Blog Adoption: What I Learned

Dr. Terry Clark

Blogging For Journalists

Presentation—Hoopshype blog

URL: http://hoopshype.com/author/mika-honkasalo/

What I’ve Learned

            I conducted my blog adoption on a blog called Hoopshype.com. Hoopshype is a multi-user blog with several writers who discuss several aspects of professional basketball, ranging from international play such as the Olympics to its most prominent focus, the NBA. Some of the topics regularly explored on Hoopshype include rumors, analytics, statistics, draft analysis, transaction analysis, contracts and salary cap breakdowns, and many others. The blog is a great source of information for anyone who follows basketball and enjoys the finer, more in-depth components of the game and the NBA as a whole.

The Thunder is over-playing a veteran over a more talented young player...Again

Sigh. What is it with you, Thunder?

First it was Derek Fisher playing more minutes than James Harden at times. Then it was more of the same with Caron Butler added to the mix, playing both Fish and Butler over guys like Jeremy Lamb and even Reggie Jackson from time to time.

And let's not forget that  this season, Mitch McGary has all but disappeared despite being better than Collison at this point in his career by just about every measure.

I can let that one slide, because Collison barely plays either. But what the Thunder is doing to Cameron Payne right now is criminal and could very well cost them a deep playoff run.

The Thunder, by all appearances, is headed to the postseason with Randy Foye as its backup point guard instead of Payne, who's had a very good rookie season.

Here's how Randy Foye has done over the last ten games as the Thunder' backup point guard. In each of these ten games, he played at least 14 minutes for a total of 195 minutes.

17 assists to 12 turnovers (not even good enough for a 2:1 ratio), 30 percent from three point range and 30 percent shooting overall.

To compare, I took a sample of the last ten games in which Payne played at least 14 minutes:

35 assists to 10 turnovers (better than a 3:1 ratio), 34 percent from three point range and 44 percent shooting overall.

Oh, and before you bring up defense... a quick comparison on Basketball-Reference will tell you that nearly every defensive stat--basic or advanced-- is either even or slightly in favor of Payne.

So who would you rather have as your backup point guard in the playoffs?

The only thing Foye has over Payne is experience. But isn't that curious when you consider that Payne has only been to the playoffs one time, and it was four years ago?

Isn't it also curious that they'll hold the experience thing against Payne, but not against Dion Waiters or Kyle Singler, each of which will be playing in the postseason for the first time? Even Sixth Man of the Year candidate Enes Kanter has only been to the playoffs once... a series sweep against the Spurs, in which he played ten minutes a game.

Yeah, but Payne isn't experienced enough. Okay.

People tend to get bent out of shape when I criticize the Thunder, but it's only because I want them to win so badly and I hate to see them hold themselves back with such obvious mistakes.

Let's at least hope that Westbrook plays upwards of 42 minutes per game in the playoffs to minimize the dysfunctional bench that defines the 2016 Thunder (aside from Kanter).

Trophies

I'm just tryna stay alive and talk about sports. And they don't have no award for that.

No wait, apparently they do.

As you probably know, I do a radio show twice a week in addition to writing for the Vista/UCentral. I joined the radio show last semester, partnering with two of my good friends and fraternity brothers, Jacob Beeman and Matt Wallen.

Back then, it was called "The Chute" and I could only attend on Fridays. Ever since then I've had a blast doing it, talking about sports with the guys on the radio waves just like we normally would at a restaurant or in the living room.

At the end of the semester we had our final radio show, and we were all happy and loose to be pretty much done with all of our school work and get to Christmas break. Because of this we had a great time and probably had the best radio show we've had to date--it was funny but also some good analysis.

So we entered one of the segments from that show in the OBEA awards and won first and second place for best sports commentary in the state (collegiately).

I never imagined when I started doing radio that it would actually get that kind of recognition. As I said in my social media posts about it, I'm incredibly honored.

It's pretty cool to be able to talk sports with your brothers on the radio. It's even cooler to have people recognize the work you've put in to make it worthwhile.

So shout out to OBEA for giving us this honor. I speak for myself as well as Jacob and Matt when I say that we really, really appreciate it. And shout out to my radiomates Jacob and Matt.

I also have to shout out Ike Wilcots, another friend and fraternity brother who has taken over for Jacob this semester and has done an amazing job. "What's Goin' On?"

Lastly, shout out to our listeners, of course. And if you aren't listening: congratulations, you've played yourself.

Nah but really though, tune into 99.3 FM Mondays and Wednesdays from noon to 1 o'clock to listen to the Matt Wallen Show, our new radio show title (Matt is a narcissist but it's fine). And don't worry--if you hear music at first, you're in the right place. Just wait a few minutes and enjoy the song before we come in and kick some serious sports knowledge.

Sincerely,

Brad Jayroe (The Real)

Remembering the most obnoxious bandwagon fanbases

Who likes bandwagon fans? They're everywhere you look, and one of my biggest pet peeves as a sports fan.

Wear their gear, openly root for them, watch their games, sure. But don't be annoying about it.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of bandwagoners don't abide by that part. If you follow sports at all, you probably know that there have been some insufferably obnoxious bandwagoners who have emerged, spewed a lot of nonsense, and promptly disappeared upon their team's decline, despite touting themselves as "diehard fans" at the time.

Ugh.

Not long ago, I was at a restaurant at Oklahoma City and saw a man wearing a Golden State Warriors jersey, loudly boasting about how much better the Warriors are than our local Thunder.

