Autumn is America is dominated by football. Between the NCAA and NFL football dominates the sports scene throughout the autumn. There are other sports going on but the best they can hope for is to be second fiddle to football. So which sports organization stands to gain the most should the NFL lockout extend well into the autumn.
The obvious answer would seem to be the NCAA. The schools and conferences (who do the actual scheduling) are smart enough to set start times to TBA. Which means it would be easy for a few schools to move some games to Sunday to capitalize on the lack of NFL games. Still though, NCAA football is already close to its saturation point. While they will benefit there are those who can benefit more.
The NHL will get some traction with the NFL lockout. Their regular season starts in October. Lack of NFL games will give them more attention from the national and various local sports media outlets. I think though the NHL has more to gain from the inevitable NBA lockout. The NHL is a 30 team league that plays 80 regular season games and lets 16 teams (over half) into the playoffs. Early season games are hard to get up for unless you are a hardcore obsessed hockey fan.
There are touring sports like PGA golf and NASCAR which can benefit. The big golf tournaments are pretty much done by autumn which will make it hard for them to get a lot more attention. NASCAR should do pretty good with an NFL lockout. The "Chase For the Cup" will be going on in NASCAR during the autumn. Still though, there is one organization which can benefit more.
For year the MLB (Major League Baseball) playoffs have been overshadowed by early regular season NFL. Unless you live in New York or a city with a team in the MLB playoffs there is very little interest. Even in many cities the NFL gets more attention than a local baseball team in the playoffs. Without the NFL to compete with the 2011 MLB playoffs could be the most watched in a generation.
Showing posts with label College Football Movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label College Football Movies. Show all posts
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Friday, 3 June 2011
Jake Locker And Other Rookie QBs
First off I have to tell you all that I am a huge Titan/Oilers fan. Have been since Warren Moon joined the team.
When Jake Locker was chosen by the Titans this year it came as a shock to many of the so-called experts covering the draft. After all, he was not supposed to go so high. They told us he is way too inaccurate to be a good NFL QB. The so-called experts also told us the Titans could have traded down to get him. After all, the mock drafts had Locker going in the late first round.
The so-called experts got it wrong. First off, the Titans could not have traded down to get him. The Vikings would have taken him with the 12th pick. Second, if Locker turns out to be good then he was worth the 8th pick. If Locker turns out not to be good then he would not be worth a late first round pick.
Now, when they tell you Locker is inaccurate they are not exactly right either. Jake Locker had a low completion percentage in college. Which is not the same as accuracy. Had the so-called experts bothered to watch Locker play, instead of just look at his stats, they would see the two main contributors to his low completion percentage were receivers who could not get open and poor protection. You could be the second coming of Dan Marino or Peyton Manning and you would not have a good completion percentage without protection and receivers who get open.
What Locker does have is the talent, skills, athletic ability and most importantly the leadership ability to be a franchise QB. I see Locker as another Steve McNair or Mark Brunelle. Someone who will never be the number one fantasy QB but a guy who will find ways to win you games, one way or another. That being said, .let us take a look at some other rookie QBs.
Cam Newton -- Almost everything about Cam Newton says "Vince Young" to me. Actually, I think he will be worse than Young. Newton has a better throwing motion than Young but that is really the only area he is better. Young was far more polished coming out college. He played in an offense that was closer to the NFL. An offense where he had to make multiple reads. Newton played in an offense where he was asked to make one read then run. Newton is coming off as a bit of a diva who wants to be a celebrity. At the very least he probably will not be another JaMarcus Russell.
Blaine Gabbert -- Played in a real easy offense that made him look good. Still though, I think he will be okay. At the very least he should be able to rise to the level of Alex Smith. He possibly could be another Philip Rivers with a lot of work. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to making NFL throws. For those of you who do not follow college ball, Gabbert played in an offense that almost always was run out of the shotgun and asked him to make short throws while playing in sets with multiple wide receivers.
Christian Ponder -- I really like Ponder. He is probably the safest of all the rookie QBs. He has experience, played in a pro-style offense, is very accurate, good character and is a good leader. For all these reasons he moved to the mid-first round when he was thought to be a second round talent. So why was he the fourth QB taken. Two answers: limited upside and injury history. While his has an accurate arm it is not a strong arm. His athletic ability is nothing special either. The injury history speaks for itself. He missed a lot of time in college. Expect Ponder to be another Chad Pennington. A solid QB who is accurate with below average arm strength and misses time.
