash. Another issue that I want to explore, can the real Andrew Wiggins please stand up? For years, the Canadian media was hyping Andrew Wiggins to be the next Lebron James which I always thought was an unfair comparison because I have and always hold Lebron in the highest regard and even during his time donning the Kansas Jayhawks sweater, I was consistently left underwhelmed. I don't claim to be any sort of basketball expert, although give it time and it's surely to happen but my thoughts are Wiggins plays too soft, too much of a perimeter player and needs to start exuding more aggressiveness on the floor. His scoring is commendable but his defence for which all of the college commentators while playing for Kansas always pumped up and in his defense I will admit I'm not sure if their was one game this year I caught of him playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves so if defence has improved I apologize but in this tournament it was putrid. I know what I'm about to compare his defence may indeed be one of the most overused analogies in this blog but I'd be much more confident with Andrea Bargnani playing defence than Wiggins himself and as the great Bob McCown once iconically said, "I wouldn't trust Bargnani guarding the coach". This great quote and my above thoughts illustrate my confidence, or lack their of in Wiggins defensive abilities. For Canada to flourish for years internationally and to seal a better fate in next summer's Olympic qualification tournament, we need to begin to see a more physically mature Wiggins and someone who shows a great deal of fortitude in order for the expected greatness to be reached.
Thank-you!
Brett Murray
Twitter: @bretzky26
e-mail:brett_h_murray@hotmail.com
Friday, September 11, 2015
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
The Knuckle Ball:Volume four
Welcome back to the ever popular "Knuckle Ball" segment where I parlay my thoughts on some newsworthy baseball topics. In the fourth edition, we will analyze the true value of supposed superstar Mike Trout to the Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels and whether he is even the M.V.P of his own club let alone a serious threat to take home another Most Valuable honour. Secondly, the resurgence of J.A Happ, a now important member of the Pittsburgh Pirates rotation is a fascinating development and one wonders if he's now being sought in a potential playoff rotation. To finish er' off this evening, the loss of Nathan Eovaldi for the rest of the regular season is a devastating blow to the Yankees and the question I'd like to consider when comparing Eovaldi's exceptional campaign with the sudden injury, where does he now fit in for the playoff rotation. The Ace? The number two guy? The bullpen? I'll share my thoughts a little later.
When listing today's top ball players, almost every so called "expert" will include Mike Trout at or near the top. And while statistical analysis won't disprove these claims, from a team value point of view, he's nowhere near the top of the Angels hierarchy. This will greatly contradict the viewpoint of the Toronto Blue Jays own analyst Gregg Zaun seen nightly on the Jays pre-game show "Blue Jays central" on sportsnet, who until very recently was of the opinion that Trout was again the leading front runner for the American League M.V.P even ahead of Jays own Josh Donaldson. I found this repeated notion from Zaun completely ridiculous as Donaldson has been the heart and soul of a playoff bound team while Trout has fought consistency issues the entire second half of the year for a team that the only reason they're still in the playoff conversation is due to Kole Calhoun. When dissecting Trout's individual game, I've come to the following conclusions. Trout's base running which has previously been lauded is a commendable asset but nothing that stands out as a "weapon" of his. His power game is good, but when watching him on the at bats that he does knock the ball out of the ball park, anything in the inner half he'll use his quick hands and turn on the pitch where any breaking balls on the outer half, he's constantly in front of. Teams are beginning to be more pertinent with these scouting reports thus a decreased amount of effectiveness as of late. Regarding his play in the outfield, his arm is satisfactory but nothing to write home about. I guess the long, convoluted point I'm trying to make is just because a player does a whole bunch of things 'good', doesn't make said player great. I look at Kole Calhoun as a more attractive piece going forward completely prepared to be mobbed with unparalled negative reactions, but it's how I feel.
J.A Happ as a Toronto Blue Jay was a player that the fans of T.O truly didn't appreciate the contributions that he delivered in 2014. He was then dealt to the Seattle Mariners in a trade that brought over Canadian outfielder Michael Saunders. This has transpired to be one of those trades that you can classify as lose/lose as neither Saunders, due to injury for Happ, due to lack of performance materialized in their new markets. It appeared as if Happ was due for a write-off in 2015 but then a deal to the Pittsburgh Pirates ensued and it was as if a new player was born. Happ was brought on with the sole intention of acting as a filler for the oft-injured A.J Burnett but now the Pirates find themselves in a dilemma(albeit a good one) with where Happ fits in the rotation come the post season. My belief that he fits behind Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano but in all honesty with Cole's lack of trustworthiness of late, some will opine that Happ could slide in to the number two slot. Watching Happ hurl now, he has drawn comparisons in my own head to that of Al Leiter. Not overpowering by any stretch but when reminiscing to his tremendous 2014 season with the Jays a long with his superior 2015 second half, it's been Leiter-esque.
