NFL Week 12 Thoughts

Favre for MVP?

Everyone seems to be on the Brett Favre for MVP bandwagon after his 398 yard 3 TD performance against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. I am not one of these people. I feel like any competent quarterback could be putting up the same numbers as Favre if they had the team that he does. Broadcasters keep saying that that Favre has never had so many weapons or been on a team this good well shouldn't that discount his play?

Favre has Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin, Sidney Rice, Bernard Berrian, Visanthe Shiancoe and arguably one of the best offensive lines in football. You're telling me a mediocre quarterback like Joe Flacco couldn't do what Favre is doing given the same options? Imagine if Peyton Manning had the supporting cast that Favre has.

Manning has his team a perfect 11-0 and has lead them to 5 straight victories in which they were trailing entering the 4th quarter. The Colts have the 31st best rushing attack in the NFL while the Vikings have the 9th. Manning has receivers like Garcon and Collie and has Addai in the backfield. He makes the players around him better and is the driving force behind the team. Favre on the other hand is doing well because of the players around him.

Now I won't sit here and say Favre is having a bad season or that he is unworthy of praise but people need to look beyond numbers and look at situations. Put any elite quarterback on the Vikings (Brees, Brady, Manning or Rivers) and they would give you an undefeated season with mind boggling offensive stats.

My nod for MVP goes to Manning just because of how well he has produced given his circumstances. I also 100% believe that Manning is coaching the team and Jim Caldwell is just a figurehead. Seriously Caldwell hasn't flinched once this season and may or may not be in a coma.

0-6 to the Playoffs?

Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans havn't lost a game since losing 59-0 to the Patriots in Week 6. They went from 0-6 laughingstock to 5-6 playoff contender. Their latest win was a 20-17 miracle finish over the Arizona Cardinals that saw Young lead the Titans down the field 99, converting on 2 4th down plays, to eventually toss the game winning touchdown to Kenny Britt with 6 seconds left on the clock.

If you read my blog regularly you know that I was calling for Vince Young way back in Week 4. I didn't understand why he was on the bench when Kerry Collins was being so ineffective. Now Young ha regained his confidence and has regained the faith of the fans and his teammates.

The Titans have 5 games left where they have to face the Colts, Rams, Dolphins, Chargers and Seahawks. Realistically they could come out of that stretch 3-2 which would push their record to 8-8 and would probably not get them into the playoffs but realistically they shouldn't be 5-6.

No team has ever started a season 0-6 and ended up making the playoffs so the Titans are trying to make history. If they beat the Colts next which, which could happen, then all they need to do is beat the Rams, Dolphins and Seahawks to finish 9-7 and have a shot. Could they run the table and go 10-6 maybe? Crazier things have happened. I just enjoy watching them play each week and continue their run of success.

They will need some help and some luck to get in but if Young, Britt and Johnson continue to play they way they have been playing I believe the Titans have a serious shot of making the playoffs.

The Influence of Gladwell

About a month ago Malcolm Gladwell wrote a piece for the New Yorker where he compared the NFL to dog fighting and focused on the epidemic of concussions in the NFL. Last week the NFL instituted new rules and regulations about dealing with concussions and bringing in outside doctors to clear players.

The impact of this rule was felt immediately as on Sunday both Kurt Warner and Ben Roethlisberger didn't play due to concussions and both their teams lost. The rules are important and put in place to protect the players from serious life threatening injuries that can develop later on in life.

This is something the NFL should have instituted a long time ago did not either due to ignorance or apathy. It is interesting that once Gladwell's article came out they made a big change and it really speaks to the influence Gladwell has in the United States. The idea that one journalist could write an article that made the NFL change its ways so quickly is startling but ultimately speaks to the progressive nature of the NFL.

The NFL has always been willing to change and adapt its game in order to stay modern and current with fans so this change shouldn't really come as a big surprise. They were the first league to really accept replay and they add new rules every year to update the game and make it safer and more exciting for fans.

Will concussions always be prevalent in the NFL? Of course but it is nice to see that Roger Goodell and the rest of the commissioners office are doing something to at least try and help the players. I think over time guys missing games will become more common and concussions won't be treated like a case of the flu. I also believe that over time Gladwell will get more credit for the changes than Goodell as his article seems to have been the catalyst in terms of major changes finally being implemented.

Crunch Time

It is starting to get serious as the NFL is sadly coming to an end. With each passing week teams are getting mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and the number of potential playoff teams is growing smaller.

With their loss this week the Dolphins are pretty much out of it as are the Texans and Giants. Sure they haven't officially been eliminated yet but you can just tell that they don't have a shot of getting in.

Here are some teams that are still in the chase but will fizzle down the stretch or choke when it counts:

Falcons - No Matt Ryan and no Michael Turner means no playoffs

Jets - I don't trust the Sanchize to pick up my dry cleaning let alone win a games

49ers - I actually like the 49ers but their inconsistency worries me

Ravens - I don't know what happened to their defense but they look beatable every week

Jaguars - Another team that struggles with inconsistency

Here are the teams I see making the playoff:

NFC: Cowboys, Vikes, Saints and Cards with the Widcard teams being the Packers and Eaglies.

AFC: Pats, Bengals, Colts and Chargers with the Wildcard teams being the Broncos and Steelers.

