Pink bag, pink shoes, pink glove, pink balls.
I'm not any good but I am a good sport.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
friday.
I love myself a great friday. sleep in. (just a little) enjoy a bowl of cereal. start (and complete) today's (and yesterdays) sudoku puzzle. fold some laundry. put on my favorite victoria beckum jeans. drive to work with the windows down and the radio up. work a 6 hour shift.
fridays the best.
fridays the best.
Patriots Cut Ty Warren (UPDATED)
"The Patriots made a series of moves Friday afternoon, including officially signing wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, as well as the release of linebacker Tully Banta-Cain, cornerback Tony Carter, tight end Alge Crumpler, tackle Nick Kaczur, defensive lineman Marcus Stroud, defensive lineman Ty Warren and rookie free agent Ryan Coulson. In addition, the officially announced the signings of third-round pick Ryan Mallett and fifth-round pick Marcus Cannon (WEEI)."
Really surprised that they cut Warren. I guess that he is washed up, or at the very least hasn't rebounded from his injuries fast enough. It does make me a little concerned, as Haynesworth better work out now. I know we got by without Warren last year, but I was expecting that he could be a force this year.
***UPDATE***
There are rumors the Patriots will bring him back under a reworked deal.
Red Sox @ White Sox Preview
The old knuckleballer is on the hill again tonight, but as good as his 2-0 record seems over his last 3 starts, he hasn't been pitching all that well. he has a 6.50 ERA in that span while allowing 28 hits and receiving 23 runs of support in 18 innings. To make things even tougher on the Wake Chicago won 13 of the last 15 meetings with Boston.
Floyd is 5-0 with a 3.26 ERA in six career starts versus the Red Sox, and he's also been stellar in winning his last two outings. Yet, even with as well as he has been pitching one would have to think the he just hasn't run into an offense like the Red Sox.
Boston has been crushing the ball, and I don't think that will stop tonight. Pedroia homered Thursday to extend his hitting streak to 25 games, and is hitting .404 with nine homers during his streak (has been on base in 37 straight game). Add that to what Ellsbury/Ortiz/Gonzalez have been doing on a nightly basis and I just can't pick against the Sox.
Red Sox win 8-6
Player of the Game: Gonzalez
Game starts at 8:10pm
Around The NFL (UPDATED)
The Saints locked up Darren Sproles. Great Move, he is basically Reggie Bush without the media attention. There will be hardly any setback in the offensive production from the Saints with Sproles taking over.
Roy Williams is going to the Bears. Now they will have an underachieving QB and an underachieving WR. Also both just had some marital problems so it's a good fit.
CB Jonathan Joseph went to Houston. Huge upgrade and does this mean they are out of the Awesome-hua mania. Still a nice piece.
The Falcons released wide receiver Michael Jenkins and defensive end Jamaal Anderson. It's about time, Jenkins sucked and with my boy Julio Jones there, he is no longer needed. Jamaal Anderson is just another bust defensive player.
Looks like Matt Light is coming back to the Patriots. Nice move figuring Solder will need some grooming.
***UPDATE***
- Ray Edwards has agreed to a five-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
- Miami Dolphins have agreed to terms with former Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Moore.
- Vince Young has signed with the Eagles.
- Pittsburgh Steelers have released veteran offensive tackle Flozell Adams.
Harrison Apologizes To Goodell
"The interview that I did and the comments that I made about Roger Goodell were inappropriate, at the least," Harrison said. "They were way out of line, and I was speaking out of anger and frustration at the time. Any comments that I made that offended anyone, I apologize."
Harrison had every right to be upset with Goodell, and for the most part I don't actually mind most of what he says. I thought it was wrong he ripped his teammates, but with the stuff about Goodell I didn't really care. Still, this is smart, there is no reason to have your boss any more pissed at you then he already is. Plus, his comments were pretty over the top.
There Will Be No 'Hard Knocks' This Year
HBO said Friday the uncertainty of the lockout "made it impractical for a team to commit" to the popular training camp reality show. The series is set to return next year. It is really not surprising at all, but still very dissapointing. It is really the only thing that makes NFL camps interesting to the fans. I know we will all want to see who wins what job and what not, but to go inside the actual camp and see what these guys go through is amazing. Plus you get such gems at "now let's go get a snack", "kiss the baby", "child please", and so on.
We will miss you and hopefully it will be back next year (I think it will).
Who would you have wanted to see this year if the were able to do it?
To be me there would've been 2 very interesting teams... the Patriots and the Steelers. Not because those are DP and my teams, but there is just so much going on around them. Ochocinco/Haynesworth on the Patriots, the whole Harrison thing with the Steelers. Both of those would've been amazing.
So, who would want to have?
Oh, So That's What Happened to Hideki Irabu
Hideki Irabu was found dead, an apparent suicide in a home in Rancho Palos Verdes, a wealthy Los Angeles suburb. It is being reported that he hung himself.
If you can remember Hideki Irabu was basically the Yankees Dice-K (even called the Japanese Nolan Ryan). It was a huge deal when he came over, and he ended up being the worst pitcher ever (34-35 with a 5.15 ERA). Then it took a hysterical turn as not only was he bad, but George Steinbrenner used to refer to him as a fat toad.
He was a member of two Yankees teams that won the World Series, but his only postseason action was a single relief appearance in the 1999 AL Championship Series when Boston tagged him for 13 hits.
After he fell out of the majors Irabu's life feel apart. In August 2008, he was arrested in Japan for allegedly assaulting a bartender after drinking 20 mugs of beer. Police said he became angered after his credit card was rejected. In May 2010, Irabu was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol in Gardena, another Los Angeles suburb. Police said he was stopped after his car drifted outside of traffic lanes and he nearly collided with a parked car.
So, it's pretty obvious he had some kind of drinking problem, and it finally came to an end. I wish I could say there are some good memories of him, but the only good thing I can say is it was always entertaining to watch him as a Red Sox fan.
Assistant Coach Rajon Rondo
Kentucky coach John Calipari tweeted this on Thursday night:
“John Wall (@jimmywa11), Rajon Rondo (@rajonrondo) & Eric Bledsoe (@ebled24) all plan to enroll in the fall if the lockout continues. Kaboom!”