Probably for the third time in this blog I will stress the fact that I hate the Yankees, but due to the success of the organization this year, their a hot button topic. I will admit as a Blue Jay fan this year as I my ride with several bandwagons will surely continue that Eovaldi drew fear into me. The guy is good, and it takes a complete idiot like Miami Marlins president David Samson to agree to trade Eovaldi to the Yankees for journeymen Martin Prado and David Phelps. Samson who was once a contestant on the reality show "Survivor" and to no one's surprise was eliminated first, so the trade he made with the Yankees is like getting voted off first a second time. Samson continually making a mockery of the Marlins organization was to the pinstripes benefit as they acquired a bonafide ace. Eovaldi was sitting at a 14-2 mark which is outstanding although some will argue that we can't totally base a good season solely on pitching record as I'm quickly reminded that Toronto Blue Jays fringe starter Drew Hutchison has a superb record but the upper management of the Jays shows no confidence. You could make an argument for considering one of Tanaka, Severino, or Pineda the best of the bunch but in my humble opinion that stigma belongs to Eovaldi. Things were rolling seamlessly until elbow inflammation has forced the Yankees hand with the widespread belief in place that he will be shut down for the remainder of the regular season. The old adage in sport is that you don't lose your job from an injury but as any educated sports observer would obviously understand, that particular notion is well outdated. I could enlist hundreds of examples of athletes losing significant roles from injuries but to highlight a couple we have Drew Bledsoe from the New England Patriots which paved the way for the legend himself Tom Brady, or what about Roberto Luongo in the goaltending graveyard in Vancouver where injuries opened the crease to Corey Schneider essentially beginning in 2011 which led to a messy goaltending controversy that was well documented by the Canadian media. I think it's safe to say getting back to Eovaldi that his role with the Yankees is in no danger, but what role that exactly will be come playoff time is a little cloudy. Under the presumption that the Yankees will have the flexibility to organize their rotation for an American League divisional series, the Yankees could conceivably go many different ways. My sense is that what we'll see if a berth in the ALDS is granted is go with Tanaka, Severino , and Pineda with their three man rotation while waiving the caution flag with Eovaldi pertaining to a long term outlook. In the Yanks bullpen, you have a set 8th/9th inning tandem of Dillon Betances and Andrew Miller so in a role that I similarly proposed for Marcus Stroman of the Jays although based on everything I've heard and read they're not running in this direction is to have Eovaldi as the permanent seventh inning stalwart. A truculent trio of Eovaldi/Betances/Miller would be electrifying and daunting for fellow playoff opposition but the way I see it that's the best way to slice the cake for the Bronx Bombers. Is this a celebratory cake to applaud achievement of yet another World series title? Well, that's the beautiful thing about sports, to quote the great Kevin Garnett" Anythinnnnnnnng is pooooooooossssssssssssibble".
When listing today's top ball players, almost every so called "expert" will include Mike Trout at or near the top. And while statistical analysis won't disprove these claims, from a team value point of view, he's nowhere near the top of the Angels hierarchy. This will greatly contradict the viewpoint of the Toronto Blue Jays own analyst Gregg Zaun seen nightly on the Jays pre-game show "Blue Jays central" on sportsnet, who until very recently was of the opinion that Trout was again the leading front runner for the American League M.V.P even ahead of Jays own Josh Donaldson. I found this repeated notion from Zaun completely ridiculous as Donaldson has been the heart and soul of a playoff bound team while Trout has fought consistency issues the entire second half of the year for a team that the only reason they're still in the playoff conversation is due to Kole Calhoun. When dissecting Trout's individual game, I've come to the following conclusions. Trout's base running which has previously been lauded is a commendable asset but nothing that stands out as a "weapon" of his. His power game is good, but when watching him on the at bats that he does knock the ball out of the ball park, anything in the inner half he'll use his quick hands and turn on the pitch where any breaking balls on the outer half, he's constantly in front of. Teams are beginning to be more pertinent with these scouting reports thus a decreased amount of effectiveness as of late. Regarding his play in the outfield, his arm is satisfactory but nothing to write home about. I guess the long, convoluted point I'm trying to make is just because a player does a whole bunch of things 'good', doesn't make said player great. I look at Kole Calhoun as a more attractive piece going forward completely prepared to be mobbed with unparalled negative reactions, but it's how I feel.
J.A Happ as a Toronto Blue Jay was a player that the fans of T.O truly didn't appreciate the contributions that he delivered in 2014. He was then dealt to the Seattle Mariners in a trade that brought over Canadian outfielder Michael Saunders. This has transpired to be one of those trades that you can classify as lose/lose as neither Saunders, due to injury for Happ, due to lack of performance materialized in their new markets. It appeared as if Happ was due for a write-off in 2015 but then a deal to the Pittsburgh Pirates ensued and it was as if a new player was born. Happ was brought on with the sole intention of acting as a filler for the oft-injured A.J Burnett but now the Pirates find themselves in a dilemma(albeit a good one) with where Happ fits in the rotation come the post season. My belief that he fits behind Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano but in all honesty with Cole's lack of trustworthiness of late, some will opine that Happ could slide in to the number two slot. Watching Happ hurl now, he has drawn comparisons in my own head to that of Al Leiter. Not overpowering by any stretch but when reminiscing to his tremendous 2014 season with the Jays a long with his superior 2015 second half, it's been Leiter-esque.