Fantasy Goat of the Week

I think this might be my last year playing Fantasy Football. I can no longer handle watching certain players struggle every week or see my wide open receivers not get the ball. I also don't enjoy cheering for Roy Williams or Donovan McNabb. I want to just sit back and enjoy watching football games again without having a stock in certain players.

Joe Flacco's performance on Sunday night is the catalyst for this decision. I watched as he struggled to throw a touchdown pass with 3 chances on the goal line in the 1st half and I almost threw my remote through my 37' TV on a number of occasions.

Having said that I am sure I will play again next year as the draft is too fun not to participate in and it keeps me interested in teams like Cleveland and Oakland.

Still if Joe Flacco doesn't start throwing some touchdown passes I am going to fly down to Maryland and kick him in the nuts.

Quick Thoughts

- Ray Rice at 55th overall in the 2008 draft may turn out to be one of the biggest steals in draft history as Rice is proving that he is a complete player that can do it all.

- I felt awful for Dennis Dixon last night as he had to sit and watch while Billy Cundiff kicked the game winning field goal after Dixon's interception. Considering it was his 1st career start and it was in Baltimore against a pumped up Ravens team I thought he played really well.

- Do they miss Favre in Green Bay? Aaron Rodgers has 22 TD with only 5 INT to Favre's 24 TD and 2 INT. Rodgers also has thrown for 262 more yards and has done all this while running for his life as his offensive line is piss poor at best.

- I don't care how many touchdowns he has LaDanian Tomlinson is not "back." He is averaging a pathetic 3.4 yards per carry has yet to put up 100 yards in a single game this season. He also doesn't catch nearly as many passes as he used to. Since his rookie year he has had at least 51 receptions. This year he has 10. Dude is done.

- I can not explain what is going on with the Baltimore Ravens defense. I know they lost a couple of players in the off-season but they have looked downright awful at times this year. They aren't getting as much pressure on the quarterback and their corners are getting burned consistently. Did Rex Ryan's departure really hurt them this badly?

- I love the Cardinals strategy of drafting players with hyphenated names. They already have Rogers-Cromartie and now they have LaRod Stephens-Howling. Love it.

- Speaking of the Cardinals does Matt Leinart hate Vince Young? Every time they play each other Young finds a way to win on the last play of the game and become a hero and completely take away any credit Leinart earned.

- Jake Delhomme is the biggest bum in the NFL.

- Darrell Revis is quickly becoming my favorite player on the Jets. His ability to shut down opposing receivers and make big plays on defense make him so valuable. Also the demotion of Kerry Rhodes to a back-up role really seems to have fired him up as he had 2 INT on Sunday.

- I remember watching Danny Amendola on Hard Knocks a few years ago trying to make the Cowboys thinking that he didn't have a chance to make it in the NFL. Well now he is looking like Wes Welker 2.0 as he is running tight routes and making great catches.

- Mike McKenzie had a beast of a game on Monday night. Hard to believe that only a week ago he was sitting on his couch at home watching the Saints and now he is part of it. It also appears he learned to tackle people rather than just push them out of bounds.

- What can you say about Drew Brees performance that hasn't already been said? Watching him on Monday night was like watching someone play Madden on rookie mode. Unbelievable.

Random YouTube Video

Are You Kidding?

I am starting to think that there is some sort of secret award given to the coach who can make the dumbest decision in a football game. Over the past 2 weeks there have been more questionable calls and bad decisions made than I can ever remember and they culminated tonight with the 97th Grey Cup (the Canadian Football League equivalent of the SuperBowl).

With only seconds left in the game the Saskatchewan Roughriders are leading the Montreal Alouettes 27-25. Montreal is lined up to kick the winning field goal. Kicker Damon Duval lines it up and boots it - wide right and Saskatchewan wins. But wait there are flags everywhere. Too many men on the field. Montreal gets another chance to make the field goal and of course you know what happens next. Duval makes it and Montreal wins the Grey Cup 28-27.

How as a coach do you let this happen? It is the biggest moment of your career and you get called for too many men on the field. That is inexcusable and a public apology to the fans should be given and a resignation should be handed in. I realize that it is a crazy moment and you get excited and caught up in the game but this is basic as basic gets. Just plain awful and a real kick in the nuts for Saskatchewan fans.

Ken Miller (the Roughriders coach) isn't the only moron who blew it this week however as he does have some company.

We turn our attentions now to the NCAA and the USC - UCLA game that took place on Saturday night.

Late in the 4th quarter USC was leading 21-7. In a show of respect USC head coach Pete Carroll told his quarterback to take a knee. He did just that. Then the idiocy began. UCLA head coach

Rick Neuheisel called a timeout in the desperate hope of getting the ball back with 2 seconds left so his team could score 14 points. Carroll didn't appreciate this and decided that instead of taking a knee he was going to go for the jugular. On the next play USC went deep and scored a touchdown to make it 28-7.

Why is this such a bonehead move by Neuheisel? This was the last game of the season and for many senior players on the team the last game of their football careers, and it ended like that. They got blown out and the score run up on them because their coach has a massive ego and couldn't handle losing properly. You don't call timeouts when there is 0 chance of winning the game. You take your loss with class and dignity and try and remember that it isn't a contest between coaches but a game between players. Neuheisel should apologize and resign.