Now you KNOW that guy didn't even know where Golden State is two years ago. His shirt might even still have the tags on it. Don't be like that guy.

But enough of that; let's look at some of the rise and fall of notoriously obnoxious bandwagons over the last few years.

San Francisco 49ers bandwagon-- circa 2011-2014

The Kaepernick/Harbaugh era was short lived yet a truly glorious time for bandwagoners. "Hey, this team has won five Super Bowls and they're good again, this will be easy to jump right on!"

Harbaugh worked his Harbaugh magic and got the team to one Super Bowl and three NFC Championship games. Many a bandwagoner could be found in your school wearing a Kaepernick jersey shirt talking about how they had been a fan since a player they looked up on Wikipedia.

Or, you might have seen them in their natural habitat, drunkenly yelling at the TV in your local sports bar over a call that is "not roughing the passer" even though the replay clearly shows a 49ers player demolishing the quarterback helmet-to-helmet.

Not so sadly, the wheels started to come off when half of the team left in free agency or retired, and Jim Harbaugh was let go. Now Kaepernick wants out and the team is faced with the very real possibility of Blaine Gabbert starting games for them. Uh-oh. Where did all those "diehard fans" go?

Miami Heat bandwagon-- circa 2009-2014

Possibly the most notorious bandwagon of all. Lebron James took his talents to South Beach and the rest was history.

It was almost like a nightmare. Teenagers running around the country in Lebron Heat jerseys saying the Heat is the greatest team of all time and Lebron is better than Jordan. Former "diehard Cavaliers fans," of course.

The bandwagon took a big hit when the Heat choked against the Mavericks and the onslaught of memes and ringless jokes at Lebron's expense reached a fever pitch. The Heat bandwagon laid low for a season, but upon its victory over the Thunder in the Finals (sad face), Miami's bandwagon returned in greater numbers than ever.

However, Lebron decided to "go home" to Cleveland last season which led to a split-- some of the "LeGroupies," as they've been dubbed by some, followed him back to Cleveland. Others decided to stay as Miami fans, but even more  likely joined the Golden State Warriors bandwagon.

Los Angeles Lakers bandwagon-- on and off throughout Kobe Bryant era

When the Lakers were good (2000-2005, 2009-2012) you'd see Lakers fans everywhere, even here in the South and Midwest. When the Lakers have been bad (2006-2008, right now lol) you don't see them hardly anywhere.

This one is tricky because a lot of them could claim to be legacy fans due to the Lakers' past success. Or they jumped on the wagon long enough ago to where you couldn't really criticize them for it.

But most of all, they're fans of Kobe Bryant.

When he has a big game or plays well, they're fans. When the Lakers are winning championships, there are a boatload of obnoxious gloaters. But when Kwame Brown is their starting center, or D'Angelo Russell and Nick Young are acting like they're in high school, most "Lakers fans" are suddenly AWOL.

Now that Kobe is retiring and the Lakers stink, well, most of these people have also migrated to the Warriors bandwagon. I guess Lebron and Kobe fans finally have something in common.

Bandwagons still rolling: Seattle Seahawks, Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs

When will the wheels come off for these bandwagons? Stay tuned.

REPORT: Every team in the NBA is interested in signing Kevin Durant

How many times have we seen some variation of the headline "REPORT: Team X is interested in signing Kevin Durant," and how many more times are we going to see it?

Not only is this "report" annoying in and of itself, but it has a trickle-down effect. Every sports radio host, journalist, blogger, TV analyst, and so on has to give his or her take on "Durant to Team X???"

Oh, and the report is always brought up by everyone's favorite, "anonymous sources." Isn't that convenient.

Most people around my way find these reports annoying because they don't want to think about Durant leaving Oklahoma City. For me though, I find the reports annoying for another reason.

You see, there's been a recent marketing campaign by a company that uses Captain Obvious to promote its services. I think Captain Obvious may also be the source behind all of these reports.

Reports that teams "are interested" in signing one of the three or four best basketballers in the world.

Let's do a quick rundown of Durant as a prospect using the sophisticated sources of common knowledge and Wikipedia, which should be available to every front office in the NBA:

-2014 NBA MVP
-Seven-time NBA All-Star
-Five-time All-NBA First Team
-Four-time scoring champion
-Olympic Gold Medalist
-Career averages of roughly 27 PPG, 7 RPG, 4 APG
-Member of the exclusive 50/40/90 shooting percentage club
-Height of 6'11, give or take, with roughly 7-foot wingspan
-Ability to play/guard every position 1-5
-No legal issues/trouble off the court
-Widely regarded as a great teammate, leader, person
-Just entering basketball prime at age 27

Yeah. I would imagine every team in the NBA might be interested in signing that guy.

So you heard it here first-- the "report" to end all "reports" is here:

 Bradley Jayroe of UCentral Sports is confirming that every team in the NBA "would be open" to signing Kevin Durant, per anonymous sources.

Which Thunder player do you miss the most?

This is a fun thing to think about: which player do you miss donning the Thunder blue the most?

For just about everyone, that player is James Harden, including me. But we won't get into that because I just wrote an article about some of the awful moves Sam Presti has made over the years, and that trade was the principal focus. (Check it out here on ucentralmedia.com).

No, let's think about other players who have departed over the years that we miss.

For me, it's Derek Fisher. For some reason I just loved that guy. Maybe it was his championship experience or the way he shot three pointers. I had actually hoped the Thunder would bring him back instead of Nazr Mohammed this season if we're looking for a "veteran presence." And I don't care for Matt Barnes at all, so there's no hard feelings from me there-- even though he probably violated the bro code in that ordeal.

