Where in the World is ________?

Eric Crouch

With the Heismann race coming to a close soon, I started to wonder where some of the previous winners are nowadays. The former Nebraska standout won the 2001 award while leading the Huskers to a National Championship appearance against the U(in which they got smoked). After getting drafted by the Rams the following year, Crouch was going to be made into a safety. That project didn't work out in the NFL, and Crouch bounced around in any and all kind of leagues across North America. What Crouch is up to now is what we were interested in though, right? So, with our research, we found out that Eric is a vendor of playground equipment around Omaha, Nebraska. How the mighty have fallen.

Look-a-like of the Day 11-30-11

Is it Izzy Mandelbaum from Seinfeld, or Steelers' owner Dan Rooney? It's go time!

RUMOR: Rajon Rondo for Chris Paul

Now that that NBA lockout finally looks to be over, we can get back to all the great trade talk. Today, rumors started flying that the Celtics might trade Rajon Rondo. Chris Broussard reported that the Celtics are not actively shopping Rondo but would be willing to trade him. The rumors sent Celtics fans into a frenzy on Twitter. It now looks like Boston might have found their trade partner in New Orleans.

We left off last year talking about possible Chris Paul trades, and now were are picking right back up where we left off. The Hornets might be interested in Rondo because he is one year younger and makes about 25% less than Paul. Rumors are that the Hornets would want more than just Rondo for Paul. Most likely a third team would need to get involved. Paul has had some knee problems over the years and is entering the last year of his contract, so I can understand why they want to trade him; however, they could be in big trouble if they think the can build around Rondo as the best player.

While Rondo has had a solid career, he has never had to be the best player on his team. Even with the big three getting older, they are still carrying him and making him look much better than he is. You really want to build a guy who can't shoot at all? I know people love his defense, but the stats don't really back that up. Plus, how important is defensive play by a point guard really? When you look at the teams that have been good over the past years, none of the good teams have had a really good defender at PG.

One of the better stats out there is PER, which takes all stats and puts them into one number. Rajon Rondo's best year was a 19.18, Chris Paul's worst year is 22. When you look at PER, these players don't even look remotely close. During the past 4 years, Chris Paul has never finished the year outside the top 7 in PER overall. Paul finished as the #1 PG in all of those years. Rondo has never been better than 34th. Last year, he actually regressed in a big way and finished the year 69th overall. He ranked as the 16th best PG last year. That doesn't exactly sound like the type of guy you can build around.

If he is your best player, how does your team even score points? For his entire career, he has played with some hall of fame level scorers, and I am sure that Rondo's assist numbers would drop off a bunch without great players around him that score. Last year, Boston had the best field goal percentage in the league and has been 4th or better each of the last 4 years. If you really watch him, most of Rondo's assists come on passes to jump shots. Without great shooters, one could assume that Rondo's assists totals would be much less.

Most of his stats seemed inflated because of the talent around him, and he doesn't seem to be improving as a scorer. His free throw and 3-point percentages are actually getting worse. I don't know if he isn't working on his shot enough in the offseason, but he should be getting at least slightly better by now. Take a look at a guy like Derek Rose. When Rose came into the league he also was a terrible shooter and shot 22% from 3. He has improved his shot each of the last 2 years and is now a 33% 3-point shooter. He has only been in the league for 3 years so you would expect that he would continue to improve. Rondo, on the other hand, has been in the league for 5 years now and still shoots 23% from 3.

What Paul could look like in Celtic green.

Rondo also dropped his FT% down to 57% last year. This seemed to cause Rondo to shy away from taking it to the hoop last year. His free throws per game dropped to a career low 1.9 per game. For a guy who has no outside game, you would think he would want to get the ball to the hoop a lot more. Compare Rondo and Rose again: Rose went to the line 555 times last year, Rondo only took 132 foul shots. Not only does Rondo not score points, but he also does not get the other teams' big guys in foul trouble, an underrated contribution.

Beyond all of that, there have been whispers that Rondo might not be the best of teammates and has been very selfish at times. All of these are red flags for me, and I just don't see Rajon Rondo as a guy that you can build around if you want to be a very good team. Last year, New Orleans won 46 games and was a playoff team. If they trade Paul and don't get much more than Rondo back, they will, at the very least, lose 10 more games and likely would be one of the worst teams in the league.

As for the Celtics, adding Chris Paul works for both now and for the future. They can try to make one more run with the big 3 or completely blow it up. I know Celtisc fans love Rondo, but Paul is a top 5 player in this league and when you can get a super-star like Paul, you have to do it. It would also be interesting to see how good the Celtics can be with a real shooter at PG. With how great KG as a passer, teams would have a very tough time slowing the Celtics down. Boston should try their best to make a Rondo deal because right now he is one of the most overrated guys in the league.