Neuheisel may have acted like a jackass but Tom Williams (the head coach for Yale) acted like a retard.

The annual Harvard-Yale game is a nationally televised event and is pretty much the highlight of Ivy League football. Neither team is very good as compared to the BCS teams but that doesn't make the game any less important. The annual event is referred to as "The Game" and is anticipated as much as Christmas for students and alumni. This years games will be one that is remembered forever, although not for the right reasons.

With just over 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter Yale was faced with a 4th and 22 from their own 25 yard line trying to protect a 10-7 lead. The punt team came onto the field and everything seemed normal. What unfolded next was the biggest clusterfuck "The Game" has ever seen as one of the worst coaching decisions in modern sports was made.

Williams decided that instead of punting and letting his defense protect the lead (they had been playing great all game) he would try a fake run...with his punter no less. Punter Josh Powers took off and had tonnes of open field to work with. He ran for what seemed like forever and was finally brought down after a big gain. A big gain that was 7 yards short of the 1st down.

Turnover on downs. What transpired next? Well I wouldn't have included Williams if Yale had won. Harvard scored a touchdown with the benefit of a short field and went on to win the game 14-10. Rivalry game lost. Players devastated. Fans holding their collective groins after just being kicked in the testicles. A truly sad day to be a Yale grad.

Williams along with Miller and Neuheisel should hand in his resignation and walk away from the team after issuing a very public apology.

Bill Simmons has a theory that every football coach in the NFL and NCAA should have a kid on the sidelines that is an avid Madden player. This would ensure that coaches wouldn't make any stupid calls or decisions because the kids would use their expertise in game and clock management to stop them. If you have played enough Madden you have been involved in every game scenario at least 100 times so you know what to do. These kids would make sure that too many men weren't on the field and that a team didn't fake a punt on 4th and 22 from their own 25 yard line while protecting a 3 point lead late in the 4th quarter.

I know that being a football coach isn't easy and that there is a tonne of pressure on you but that doesn't excuse you from being a moron or an arrogant prick. These coaches need to learn that they are in charge of the team. The players look to them for leadership and if they let their ego get in the way or their inability to count then they have failed their team and their fans.

If you have learned nothing from reading this or chose to skim the whole thing and get to the bottom then at least make sure you take this one point and remember it forever. When it is 4th and 22 from your 25 yard line and you are ahead, PUNT!

Random YouTube Video (Used it before but its too hilarious to be a one time only video)

Tiger Woods: Scrutinized and Slandered

Why so many wild theories about Tiger Woods' car crash? Because nobody in the media world knows him well enough to ask what is going on.

Ignore the cuts to his face, the sore head and the damaged car, Tiger Woods will be more concerned this week at having to deal with the one thing he hates more than any other – intrusion into his life away from the golf course. While the Florida police consider whether to bring charges against the world's highest-earning sportsman, the people who protect Woods swung swiftly into action.

"Tiger's fine," reported Mark Steinberg, his personal manager at the International Management Group, leaving any other questions hanging in the air unanswered. Principal amongst these is: why was Woods driving away from his home at 2:25am? As is the way when it comes to working out some of the more personal details of this man's life, the media and public began adding two and one together to try to get to four.

On blogs all over the web the conclusion was the same – this was a "domestic dispute." Other blogosphere "plots" insist that Woods's facial injuries were caused by his Swedish wife Elin and that the crash was caused by her attacking the car with a golf club as he drove off.

No one, of course, really knows anything other than the fact that the crash happened, that Tiger was injured, that his wife had indeed used a club to smack the car (to get him out, it is claimed) and that he was treated in hospital before being allowed home.

There is, however, another fact to be inserted and it is this: in 2009 Woods, returning after several months off, recuperating from a major knee operation, has been a strange combination of surliness and discontent. Often in the past he has appeared sulky when events have not bent to his will on this course or that; on occasion he has been ill-tempered; but this year there has been something else and it has been hard to pin it down.

It cannot be frustration at his ability to play the game. He did not win a major, though he was in contention in two of them, but he did win seven of the 20 tournaments he entered, returned a stroke average of 68.84 and finished the year top of the pile in America. He was thus still the #1 ranked golfer in the world, a position he has held unopposed since June 2005.

Despite all this success he often seemed, to put it mildly, out of sorts – swearing, throwing clubs, deliberately avoiding interaction with the fans who pay good money and wait patiently to see him perform.

Those who follow the game were asking themselves why. Why should a man who, at 33, is in the prime of his life, who constantly expresses the joy his son and daughter bring to his life, who is reckoned to be a billionaire and who earns close to $2 million a week even if he chooses to lie in bed, be so apparently fed-up and irritated?

Answers are impossible to come by because as it has become clear, in 13 years of the media following Woods, often at close range, that he is the most intensely private, high-profile player not just in golf but in any sport.

When he turned professional in 1996 Woods was not only younger but very different. Remember the great, beaming smiles he offered the crowds? Recall the joyous gallops along fairway edges to high-five fans after yet another extraordinary shot? If you do not, it is understandable because that era was as short-lived as his dominance has been lengthy.

In more than 12 years he has restricted his one-on-one interviews to the occasional television chat with a selected, and probably pre-programmed, journalist. The result is usually more bland than revelatory.