What about Kendrick Perkins? People loved him here, whether it was the comedic relief his "Shaq'tin a Fool" moments brought or his scowl and attitude. I'll admit, as frustrated as I used to get with Perk, I do find myself strangely missing him sometimes.

But let's go even further into the past. I have a good friend who has a straight-up man crush on Jeff Green. Anytime he does something on the trade machine or completely overhauls the Thunder's roster, he always finds a way to sneak Uncle Jeff in there. He insists that Green is one of the best "stretch fours" in the league. I constantly have to remind him that his nostalgia is really overrating the most average player in the NBA.

I have a wacky friend in New York who loved Nenad Krstic in all of his midrange-shooting, chair-throwing glory. He played a half season for Boston before he was never heard from again (now he's overseas somewhere).

Sometimes I see stat lines from Reggie Jackson and I wonder how good the Thunder would have been last season with a healthy squad, or wonder how they might be if the team could have worked something out for him to stay. As bad as he was defensively, Kanter isn't any better and Jackson could actually push the pace and play along our two stars.

What about Perry Jones and Jeremy Lamb? I don't miss them so much as I miss pretending that they would be awesome players someday. Lamb is currently better than Waiters (who replaced him) but the man known as "PJ3" is somewhere in the D-League, last time I checked. Well at least we'll always have that game against the Clippers where we thought he could have FINALLY become the player we'd always hoped.





Did I miss anyone that you loved to see in Thunder blue? Comment below!

Today was a good day for me as a sports fan

"Sam Bradford and Demarco Murray on the same team, awesome!" They said. "They're gonna tear up the NFL in Chip Kelly's offense," they said.

Oops. Sorry bandwagon Eagles fans in Oklahoma. Looks like your crimson-and-cream dream was just that, a dream.

You see, as a fan of both OU and the Dallas Cowboys, Demarco Murray put me in a weird spot. He was one of my favorite players at OU; I was even at the game in Norman where he broke the all-time touchdown record at the school.

So imagine my excitement when he got drafted by my favorite NFL team. You could say I'm a hipster Murray fan, since I bought a custom jersey shirt before it was cool and before we knew he'd be good, not too long after he was drafted.

You can also imagine my delight and then heartbreak when he developed into an All-Pro, and then proceeded to sign with that Lombardi-less team in Philly. Grr.The only recompense was his complete lack of production with the Eagles.

So I'm glad he got traded to a different team that I don't despise with all of my being today. I can now maybe wear my old t-shirt without shame again, as much as a grown man wearing a jersey shirt can wear one without shame. Maybe, just maybe, Demarco will still be lackluster with a terrible Titans team and will come home. We'll see.

As for RG3 getting cut, I just love watching the Redskins drunkenly stumble along as an NFL franchise. Good job ruining the career of one of the most promising rookies of all time by playing him in a playoff game you weren't going to win anyway. I'm sure Kirk Cousins, he of the losing record against plus-.500 teams, will carry you to many Super Bowls. Congratulations on winning the NFC East last season, because hey, somebody had to win it.

OKC isn't on the level of Golden State, Cleveland, or San Antonio... and here's why

As I write this, OKC has a 20-point lead over another really good Western Conference team in the Clippers. (Err sorry, had to come back and edit. They've choked it away, we'll see what happens.)They look like they're well on their way to a quality 43-18 record or 42-19, good for fourth in the league behind the Warriors, Spurs, and Cavaliers.

Sometimes though, you're better than your record. Last year, for instance, the Hawks had a better record than the Cavaliers, only to get swept by them in the Eastern Conference Finals.

However, that isn't the case with the Thunder in this year's NBA. The Thunder is the fourth best team, and it's not particularly close.

OKC got swept by the Cavaliers in the regular season, including a blowout at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Warriors beat the Thunder in two close games, and we'll see what happens tomorrow night in Oakland. And the Spurs lost a down-to-the-wire contest in the very first game of the season in OKC.

It's not luck that these teams have a better record. It's not luck that the Spurs and Cavs are 4-0 against them with a few games pending. There's a big difference between them.

The difference? Veteran role players in the rotation.

Say what you want about the old guys, but they've been around a long time for a reason. They know what they're doing, and you generally know what you're going to get from them on a game by game basis.

You don't see the Spurs building around their young stars with guys like Enes Kanter still trying to figure it out on defense. You don't see the Warriors signing a young gunner like Dion Waiters who's still trying to figure out how to contribute on a nightly basis without trying to upstage their stars.

Sam Presti seems obsessed with collected young talent. However, young teams simply don't win titles in the NBA- at least not very often. It's okay to have a young core- look at the Warriors- but surrounding them with veteran role players is the best course of action.

OKC made it to the finals with a bench of:
James Harden (Really good, but not Houston Harden)
Derek Fisher (Veteran)
Nazr Mohammed (Veteran)
Nick Collison (Veteran)
Daequan Cook (Younger guy, but 3-point specialist who barely played)

Not to mention its other role players outside of its core- Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefolosha- had been around for a while too.

It's not coincidence that a younger yet more talented (collectively) bench and grouping of role players hasn't been all that effective for OKC this year. Pending how the team does in the playoffs, the Thunder front office needs to take a long, hard look at the supporting cast around its superstars and consider a more veteran-laden group.

The Thunder might have the worst 2-guard rotation in the league

Think back to the nineties, when Macaulay Culkin seemed like a promising young actor in Home Alone.