We are moving into the mid-round QBs. To avoid repeating myself I encourage you all to read my post on first round QBs vs. mid round QBs.
Andy Dalton: Boy were some NFL writers in love with this guy. That big goofy smile, always says the right thing, good leader, decent accuracy. Trouble is he is another one of those spread QB wonders, has a weak arm and lead feet. Andy Dalton has the makings of a solid career backup.
Colin Kapernick: Oh wow, did someone really take him this high? Another RB/WR who played QB. Do yourself a favor kid and switch positions.
Ryan Mallett: If he was in a draft 15 to 20 years ago he would be the first guy taken. So tall, so strong, great arm, played in a pro-style offense in the ultra-competitive SEC. Still though, he reminds me a lot of that sharp looking sports car, with low mileage and a big engine you see at an unbelievably low price sitting on some small corner used car lot. Your heart wants it so bad but your head tells you it will probably be nothing but trouble. Mallett's character issues are what drove him to the third round. That and the fact he is about as slow and nimble as a house boat. He is a wigger (look it up if you do not know what a wigger is) which will not help him gain respect in an NFL locker room. Still, if he can get his head on strait, smarten up and apply himself then he could become another Drew Bledsoe or Kerry Collins.
When Jake Locker was chosen by the Titans this year it came as a shock to many of the so-called experts covering the draft. After all, he was not supposed to go so high. They told us he is way too inaccurate to be a good NFL QB. The so-called experts also told us the Titans could have traded down to get him. After all, the mock drafts had Locker going in the late first round.
The so-called experts got it wrong. First off, the Titans could not have traded down to get him. The Vikings would have taken him with the 12th pick. Second, if Locker turns out to be good then he was worth the 8th pick. If Locker turns out not to be good then he would not be worth a late first round pick.
Now, when they tell you Locker is inaccurate they are not exactly right either. Jake Locker had a low completion percentage in college. Which is not the same as accuracy. Had the so-called experts bothered to watch Locker play, instead of just look at his stats, they would see the two main contributors to his low completion percentage were receivers who could not get open and poor protection. You could be the second coming of Dan Marino or Peyton Manning and you would not have a good completion percentage without protection and receivers who get open.
What Locker does have is the talent, skills, athletic ability and most importantly the leadership ability to be a franchise QB. I see Locker as another Steve McNair or Mark Brunelle. Someone who will never be the number one fantasy QB but a guy who will find ways to win you games, one way or another. That being said, .let us take a look at some other rookie QBs.
Cam Newton -- Almost everything about Cam Newton says "Vince Young" to me. Actually, I think he will be worse than Young. Newton has a better throwing motion than Young but that is really the only area he is better. Young was far more polished coming out college. He played in an offense that was closer to the NFL. An offense where he had to make multiple reads. Newton played in an offense where he was asked to make one read then run. Newton is coming off as a bit of a diva who wants to be a celebrity. At the very least he probably will not be another JaMarcus Russell.
Blaine Gabbert -- Played in a real easy offense that made him look good. Still though, I think he will be okay. At the very least he should be able to rise to the level of Alex Smith. He possibly could be another Philip Rivers with a lot of work. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to making NFL throws. For those of you who do not follow college ball, Gabbert played in an offense that almost always was run out of the shotgun and asked him to make short throws while playing in sets with multiple wide receivers.
Christian Ponder -- I really like Ponder. He is probably the safest of all the rookie QBs. He has experience, played in a pro-style offense, is very accurate, good character and is a good leader. For all these reasons he moved to the mid-first round when he was thought to be a second round talent. So why was he the fourth QB taken. Two answers: limited upside and injury history. While his has an accurate arm it is not a strong arm. His athletic ability is nothing special either. The injury history speaks for itself. He missed a lot of time in college. Expect Ponder to be another Chad Pennington. A solid QB who is accurate with below average arm strength and misses time.
We are moving into the mid-round QBs. To avoid repeating myself I encourage you all to read my post on first round QBs vs. mid round QBs.