Oh that Calipari did it again. Since I think there will be a lock out, it would be cool if all 3 of them were assistant coaches of Kentucky. Such a good recruiting ploy too. Calipari can just send a pro out on recruiting trips and get whichever high school kid he wants to fall right into his lap.
This is why John Calipari is the man. He thinks outside of the box. Great move Coach Cal.
Captain's Thoughts on Patriots' Moves
And there is a high reward. Haynesworth was an All-Pro twice, Ochocinco received that honor 4 times. These are two extremely talented players. One has numerous on the field and off the field problems. The other was stuck in Cincinnati, where they find ways to lose even when talent falls into their laps (see: allowing Palmer to retire), and is perhaps in the twilight of his career.
Albert Haynesworth is a lazy scumbag. There, I said it. He's got a bit less than Randy Moss potential, and puts in even less effort than Moss did with Oakland. Now, if he tries, he can help the Patriots. If he tries, he'll at least be a second DT, to give relief for Wilfork, and sometimes play in a 4-3. And the Pats play more 4-3 than most people realize.
If Haynesworth tries, and still has "it," then things get fun. Wilfork can shift to DE in a 3-4, where he played a significant amount of time last year, and be free to rush upfield, using his power, and surprising speed. A line of Wilfork, Haynesworth, and Warren would present some difficult conundrums for opposing offensive lines. And that would also help out the LBs.
If Haynesworth doesn't try, the Patriots lose a 5th round pick. Would you draft a defensive lineman with his upside, but with his baggage, with a 5th round pick? I would.
Then there's Ochocino, whose problems are not effort related. This is a guy with seven 1,000 yard seasons under his belt. Thought he can't do the deep thing anymore. But the Patriots are ingenious in implementing matchups to allow guys like him to get open, and get the ball. He's not Randy Moss. His longest reception last year went for 42 yards. But he can still produce.
Ochocinco gets a slightly unfair reputation because he tweets and talks. But his effort and dedication have never been in doubt. We all thought it was silly when he kicked PATs for the Bengals in a preseason game against the Pats. But he nailed the kicks, which demonstrates that he'd been practicing them. He was the Bengals' emergency kicker because he put in that little bit of extra effort, not as part of some joke or stunt.
Ochocinco might have to cool down the tweets, or at least edit them. But he already has a tremendous rapport with Belichick. I think Ochocinco will slot in nicely with the Pats, and find himself in a Deion Branch kind of role.
One thing's for certain, and that is uncertainty. Will Haynesworth try? Will Ochocinco give bland press conferences? Suddenly, training camp and preseason games have become more interesting. And that's good. These guys CAN help. I'm pretty sure Ochocinco will help. I have no idea if Haynesworth will.
All I know for certain right now is that perennial Belichick doubter/hater Ron Borges has his doubts, which is typically a good sign.
-The Commodore
4 Royals, 3 Sox
Sometimes you split series with Kansas City.
The Sox jumped out to a 2-0 lead on shitty pitcher Luke Hochever, and it seemed as if we were going to cruise to another win. Then Josh Beckett hit a little rough patch a half inning later and gave up the 4 Royals runs.
The Sox just were shut down after that. Adrian Gonzalez and Drew Sutton had multi hit games and Pedroia was able to extend his streak in the 8th with a home run, but other than that.
It happens.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Unbreakable Fire Zone
As touched on earlier this year, Manny Diaz makes a great point when he says that his fire zone “is the safest thing I can run”. Coupled with pattern-match principles it allows the defense to congeal itself into whatever form the offense runs like a veritable coverage jiu jitsu.
The point of this post will be to illustrate the flexibility the concept provides where most blitzes would ‘break’ or require a check out of. We will concentrate on how coverage defenders should respond to challenging patterns from typically stressful formations of 1-back and empty. This is an element that we enjoy discussing here; the evolution and adaptations within the game of football.
The key to the success of this type of defensive application remains the teaching methodology that carries concepts over from Cover 1, to Cover 3 pattern match, to Rip/Liz match. The combination of these fundamentals are what the success of the fire zone is built upon. Neglecting or not thoroughly teaching the roles will limit the effectiveness of how players operate within the fire zone.
For the sake of discussion, we’ll narrow the application to the “NCAA Blitz” fire zone that everyone runs, but keep in mind, just plug-and-play personnel groupings because it’s all relative regardless if it is a safety, backer, or lineman taking on the role of one of the underneath defenders. For the sake of clarity in this review, terminology varies from staff to staff, but I will refer to the wall/flat player as the ”SCIF” player and the middle hole/hook player as the “final 3rd” defender.
As we’ve discussed before, any defense can line up against 2-back pro formation, it’s what the defense has to become when confronted by 2x2 or 3x1 sets that determines what the defense actually is.
The best way to conceptualize the coverage matching is that you will zone into the pressure / man (match) away from the blitz.
2 x 2
With the fire zone you’re essentially getting 3-deep coverage, a seam player, and one final defender to match the third receiver to either side (or cut any crossers). Because 2x2 is one-back and essentially a ‘spread’ set, the Rip/Liz check becomes the standard way to aggressively handle the two seam receivers. Instead of passing off receivers or spot-dropping, letting voids develop – this method ensures the routes will be accounted for while still avoiding the inflexibility of true man coverage.
How the remaining back will be accounted for is all that really differs from Cover 3. This also plays into how shallow crossers will be handled (with inside verticals compensated with Rip/Liz). Without the ability to funnel the back between two linebackers, you only have one backer (and lose the ability to ROBOT away inside routes). This essentially has the middle hole player assigned to aggressively match the back (who is #3 receiver to whichever side he releases).
2x2 out of a 3-deep concept (fire zone) will be handled simply by Rip/Liz in all cases. This remains true unless a receiver immediately breaks inside under 5 yards. With inside breaking routes, the defenders will not chase but alert the final 3rd player that he has a route approaching (“cut” as the hole defender). The final 3rd defender will receive an “UNDER” call from one of the outside defenders (an inside breaking route under 5 yards). This is a post-snap call on Rip/Liz to zone off into a 3 deep principle (#1 or #2 takes route inside).