Daily CBB Bet 11/29/11

Today's bet:

Duke +8 Ohio State

At Ohio State.

Logic: Ohio State is probably a better team and it should be a pretty crazy atmosphere in Columbus, but +8 is a lot of points for a Coach K team to be getting. I expect a pretty close game, with either team capable of winning. So why wouldn't I take a free 8 points?

• Ohio State's defense forces teams to take perimeter shots. Guess who loves taking and making perimeter shots?
• Duke's defense also forces teams out of the paint. So although they allow a high percentage on 2pt% shots, they don't allow many points in the paint. Maybe OSU can change that, but the scheme won't be favorable for it. OSU is a great shooting 2pt% team and very medicore from 3pt%.
• Duke has been on the receiving end of 81.5% FT shooting so far in the year, and still are 7-0 against the 22nd hardest schedule so far.
• Duke will need to keep the ball and not turn it over if they want to keep it close. Ohio State forces the 5th most turnovers per possession on defense (mostly from Aaron Craft)

This Week: 1-0

Overall 2-0

Look-a-like of the Day 11-29-11

Is it Cyclops, or really annoying lazy eyed ESPN employee Stuart Scott?

PS Stu: Your eye is about as cool as the other side of the pillow that just came out of the oven.

The 2011 Broncos = The 1989 Indians (from Major League)

Who roots harder against their team? Elway or Phelps?

Watching John Elway's stoic response to another Broncos' victory made me think (and not for the first time) that Elway is hoping that Tebow will fail. I find it pretty funny that he has publicly degraded Tebow and has not given him any credit at all. I couldn't help but naturally make a comparison between Broncos' President John Elway and Rachel Phelps, the owner of the Indians in the movie Major League. Both want to head in different directions with their franchises and are trying to lose to get there. Both outwardly root against their players. Phelps wanted to move the Indians and sign free agents, while Elway wants to clean house and start with a new quarterback. However, the misfits in both of these stories found a way to get it done. There are many similarities between the roster makeup of the two teams as well. So, I present to you the 2011 Broncos and their analogous Major League characters:

Tim Tebow = Pedro Cerrano:

Both guys certainly like their religions.

How about the similarities between these two? For one, they are both highly religious: Tebow has Jesus Christ; Cerrano had Jobu, his voodoo diety. Secondly, they both had glaring weaknesses in the sports that they played: Cerrano couldn't hit a curveball, while Tebow can't throw a football. The final similarity is that both of these guys come to play when a play needs to be made. Who can forget Pedro carrying his bat around the field after hitting the home run against the Yankees? Tebow is just as clutch, leading about 31 fourth quarter comeback drives in his 6 starts. I think Tebow might have been created in Cerrano's likeness.






Willis McGahee = Jake Taylor:

The crafty old captains

Ah, Willis and Jake. Jake was the leader and captain of the Indians. He was the old, crafty veteran that the youngsters looked up to. After bouncing around all over (including the Mexican league), Taylor found a place with the Indians. McGahee bounced around a little bit and was thought to be done. He landed with the Broncos and has been an incredible addition, taking over the role as the lead running back. Both guys were thought to be washed up, but they still had something to prove. Both Willis and Jake had their knee troubles. Jake needed multiple surgeries and had some pretty weak knees while McGahee sustained probably the grossest ACL tear I'll ever see in this lifetime. WARNING: Do not watch if you have recently eaten or are squeamish in any way.

John Fox = Charlie/Lou Brown hybrid:

I struggled with this one, so I decided to make him both characters. On one hand, Fox is the coach and leader of the team. That makes him very much like Lou Brown, the unwitting old manager of a group of misfits that come together to win. On the other hand, he's also John Elway's right-hand man, which makes him like Charlie (Phelps' assistant). He does her bidding for a time but eventually starts rooting hard for the Indians. My favorite scene involving Charlie is the last game in the film, where Phelps tells Charlie to shut up. Charlie does no such thing and sticks his tongue out at Phelps. I can just see John Fox doing this to Elway on the sidelines after another Tebow comeback victory, defying authority and loving it.

Others:

Champ Bailey = Roger Dorn: Both are older guys, were/are once superstars. They both have a chip on their shoulders and have something to prove. These vets are cornerstones of their franchises.

Eric Decker = Willie Mays Hayes: Fast guys that don't really do too much else well besides being fast. You have to take a lot of the bad with the good that they bring.

Matt Prater = Ricky Vaughn:  I had a tough time finding someone as badass as Charlie Sheen's Rick Vaughn character. Then I remembered seeing Prater's sweet tattoos and remembered he was once arrested for DUI (not as cool as playing in the California Penal League, like Wild Thing). Both guys are closers: Prater kicks game winners and Vaughn gets the big time saves.

There may be some others that I am missing, but this post is already too long as is. I'd like to hear some other suggestions or other characters I've missed. I wish I knew anything about the Broncos' radio guys, as I'm sure I could find a Bob Uecker character somewhere.