You probably remember the scene where his character, Kevin, is digging through stuff that belongs to his brother, Buzz. He eventually finds a picture of Buzz and his girlfriend. "Buzz's girlfriend, WOOF!" he exclaimed.

When I look at the Thunder's shooting guards, I more or less have the same reaction.

Now to clarify I'm talking about the rotation as a whole, not individuals. Anthony Morrow, for instance, is probably the best pure scorer on the team behind Durant and is one of the best three-point shooters in the league, yet gets no minutes. So this post isn't directed at him.

Let's start with Andre Roberson. Roberson gets a lot of criticism thrown his way because he can't shoot or do much of anything on offense.

However, whether you like it or not, Roberson is the best fit at 2-guard for this team, particularly as a starter. Because by just about any measure, his defense is exceptional; and you don't really need much more offensive firepower when you have KD and Westbrook.

Still, you'd like to see this guy at least be somewhat of a threat. Thabo Sefolosha was effective playing alongside OKC's dynamic duo because, on occasion, he could hit some three-pointers.

Roberson, Sef's replacement, unofficially leads the league in hitting the side or top of the backboard on three-point attempts. This isn't a stat on Basketball Reference yet, but Roberson makes a case that it should be.

His defense really is good though, and on a team that plays little to none of that side of the ball, playing Roberson is a necessity. Even if his jumpshot looks like he just started playing basketball this month.

So there's your starter at the 2, Thunder Nation.

Next, we'll move on to Dion Waiters.

Honestly, if I was an NBA player, I'd be Dion Waiters; ask anyone who's played with me. A friend of mine I usually "ball out" with (see what I did there) even calls Waiters "Brad" from time to time.

You see, I mess up, a lot. I take a lot of three pointers and usually miss them. I take a lot of stepback jumpers and miss them. And I look like the most uncoordinated, unorthodox player on the court.

Yet, I keep firing and have some of the most irrational confidence in my shot you will ever see. Maybe that's why I get so furious with Waiters-- he reminds me too much of myself.

For who knows what reason, Waiters routinely gets some of the highest minutes on the team. Watch a full Thunder game and you will see at least three hilariously infuriating gaffes from Neon Dion. Whether it's a wide-open three-point brick that leads to a runout basket for the other team or a horrible foul, Waiters is entertaining if nothing else.

 I often wonder why he gets so much respect from the Thunder organization. Yes, he was a fourth overall pick. But Cleveland drafted him there, so who knows if any other team even had him on its board. This is the same team that drafted Anthony Bennett first overall too, after all.

To further discount draft pedigree, Hasheem Thabeet was a second overall pick too. Oh wait... the Thunder also gave him a contract. Whoops. You'd think they'd learn by now.

What about Kyle Singler though? Can't forget about him. Can't forget that haircut.

Singler is essentially the new Kendrick Perkins: no one would have that big of a problem if not for his contract. Sam Presti inexplicably locked this guy up on a five-year contract this past summer.

Sometimes I really wonder if Presti understands free agency. I would bet everything I have that no one, and I mean NO ONE was beating down Singler's door to sign him for a half decade. Who signs a role player for that long, anyway? You never know when a role player will fall off and be playing in China a few months later.

Not like Singler was some proven commodity anyhow. Do you know how many players have been decent for 2-3 seasons only to wash out? A lot.

Yet now we get to watch this guy play for the Thunder for five more years. To put that in perspective, I'm 24 now and will be pushing 30 when Singler says farewell to OKC-- barring a trade, of course.

He can be decent from time to time. But really, more often than not he just runs around, misses three-pointers, and fouls people. Which I could do for a fraction of the cost if Presti wants to sign me.

 Randy Foye is having career lows in just about every category this season. So far, he hasn't shown much in a Thunder uniform. However, he's been a good player career-wise, so I'll be fair and wait until we see more out of him. To be honest though, I'll be hoping the Thunder lands Joe Johnson on the buyout market in the meantime.

In conclusion, I believe the Thunder has the worst 2-guard rotation in the league-- ESPECIALLY among contenders. Are there any worse aside from maybe the Sixers? Comment below, tweet me, whatever you gotta do and let me know.

What's in a name? My new metric to evaluate NFL Draft prospects

I have long held a belief that is probably absurd, and I don't actually believe it, but I still entertain it from time to time: you can usually tell how good an NFL player will be based on his name.

Now I know that might seem ridiculous, but bear with me here.

If you've followed the NFL for a long time, I think you can read a prospect's name and subconsciously run it through your unofficial database in your head and compare the name to past players.

For instance, if your name is similar to a draft bust of the past, you will probably be a bust yourself. Conversely, if you have a good, strong "Football Name" such as Sanders (See: Barry and Deion) or Peterson (See: Adrian and Patrick) you will probably be a star. On that same note, I think it's impossible to be a bad football player if your last name is "Woodson" (Hello Rod and Charles) ESPECIALLY if you're a defensive back. Which brings me to my next point...

I also think that what position you play is a big part of it. Sometimes you hear a name and it just screams "Pro Bowl lineman" but if it belonged to a linebacker, it might scream "average to 'meh'" instead.

You may laugh at this, but one day you may see me on your TV during the draft, in some NFL team's war room, using my highly sophisticated "Football Name" metric to help my team evaluate prospects.

And I may just look straight into the camera and say "Who's laughing now?"

I've never actually put this idea into writing or into the public sphere or whatever til today. So let's take a look at some of the top prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft and see if we can predict how good they'll be, based SOLELY on their names.

If it turns out I was wrong in 3-4 years, feel free to come back to this post and make fun of me. If I'm right though, you better give me my propers.