Typically with a shallow, it is paired with a back flaring to the side of the field where the shallow originated to serve as an outlet receiver. This makes for an easy exchange, just like a “rat” call in Cover 1. The SCIF and final 3rd player just replace one another’s receiver, though the distribution remains consistent (the shallow becomes the 3rd route, the flare is the 2nd route, and the post is the 1st route in the distribution).
A more challenging route package for matching would feature the shallow to the same side as the flare. In this example, both SCIF players would carry #2 vertical with the Rip/Liz rules and the final 3rd player would pick up and carry the crosser after receiving the UNDER alert. With all threats leaving his area, the away-side corner would sink and high-leverage the dig route.
3 x 1
Trips formations can be a bit more challenging to the fire zone because it can immediately out-leverage defenders by alignment (3 receiver side). Even though it presents a horizontal stretch, the 3 receiver set can be handled using the same method as the zone-push concept, “Mable”. The first outside receiver would be manned by the corner. The second and third receivers will be (banjo) matched by the SCIF and final 3rd player underneath with the corner to trips manning on the #1 receiver. The away-side SCIF player would immediately look to match the back or whoever became the #4 receiver in the route distribution.
Here, just like in 2x2, the shallow by X precipitates an UNDER call by the corner letting the final 3rd player know he has a receiver crossing the formation (becoming the 3rd receiver / 1st receiver inside to trips) to cut. The away side corner would high-shoulder squeeze the shallow into the formation until picking up the (meshing) drag by Y. This leaves the away-side SCIF player free to jump the back releasing to his side.
The previous two examples showed #2 in the trips being the first underneath out route. What happens if #2 releases inside (such as with spacing shown here)? The H receiver would become the first receiver inside, with the Y being the first receiver outside. Since the H is no longer the #2 route in the distribution, he is passed off to the final 3rd player. The SCIF player matches the Y as the first of these two ‘outside’ underneath.
Empty
With empty, the only check required would to be ensure that the rush is coming away from the 3-man surface due to leverage issues. With two receivers away from trips essentially in man coverage and zoning to the trips, it would require the zone defenders to the trips side to be afforded the best possible positioning on the two inside receivers (just flipping where the overload is coming from). Just like against any trips set, the trips-side defenders would Mable (zone push) into the route dispersion. The away-side would aggressively man the remaining 2 receivers and retain the middle-of-the-field safety.
** PS **
The slot coverage post is coming. This pattern match post just happened to be ready first and I don’t want to sit on anything that could help.
Also, if you haven’t figured it out already, our former YouTube account that included many of the cut-ups featured in previous posts has been deleted by Google/NFL Properties. Hope you downloaded / picked up on those video illustrations while they were up.
The point of this post will be to illustrate the flexibility the concept provides where most blitzes would ‘break’ or require a check out of. We will concentrate on how coverage defenders should respond to challenging patterns from typically stressful formations of 1-back and empty. This is an element that we enjoy discussing here; the evolution and adaptations within the game of football.
The key to the success of this type of defensive application remains the teaching methodology that carries concepts over from Cover 1, to Cover 3 pattern match, to Rip/Liz match. The combination of these fundamentals are what the success of the fire zone is built upon. Neglecting or not thoroughly teaching the roles will limit the effectiveness of how players operate within the fire zone.
For the sake of discussion, we’ll narrow the application to the “NCAA Blitz” fire zone that everyone runs, but keep in mind, just plug-and-play personnel groupings because it’s all relative regardless if it is a safety, backer, or lineman taking on the role of one of the underneath defenders. For the sake of clarity in this review, terminology varies from staff to staff, but I will refer to the wall/flat player as the ”SCIF” player and the middle hole/hook player as the “final 3rd” defender.
As we’ve discussed before, any defense can line up against 2-back pro formation, it’s what the defense has to become when confronted by 2x2 or 3x1 sets that determines what the defense actually is.
The best way to conceptualize the coverage matching is that you will zone into the pressure / man (match) away from the blitz.
2 x 2
With the fire zone you’re essentially getting 3-deep coverage, a seam player, and one final defender to match the third receiver to either side (or cut any crossers). Because 2x2 is one-back and essentially a ‘spread’ set, the Rip/Liz check becomes the standard way to aggressively handle the two seam receivers. Instead of passing off receivers or spot-dropping, letting voids develop – this method ensures the routes will be accounted for while still avoiding the inflexibility of true man coverage.
How the remaining back will be accounted for is all that really differs from Cover 3. This also plays into how shallow crossers will be handled (with inside verticals compensated with Rip/Liz). Without the ability to funnel the back between two linebackers, you only have one backer (and lose the ability to ROBOT away inside routes). This essentially has the middle hole player assigned to aggressively match the back (who is #3 receiver to whichever side he releases).
2x2 out of a 3-deep concept (fire zone) will be handled simply by Rip/Liz in all cases. This remains true unless a receiver immediately breaks inside under 5 yards. With inside breaking routes, the defenders will not chase but alert the final 3rd player that he has a route approaching (“cut” as the hole defender). The final 3rd defender will receive an “UNDER” call from one of the outside defenders (an inside breaking route under 5 yards). This is a post-snap call on Rip/Liz to zone off into a 3 deep principle (#1 or #2 takes route inside).
Typically with a shallow, it is paired with a back flaring to the side of the field where the shallow originated to serve as an outlet receiver. This makes for an easy exchange, just like a “rat” call in Cover 1. The SCIF and final 3rd player just replace one another’s receiver, though the distribution remains consistent (the shallow becomes the 3rd route, the flare is the 2nd route, and the post is the 1st route in the distribution).
A more challenging route package for matching would feature the shallow to the same side as the flare. In this example, both SCIF players would carry #2 vertical with the Rip/Liz rules and the final 3rd player would pick up and carry the crosser after receiving the UNDER alert. With all threats leaving his area, the away-side corner would sink and high-leverage the dig route.