Along the way he determined to erect a barricade between himself and the media. In recent years he seems to have extended this barrier to keep out the public as well, giving the impression that he is a control freak whose desire for privacy has become an obsession.

The name of his 155ft yacht reflects this need: it is "Privacy". Woods loves his yacht time, loves the fact that no one can get to him when he is on board. When he was asked why he was such a keen scuba-diver his answer revealed more than he may have wished when he said: "Because the fish don't ask for autographs."

It is a hard-nosed attitude that has created a wall between him and the game's customers.

Similarly, his relationship with the press is at an all-time low. He usually fulfils his responsibilities by turning up for mass interviews but the atmosphere is at best dull and sometimes downright awkward.

Ask him an unpredictable question, as one British journalist did when inquiring whether Woods supported Barack Obama in the run-up to the presidential election, and his reaction is one of indignation that he has not been interrogated about how he hits a three-iron.

The consequences of Woods’ poor relationship with the media and the general public? People assuming that his wife attacked him with a golf club because he is having an affair. There is no way to know what really happened with Woods and his car accident and for now people seem content to just make stuff up or make huge assumptions based on little facts and reports from TMZ.com. I for one will sit tight until further facts come out or Tiger holds a press conference to tell everyone what happened. It is just a shame that people are assuming the worst rather than just waiting for the truth.

Random YouTube Video

A Little Housekeeping

So I have had a few ideas kicking around that I wanted to write about but weren't important enough to write a whole article about. Here are those ideas in no particular order:

- Charles Woodson of the Green Bay Packers donated $2 million to the University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital and Women's hospital. Woodson is an alumni at the University of Michigan and also has a child that is suffering from a serious illness. I thought this donation was wroth mentioning as $2 million is a lot of money and should do a lot to help those in need. Woodson can do no wrong as not only is he donating money like he grows it but he is also killing it for my fantasy team. Keep up the good work Charles.

- Also this week Shaq paid for the funeral of a 5 year old girl from North Carolina who was kidnapped and murdered. Shaq had never met the child but said he was deeply affected by her story when he saw it on the news. Obviously a funeral doesn't cost nearly $2 million but the thought is what counts. Shaq clearly didn't need to do anything and even asked the family to try and refrain from telling people of his involvement. Obviously it got out and now people know so some douchers might think it was a publicity stunt. Either way at least now the family can grieve and not have to worry about paying for a funeral. Good week for athletes and charity.

- I didn't write an article on Week 11 of the NFL this week because I didn't actually watch any football on the weekend. Friends of my family are American and so I went to their house to celebrate. Top 10 meal of my life for sure and hands down the best mashed potatoes I have ever tasted. The one thing I did see from Sunday was Matt Stafford going back onto the field with a separated shoulder and throwing the winning touchdown pass. If the Lions don't win another game all season it won't matter. That win was huge for Stafford, the Lions and Detroit. He will go down as a legend there for sure and is proving his value week in and week out...even if he throws more interceptions than Jake Delhomme.

- There are a 2 nicknames I want to catch on so I am asking everyone who reads this to please use these nicknames in front of as many people as you can. The first is 'Danglor' for Nikolas Hagman of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the second is 'Handsome' Rich Peverley of the Atlanta Thrashers. Of the two I think Danglor is the best as my buddy Cruse made it up and it makes me laugh every time. If you haven't figured it out yet it is a Simpsons reference. "I call him Gamblor and he has enslaved your mother with his neon claws."

- How did the Silverdome only sell for $583,000? The mob has to be involved here right? The thing cost $56 million to build and sits on some pretty decent land. I blame the fact the auction wasn't on ebay.

- I don't care if Tony Pike threw for a school record 6 touchdowns today I demand that Zach Collaros be put into the game immediately. This is an egregious error by Cincinnati. If Bledsoe goes down you put in Brady and leave him in. Imagine if the Pats had gone back to Bledsoe?

- Allen Iverson does not deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Yes he was a good player and he accomplished some things but in 20 years will he be remembered? Will people talk about his skills or will they talk about his massive ego and his hatred of practicing? I love AI and I think he could be the best 6th man in the NBA but he needs to swallow his pride and try and win a ring somewhere.

- This girl named Tieja that writes for the same newspaper as me wrote a column on the Top 10 sexiest hockey players. The criteria was based on skill, "swagger", extracurricular activities and of course looks. Luke Schenn came 2nd! Her eyesight immediately came into question as Luke Schenn is hardly attractive. Plus he hasn't come 2nd in anything before in his life, except for every race to the puck in the NHL. He is a plug. Just look at him:

- This week the Jays resigned defensive Jedi John McDonald to a 3-year $2 million contract and then signed free agent shortstop Alex Gonzalez to a 1-year $2.5 million deal. I love Johnny Mac but why pay someone $2 million to sit on the bench and play in maybe 20 games? This is why the Jays piss me off to no end. Free agency has begun and this is their big move? Show the fans you are committed to winning and go get a big name free agent. How would singing Jason Bay be a bad move for the Jays? Oh right it would limit the playing time of Jose Bautista. Give me a fucking break.