We'll evaluate according to this NFL.com top 50 prospects article, though we'll just do the top 25.

1. Laremy Tunsil, offensive tackle, Ole Miss

Pro Bowler, mark it down. I can just hear Al Michaels now: "Laremy Tunsil was a Pro Bowler last year in his second season out of Ole Miss."

2. Jalen Ramsey, defensive back, Florida State

Ehh, I'm torn on this one. I like Ramsey a lot as a prospect, but we're evaluating just on names here. "Jalen Ramsey" just doesn't do a whole lot for me. I'm gonna say somewhere around average.

3. Myles Jack, linebacker, UCLA

Okay "Myles Jack" is just a badass name in general, no matter what your profession is. The "y" instead of "i" in Myles takes the name from boring butler to sophisticated bouncer, and Jack just sounds rugged. The two names work together to from perfect "tough guy" harmony. For a linebacker, no less, I'm gonna say Pro Bowler hands down.

4. Joey Bosa, defensive end, Ohio State

This name just sounds like a guy who should be down in the trenches doing what linemen do. However, it's not a strong enough name for me to predict superstardom here. The "Bosa" part is cool but "Joey," ehh. Therefore I'll predict a slightly above-average ceiling for our friend Mr. Bosa.

5. DeForest Buckner, defensive tackle, Oregon

This is the first name I'm really not feeling at all. This just sounds like somebody who will be drafted highly by a team like the Jaguars only for his college game not to translate to the pros. Bust.

6. Ezekiel Elliott, running back, Ohio State

When you look at the top running backs in the game over the years, their names have generally been pretty common ones- Adrian Peterson, David Johnson, Chris Johnson, Demarco Murray, Jamaal Charles, Ray Rice- it goes on and on. While some of the first OR last names have been uncommon in these backs, "Ezekiel" and "Elliott" are not names you typically see. So I'm going to say bust.

7. Carson Wentz, quarterback, North Dakota State

Sorry Mr. Wentz but I'm not impressed by your name at all. I just can't envision anyone rushing to their local pro shop or online to buy a "Wentz" jersey. Sorry, but bust.

8. Jared Goff, quarterback, California

This just sounds like the  name of a stud college quarterback that is a massive disappointment for whichever team that drafts him to be its "future." According to names, I'm not a big fan of any of this draft's "top quarterbacks." Stay away NFL teams!

9. Jaylon Smith, linebacker, Notre Dame

Decent name for a linebacker, though if you draft him to be a star I think you'll be disappointed. I'm gonna say average, serviceable starter.

10. Reggie Ragland, linebacker, Alabama

I love alliteration in defensive players, and "Reggie" has been a historically strong football name. I also love alliteration, and I think RR will be a star defensive cornerstone for the franchise that grabs him. Above average with Pro Bowl upside.

11. Vernon Hargreaves, defensive back, Florida

The first thing that jumps out to me is the "greaves" in "Hargreaves." In case you didn't know, the armor knights wore on their legs for defense were called greaves. Hargreaves is a defensive player in a position that has to run a lot(see, legs connection!?) Therefore, Pro Bowler. Boom.

12. Leonard Floyd, linebacker, Georgia

This name just doesn't do a whole lot for me. I'm gonna say a floor of slightly below average with a ceiling of average, though not a complete bust.

13. Jarran Reed, defensive tackle, Alabama

What a well-put together name we have here. I like all of the "R's". R is a tough letter, and that's exactly what he will have to be playing in the trenches. Enjoy this Pro Bowl projection, Mr. Reed.

14. Eli Apple, defensive back, Ohio State

So which part jumps out at you more: "Eli" or "Apple?" Lucky or not, we know that Eli Manning has won two Super Bowls. But he's a quarterback. And Apple is just a ridiculous name, sorry. I'm gonna predict bust here. Though I do kinda hope two things happen:

 1) He gets drafted by the New York Jets or Giants leading to several overdone "Big Apple" puns by commentators.

2)  He proves me wrong and becomes a superstar, so super that he gets an endorsement deal with... wait for it... Apple. Hehe!

15. Ronnie Stanley, offensive tackle, Notre Dame

Good name for a lineman, I'll take it. Solid starter.

16. Corey Coleman, wide receiver, Baylor

This name doesn't sound like a superstar, but a solid number 2 or 3 guy- which might be disappointing for his team if he really goes this high. The alliteration is a good sign though- see Steve Smith, Cris Carter, and Julio Jones (ok maybe that last one doesn't count). But I'll go ahead and say this name indicates a Pierre Garcon, James Jones-type (hey more alliteration!) AKA solid starter.

17. A'Shawn Robinson, defensive tackle, Alabama

This is another name where you plug it into the sentence "_______ is a Pro Bowl defensive tackle" and it just sounds right.

18. Laquon Treadwell, wide receiver, Ole Miss

Wow, this just sounds like a boss wide receiver. You can almost hear the broadcast call:
"Touchdown, Treadwell!" Eventual Pro Bowler for sure.

19. Mackensie Alexander, defensive back, Clemson

This name checks out in the "Football Name" criteria. Just sounds strong and dominant- especially the Alexander part (think Alexander the Great). Solid starter to Pro Bowler, and if he shortens his first name to "Mack" I'll even go out on a limb to predict All-Pro.