3 x 1
Trips formations can be a bit more challenging to the fire zone because it can immediately out-leverage defenders by alignment (3 receiver side). Even though it presents a horizontal stretch, the 3 receiver set can be handled using the same method as the zone-push concept, “Mable”. The first outside receiver would be manned by the corner. The second and third receivers will be (banjo) matched by the SCIF and final 3rd player underneath with the corner to trips manning on the #1 receiver. The away-side SCIF player would immediately look to match the back or whoever became the #4 receiver in the route distribution.
Here, just like in 2x2, the shallow by X precipitates an UNDER call by the corner letting the final 3rd player know he has a receiver crossing the formation (becoming the 3rd receiver / 1st receiver inside to trips) to cut. The away side corner would high-shoulder squeeze the shallow into the formation until picking up the (meshing) drag by Y. This leaves the away-side SCIF player free to jump the back releasing to his side.
The previous two examples showed #2 in the trips being the first underneath out route. What happens if #2 releases inside (such as with spacing shown here)? The H receiver would become the first receiver inside, with the Y being the first receiver outside. Since the H is no longer the #2 route in the distribution, he is passed off to the final 3rd player. The SCIF player matches the Y as the first of these two ‘outside’ underneath.
With empty, the only check required would to be ensure that the rush is coming away from the 3-man surface due to leverage issues. With two receivers away from trips essentially in man coverage and zoning to the trips, it would require the zone defenders to the trips side to be afforded the best possible positioning on the two inside receivers (just flipping where the overload is coming from). Just like against any trips set, the trips-side defenders would Mable (zone push) into the route dispersion. The away-side would aggressively man the remaining 2 receivers and retain the middle-of-the-field safety.
** PS **
The slot coverage post is coming. This pattern match post just happened to be ready first and I don’t want to sit on anything that could help.
Also, if you haven’t figured it out already, our former YouTube account that included many of the cut-ups featured in previous posts has been deleted by Google/NFL Properties. Hope you downloaded / picked up on those video illustrations while they were up.
Breaking News: Patriots Land Ochocinco
The New England Patriots have acquired wide receiver Chad Ochocinco after he accepted a restructured three-year contract from the Patriots, a source told ESPN.com's John Clayton.
We will have more on this tomorrow.
Around The NFL (4 UPDATES)
The New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins have agreed to terms of a trade that would send former Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush to Miami, according to FoxSports.com.
With the Saints gaining Mark Ingram and having pretty decent back ups (Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas). Miami has a few questions surrounding the RB situation Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown may not be back, so having a good receiving option can help alleviate some pressures.
The Seattle Seahawks have agreed to a five-year, $41 million contract with wide receiver Sidney Rice, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
A 6-4 WR never would hurt whoever is playing QB for Seattle.
***UPDATE***
We will do the same thing we did yesterday and just keep updating this post with all the moves made around the NFL...
- SF have told Nate Clements that he will released after not being able to work out a contract. Could be a nice fall back option for whoever loses out on Asomugha.
- Cardinals continue to try to rebuild that offense line scooping up fomer Packers offensive lineman Daryn Colledge for 5 years 27.5 million.
- Most people seem to think the Viking will heavily go after Braylon Edwards now that they lost Sidney Rice to the Seahawks.
- Steve Smith will no longer asked to be traded out of Carolina, which I think is a huge mistake on his part. Even with their draft and resignings by the time they are good he will be all washed up.
***UPDATE 2***
- Redskins have reached an agreement with former Cowboys DE Stephen Bowen (5 years $27.5 million $12.5 signing bonus). This could mean Cullen Jenkins could be making his way back to the Packers.
- Arizona Cardinals have asked Joey Porter to take a pay cut from his $5.75 milliion salary. If he declines, he'll be released.
***UPDATE 3***
- Kevin Kolb is about to traded to the Cardinals for Rodgers-Cromartie and a draft choice (rumored to be a 2nd round pick).
- Saints have signed IT Jermon Bushrod to a 2 year deal.
***UPDATE 4***
- Bills have signed WE Brad Smith to a 4 year $15 million deal.
- Kolb is getting a 5 year deal from the Cardinals worth $63.5 million, $21 guaranteed.
Why Not?
Why not watch the devastation caused by Netflix?
Side note: When did George get hair? I think I saw that episode, but I thoguht he lost it at the end.
Side note: When did George get hair? I think I saw that episode, but I thoguht he lost it at the end.
Red Sox Looking To Deal For Erik Bedard
"The Red Sox, reports FOXSports.com, are "all over" M's lefty Erik Bedard and will scout his first start off the disabled list Friday. Boston is not alone, however, as the rival Yankees have interest, too (ESPN)."
Bedard would really help this team right now if he can stay healthy, but that always is a question with Bedard. If the Red Sox could eventually get Buchholz back to 100% and bring in Bedard they would have one filthy rotation heading into the playoffs.
Lester
Beckett
Buchholz
Bedard
Lackey
And since you don't need a 5th starter in the playoffs I would feel fantastic about their chances of winning it all. I agree with what DP said earlier, this might be the best Red Sox team I have ever seen, and they can get this rotation right they will be unstoppable.
BMack's All-Time NBA Starting 5
ESPN has been running their most overrated/underrated players for each position, which eventually got me thinking about my all-time starting 5 in the NBA. Here would be my starting 5...
PG - Magic Johnson
SG - Michael Jordan
SF - Larry Bird
PF - Tim Duncan
C - Shaq
I think that starting 5 would be any other starting 5 you can put together. I am really interested to hear everyone else's thoughts. Could you come up with a better starting 5?
More Worry For Buchholz
Clay Buchholz will visit another specialist for his injured back and will not throw off a mound until at least after that meeting. The Red Sox are saying visiting the specialist is just precautionary and not a setback. I said in a post earlier in the week that while the Red Sox seemed to be excited he was able to throw a 30 pitch bullpen session, his comments made me nervous. He said he was still feeling pain in his back, but it was manageable. My question is how much pain would he feel when he was pitching at 100%?