Probably for the third time in this blog I will stress the fact that I hate the Yankees, but due to the success of the organization this year, their a hot button topic. I will admit as a Blue Jay fan this year as I my ride with several bandwagons will surely continue that Eovaldi drew fear into me. The guy is good, and it takes a complete idiot like Miami Marlins president David Samson to agree to trade Eovaldi to the Yankees for journeymen Martin Prado and David Phelps. Samson who was once a contestant on the reality show "Survivor" and to no one's surprise was eliminated first, so the trade he made with the Yankees is like getting voted off first a second time. Samson continually making a mockery of the Marlins organization was to the pinstripes benefit as they acquired a bonafide ace. Eovaldi was sitting at a 14-2 mark which is outstanding although some will argue that we can't totally base a good season solely on pitching record as I'm quickly reminded that Toronto Blue Jays fringe starter Drew Hutchison has a superb record but the upper management of the Jays shows no confidence. You could make an argument for considering one of Tanaka, Severino, or Pineda the best of the bunch but in my humble opinion that stigma belongs to Eovaldi. Things were rolling seamlessly until elbow inflammation has forced the Yankees hand with the widespread belief in place that he will be shut down for the remainder of the regular season. The old adage in sport is that you don't lose your job from an injury but as any educated sports observer would obviously understand, that particular notion is well outdated. I could enlist hundreds of examples of athletes losing significant roles from injuries but to highlight a couple we have Drew Bledsoe from the New England Patriots which paved the way for the legend himself Tom Brady, or what about Roberto Luongo in the goaltending graveyard in Vancouver where injuries opened the crease to Corey Schneider essentially beginning in 2011 which led to a messy goaltending controversy that was well documented by the Canadian media. I think it's safe to say getting back to Eovaldi that his role with the Yankees is in no danger, but what role that exactly will be come playoff time is a little cloudy. Under the presumption that the Yankees will have the flexibility to organize their rotation for an American League divisional series, the Yankees could conceivably go many different ways. My sense is that what we'll see if a berth in the ALDS is granted is go with Tanaka, Severino , and Pineda with their three man rotation while waiving the caution flag with Eovaldi pertaining to a long term outlook. In the Yanks bullpen, you have a set 8th/9th inning tandem of Dillon Betances and Andrew Miller so in a role that I similarly proposed for Marcus Stroman of the Jays although based on everything I've heard and read they're not running in this direction is to have Eovaldi as the permanent seventh inning stalwart. A truculent trio of Eovaldi/Betances/Miller would be electrifying and daunting for fellow playoff opposition but the way I see it that's the best way to slice the cake for the Bronx Bombers. Is this a celebratory cake to applaud achievement of yet another World series title? Well, that's the beautiful thing about sports, to quote the great Kevin Garnett" Anythinnnnnnnng is pooooooooossssssssssssibble".
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Mighty Ducks 4? The plot......
It's only appropriate that being how this blog is classified as the "Flying V", that I surmise my thoughts about what a possible plot for the inevitable Mighty Ducks 4 plot could look like. The speculation was ramped up this weekend when Matt Doherty went on a podcast with what he claimed to be 'inside' information regarding production companies in the preliminary stages working on scripts. The podcast was fascinating which also entailed that Jake Gyllenhaal was in the running for the lead character Charlie Conway and Vincent Larusso was the last minute replacement for the cake-eater himself Adam Banks due to the original Banks walking off set mid-shoot. So below, I don't claim to be a professional script writer or anything of the sort but after this proposition for a plot it's only a matter of time until I start receiving calls from Hollywood big wigs, but until that happens, enjoy!
The Mighty Ducks were last seen winning the Eden Hall JV-Varsity game all the way back in 1996. For a lot of these Ducks, the third in a trilogy of upsets acted as a swan song in their prolific hockey careers but for Charlie Conway, his Duck escapades acted as a spring board to future hockey success as after he graduated from Eden Hall, he signed a professional try-out contract with the American Hockey League team in Oklahoma City. The path to the National Hockey League was imminent for Conway as the expectation was that he was only two to three years from reaching the big show. To celebrate his accomplishments in 1999, Conway scheduled a reunion with the Ducks for a weekend in Oklahoma City with virtually every Duck in attendance. What was not known to the majority of patrons in attendance for this Duck reunion, which unfortunately did not include Gordon Bombay who continued to elevate his hockey administration career by taking a position with as the league commissioner of the American Hockey League was that Adam Banks life had taken a nose dive in his years preceding his Eden Hall stint. He got to into drug and alcohol issues and his financial situation was not stable as he owed people with connections a lot of money. At the reunion the team is out for drinks at a local pub with the location of Banks being leaked to the very same people who Banks owed money to and they ended up showing at the bar partaking in a confrontation with the cake eater that turned out very costly to other members as gun fire ensued with a stray bullet reaching Conway, hitting him in the leg which ultimately caused a gruesome leg injury. The police are summoned to the scene which leads to an arrest of Banks and the people he was associated with and Conway's professional hockey career is put in serious doubt as he was rushed to the hospital for immediate surgery.