20. Robert Nkemdiche, defensive tackle, Ole Miss

If pronouncing a person's name is intimidating, said person is probably imposing too. I'm sure he has a lot of built-up rage over people mispronouncing his name over the years: all those teachers stumbling along and butchering it once they got to him on the roll sheet, all the other kids laughing. I'll bet he envisions them all when he's out there destroying people on the field. Opposing quarterbacks would be better off insulting The Waterboy Adam Sandler's "momma." Pro Bowler.

21. Paxton Lynch, quarterback, Memphis

Doesn't this name just seem so Blaine Gabbert-y? Though Lynch has been a strong football name for other positions (see: Marshawn Lynch, John Lynch), I just don't see it as a successful quarterback name. For instance, if my Cowboys select Paxton Lynch at number four, I envision myself a couple of years down the road complaining about the Cowboys like I always do, lamenting "Remember when we drafted Paxton Lynch when we could have had (insert Pro Bowler from same draft here)?"
I probably don't need to say how I feel this prospect will turn out.

22. Kevin Dodd, defensive end, Clemson

Sorry but I can't just ignore that "Dodd" sounds an awful lot like "Dud." If you're a defensive lineman and gonna have a generic, non-imposing name like "Kevin" you better follow it up with some heat in that last name. It just doesn't happen here. I won't say complete bust, but I will say slightly below average to bust.

23. Darron Lee, linebacker, Ohio State

This name flows really well, and while I don't see him as a rugged, hard-hitting type of 'backer, I'm feeling like he'd be the kind to get a lot of picks like Bobby Wagner or Sean Lee (look at that, another Lee, yup this is undeniable). I'm gonna say solid, above-average starter with a Pro Bowl here and there for his career.

24. Shaq Lawson, defensive end, Clemson

Hey Shaq, thanks for making this one easy. Your name is "Shaq" for crying out loud, and seeing that you play defensive line you're probably big and dominating just like the basketball player. And as if that weren't enough, you have the last name "Lawson" so you're gonna lay down the law, son. Love it. Perennial Pro Bowler.

25. Jack Conklin, offensive tackle, Ohio State

This name, to me, just sounds like a lineman who starts for a team for a couple seasons, but never really catches on. Sorry Jack.


Do you agree with this methodology? Should I be making six figures lazily analyzing the names of prospects for NFL teams? Comment below!

Evaluating another sports blog

For Dr. Terry Clark's blogging class, we were tasked with evaluating a blog in our subject area on the following criteria:

1. Quality of Writing
2. Effectiveness of typography
3. Attractiveness of layout
4. Use of visuals
5. Overall strengths and weaknesses
6. Why do you like it or dislike it

Five people and/or teams who really need to go away

This is a list of entities in sports who I really wish would go away. Not like violently or anything like that, but you know, just... just go away, please. Retire. Do whatever you gotta do.

The following people or organizations annoy me greatly for a myriad of reasons (as if you couldn't tell, I took the time to write about them). Maybe you'll agree with me, maybe not. Let's begin:

1. Roger Goodell

Hating on Goodell is so cliche and overdone, but I couldn't not put him on here. I don't even dislike Goodell as much as other people, but he is kind of a joke. He completely botched the suspensions of NFL players like Ray Rice and Greg Hardy, only lengthening their suspensions after public outcry forced his hand. He's also largely responsible for the overblown witchhunt and media circus that is "Deflategate." And those two things are just recent transgressions.

We'll keep this one short and sweet though since Roger's been roasted nonstop for years. Moving on...

2. Chip Kelly

I don't really buy that he's a racist like LeSean McCoy likes to imply. Not only is that pretty far-fetched, but a guy who brawls with cops in nightclubs and doesn't tip at restaurants despite being a millionaire probably isn't the best judge of character anyway.

A lot of people in Philly probably hate him for dismantling their team, but as a Cowboys fan, I can't really roast him for that either. Though I will say Demarco Murray WAS one of my favorite Oklahoma Sooners and Dallas Cowboys of all time....until Chip convinced him into putting on that ugly green jersey. Thanks, Chip.

No, my main problem is this: what exactly is the big deal about Chip Kelly?

His teams are generally fun to watch, sure. And it's appealing to imagine a team playing at such a blinding speed that other teams can't keep up.

But the guy has never really won anything except for mostly regular season games in a relatively weak PAC-12. Typically, his teams would roll into big games averaging over 40 points only to put up around half of that.

And for what it's worth, Oregon hasn't really missed a beat without him, going to the inaugural College Football Playoff and even making it to the championship (though last season was a bit of a downer).

When Kelly left Oregon and was coming into the NFL as the Eagles' head coach, fans and analysts all over were gushing about the hire and bouncing off the walls.

I remember so much praise being heaped on him: How he was a "genius," how he would "revolutionize the NFL," and similar ridiculousness.You would think Philly had just hired Vince Lombardi.

Yet Kelly couldn't make it through three seasons, and only won a very weak NFC East one time. His teams never exactly lit the world on fire like people thought and he got fired before his third season was even over.

Welp.

Still, the San Francisco 49ers hired him almost immediately, in part to resurrect Colin Kaepernick's career.

Spoiler alert: the 49ers will still be middling to bad, Kaepernick may very well lose his job to Blaine Gabbert again (lol), and the team will not win anything of importance.

3. The Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions

You shouldn't hate teams that are bad. Most people hate teams that are good; nobody hates the Buccaneers or Timberwolves, for instance.

That said, I'm getting to the point where I can't stand the Lions or Browns just because of their ineptitude.

I grouped these two together because they're essentially the same team, just in different conferences.

Both have been around forever, both were actually good in the '50's, winning multiple championships (what), and both have a surprisingly large and passionate fan base.