- The Canadian version of the NCAA is the CIS and I was reviewing their eligibility rules today and found out something interesting. Since guys like Kobe and Dwight Howard never went to college they could technically come play in the CIS. Imagine a 45-year old Kobe playing against a bunch of teenagers. Not only would it be amazing to watch him school everyone but I think it would be hilarious too. Kobe is super competitive too so you know he is going to have a hard time walking away from the game so this would work perfectly for him. Our starting 5 would be Kobe, McGrady, Garnett, Jermaine O'neal and Darius Miles. I think we would win some games and KG would cuss out some white kids when he rejected them.

- Even though the Leafs are struggling this year I find they are far more entertaining to watch than in previous years. Danglor is ripping it up right now and so is Phil the Thrill Kessell. Add a couple fights each game from Colton Orr and you have a hockey game worth watching. Plus watching the Brian Burke close ups after a crappy goal never gets old. Speaking of Brain Burke...

- Burke's son is apparently a homosexual. How do I know this? Well he was interviewed on TSN via satellite by James Duthie about how he is gay and involved in hockey. If this wasn't awkward enough Burke himself was sitting right beside Duthie in the studio answering questions like, "are you proud of your son?" How does this shit make it on TV? I have no problem that the guy is gay and if he wants to bang dudes let him but is there a reason this is on a sports channel? Burke's son is an equipment manager or some shit with a college hockey team in Florida. His being gay is irrelevant to the Leaf game and the NHL in general. I don't know who authorized this interview but it was awkward as hell and truly pointless.

- Forget LeBron and forget D Wade. The most exciting player in the NBA is Josh Smith. Every time they show the Plays of the Week he is either destroying the basket with an earth shattering dunk or he is blocking the shit out of someone from out of nowhere. Seriously he is never in the picture and then he flys in out of nowhere like Billy Kidman doing the Shotting Star Press. Josh Smith is the man and I wish the Raptors would try and get him so I could see him play more often.

- I have been watching a lot of old WWF footage lately and it has made me realize 1 thing. I want entrance music. I want the same song to play every time I enter a room so people know it is me. When Stone Cold used to come out and you heard the sound of breaking glass you knew it was on and someone was catching a beating. I need that. I want that. Then when my music plays people will be like, "oh my god that's that's that's James Choleras' music!"

Random YouTube Video

Brandon Jennings: Trend Setter

Upon graduating high school in 2008 Brandon Jennings made an unusual move. Although he had a scholarship to the University of Arizona, Jennings decided to skip college and sign a contract to play professional basketball in Italy. Skeptics criticized the move when it was announced and after 43 games of European basketball, it looked like the skeptics were right. During those 43 games Jennings averaged less than seven points per game and his shooting efficiency was well below average.

Despite this performance, the Milwaukee Bucks invested the 10th pick in the 2009 NBA draft in Jennings. Again, there was skepticism. How could a player who couldn't even excel in the meager Italian league make a significant contribution to an NBA team?

Well, it looks as if the skeptics were wrong.Earlier this month Jennings scored 55 points in a game, setting an NBA record for youngest player to ever pass the 50 point mark in a game. This game wasn't an aberration either as Jennings has played very well throughout the first month of the season. After 13 games, Jennings is averaging 23.4 points per game; and both his shooting efficiency and rebounding are above average.

So how good is Brandon Jennings? About 18 months ago Jennings was in high school. Now at 20 years of age - before the age he can start drinking (legally) - he's averaging 34 minutes a night for the Milwaukee Bucks. Since 1977-78, there have only been 24 guards to average more than 20 minutes per game before they reached their 21st birthday so the playing time Jennings is getting is fairly unusual.

His productivity, though, is even more unique. NBA fans (and coaches and sports writers) tend to focus on scoring in evaluating an NBA player yet obviously there are other factors that matter. Factors like poise, leadership, basketball IQ and decision making are all crucial when evaluating players. Jennings has showed that he has all of these traits and has led the Bucks to an 8-5 start which is actually pretty impressive considering their roster is slightly on par with a WNBA team.

When we think about a player's production of wins - or Wins Produced - we see that what Jennings is doing is truly amazing. After 13 games Jennings has produced 0.181 Wins per 48 minutes [WP48]. An average player will post a WP48 of 0.100; so Jennings is well above average.

Now let's put this in perspective. Here is a list of guards who - like Jennings -- have seen significant court time before the age of 21: Isiah Thomas, Mike Bibby, Stephon Marbury, Kobe Bryant, Tony Parker, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Eric Gordon. What do all these players have in common? Although all of these players got to play at the age of 20, none managed to be above average performers. Yes, at 20 years of age, Jennings is doing more than Kobe, Isiah, and last year's Rookie of the Year, Derrick Rose.

Across the past three decades, only three players have been as productive at Jennings at this age. In 1979-80, Magic Johnson posted a 0.353 WP48 and produced 20.6 wins and in 2005-2006 Chris Paul produced 17.9 wins with a 0.305 WP48. The following season Rajon Rondo - playing only 23.5 minutes per game - produced 7.0 wins and posted a 0.184 WP48. If Jennings keeps playing 34 minutes per game - and he maintains the level of production we are currently seeing - he will finish the season with 10.6 Wins Produced.

What makes Jennings so special is his ability to score from anywhere on the floor. He possesses great speed allowing him to drive the lane with ease but he also has a great outside shot which allows him to rain 3s on people all day.