Fast forward to 2016, the Oklahoma City gun fire is now a distant memory but the consequences were predominant for Conway as the injuries sustained followed by the rehab from the surgery did indeed cost Conway a shot at the pros. Conway has had two kids since with the girl he met while playing for Eden Hall. His eldest kid is now twelve years of age and a promising hockey player playing in their adopted hometown of Edina, Minnesota.. Conway has taken up coaching and the story opens with his kids team preparing for the annual state of Minnesota youth hockey championships which is now in it's twentieth year and has produced a handful of NHL'ers. The issue that Conway and the team, appropriately known as the "Jr.Ducks" are having trouble fundraising money to pay for accommodations and entry because this particular tournament takes place in St.Paul. After playing in a local league game in the midst of the team figuring out ways to pay for the tournament, in the rink lobby Conway bumps into a foe that he has not seen since the infamous Oklahoma City dust-up in 1999, Adam Banks. Banks, who has took a complete 180 life resurrection is now a lawyer just like his dad was and manages the team his son plays on, the "Jaguars". The Jaguars are also destined to play in the youth hockey championships and as everyone can probably expect, Banks's son, Bryce Banks is a top shot prospect with at the age of twelve has already begun to receive scholarship offers from top American universities has been leading the Jaguars all year but is a bit of a loner and has not thoroughly enjoyed his time with the Jags. Banks informs Conway of a local qualifying tournament in Edina which pays for everything pertaining to the tournament which would alleviate any financial restraints the Jr.Ducks are under. Both the Jaguars and Ducks enter the tournament and both blast their way to admirable starts with a matchup in the final very likely. The day before the qualification final, Banks son has a falling out with the Jaguars and asks his dad if can switch teams and after a long drawn out conversation between tournament directors and the local representation of the Jaguars and Ducks it's determined that a team swap will be allowed and Bryce Banks is now a duck. This is a sub plot to the touch warming scene where Banks and Conway, after years of resentment towards one another, hash out the differences and agree the times they shared as Ducks trumps the incident in 1999 where Banks was in a really, really bad place. The Ducks beat Jaguars as like always, the protagonist beats the antagonist and this would set up perfectly a sequel for D5 where we would follow the tribulations of the Jr. Ducks in their youth hockey championship.
There it is, the plot for Mighty Ducks 4. If Mighty Ducks 4 actually happens, I will fall on the floor as in many ways this trilogy shaped my childhood and it's time for the new generation to experience the new ducks.
The Mighty Ducks were last seen winning the Eden Hall JV-Varsity game all the way back in 1996. For a lot of these Ducks, the third in a trilogy of upsets acted as a swan song in their prolific hockey careers but for Charlie Conway, his Duck escapades acted as a spring board to future hockey success as after he graduated from Eden Hall, he signed a professional try-out contract with the American Hockey League team in Oklahoma City. The path to the National Hockey League was imminent for Conway as the expectation was that he was only two to three years from reaching the big show. To celebrate his accomplishments in 1999, Conway scheduled a reunion with the Ducks for a weekend in Oklahoma City with virtually every Duck in attendance. What was not known to the majority of patrons in attendance for this Duck reunion, which unfortunately did not include Gordon Bombay who continued to elevate his hockey administration career by taking a position with as the league commissioner of the American Hockey League was that Adam Banks life had taken a nose dive in his years preceding his Eden Hall stint. He got to into drug and alcohol issues and his financial situation was not stable as he owed people with connections a lot of money. At the reunion the team is out for drinks at a local pub with the location of Banks being leaked to the very same people who Banks owed money to and they ended up showing at the bar partaking in a confrontation with the cake eater that turned out very costly to other members as gun fire ensued with a stray bullet reaching Conway, hitting him in the leg which ultimately caused a gruesome leg injury. The police are summoned to the scene which leads to an arrest of Banks and the people he was associated with and Conway's professional hockey career is put in serious doubt as he was rushed to the hospital for immediate surgery.
Fast forward to 2016, the Oklahoma City gun fire is now a distant memory but the consequences were predominant for Conway as the injuries sustained followed by the rehab from the surgery did indeed cost Conway a shot at the pros. Conway has had two kids since with the girl he met while playing for Eden Hall. His eldest kid is now twelve years of age and a promising hockey player playing in their adopted hometown of Edina, Minnesota.. Conway has taken up coaching and the story opens with his kids team preparing for the annual state of Minnesota youth hockey championships which is now in it's twentieth year and has produced a handful of NHL'ers. The issue that Conway and the team, appropriately known as the "Jr.Ducks" are having trouble fundraising money to pay for accommodations and entry because this particular tournament takes place in St.Paul. After playing in a local league game in the midst of the team figuring out ways to pay for the tournament, in the rink lobby Conway bumps into a foe that he has not seen since the infamous Oklahoma City dust-up in 1999, Adam Banks. Banks, who has took a complete 180 life resurrection is now a lawyer just like his dad was and manages the team his son plays on, the "Jaguars". The Jaguars are also destined to play in the youth hockey championships and as everyone can probably expect, Banks's son, Bryce Banks is a top shot prospect with at the age of twelve has already begun to receive scholarship offers from top American universities has been leading the Jaguars all year but is a bit of a loner and has not thoroughly enjoyed his time with the Jags. Banks informs Conway of a local qualifying tournament in Edina which pays for everything pertaining to the tournament which would alleviate any financial restraints the Jr.Ducks are under. Both the Jaguars and Ducks enter the tournament and both blast their way to admirable starts with a matchup in the final very likely. The day before the qualification final, Banks son has a falling out with the Jaguars and asks his dad if can switch teams and after a long drawn out conversation between tournament directors and the local representation of the Jaguars and Ducks it's determined that a team swap will be allowed and Bryce Banks is now a duck. This is a sub plot to the touch warming scene where Banks and Conway, after years of resentment towards one another, hash out the differences and agree the times they shared as Ducks trumps the incident in 1999 where Banks was in a really, really bad place. The Ducks beat Jaguars as like always, the protagonist beats the antagonist and this would set up perfectly a sequel for D5 where we would follow the tribulations of the Jr. Ducks in their youth hockey championship.