I admire the fans for their loyalty, but I feel really bad for them too. They're like a married person who's miserable but stays in it for the kids.

You can usually count on the Browns to be "that guy" in the draft who takes the one or two players in the first round we all KNOW will bust.

Cleveland, it may have surprised you that 30 year-old Brandon Weeden wasn't a franchise quarterback you could build around, but I assure you, it surprised no one else.

Cleveland also fires its head coach every year with the apparent mindset of "He didn't win a Super Bowl with our awful players in his first year, so he's clearly not the guy."

I'd be willing to bet the sports writers in Cleveland already have their Mad Libs article saved to their desktop waiting for next January:

"The Cleveland Browns fired _______ in his first season as head coach, sources indicate. ________ compiled a __-__ record as Cleveland missed the playoffs for the ___ season in a row. _____, _____, and ______ are believed to be a few candidates Cleveland is targeting."
 
I could go on, but I need to roast the Lions right quick.

Detroit is responsible for the first and only 0-16 NFL season after taking nothing but wide receivers in what seemed like ten straight drafts.

They also wasted the careers of two of the greatest football talents of all time: Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson. The losing culture of the club was so prevalent that it broke each of their spirits into retiring early.

"Megatron" can say he's content and it's about injuries, but come on. If he played for a team like the Patriots or Broncos, we aren't having this conversation.

Thanks Detroit, one of the most entertaining players in the league and potential GOAT at wide receiver is retiring at age 30. For comparison, Randy Moss, T.O. and Jerry Rice were all pushing 40 when they were on their way out.

If franchises were disbanded for being awful, these two would be the first on the chopping block. Though I will say the "expansion team" excuse is getting tired for a couple of other teams (I'm looking at you, Jacksonville and Houston).

4. Alabama Crimson Tide

Hey, who wants to see Alabama win another title? Or even be in the playoff? Anyone aside from their fans?

I mean, even the bandwagon fans are getting weary of this. They've never been with a team for this long.

It won't be much longer and we'll just have to refer to them as "fans." I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious.

In all honesty, I don't have any legitimate problems with Alabama. Their real, non-bandwagon fans are generally classy and not obnoxious, Nick Saban is a great coach, and their organization appears to be top-notch. I'm just tired of them.

Go away please. Come on Nick, you know you wanna try the NFL again.

5. Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors

Look, I get it. Curry is an awesome player and is probably one of the most relatable superstars ever. The Warriors are dominant and fun to watch with all their crossovers and three-pointers and such.

But much like Alabama, I'm tired of both Curry and his team. Already. And they just won their first title last year.

The media somehow thinks I want to see or hear about every single half-decent play Curry has ever made. Apparently, I should also really care that he roots for the Panthers and know what kind of car interior he likes, or the ice:soda ratio he prefers at restaurants.

OK maybe I'm exaggerating on those last two, but that's really what it feels like.

In addition to overexposure, I'm tired of Curry and the Warriors because they're too good.

You look at their roster and you're like "Yeah, alright, they should be good. You know, 55-65 wins, give or take."

But currently sitting at 48-4, on pace to have the best record of all time, head-and-shoulders better than every other team?

Nah man. That ain't cool.

Their ascension to the mountaintop was way too easy, too. Look back at the history of the NBA, and just about every great NBA team had to wait its turn and have its heart broken before it finally won a title.

Not the Warriors. They were a playoff team before, but their first season being championship good ended in a glorified waltz to the trophy.

In the playoffs, they avoided the Spurs and injury-shattered Thunder (both teams have been the West's top dogs the last four years running) and faced banged-up teams in every round. They had it pretty easy, whether their fans want to admit it or not.

The worst part about this one is that they're getting better, and probably aren't going anywhere.

Golden State is somehow paying the best player in the NBA 11 mill per season for like three more years right in time for the salary cap boom, so they won't be getting James Harden'd any time soon. They will have absolutely no problem keeping their players or bringing new guys in.

Ugh. Not fair. And don't even get me started on the bandwagon fans who don't know who Baron Davis is, and think there's a 51st state called "Golden."

Any teams, coaches, executives or players you'd like to see go away? Comment below!

Return of the Mac: Super Bowl 50's unsung hero

Von Miller won Super Bowl MVP, and deservedly so. He had two strip-sacks which led to two touchdowns, both directly and indirectly. He was a big reason Denver pulled off the upset.

And let's be honest, Denver's offense did a little next to nothing for the game. The team could barely move the ball, evidenced by it being 1/14 on third downs. The only reason it scored the sole offensive touchdown it did was one of Miller's aforementioned strip-sacks setting the Broncos up right next to the endzone.

There is one player that no one is talking about who needs to be recognized, however. That player is Denver's placekicker, Brandon McManus.

Now when you read that, it probably made you question a couple of things. First, you probably wondered why I chose "Return of the Mac" as the title of this post, when his name is spelled MCManus and not MACManus. Also, he's not really "returning" from anywhere. However, I love that song by Mark Morrison and I thought it was a fun title, so deal with it.

Second, you probably wonder why anyone would ever give props to a placekicker. A lot of people even argue that kicking should be removed from the game (This would give more ammo to the people who try to refer to football as handegg).

But hate it or love it, the underdog's on top. Err, sorry. What I mean to say was, hate it or love it, kicking is a huge part of the game and isn't going anywhere.

So let's give credit where credit is due. The Denver offense scored 17 points. Three field goals and an extra point came from the leg of McManus. That means he accounted for over half of Denver's offensive output- maybe not in yards, but on the scoreboard, where it really matters- with 10.