Yes it's early. But it looks like the skeptics were wrong. Jennings has proven that he is a legit player and that going over to Europe didn't hurt him. He has already inspired others to skip college and play overseas and I am sure more will do the same. His continued success in the NBA will only further prove that kids can skip college and still prosper in the NBA.

Personally I feel like kids should have to go to college for a minimum of 2 years but I won't get into that now. The point is that Jennings is proving himself to be a solid player and one of the more exciting players in the league. He is single handedly making the Milwaukee Bucks relevant again and seems to be a lock for Rookie of the Year. Can he continue to play at such a high level for so many minutes? Probably not as his body isn't use to such a huge workload but only time will tell. For now he is the talk of the NBA and the future of his franchise.

Random YouTube Video

Taken for Granted

I recently finished Bill Simmons book Now I Can Die In Peace which is a collection of his columns about the Red Sox from 1999 to 2004. The book is informative, hilarious and an easy read and I highly recommend it to every Red Sox fan and also people who love baseball. I have learned a tonne from the book about not only the Red Sox but also about becoming a better writer. However there is one thing I learned from the book that has really changed my view of sports.

I learned that Pedro Martinez was one of the most dominant pitchers in the history of baseball. Why did this change my outlook on sports? Because I was alive during his prime and I never really paid attention to how great he was or fully appreciated how dominant he was. I mean I was a massive Pedro fan and I watched all his games but I don't think I ever truly appreciated how great he was until I read Simmons' book.

For instance during a 13 game stretch from August 8, 1999 to April 9 2000 Pedro pitched 16 games, started 13, finished 12-1 with an 0.96 ERA in 103.1 innings, gave up just 53 hits and three homers and struck out 165 guys. That is dominance. Yet when I watched those games all I took from them was that the Sox were winning. I never really stopped and thought that I was getting the opportunity to watch one of the best ever play the game.

So now I am going to go out of my way to try and appreciate the great players out there today for what they truly represent. Here is a list of athletes that need to be revered and treated as living legends even though they are still playing.

Tiger Woods

Hands down the greatest athlete of my generation. He was the first athlete to earn $1 billion and also helped break down any remaining color barriers in golf. Some of the shots he has hit are mind boggling and at the age of 33 he still has a lot of time left to play and break more records, earn more money and hit more crazy shots.

Tiger plays in tournaments against hundreds of other players every weekend and yet he is the favorite to win every time. If you were gambling and someone said I will take Tiger and you can have everyone else you would feel like you got the short end and would want some odds. He is that good.

He will no doubt go down as the greatest golfer in history and the fact that I grew up watching him play and will continue to do so is something that is no longer lost on me.

LeBron James

How good is LeBron? Ever watch a Plays of the Week where LeBron didn't have a highlight? Me either. Not only is he incredibly gifted athletically but he is also extremely entertaining to watch.

I went to a Raptors-Cavs game about 4 years ago and sat in awe as LeBron dropped 50 like it was nothing. He was hitting shots from everywhere on the floor and making it look easy. He already owns a number of NBA records and will only continue to add more as his career progresses.

Right now he is a once in a generation type player but he is only 24. He is going to continue to get better and when his career is over I think he will replace MJ as the best player of all-time. If you don't believe me just watch him play. He can do everything on the court you could ever want from a basketball player and he does it every night. He can shoot, dunk, pass, rebound, steal, run and inspire. He is the complete player and yet when people talk about him they focus only on his dunks and athleticism.

LeBron is the premiere example on this list. People don't appreciate what they are watching when they see him play. He obviously gets praise and accolades from fans and peers but I don't think people truly grasp what they are seeing when they watch. Old people talk about Kareem and Wilt as if they were gods. People talk about LeBron James as if he is the latest great movie in theaters. The level of respect just isn't there and it should be.

Peyton Manning

I could rip off a great big list of award, accomplishments and record that Peyton Manning has won and broken but it wouldn't do justice to him. Like everyone else on this list he needs to be observed to be truly appreciated and understood. However if I had to pick one stat to show how great he really is I would choose this one, 'Only QB with at least 12 wins as a starter in 6 consecutive seasons.' Why did I choose this stat? Simple, it shows that Manning makes the players around him better and play up to his level so he can have continued success.

For evidence of this simply look at this season. His offensive line sucks. The defense is mediocre at best and he lost his go to receiver when Marvin Harrison was released. Oh by the way he also lost his head coach and has 2 rookie wide receivers. Despite all of this Manning has flourished and is having one of his best seasons as a pro. His team is 10-0 and has a legit shot at going undefeated.

Manning doesn't get the credit he deserves because Brett Favre won't go the fuck away and because Tom Brady won 3 SuperBowls. Still Manning is better than both Favre or Brady and he will probably join the short list of greatest quarterbacks of all-time. While the Colts have always had a high powered offense they have consistently had one of the worst defenses in the league. Manning succeeds despite the obstacles put in his way and does so in classy and professional manner. The guy is a true living legend.

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All 3 of these guys are special athletes. Each one of them could go down as the greatest player to ever play their respective sports and they are all playing at the same time. I am not saying we need to idolize these guys or anything but I do think as fans we need to understand how lucky we are to be able to watch these 3 every year.