There it is, the plot for Mighty Ducks 4. If Mighty Ducks 4 actually happens, I will fall on the floor as in many ways this trilogy shaped my childhood and it's time for the new generation to experience the new ducks.
Monday, September 7, 2015
Americana Tennis.
- I'm someone who has tried to keep close tabs on tennis, much more than other reputable sport blogs amalgamate time towards this underrated sport. My tennis fandom began with watching a teenaged Andy Roddick bring a flare to the sport that the game of Tennis had been missing since the hay day of John McEnroe. The controversial personality that Roddick brought to the sport differed from the other top stars at the time because during the early 2000's era it was a sport predominantly controlled by, for a lack of a better term, bland stars such as David Nalbandian, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Pete Sampras. All three players mentioned were exquisitely good players but brought nothing to the live or television audience. Roddick's hard serving, swagger filled game was a much needed breath of fresh air as it captivated fans such as myself into the game and re-arranged the game as marketable. Because on a personal basis I gravitate towards the confident, border line cocky athletes it was a no brainer that I developed a quick infatuation towards a man who succeeded admirably on and off the court, just google Andy Roddick's wife and you'll understand where I'm coming from. The problem I foresee now, and the ultimate reason for penning this article is the lack of a future American star beyond the Williams' sisters, and the desperate need for one to come out of the woodwork from a marketability and a game growth perspective. Can the likes of Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens and Jack Sock carry the torch? I will contemplate below
In Canada, we have Milos Raonic and Genie Bouchard, who by the way just to gander off topic for a second I really felt was on the verge of doing something special at this years U.S Open until a freak head injury sustained in the training room dampened her open run, Why on god's earth were their not any security or training staff on the grounds, I don't care how late it was the bottom line is if you have players on your vicinities, equip the proper staff. Okay, after that minor rant like I was mentioning our great country has Milos and Genie to look out for, and I'd be remiss if I didn't include Vasek Pospisil on that list but what does the American Tennis federation have to look forward to? Is the next Lebron James or Mia Hamm of tennis waiting in the wings? On the women's side I subscribe to much more optimism because I look at the players getting some exposure at the recent Grand Slams and I believe that a tangible breakthrough is imminent for Sloane Stephens particularly. I know her 2015, just like Genie Bouchard has been less than stellar but I when analyzing her game, and coming from an astute tennis player myself I feel I have the back-up to properly critique the game and that's the uncanny resemblance to the game of Serena Williams. Her above average physical strength and her ground stokes can compete with the great ground strokers(if that's such a phrase) such as Petra Kvitova and Victoria Azarenka. I suffice that Stephens is currently marred with a confidence issue and once she receives just one more break through result, the win's will fester and a grand slam is in the rear view mirror. On the men's side, it's very, very bleak with all the top athletes our neighbouring country produce seem to resort to basketball, football, or the ever growing soccer. Jack Sock is the best of a sorry bunch that I'm regretfully forced to surmise that men's tennis may never reach the McEnroe/Conners, Agassi/Sampras, and Roddick/Fish plight. Aside from the point I just made about a lot of the athletes resorting to other sports, the more prevalent issue I see happening is the way these tennis players are being brought up. I'm not sure if it's clouded vision or just painfully clinging on to the way to which Andy Roddick had and Serena Williams currently has had success with. The way Serena dominates with pure power is a dying breed as to reach that top pinnacle a finesse game is sorely needed. If the power game was the be all end all, players such as Ivo Karlovic and John Isner would've dominated for years now with the gargantuan serves but because they lack the all around game, I feel I'm not going bold at all by saying that a major isn't in the cards for those two. The top player in the men's game is Serbian Novak Djokovic and the amazing quality about the man they call the "Djoker" is that he's not a physically intimidating individual, but ball placement and speed creates such a significant advantage that he can off-set a perceived lack of power. This problem falls solely on the development model from the U.S.T.A. At their respective tennis academies, they look at recruitment for serving bombers, not teachable athletes. The fact that I can't remember the last male American tennis player to come out as one of their hyped prize possessions that wasn't just known for a ridiculous serve was probably Jim Courier. If they spent more times on the fundamentals and less time on the alterior parts of the game, the state of American tennis will improve, but until then it will continue to be massed in a state of flux.