Maybe it is precautionary, but this makes me very nervous. The Red Sox could be having him go see a specialist, so they can get a feel if they need to make a serious move before the trade deadline. Bottom line is that when the playoffs roll around the Red Sox are going to need more then just Lester and Beckett if they are going to win it all, and if they have to rely on the Wake, Lackey, or Miller/Aceves for the #3 spot I will be no where near as confident.
Indians Trade For Kosuke Fukudome
The Indians acquired right fielder Kosuke Fukudome and about $3.9MM from the Cubs today for minor leaguer outfielder Abner Abreu and reliever Carlton Smith. This is actually a really good fit for the Indians. They have been having to play without Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore since they are on the DL and Fukudome can slid in and pick up some of the slack.
Fukudome isn't anything special, but he is a patient hitter that can at least be a nice stopgap option for awhile. Plus the Cubs are picking up most of the tab on him, so I think it's worth the risk.
The two minors the Indians gave up are nothing that they'll miss. Abreu is only in Class A ball, and is ranked 23rd among Indians prospects. Smith is just a AAA middle reliever.
Royals @ Red Sox Preview
When we look back on this season we might sit back and say that the Red Sox have 4 of the top 10 offensive players in the AL. Ellsbury, Gonzalez, and Pedroia are all and the MVP hunt, and it is hard ignore what Ortiz has been doing.
If that wasn't enough for Red Sox to drool over Beckett takes the hill today and he could easily be in the Cy Young race. Beckett is 9-3 with an outstanding 2.07. One our biggest question marks heading into the season is now one of the Red Sox biggest assets.
Going against Beckeet is Luke Hochevar. I feel like we have been waiting for year for this kid to break out. He has the stuff to do it, but is very much an underachiever, which is shown by his pedestrian 6-8 record and 5.29 ERA. The thing that has been real disappointing about him is that most scouts thought he could be a real strikeout pitcher and year only has 66 Ks in 131 innings. To make matters worse for Royals' fans Hockevar has been lit up by the Sox in his career (1-3 7.94 ERA). Plus, the Sox seem to win every day game.
Red Sox win 11-2
Player of the Game: Beckett/Pedroia
Game starts at 1:35pm
Why Not?
I found it! The greatest thing of all time. Hey Ya just jumped into greatest song of all time list after watching this.
Plaxico Burress to Giants, Steelers?
Apparently the gun toting wide receiver has his selection of where he wants to go whittled down to 2 teams, The Steelers and the Giants.
I'm not a big fan of Plaxico and don't really want him, but if he comes to the Steelers he can't hurt. At the end of the day he's 6-5 and would be a huge target for Ben in redzone situations.
He spent 5 years in Pittsburgh before the Giants so who knows, it could work, but I don't see him getting more than 600 yards.
I'm going to ignore this, but if Plaxico came back home, I guess I would be alright with it.
12 Sox, 5 Royals
Chicks dig the longball, and that's what the Sox provided last night. Homeruns all around Ellsbury, Pedroia, and Ortiz. Ellsbury and Pedroia lead off the game with back-to-back home runs. Ellsbury is now batting .325 with 17 homers (8th this month) on the season, next Ricky Henderson I tell ya. Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 24 games with the 1st inning homer and had a 3-4 performance. But the biggest home run of the night comes off Papi's bat as he demolished a grand slam for his 20th of the year and 10th of his career. It was also his 1000th of his Red Sox career.
Lackey was Lackey, going 5.2 innings, giving up 11 hits, 4 runs (3 earned) and striking out 3. With our offense hitting the way it is we can make up for the fact John Lackey is on the team.
This is the best Red Sox team I have ever witnessed, hands down.
Breaking News: Pats Get Albert Haynesworth For a 5th, Bellichick Does It Again
The Patriots traded a 5th round pick for disgruntle DL Albert Haynesworth. Although I don't know where he fits in figuring he is now going to be in a 3-4 defense again, a defense in which Haynesworth loathes.
There could be a couple of things that the Patriots could do, 1. Change back to a 4-3 with Vince Wilfork and Albert Haynesworth in the middle. 2. Move Vince Wilfork to DE and have Haynesworth at DT and have an absurdly left side of the defensive line. 3. Or try Haynesworth out find out he's not in real good shape and stay in a 3-4 and have him be Wilforks back up.
I like the trade for the Patriots a lot because they gave up nothing for a potentially high impact player, low risk, high reward. If Haynesworth has his head on straight and comes in focused and ready to go, the impact that he could have on this team is huge. If he comes in and is a shithead and you have to cut him in a few months, all you lost was a 5th round pick.... Not a big deal.
Either way the Patriots take on another bad seed project
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Rangers/Giants In Lead For Beltran (2 UPDATES)
The New York Mets are making progress with both the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants in trade talks involving outfielder Carlos Beltran. The Indians actually offered to take on Beltran's entire salary, but Beltran refused to go there using his no-trade clause.
As I stated earlier this week I think the Rangers make a lot of sense, and I would think Beltran would want to go there since they are most likely going to be in the playoffs. That being said, Beltran has stated his desire to play in the NL, unless it is the Red Sox so it will be interesting to see if he uses his no-trade clause again here.
I would still have the Rangers as the favorites, but we will have to wait and see. No matter what Beltran will be wearing a different jersey after the trade deadline.
***UPDATE***
Or not...
Beltran is not going to the Rangers, tweets Rosenthal. The Giants are his presumed frontrunner.
It is also being said that Boris wants Beltran to go to SF, because they have the money to resign him in the offseason.
***UPDATE 2***
The Mets have agreed to send Beltran to the Giants for Zach Wheeler. The Mets are said to be sending back a lot of money. Beltran has 24 hours to agree to the trade, which isn't expected to be an issue.
Royals @ Red Sox Preview
The Royals piled on some runs last night, but the Red Sox offense is just better and Aceves was able to shut them down. The question is who will shut down the Royals tonight if Lackey gets in trouble. That could be the difference in this game.
I hate what I'm about to say, because every time I say it Lackey gets lit up, but... He is pitching better of late. Over his last 3 starts he is 3-0 letting up a total of only 4 runs. Still, if you look close you would notice they were against shit teams (not that the Royals are good), and he let up 21 hits as well over those starts.