Unfortunately in life you usually don't appreciate things until they are gone but this is a trait that I am trying to change. I think sports fans need to realize the greatness that we have access to on a nightly basis and sit back and appreciate it all.

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The Agonizing Scale

In every major sport there is one player that can change the entire outcome of a game singlehandedly. In hockey it is the goalie, in basketball it is the point guard, in football it is the quarterback and to a lesser extent the kicker and in baseball it is the closer. The men who play these positions have the power to win or lose a game based on their decisions. If they play well it usually ensures a victory but if they are off their game you can count on the game ending in disaster.

If you support a team with a crappy goalie or an awful closer you know how hard it can be to watch games. How agonizing it is to see your team play hard for 8 innings and give your closer a 3 run lead just to have him piss it away like Charles Barkley with $10,000 at the track. Or how hard it is to see your quarterback lead your team down the field in the 4th quarter and set up the kicker for the winning field goal only have to have pull a Ray Finkle. It is heartbreak.

But which is worse? Is it worse to watch a kicker botch a 35 yarder to win a game or a closer give up a 2 run homerun in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs on a 0-2 count? Or maybe have a goalie let in a weak goal in overtime of a hockey game?

In order to figure out which is worse I present the Agonizing Scale. A scale that fans can consult when needing to know where their current tragedy ranks so they can act appropriately. You may not agree with the scale but it was scientifically created by a true genius aka me.

Here is the scale. The ranks will appear from least agonizing to most agonizing.

A Shaky Point Guard

April of 2007. The Raptors go 47-35 and win the Atlantic Division. The team qualifies for the playoffs as the #3 seed and face the New Jersey Nets.

This series was supposed to be the greatest moment in Raptors history. The team was led by Chris Bosh, who was becoming the new franchise player, and we were facing a team led by Vince Carter who is by far the single most hated man in Toronto sports history. It all should have been so great.

We split the first two games at home which wasn't ideal but it would be OK. Then we went to New Jersey and proceeded to lose both games by a combined 34 points. So we are down in the series 3-1. Back to Toronto where the Raptors play one of most exciting games in franchise history and escape with a 98-96 win. The series headed back to New Jersey where the Raps needed a win to bring it home for the crucial game 7.

Late in the game the Raps were down by 1. Under 24 seconds left to go and we have the ball. Jose Calderon brought it up court and set up the offense from the left elbow. He looked inside for Bosh and tried to float a pass into him for a dunk. For what felt like an eternity the Raptors season was in the air. I remember standing up from my seat getting prepared to watch Bosh slam it home for the win only see Richard Jefferson's hand come out of nowhere and steal the ball.

Season over.

It was a real gut punch feeling as I was forced to sit down and try and comprehend how the Raptors had just been eliminated. I mean no one even took a shot to try and win it. We lost because of a garbage pass. Jose Calderon will never be forgiven because of this play no matter how many free throws he hits.

The reason basketball was last though is because throughout the course of a game people miss shots all over the place. I mean teams consider it an amazing night if they shoot 60% from the floor. This means that for the Raptors they only needed to hit 1 more fieldgoal and 1 more freethrow and they would have won. It kind of softens the blow later when you think back on the game.

Still having a shaky point guard who you don't trust with the ball in his hands at crunch time is an agonizing feeling. You get nervous as he moves up court and god forbid he wants to shoot the ball. You might have a heart attack.

An Up and Down Goalie

I write for my university paper and at the start of the NHL season I was asked to make predictions on all the major awards and my Stanley Cup prediction. So I started looking at all the teams and their rosters trying to figure out who had the best chance, on paper, of making it all the way to the Cup finals.

I immediately counted out a number of teams due to talent (Coyotes, Islanders, Leafs) then picked off mediocre teams that just never put it together (Oilers, Sabres, Canadiens) and finally started to look at the elite teams in the NHL (Flyers, Penguins, Wings). Obviously the elite teams have tonnes of talent and great depth but to win a Stanley Cup you need 1 key ingredient, a great goalie.

Rarely do teams with crap goaltending win the Stanley Cup. Usually a team can make it to the playoffs despite poor goaltending but once the postseason starts you need a trustworthy goalie between the pipes. Because of this criteria I counted of Chicago (Huet), Washington (Varlamov) and Philadelphia (Emry). I ended up picking Pittsburgh (Fleury) and Vancouver (Luongo) because they both have outstanding goalie who can win games on their own.

This brings me back to the teams with crappy or shaky goalies. If you are a fan of the Blackhawks it must kill you to watch Cristobel Huet in net every game. He is a terrible goalie and will be the reason the Hakws don't make it to the Cup finals this year. They have the talent and they have the depth they just lack the goaltending.

So having an up and down goalie is definitely an agonizing feeling and takes its place rightfully at the 4th tier of the scale.

Now some people might think having a crappy point guard is worse than a crappy goalie but here is my rebuttal. Hockey is the one major sport that relies the most on momentum. A team can be getting outplayed for 10 minutes straight and then score a fluke goal and everything changes. The same can't be said for basketball. Yes teams can go on runs or get hot or cold but nothing is more deflating than allowing a goal in hockey. it literally sucks the collective energy out of not only the players but the fans as well.