Now you might say something like "But Brad, the Broncos won by 14 points. If you took away McManus' kicks, they still would have won by four."

But it's not that simple. You see, football is all about momentum.

In most football games, momentum swings back and forth. It will usually be sparked by a big play such as: a big offensive play, a turnover, or yes even a missed or blocked kick, which can snowball for one team and really get one side going and bury the other.

In the biggest game of his life, McManus was a machine: a perfect 3/3 on field goal attempts and 1/1 on extra point attempts- in the first Super Bowl affected by the increased extra point distance.

McManus was a big part of the win because he kept all of the momentum going for Denver. It would have been easy for him to miss at least one kick given the big stage, but he didn't.

Yes, his longest field goal was 34 yards. But no kick is a "gimme" anymore, especially not in the postseason. Just ask any Minnesota Vikings fan:




Tom Brady might not have as many rings if not for Adam Vinatieri. The Bills would have a Lombardi Trophy if not for Scott Norwood's "wide right."

And the poor Vikings... if only Gary Anderson would have made that kick in the '98 NFC Championship, who knows. They might have a Super Bowl win too.

Kicking is important, y'all. Like it or not.

(Disclaimer- I am not a former kicker nor related to Brandon McManus, though he was on my fantasy team)

The Return of D-Fish?

In case you missed it, Derek Fisher was fired Monday after compiling a 40-96 record as the head coach of the New York Knicks over the last two seasons.

"It's time for us to make a change, turn this team around and move forward and get some wins and keep going down the road we started here at the beginning of the year," stated Phil Jackson, New York's general manager. Jackson was Fisher's longtime coach and friend.

Given how badly Fisher did in his first stint at the helm of an NBA team, it's unlikely anyone will give him another head coaching gig- at least not right now.

So why not come back to OKC?

Hear me out. Fisher was a pretty good three-point shooter and scrappy defender during his Thunder tenure. He hit some big shots in the Thunder's run to the 2012 NBA Finals, and was that really that long ago?

Some might groan if Fisher returns to the NBA after retiring, a la Brett Favre. But the Thunder sure could use some "leadership" and "intangibles" right now. Maybe that would improve their defense.

I'm mostly kidding, I think. But can he really be that much worse than Kyle Singler, he of the 6.28 PER?

(According to Pro Basketball Reference, D-Fish has never had a PER lower than 7.7 in any season.)

Even if Fisher isn't willing to return to the Thunder bench as a coach, maybe he'd be willing to sit on the bench as an assistant coach.

Sam Presti and the Thunder organization have made it clear that they love Fisher, and Fisher seems to reciprocate that love, so there would be mutual interest.

Additionally, both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook appear to have a great relationship with Fisher. Just as it was speculated that Fisher might be a reason KD or Russ would consider signing with the Knicks when he was the coach, maybe the same could be said about getting them to stay with OKC.

And I'm sure the highly touted championship experience and intangibles would be just as valuable from a coaching standpoint.

Or maybe we can get the best of both worlds and he could be a player-coach? We haven't seen that since the days of Bill Russell, but Fisher does have 5 rings, which is basically like 11 in the pre-merger era.

Who knows if any of this is possible or will even happen. I just want to be able to justify my Thunder Derek Fisher jersey shirt again.

^Besides, who doesn't want to see that post-three pointer swag in Thunder Blue again? The only thing better would be Caron Butler and his phone, but that's a blog post for another day.

Four players I will never draft in fantasy again (ever)

We all have those players that we drafted in fantasy that burned us big time. For some, all is forgiven due to unforeseen circumstances such as injury.

For others, though, there is a point of no return. These guys have either ruined us more than once, or their performances were so egregiously horrid that we swear off of them for good.

Getting defensive in the Super Bowl

"Defense wins championships."

That's a phrase we hear all the time in sports, typically football and basketball.

If you pay attention, you see that this mantra couldn't be more correct. When most people think about the Golden State Warriors, they think about crossovers and three-pointers. But when you look a little closer, you see that the Warriors have been either the top defensive team in the NBA, or close enough to it.

It really doesn't matter how much you can score if you can't stop the other guy, particularly in crucial moments like the postseason. Just ask Mike D'Antoni.

Dear EA: please bring back NFL Street (and games like it)

Two weekends ago, like many sports fans, I tuned in to watch the Steelers-Bengals playoff game. It was a pretty boring game in the beginning; the score was 6-0 Pittsburgh at halftime, and it wasn't until the fourth quarter that the game morphed into the WWE- type event as we now remember it, complete with the trash talking and questionable hits.

When the game really started to get interesting, though, was when this happened in the third quarter.

Martavis Bryant caught a touchdown between his legs while front-flipping out of bounds.

You wouldn't believe it if there wasn't video evidence, but that's what happened. And like somebody said, it wasn't even the strangest thing that happened that night.

But we aren't going to talk about the penalties or the dirty hits late in the game. We aren't even going to talk about if Bryant's catch was "really a catch" according to the rules, despite the fact that I'm a Cowboys fan and I may or may not still be bitter about Dez Bryant's catch in the playoffs last year.

No, this is about reviving an old video game franchise, and really a genre as a whole: unrealistic sports games.

Larry Fitzgerald is pushing Arizona to super heights

How many times has a wide receiver carried a team to a Super Bowl once, let alone twice?

Larry Fitzgerald (or "Fitz" if brevity is your thing) is trying to do just that, with a chance to punch his ticket to another Super Bowl berth this Sunday.