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Birden Bomb: Pre-season
In a entry that I intend to pen weekly, the primary objective of this will be to share some viewpoints I have on the weekly happenings in reference to the National Football League. After each week, I will just essentially declare what I believe to be newsworthy and provide my two cents on that particular subject matter. For the first go around, I will touch on some player news that could, or should I say will have an impact on the upcoming campaign. In choosing the title for this weekly segment, I elected to use the "Birden Bomb" a play on one of my all-time favourite games, Madden '96 in which I routinely dominated with the Atlanta Falcons pairing up one of the most underrated quarterbacks in that generation in Jeff George alongside my favourite player during that era, Portland native J.J Birden. Here goes nothing.
-The Cleveland Browns quarterback dilemma is sure a hotly contested water cooler discussion point as of late. When the Browns exhausted their twenty second overall pick in 2014 on "Johnny Football" himself Johnny Manziel, the expectation that by Fall 2015 he would of transitioned into Cleveland's starting quarterback but that script hasn't gone according to plan and of this writing Josh McCown will get every opportunity and then some to revive this stagnant franchise. Johnny Manziel I don't personally believe has the fortitude to ever be the field general as a starting quarterback but it makes you wonder if he's truly been given enough rope from head coach Mike Pettine. Work ethic and a purported partying reputation has stunted the willingness from this organization to give him the necessary responsibility to succeed but what can be done now for the Browns to ever turn their Manziel stance into a different narrative? It's becoming more a common theme in this league for teams to give up on quarterbacks sooner, I think back to Jamarcus Russell and Christian Ponder in recent years and I see it extremely likely that Manziel will join this group real soon.
-Melvin Gordon and Todd Gurley are the two rookie running backs coming in with the most fan fare. Gordon, a Wisconsin alum now a member of the San Diego Chargers and Gurley a Georgia Bulldog who now is property of the St.Louis Rams will have lofty expectations coming into this campaign. I'm of the opinion that Gordon is in the position to thrive as the San Diego Chargers have opened up the backfield to accommodate the services of Melvin and being how, if you read my previous post outlining my prognostications for the following season you'll have seen that I have pegged San Diego as a playoff team which should emphasize my belief that those lofty expectations for Gordon perhaps could be loftier as I'm predicting a mammoth year. Gurley on the other hand, a player who I was able to watch a lot more playing for Bulldog country is absolutely dynamic running the ball and prior to the NFL draft shaping up, would've proclaimed with complete certainty that Gurley was THE running back of all running backs and could have top ten statistics by year's end. However, Gurley was picked in the absolute worst spot and to this day I'll never understand the Rams tactic for coming to the false realization that they needed a running back with their first round selection. I'm all for the best player available strategy for teams that are on the precipus of contending but not for a team like the Rams who have other more glaring positional deficiencies. such at wide receiver??? Tre Mason did nothing to substantiate doubt amongst the Rams upper hierarchy and the selection of Gurley is a bonafide slap in the face to Mason. I don't know who's going to get more snaps in Missouri, but what I do know is that if the Rams want to avoid a Mike Alstott-Warrick Dunn-esque situation, exploring the Tre Mason trade market may be a wise doing.
-The Buffalo Bills quarterback carousel may have officially ended tonight with their organizational decision to part ways with Matt Cassel, and I applaud their decision. I don't have to read the Bills forums to know that they're downright furious with this decision as they viewed Cassel wrongfully as the best field general. Cassel is a drop back passer with limited mobility and the old school NFL observer will have the mind-set that the kind of quarterback that breeds success is still the Cassel mold but that couldn't be further from the truth. Gone are the days where quarterbacks can flourish without moving their legs and looking back I find it ironic that I brought up Jeff George's name earlier as he would've been taken to the shed in this style of football. Tyrod Taylor, who came from the tutelage of Jon Harbaugh in Baltimore and E.J Manuel will never pass for record smashing yardage but it's their legs that will do the talking. Michael Vick was a pioneer for how the running first quarterback can operate, although I can completely side with those internally muttering that Kordell "Slash" Stewart may have preceded Vick as the pioneer in this category. Taylor and Manuel, and I should mention that I'd be stunned if Taylor wasn't the week one starter I think will surprise the Northern New York folk and be as much as a fan favourite that former CFL great Doug Flutie was. Let's hope for Buffalo fans that another scenario doesn't play itself out that is reminiscent of the infamous "Music City Miracle". Somewhere, Bills fans are still cringing over Rob Johnson.
-The Cleveland Browns quarterback dilemma is sure a hotly contested water cooler discussion point as of late. When the Browns exhausted their twenty second overall pick in 2014 on "Johnny Football" himself Johnny Manziel, the expectation that by Fall 2015 he would of transitioned into Cleveland's starting quarterback but that script hasn't gone according to plan and of this writing Josh McCown will get every opportunity and then some to revive this stagnant franchise. Johnny Manziel I don't personally believe has the fortitude to ever be the field general as a starting quarterback but it makes you wonder if he's truly been given enough rope from head coach Mike Pettine. Work ethic and a purported partying reputation has stunted the willingness from this organization to give him the necessary responsibility to succeed but what can be done now for the Browns to ever turn their Manziel stance into a different narrative? It's becoming more a common theme in this league for teams to give up on quarterbacks sooner, I think back to Jamarcus Russell and Christian Ponder in recent years and I see it extremely likely that Manziel will join this group real soon.