Going against him is the surprising Bruce Chen. Chen is 5-3 with a 3.30 ERA, which is impressive on such a bad team, but the wheels are starting to come off as he is 0-3 with a 5.21 ERA over his last 8 appearances.
Even though I have a terrible feeling about Lackey (who has an ERA ranks as the highest in all of baseball among pitchers with at least 90 innings... 6.28) I still can't pick against the Sox with this offense.
Red Sox win 11-6
Player of the Game: Pedroia
Game starts at 7:10pm
Some Football Stuff (2 UPDATES)
Matt Hasselbeck signed with the Tennessee Titans yesterday. I really like this move for both parties Hasselbeck needed to get away from Seattle as nothing has been going on there for a while and Tennessee needs to move on from the Vince Young/ Kerry Collins era. Hasselbeck won't hurt the team and will keep them competitive. Also, it will be a great transition until Jake Locker is ready to go.
Defensive end Charles Johnson agreed to six-year, $76 million deal, including $32 million guaranteed with the Carolina Panthers. Good thing the Panthers didn't lose him as he is really the only thing going on in Carolina other than Cam Newton. Do I believe he was a little overpaid? Yea, but what can you do.
The Redskins and Vikings have made a deal involving Quarterback Donovan McNabb. The deal is getting held up right now because McNabb's feelings are hurt about some contract stuff, but the deal is going to get done. I love the move for Minnesota who needs a QB to bridge between now and the Christian Ponder era (burst out laughing). I STILL believe in McNabb and I know he still has a few more good years in the tank. The Viking will be in the playoffs because of him.
A league source tells us that the Pittsburgh Steelers have found a way to keep their biggest free agent in town. Cornerback Ike Taylor has agreed to terms on a four-year deal, per a league source. This is a great move for the Steelers who locked up their best cornerback in a weak secondary. Ike is a lifetime Steeler and this should probably be his last contract in the NFL.
The Cowboys made some cuts yesterday. The Cowboys have released running back Marion Barber and receiver Roy Williams, Pro Bowl guard Leonard Davis and kicker Kris Brown will be cut. All of these players are underachieving except for Davis. Roy Williams should have been cut 2 years ago and Marion Barber needs to be a 3rd down back in the worst way.
***UPDATE***
It's easier to just keep adding to this post, so here is what else is going on...
- "The New York Jets addressed the No. 1 item on their free-agent list, coming to terms Wednesday morning with wide receiver Santonio Holmes, according to a league source. The deal is for five years and $50 million with $24 million guaranteed (ESPN)"
You knew they would resign him, but that is a lot of guarnteed money, I would think this is going to make it tough for the Jets to sign Asomugha, but I guess you could always restructure deals to make it work.
- Jacksonville Jaguars signed Paul Posluszny, which I think is a nice signing. He is a guy I wish the Patriots drafted a couple years back and he is coming off his best year in which he had 151 tackles.
- Not shockingly the Titans will be cutting Vince Young tomorrow.
- The Redskins have signed Donte' Stallworth.
- Packers resigned kicker Mason Crosby.
- Takeo Spikes will leave the San Francisco 49ers for the San Diego Chargers.
***UPDATE 2***
- DeAngelo Williams will be staying with the Carolina Panthers. Terms: Five years, $43 million, $21 guaranteed.
- Eric Weddle has resigned with the San Diego Chargers.
Jalen Rose Going To Jail
A Michigan judge has sentenced former NBA guard Jalen Rose to serve 20 days in jail for a drunken driving crash along a snowy suburban Detroit road in March (sentenced actually to 92 days overall, with all but 72 days suspended, he also gets 1 year probabtion).
I usually going on a whole rant about how he is rich and should've got someone else to drive, which is damn true, but you know how I feel about that, so I will just give Jalen a little credit.
He admitted what he did, and even old the officer that he had six martinis that might, and pleaded guilty to the charge. 20 days in jail sucks, but it could've been worse and I hope ESPN doesn't fire him over this. He admitted what he did, he is going to serve his time and should be allowed to move on with his life once he has.
Breaking News: Blue Jays Trade For Edwin Jackson Then Trade Him To Cardinals (3 UPDATES)
"The Blue Jays acquired starter Edwin Jackson and third baseman Mark Teahen from the White Sox for reliever Jason Frasor and starter Zach Stewart, tweets Mark Gonzalez of the Chicago Tribune. The deal also includes a cash exchange of more than $1MM (MLBTradeRumors)."
Man, it seems like Jackson gets traded every year (5th time in his career). Unless the Blue Jays can resign Jackson this deal makes no sense to me. The Blue Jays are 11 games out of the playoffs right now and basically have no shot at making it. Although they didn't give up very much it seems odd, unless like I said they resign him. If they do (and I think they will) then I think this is a very nice trade for the Blue Jays that have a young nucleus to build around.
I also like this deal for the White Sox. They have been riding a 6 man rotation and there is really no need for that. Most likely they weren't going to resign Jackson in the offseason, so getting something for him is huge. Plus, Frasor is a very good reliever and that is something the White Sox have been needing all season. I know the White Sox's bullpen is ranked 3rd in the AL in ERA, but anyone who watches them know they have been needing some help out there.
***UPDATE***
"Jackson could ultimately end up in St. Louis for Rasmus, according to a Cardinals official familiar with the deal. He could take the rotation spot of Kyle McClellan in St. Louis as a result, though the details are still being ironed out (Sportsline)."
Ahh, that makes a little more sense. We'll let you know if this becomes official.
***UPDATE 2***
A trade of Rasmus to the Blue Jays for Jackson, Dotel, and Rzepczynski is imminent, reports Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
***UPDATE 3***
The Cardinals will send Rasmus, Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and P.J. Walters to the Blue Jays for Jackson, Rzepczynski, Dotel, and Corey Patterson, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
White Men Can Jump
So long as their Australian.
And if you've never seen a game of Aussie Rules Football, you're missing out. Just look at that score. This was a 140-77 game. You won't know what's going on when you watch it, but that just makes it all the more entertaining. It's a great sport to watch while getting hammered.