A Flaky Kicker

I am a Jets fan. Having said that I haven't been a Jets fan all my life. As hard as this is for me to admit I used to be a New Orleans Saints fan. I am not proud of the fact I bailed on the Saints but I did and here is why.

December 21st, 2003. The Saints entered the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a record of 7-7. and were trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2000. In order to do this they needed to win their final two games of the season and get a little help with other teams losing.

The game was tied at 13-13 late in the 4th quarter when Jacksonville scored a touchdown to make it 20-13 and all but seal the fate of the Saints. With only 7 seconds left in the game I was resigned to another year without the playoffs. But then it happened. Looking at 2nd and 10 from their own 25 yard line Aaron Brooks dropped back and threw a pass to Dante Stallworth at midfeild. Stallworth broke a couple tackles and then pitched the ball to Duece McAllister who then pitched it to Joe Horn who finally pitched it to Jerome Pathon who ran it into the endzone for a touchdown. Needless to say I was going mental.

The play would later be dubbed the 'River City Relay' and would live on in highlights reels and Best Damned Sports Show episodes for years to come. It was such a magical moment. And then John Carney jogged onto the field for the extra point.

I was about to leave to go get my Dad to show him the highlights as there was no way he would have believed what had happened without video proof. I was so excited I was standing and kind of jumping around ( I was 13 at the time so don't give me any shit about this). Then the unthinkable happened. John Carney missed the extra point. Wide right.

Jim Henderson who was the play by play guy for the Saints summed it up perfectly, "NOOOO!!! He missed the extra point wide right! Oh my God, how could he do that?"

From that moment on the Saints were dead to me. Carney had cost the team the game and their chance at the playoffs. More importantly he had robbed me of my chance to watch my favorite football team in the playoffs and forced me to do something I had never done before and haven't done since, I gave up on a team. I became everything I hate about sports fans a flip flopper. My team was garbage and I was fed up.

Kickers have the power. They can be heroes and win games like Adam Vinatieri or they can be goats and blow extra points like John Carney. If the kicker for your team is awful you know every time he comes out to kick the ball you start sweating. You get nervous and can hardly speak. Your heart starts beating a mile a minute and you close your eyes as you can't watch the carnage.

There is nothing more heart breaking than watching a fieldgoal attempt sail wide except for 1 thing...

An Untrostworthy Closer

The MLB season is 162 games long and spans 7 months. If your team makes it to the World Series that number can jump to 182 games and 8 months. That is a tonne of baseball and believe me when I say this some people watch EVERY game. Some people live and die with their favorite baseball team and in some rare cases whole cities live and die by their baseball team.

I cheer for the Red Sox and have since I was a little kid. My Dad is a Sox fan and grew up idolizing Fred Lynn so I followed suit idolizing Pedro, NoMAH and now Big Papi. I have watched Sox games for as long as I can remember. You know what I don't remember though? Having a good closer and don't tell me Jonathan Pepelbon is good because he isn't. He had 1 good year and now he sucks. Watching him come into the 9th inning is like waiting outside the doctors office to get a shot and then watching him actually pitch is like having a colonoscopy (or so I am told).

Having a good closer is crucial to success in baseball. Just look at the Yankees. Until the ALCS in 2004 Mariano Rivera was automatic. If the Yankees had the lead in the 8th inning the game was over because Rivera wasn't going to blow a save. It made it that much harder for the other team to win.

Now if you don't have a good closer getting to the 9th inning with the lead is the most nerve racking experience a sports fan can go through. Everything in baseball is drawn out and so what actually takes 5 minutes can seem like 30. Each pitch your closer throws makes you jump a little and sweat a little more. You can never relax and enjoy the 9th inning because you know that you are 1 pitch away from a loss.

I said in the previous tier that watching a field goal sail wide was the worst sight to see as a sports fan but that isn't true. The worse thing to watch as a sports fan is a batter take your closer deep and win a game with 1 swing. It is all so surreal. First the bat makes contact and your heart leaps into your throat. Then your pitcher whirls around to watch it happen and finally the batter flips and the bat with confidence as he knows what he just did. As a fan all you can do is hang your head ( and drop some f-bombs) as you accept what was inevitable.

The reason I put closer ahead of kicker is because of the length of a baseball season. 162 games versus 16. You get so much more emotionally invested in a baseball team. You watch the same guys everyday for 7 months and you start to feel like you know them or they become part of your routine. Football doesn't resonate the same way and thats why having a shaky closer is more agonizing than having a shaky kicker.

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So that is my scale. Having a shaky closer is the most agonizing thing in sports. You may agree or disagree based upon which sport you prefer but it's hard to argue against my picks. If you think I am wrong and don't think the closer pick is the right one just watch playoff baseball game and see the looks on the faces of the fans. People don't get this upset at funerals. The way the crowd can go from excited to deflated in a moment is unmatched in any sport.

Having said that agony is agony. It is impossible for me to say which is more agonizing. I just know that watching Papelbon pitch in Game 3 of the ALDS this year was like having someone kick me in the nuts for 10 minutes or like watching a car accident. Words don't do it justice as to how hard it was to watch that.

Maybe I put the goalie last because I am a Canucks fan and we have Luongo in net. Either way I wouldn't trust Papelbon to order my pizza let alone close games for my favorite team.

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