-Melvin Gordon and Todd Gurley are the two rookie running backs coming in with the most fan fare. Gordon, a Wisconsin alum now a member of the San Diego Chargers and Gurley a Georgia Bulldog who now is property of the St.Louis Rams will have lofty expectations coming into this campaign. I'm of the opinion that Gordon is in the position to thrive as the San Diego Chargers have opened up the backfield to accommodate the services of Melvin and being how, if you read my previous post outlining my prognostications for the following season you'll have seen that I have pegged San Diego as a playoff team which should emphasize my belief that those lofty expectations for Gordon perhaps could be loftier as I'm predicting a mammoth year. Gurley on the other hand, a player who I was able to watch a lot more playing for Bulldog country is absolutely dynamic running the ball and prior to the NFL draft shaping up, would've proclaimed with complete certainty that Gurley was THE running back of all running backs and could have top ten statistics by year's end. However, Gurley was picked in the absolute worst spot and to this day I'll never understand the Rams tactic for coming to the false realization that they needed a running back with their first round selection. I'm all for the best player available strategy for teams that are on the precipus of contending but not for a team like the Rams who have other more glaring positional deficiencies. such at wide receiver??? Tre Mason did nothing to substantiate doubt amongst the Rams upper hierarchy and the selection of Gurley is a bonafide slap in the face to Mason. I don't know who's going to get more snaps in Missouri, but what I do know is that if the Rams want to avoid a Mike Alstott-Warrick Dunn-esque situation, exploring the Tre Mason trade market may be a wise doing.
-The Buffalo Bills quarterback carousel may have officially ended tonight with their organizational decision to part ways with Matt Cassel, and I applaud their decision. I don't have to read the Bills forums to know that they're downright furious with this decision as they viewed Cassel wrongfully as the best field general. Cassel is a drop back passer with limited mobility and the old school NFL observer will have the mind-set that the kind of quarterback that breeds success is still the Cassel mold but that couldn't be further from the truth. Gone are the days where quarterbacks can flourish without moving their legs and looking back I find it ironic that I brought up Jeff George's name earlier as he would've been taken to the shed in this style of football. Tyrod Taylor, who came from the tutelage of Jon Harbaugh in Baltimore and E.J Manuel will never pass for record smashing yardage but it's their legs that will do the talking. Michael Vick was a pioneer for how the running first quarterback can operate, although I can completely side with those internally muttering that Kordell "Slash" Stewart may have preceded Vick as the pioneer in this category. Taylor and Manuel, and I should mention that I'd be stunned if Taylor wasn't the week one starter I think will surprise the Northern New York folk and be as much as a fan favourite that former CFL great Doug Flutie was. Let's hope for Buffalo fans that another scenario doesn't play itself out that is reminiscent of the infamous "Music City Miracle". Somewhere, Bills fans are still cringing over Rob Johnson.
Saturday, September 5, 2015
2015-2016 NFL Prognostications
Prognostications coming from myself can be taken with a grain of salt as my track record isn't exactly reputable but nonetheless I will enlist my predictions for the upcoming National Football League season. This will be cover a fairly extensive array, including division by division standings followed by some notable award winners that I foresee, with how I view the playoffs shaking out sandwiched in between.
AFC:
East:
1.Buffalo(3)
2.New England(6)
3.New York(J)
4.Miami
North:
1.Pittsburgh(4)
2.Baltimore
3.Cincinnati
4.Cleveland
South:
1.Indianapolis(1)
2.Houston(5)
3.Tennessee
4.Jacksonville
West:
1.San Diego(2)
2.Denver
3.Kansas City
4.Oakland
NFC:
East:
1.New York(G) (2)
2.Dallas
3.Washington
4.Philadelphia
North:
1.Green Bay(1)
2.Minnesota(6)
3.Detroit
4.Chicago
South:
1.New Orleans(4)
2.Carolina
3.Atlanta
4.Tampa Bay
West:
1.Seattle(3)
2.San Francisco(5)
3.St.Louis
4.Arizona
PLAYOFFS:
First round:
(3) Buffalo v (6) New England=Buffalo
(4)Pittsburgh v (5) Houston=Houston
(3)Seattle v (6) Minnesota=Seattle
(4)New Orleans (5) San Francisco=San Francisco
Second Round:
(1) Indianapolis v (5) Houston=Indianapolis
(2) San Diego v (3) Buffalo=Buffalo
(1) Green Bay v (5) San Francisco=San Francisco
(2)New York(G) v (3) Seattle=New York(G)
Third Round:
(1)Indianapolis v (3) Buffalo=Buffalo
(2) New York(G) v (5) San Francisco=New York(G)
Super Bowl:
(3) Buffalo v (2) New York Giants=New York Giants
The New York Giants will be crowned the Super Bowl champions!