-The Commodore
And if you've never seen a game of Aussie Rules Football, you're missing out. Just look at that score. This was a 140-77 game. You won't know what's going on when you watch it, but that just makes it all the more entertaining. It's a great sport to watch while getting hammered.
-The Commodore
Serial Butt Stabber On The Loose In Virginia, BMack Brought In To Be Questioned
One man may be responsible for slashing at least five women on the butt, according to Fairfax County police.
In the most recent attack, an 18-year-old woman was shopping at Forever 21 inside the Fair Oaks Mall at 5:30 p.m. Monday when she was distracted by clothing falling over. She told police that she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her butt and realized she'd been cut through her denim shorts with a box cutter or razor.
The atttacks began in February. In each attack, the victims have been women in their late teens or early 20s at retail stores. In each case, the stabbing follows some sort of distraction.
Before the victim realizes what has happened, the attacker has calmly walked away without creating a scene, police said. More
I would have thought this was BMack immediately, however, the guy stabs girl butts, BMack is only down with stabbing guys butts. He's tried to slash my ass so many times, fortunately I'm just too quick. The Captain and Jesus on the other hand have all been Butt Stabbed by Bob.
But in all seriousness, what the fuck is up with this guy. I'm a butt guy so any tme someone ruins a nice butt it's a travesty. Imagine if he ruined the next JLO, Beyonce or Kim Kardashian butt. Someone needs to stop this guy before he does some serious damage.
McDonalds to Change Happy Meals
This is just another example of people not being able to control themselves. People blame McDonald's for making their kids fat. They don't blame themselves for taking their children there three times a week and letting them sit on their asses all day playing video games.
McDonald's food isn't healthy. But it's tasty. And if consumed only occasionally, it won't result in obesity. But we live in a society obsessed with not taking responsibility for itself and its own actions. I'm a chubby guy myself, but I don't blame Ronald McDonald, the Burger King, or Wendy for my surplus mass. We live in a free country (at least we used to), and part of having the freedom to make decisions is having the responsibility of living with them.
Apple slices don't go with hamburgers anyway. And neither does milk.
-The Commodore
13 Red Sox, 9 Royals
Even though Andrew Miller has been John Lackey esk the passed few starts, we won, no harm, no foul. At least we didn't have to put OF Mitch Maier to pitch for us. Let me rant for a second about Andrew Miller. Miller kind of sucks, sure he is 4-1 with a 4.65 era but I would rather have Aceves start than him. Miller constantly is in trouble, and constantly has short outings making us use our bullpen. I believed that Miller could be the next big thing for us, but at the end of the day he's just a waste of a roster spot. Should have let the Yankees grab him, but we should also thank the Yankees for giving us a disaster specialist in Alfredo Aceves. I don't know where the Sox would be without him. Other than Beckett he's been our 2nd most impressive pitcher all year.
Our 3-4-5 hitters were on point as they went 10-13 and drove in eight runs. Pedroia flirted with a cycle in the eighth. He hit a line drive but it was caught in front of the monster. Pedey is hitting .429 in the cleanup spot this season.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Coverage: It’s Academic
Believe it or not, we’re entering the fifth season of this blog, though only getting the hang of it for the last three. That being said, the next few posts will lean heavily on archived content so not to insult any of you readers by retreading previous topics.
As we’ve covered before, remaining gap-sound in run-support is a fundamental equation that is addressed every snap based on the formation. In this post, we’ll look to set a foundation of defensive concepts through fragmentation. After setting this ground work, it will be followed with different alternative coverage adaptations available to a defense.
One of the biggest mistakes for those learning the game of football is to fixate on the minutiae of various “brands” of defense. Tying oneself to the dogmatic thinking and going-through-the-motions of “how we’ve always done it” without understanding the rationale of how it all works creates an intelligence rut that becomes a liability. Defenses exist to defense an offense – they do not exist within vacuums. On every play you’re defending something the offense is doing to advance the ball. For this reason, defenses aren’t static entities – they must respond (adapt) to the stimuli they are presented with. You will hear people declare, “we are a 3-4 Quarters defense” or something to that effect. That’s great, but there is a reason a defensive concept is employed on a given down, and there is no catch-all defense available.
A defense really just needs to be concerned about offensive numbers (and how to match them) and the offensive capabilities from their alignment.
While touched on a while ago with TCU’s split-field philosophy, the divorcing of the secondary from the front minimizes the detail of checks a defense would need to concern itself with as well as compartmentalizing the teaching method for each player position. While coverage and front remain related by arithmetic, they can become independent of one another and still function together seamlessly.
First things first is to match the front. In every offensive formation you will have 5 offensive linemen, creating 6 gaps for an offense to attack. The defense should have a plan to account for these 6 gaps presented, typically with 6 defenders (i.e. “the box”). If we (continue to) use the 42 Nickel as a base concept (all of this remains true if you’re a 4-3, 3-4, 33, 50, etc), your bare minimum in the box will be 6 defenders that won’t ever have a reason to “break” their alignment because they ARE the box (they are the minimum gaps being defensed).
As more offensive players are introduced into the box, they create additional areas of attack through leverage (gaps). The defense will fundamentally respond by adding more defenders to this area or risk being out-numbered at the point of attack.
Adding an additional back or tight end to the formation creates even more running lanes, necessitating yet another defender into the box to compensate.
All of this becomes a very academic application that generally gives you a clue as to what and how an offense is trying to set up its next play;
After addressing the numbers in the box, you will have to figure out what you’re going to do with those other guys left in the secondary. For the remainder of this post (and subsequent posts), we will ignore the box defenders and fragment our discussion into the leftovers of the formation.
With 1-back, we’ll have 2x2 (4 immediate vertical threats) and 5 defenders to match them.
With 2-back, we’ll have 3 immediate vertical threats with (essentially) 4 defenders to compensate. With 2-back (or 3x1), you can get away with doing some flexible things to the single-split side without carrying tremendous risk.
Like we discussed in the earlier TCU 2-Read post, we’re going to narrow our focus on the 3-on-2 matchup to the slot receiver side. When the defense is presented with two split receivers it faces an immediate horizontal stretch (away from the box) while being threatened with a vertical / levels attack.