Andy Dalton: Boy were some NFL writers in love with this guy. That big goofy smile, always says the right thing, good leader, decent accuracy. Trouble is he is another one of those spread QB wonders, has a weak arm and lead feet. Andy Dalton has the makings of a solid career backup.
Colin Kapernick: Oh wow, did someone really take him this high? Another RB/WR who played QB. Do yourself a favor kid and switch positions.
Ryan Mallett: If he was in a draft 15 to 20 years ago he would be the first guy taken. So tall, so strong, great arm, played in a pro-style offense in the ultra-competitive SEC. Still though, he reminds me a lot of that sharp looking sports car, with low mileage and a big engine you see at an unbelievably low price sitting on some small corner used car lot. Your heart wants it so bad but your head tells you it will probably be nothing but trouble. Mallett's character issues are what drove him to the third round. That and the fact he is about as slow and nimble as a house boat. He is a wigger (look it up if you do not know what a wigger is) which will not help him gain respect in an NFL locker room. Still, if he can get his head on strait, smarten up and apply himself then he could become another Drew Bledsoe or Kerry Collins.
Football Movies -- The Good, The Bad and the Overdone
For a football fan it can be hard to watch some football movies. Though, some are amazing. So we watch all of them. Since, as football junkies we get as much football as we can. And we hope that they will each be good the same way we hope our favorite team wins every time they play.
I have decided to divide them into three categories--High school Football, College Football and Pro Football movies. For each category I have chosen the best, the worst, the most under appreciated and the most overdone.
High school Football Movies:
The Best: Friday Night Lights--As a big fan of the book this movie was based on I resisted watching the movie for a few years. The book was so good and the way it was written I did not expect someone to be able to make a good movie out of it. Shockingly, they did make a good movie that is true to the book. Both the book and the movie will make you fall in love with high school football in Texas and the town of Odessa, Texas.
The Worst: Backfield in Motion--This bad movie, named after a bad song, stars Roseanne and Tom Arnold (while they were married) with Roseanne playing a single mother who wants to play in her kid's father-son football game. I think you get the point.
The Under appreciated: All the Right Moves--Very early Tom Cruise movie. He plays a hard-headed high school cornerback trying to get a college scholarship. Cruise clashes with his hard-headed coach played by the man who was born to play a football coach, Craig T Nelson. Set against the backdrop of a small rust-belt town with a dying economy this is a very good movie with a compelling plot.
The Overdone: Varsity Blues--This movie looks like they were trying to make a 90s version of All the Right Moves with inspiration from the book Friday Night Lights. We know people in small Texas towns go a little overboard for high school football. Just like small towns in many other states. They did not need to go so over the top to make their point. The coach, played by Jon Voight, and the overly-idealistic plot were too much. Voight played the role well, it is the character which is beyond belief. Still though, I did enjoy the movie. Just had to take it with a grain of salt.
College Football Movies:
The Best: The Program--It may not be a popular choice. Though I would say it is by far the most realistic college football movie made. The events of the movie are entirely realistic and compelling--the Freshman who is wooed before he signs and treated like crap after; the over the top Heisman PR campaign; the illiterate LB who is still smart enough to read complicated plays; the coach begging to have a player expelled for cheating reinstated. All of events are realistic. Similar events happen all the time.
The Worst: Rudy--This is one of the more polarizing movies ever made. You either love it or hate it. If you are a big Notre Dame homer then you probably love it. If you are not and you are a football fan then you probably hate it.
The Underappreciated: Junction Boys -- A movie about Bear Bryant about his time, not at Alabama, but at Texas A&M. It is made for TV so the budget is low. Still, the movie comes out well. Tom Berringer does a great job playing the legendary coach.
The Overdone: Necessary Roughness--It may not be fair to place this move here as it was overdone for the sake of comedy. The movie was inspired by the "death penalty" given to the SMU football program. It was not the old QB or the female kicker (There have been female kickers play college football) which was over the top. It was the fact that a big state university in Texas (Which the fictional school in this movie was portrayed to be) could not manage to get more than 13 players for their team.
Pro Football Movies
The Best: North Dallas 40--Ah, pro football in the 70s. Sex, drugs and playing through brutal injury. This movie had it all. It also was the first to expose what life in the NFL is really like.