Individual awards:
Most Valuable Player:Odell Beckham Jr-New York(G)
Defensive player of the year: Brandon Flowers-San Diego
Coach of the year: Mike Zimmer-Minnesota
Well, there it is. Entailed above are my predictions for the upcoming football season, I hope you enjoyed reading and as a general statement have thoroughly enjoyed this entire blog. If you're buying what I'm selling, please follow me via twitter @bretzky26.
Thanks!
AFC:
East:
1.Buffalo(3)
2.New England(6)
3.New York(J)
4.Miami
North:
1.Pittsburgh(4)
2.Baltimore
3.Cincinnati
4.Cleveland
South:
1.Indianapolis(1)
2.Houston(5)
3.Tennessee
4.Jacksonville
West:
1.San Diego(2)
2.Denver
3.Kansas City
4.Oakland
NFC:
East:
1.New York(G) (2)
2.Dallas
3.Washington
4.Philadelphia
North:
1.Green Bay(1)
2.Minnesota(6)
3.Detroit
4.Chicago
South:
1.New Orleans(4)
2.Carolina
3.Atlanta
4.Tampa Bay
West:
1.Seattle(3)
2.San Francisco(5)
3.St.Louis
4.Arizona
PLAYOFFS:
First round:
(3) Buffalo v (6) New England=Buffalo
(4)Pittsburgh v (5) Houston=Houston
(3)Seattle v (6) Minnesota=Seattle
(4)New Orleans (5) San Francisco=San Francisco
Second Round:
(1) Indianapolis v (5) Houston=Indianapolis
(2) San Diego v (3) Buffalo=Buffalo
(1) Green Bay v (5) San Francisco=San Francisco
(2)New York(G) v (3) Seattle=New York(G)
Third Round:
(1)Indianapolis v (3) Buffalo=Buffalo
(2) New York(G) v (5) San Francisco=New York(G)
Super Bowl:
(3) Buffalo v (2) New York Giants=New York Giants
The New York Giants will be crowned the Super Bowl champions!
Individual awards:
Most Valuable Player:Odell Beckham Jr-New York(G)
Defensive player of the year: Brandon Flowers-San Diego
Coach of the year: Mike Zimmer-Minnesota
Well, there it is. Entailed above are my predictions for the upcoming football season, I hope you enjoyed reading and as a general statement have thoroughly enjoyed this entire blog. If you're buying what I'm selling, please follow me via twitter @bretzky26.
Thanks!
Friday, September 4, 2015
The game for fame
After maneuvering through a round of golf this evening which made it abundantly clear that my lifelong dream of reaching the PGA Tour may no longer be an attainable goal, my thoughts quickly turned to pondering the most memorable duel I've witnessed in the game of golf in lieu of our memorable shoot-out tonight at the gettable(not for me) Joanne Goulet Golf Course in Regina, Saskatchewan.
2001 PGA Championship-Atlanta Athletic Club
This was the duel featuring two stalwarts of the PGA Tour including David Toms and Phil Mickelson. Now, at that point Mickelson although dominant in tour circles was still in search of that elusive major and Toms was a five time winner on tour before the major romp in Georgia. The final round match play strategy that was formulated amongst Toms and Mickelson made for captivating television. Although the narrative from this weekend will be always revolve around the two Sunday combatants, the fan favourite that had fans in Atlanta echoing his name was Shingo Katayama. Without being privy to the scorecards, it was one of the last par threes on the Saturday third round in which Katayama hit a low flyer in a hole surrounded by water and was given the great fortune of skipping the ball through the water onto the putting surface. The final hole of the championship was also noteworthy not just because it crowned Toms but because of the strategy used by the leader David. Toms, who held the one shot lead playing eighteen elected to lay up on the long, four hundred and ninety yard par four while his playing partner Mickelson successfully got on the green in two making his lay up attempt all that more risqué. Mickelson had a birdie putt and a chance to essentially force a playoff but in pre Masters Phil's repertoire, he missed the makeable putt allowing Toms close the deal with a par which as you can probably have guessed, left no stone unturned and salvaged his first and only major.
2001 PGA Championship-Atlanta Athletic Club
This was the duel featuring two stalwarts of the PGA Tour including David Toms and Phil Mickelson. Now, at that point Mickelson although dominant in tour circles was still in search of that elusive major and Toms was a five time winner on tour before the major romp in Georgia. The final round match play strategy that was formulated amongst Toms and Mickelson made for captivating television. Although the narrative from this weekend will be always revolve around the two Sunday combatants, the fan favourite that had fans in Atlanta echoing his name was Shingo Katayama. Without being privy to the scorecards, it was one of the last par threes on the Saturday third round in which Katayama hit a low flyer in a hole surrounded by water and was given the great fortune of skipping the ball through the water onto the putting surface. The final hole of the championship was also noteworthy not just because it crowned Toms but because of the strategy used by the leader David. Toms, who held the one shot lead playing eighteen elected to lay up on the long, four hundred and ninety yard par four while his playing partner Mickelson successfully got on the green in two making his lay up attempt all that more risqué. Mickelson had a birdie putt and a chance to essentially force a playoff but in pre Masters Phil's repertoire, he missed the makeable putt allowing Toms close the deal with a par which as you can probably have guessed, left no stone unturned and salvaged his first and only major.
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