Fortunately, because of the numbers advantage, there are several ways to play this set between these three defenders (with each having distinct advantages). Keep in mind, the variations listed below could plug-and-play any one of these defenders into a role (hence the multiplicity in how slot is treated).
You could feature 1 underneath force player and 2 deep coverage defenders (sky, cloud, buzz). This could be country Cover 3, quarter-halves, or bracket coverage on the #1 receiver.
You could have 1 deep defender over the top of 2 underneath defenders. This could be anything such as traditional Cover 2, robber or bracket coverage on #2.
Or have 1 deep defender with 1 underneath (seam) defender that could be Quarters (Meg) or fire zone.
Or it could simply be man-under coverage with deep help.
All of these alternatives can be played from one defensive (presnap) alignment, yet create a world of hurt if an offense filtered their throws through defender reads.
A feature of this exposition should be to illustrate how "what TCU does" (in the secondary) is actually what every other defense (NCAA/NFL) does - they both end up in the same scheme when its all said and done. With TCU's patented "3 coverages", you end up with a combination of 9 coverages available (2, Blue, 5, 25, 2 Blue, Blue 5, Blue 2, 5 Blue, 52). All of this is a result of how the slot is played. Whether you are the Horned Frogs, the New York Giants, or the San Diego State Aztecs.....whatever scheme you call yourself playing; you arrive at the same destination.
With this preface set, in the next few posts we will discuss the many different slot coverage adaptations available to a defensive coordinator. We’ll explore how they work within the overall scheme, why it is advantageous to not only treat slot sets differently, but also how to effectively keep quarterbacks guessing when confronted with all the variations the defense can give them.
As we’ve covered before, remaining gap-sound in run-support is a fundamental equation that is addressed every snap based on the formation. In this post, we’ll look to set a foundation of defensive concepts through fragmentation. After setting this ground work, it will be followed with different alternative coverage adaptations available to a defense.
One of the biggest mistakes for those learning the game of football is to fixate on the minutiae of various “brands” of defense. Tying oneself to the dogmatic thinking and going-through-the-motions of “how we’ve always done it” without understanding the rationale of how it all works creates an intelligence rut that becomes a liability. Defenses exist to defense an offense – they do not exist within vacuums. On every play you’re defending something the offense is doing to advance the ball. For this reason, defenses aren’t static entities – they must respond (adapt) to the stimuli they are presented with. You will hear people declare, “we are a 3-4 Quarters defense” or something to that effect. That’s great, but there is a reason a defensive concept is employed on a given down, and there is no catch-all defense available.
A defense really just needs to be concerned about offensive numbers (and how to match them) and the offensive capabilities from their alignment.
While touched on a while ago with TCU’s split-field philosophy, the divorcing of the secondary from the front minimizes the detail of checks a defense would need to concern itself with as well as compartmentalizing the teaching method for each player position. While coverage and front remain related by arithmetic, they can become independent of one another and still function together seamlessly.
First things first is to match the front. In every offensive formation you will have 5 offensive linemen, creating 6 gaps for an offense to attack. The defense should have a plan to account for these 6 gaps presented, typically with 6 defenders (i.e. “the box”). If we (continue to) use the 42 Nickel as a base concept (all of this remains true if you’re a 4-3, 3-4, 33, 50, etc), your bare minimum in the box will be 6 defenders that won’t ever have a reason to “break” their alignment because they ARE the box (they are the minimum gaps being defensed).
As more offensive players are introduced into the box, they create additional areas of attack through leverage (gaps). The defense will fundamentally respond by adding more defenders to this area or risk being out-numbered at the point of attack.
Adding an additional back or tight end to the formation creates even more running lanes, necessitating yet another defender into the box to compensate.
All of this becomes a very academic application that generally gives you a clue as to what and how an offense is trying to set up its next play;
- if you get 1-back you’ll have 7 gaps
- if you get 2-back you’ll have 8 gaps
After addressing the numbers in the box, you will have to figure out what you’re going to do with those other guys left in the secondary. For the remainder of this post (and subsequent posts), we will ignore the box defenders and fragment our discussion into the leftovers of the formation.
With 1-back, we’ll have 2x2 (4 immediate vertical threats) and 5 defenders to match them.
With 2-back, we’ll have 3 immediate vertical threats with (essentially) 4 defenders to compensate. With 2-back (or 3x1), you can get away with doing some flexible things to the single-split side without carrying tremendous risk.
Fortunately, because of the numbers advantage, there are several ways to play this set between these three defenders (with each having distinct advantages). Keep in mind, the variations listed below could plug-and-play any one of these defenders into a role (hence the multiplicity in how slot is treated).
You could feature 1 underneath force player and 2 deep coverage defenders (sky, cloud, buzz). This could be country Cover 3, quarter-halves, or bracket coverage on the #1 receiver.
You could have 1 deep defender over the top of 2 underneath defenders. This could be anything such as traditional Cover 2, robber or bracket coverage on #2.
Or have 1 deep defender with 1 underneath (seam) defender that could be Quarters (Meg) or fire zone.
Or it could simply be man-under coverage with deep help.
All of these alternatives can be played from one defensive (presnap) alignment, yet create a world of hurt if an offense filtered their throws through defender reads.
A feature of this exposition should be to illustrate how "what TCU does" (in the secondary) is actually what every other defense (NCAA/NFL) does - they both end up in the same scheme when its all said and done. With TCU's patented "3 coverages", you end up with a combination of 9 coverages available (2, Blue, 5, 25, 2 Blue, Blue 5, Blue 2, 5 Blue, 52). All of this is a result of how the slot is played. Whether you are the Horned Frogs, the New York Giants, or the San Diego State Aztecs.....whatever scheme you call yourself playing; you arrive at the same destination.
With this preface set, in the next few posts we will discuss the many different slot coverage adaptations available to a defensive coordinator. We’ll explore how they work within the overall scheme, why it is advantageous to not only treat slot sets differently, but also how to effectively keep quarterbacks guessing when confronted with all the variations the defense can give them.
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