The Worst: The Replacements--Pretentious and just bad. I thought it would be a pro version of Necessary Roughness. It wasn't. Probably seemed like a good idea for a movie at the time. It was made in the late 90s, a decade which saw a lot of work stoppages in North American sports. Trouble is that the NFL was the one league not to have a work stoppage in the 90s.
The Under appreciated: Leatherheads--This movie offered us a nice look at what pro football was like during its earliest days. As a history buff I could not resist this movie.
The Overdone: Any Given Sunday--Much like Varsity Blues, this movie took a bunch of stereotypes and piled them into a movie. It tries to be a newer North Dallas 40 but just comes off overdone. Still though, amazing cast which helps make the movie worth a watch. . . . with that all important grain of salt.
I have decided to divide them into three categories--High school Football, College Football and Pro Football movies. For each category I have chosen the best, the worst, the most under appreciated and the most overdone.
High school Football Movies:
The Best: Friday Night Lights--As a big fan of the book this movie was based on I resisted watching the movie for a few years. The book was so good and the way it was written I did not expect someone to be able to make a good movie out of it. Shockingly, they did make a good movie that is true to the book. Both the book and the movie will make you fall in love with high school football in Texas and the town of Odessa, Texas.
The Worst: Backfield in Motion--This bad movie, named after a bad song, stars Roseanne and Tom Arnold (while they were married) with Roseanne playing a single mother who wants to play in her kid's father-son football game. I think you get the point.
The Under appreciated: All the Right Moves--Very early Tom Cruise movie. He plays a hard-headed high school cornerback trying to get a college scholarship. Cruise clashes with his hard-headed coach played by the man who was born to play a football coach, Craig T Nelson. Set against the backdrop of a small rust-belt town with a dying economy this is a very good movie with a compelling plot.
The Overdone: Varsity Blues--This movie looks like they were trying to make a 90s version of All the Right Moves with inspiration from the book Friday Night Lights. We know people in small Texas towns go a little overboard for high school football. Just like small towns in many other states. They did not need to go so over the top to make their point. The coach, played by Jon Voight, and the overly-idealistic plot were too much. Voight played the role well, it is the character which is beyond belief. Still though, I did enjoy the movie. Just had to take it with a grain of salt.
College Football Movies:
The Best: The Program--It may not be a popular choice. Though I would say it is by far the most realistic college football movie made. The events of the movie are entirely realistic and compelling--the Freshman who is wooed before he signs and treated like crap after; the over the top Heisman PR campaign; the illiterate LB who is still smart enough to read complicated plays; the coach begging to have a player expelled for cheating reinstated. All of events are realistic. Similar events happen all the time.
The Worst: Rudy--This is one of the more polarizing movies ever made. You either love it or hate it. If you are a big Notre Dame homer then you probably love it. If you are not and you are a football fan then you probably hate it.
The Underappreciated: Junction Boys -- A movie about Bear Bryant about his time, not at Alabama, but at Texas A&M. It is made for TV so the budget is low. Still, the movie comes out well. Tom Berringer does a great job playing the legendary coach.
The Overdone: Necessary Roughness--It may not be fair to place this move here as it was overdone for the sake of comedy. The movie was inspired by the "death penalty" given to the SMU football program. It was not the old QB or the female kicker (There have been female kickers play college football) which was over the top. It was the fact that a big state university in Texas (Which the fictional school in this movie was portrayed to be) could not manage to get more than 13 players for their team.
Pro Football Movies
The Best: North Dallas 40--Ah, pro football in the 70s. Sex, drugs and playing through brutal injury. This movie had it all. It also was the first to expose what life in the NFL is really like.
The Worst: The Replacements--Pretentious and just bad. I thought it would be a pro version of Necessary Roughness. It wasn't. Probably seemed like a good idea for a movie at the time. It was made in the late 90s, a decade which saw a lot of work stoppages in North American sports. Trouble is that the NFL was the one league not to have a work stoppage in the 90s.
The Under appreciated: Leatherheads--This movie offered us a nice look at what pro football was like during its earliest days. As a history buff I could not resist this movie.
The Overdone: Any Given Sunday--Much like Varsity Blues, this movie took a bunch of stereotypes and piled them into a movie. It tries to be a newer North Dallas 40 but just comes off overdone. Still though, amazing cast which helps make the movie worth a watch. . . . with that all important grain of salt.
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