It's Fun to do Bad Things

I'm glad someone else caught this epic sound bite from Ndamukong Suh's post-stomp press conference. Word is that Suh just snatched up his grandma's car and stoinked a few mailboxes on his way to Roger Goodell's offices. Perhaps Goodell will listen to Latarian, I mean Suh, and will punish him by only "taking away videogames for the whole weekend or something". Oh Latarian.

Daily CBB Bet 11/28/11

Today's bet:

St. Mary's -10.5 over Weber State

At St. Mary's College

• St. Mary's weakness in their loss to Denver was turning the ball over. Weber State does not force turnovers.
• Weber State's signature win over Utah St. does not look as good now that Utah St. also lost to Texas Corpus Christi.
• The sample data size for St. Mary's is low, indicating a high probability of incomplete information for Vegas. This spread is likely not accurate.
• Weber State's biggest strength on defense is not allowing 2nd-chance points, but St. Mary's does not emphasize crashing the glass anyways.
• Weber State's offense is predicated on getting to the free throw line, but St. Mary's so far has the 10th lowest FT rate on defense.

Last week 1-0.

Overall 1-0.

Look-a-like of the Day 11-28-11

Is it David Wright with his post-concussion war helmet, or Gazoo from the Flinstones?

Leftovers from Feast Week

One of the underrated parts of Thanksgiving is that there is always too much, so everyone has to take some leftovers with them. Some people get pie, others leftover turkey for sandwiches, while the lucky ones get a full to-go plate.

So what did your favorite team take home from Feast Week?

Duke Blue Devils: Confidence. In a year where some people called it the best Maui field ever (I disagree vehemently, because let's be honest, UCLA was there), Duke played tough and earned a few well-fought wins. Most writers thought Duke to be on a 2nd tier this season, but with UNC's loss and Duke's tournament win, Duke is definitely on the rise. Coach K isn't the all-time wins leader for nothing, and his team played harder and smarter than everyone else, as usual. Austin Rivers had a few holes revealed in his game, but Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly stepped their games up to compensate.

North Carolina Tar Heels: Humility. It's not easy going wire-to-wire as the poll leader, in fact it's darn near impossible (obligatory thank god this isn't college football quip). They seem to have avoided a Harrison Barnes injury scare, so this loss should be good for them. Roy Williams has plenty of weapons at his disposal, so talent is definitely not the issue. Perhaps shot selection is? Making more foul shots would help too.

Connecticut Huskies: Ryan Boatright. Anyone who watched the Florida State game could see why UConn was awaiting Boatright's eligibility with bated breath. He adds much needed depth and energy at guard for Connecticut, who had really only Napier and Lamb (plus walk-on Brendan Allen) at that spot previously. Many in Connecticut are saying if only he had had a 5-game suspension...

Saint Louis Billikens: Relevance. Saint Louis really had a filling week, chowing down on major conference competition. They beat 4 major conference teams (including 2 in KenPom's top 50) en route to the 76 Classic Championship (and yes, I just had to google how to spell Billikens). They are the beautiful team that forces turnovers but doesn't give it up themselves. In fact, they remind me a lot of the Fredette BYU teams: get a field goal advantage, hit a large volume of 3-pointers, don't crash the offensive boards, protect the paint, win 30 games. Well Rick Majerus has them on that path anyways. P.S. Any time Rick Majerus is mentioned I am contractually obligated to link to this clip.

Syracuse Orangemen: Uncertainty. Despite the Bernie Fine mess, Syracuse won the NIT Season Tip-Off. However, with news that Fine has been fired, questions surround Boeheim's future. He may not be fired, but there is a cloud surrounding the team now. The team itself is a bit uncertain as well. They did not play particularly good offense in the tournament, but their defense was very good. They also have a bit of an identity crisis because their vocal leader, Scoop Jardine, is being supplanted by younger, more talented players. Jardine is only averaging 18 minutes a game so far on the year. The clouds could break and the team could have a great season (they are still undefeated and in the top 5 after all), but right now things are very grey.

Missouri Tigers: A press embargo? How can a team this good not be talked about? They just absolutely demolished Notre Dame (with Abromaitis) and a really good Cal team to win the CBE Classic. Frank Haith hit the absolute jackpot by leaving the Miami mess before it all went down and inheriting this much talent at Mizzou. Marcus Denmon and Kim English are both averaging 15+ points, 5+ rebounds, 1+ steals, 55% FG shooting, and 44% 3-point shooting on the year.

Running Blog: SNF Week 12 (Pitt v KC)

 

Okay, we didn't really do a running blog of this game, and it's a good thing we didn't. If we had, it probably would have looked something like this:

Sometime between 8:30 and 11:30: Would the Chiefs be better with Shane Falco than Tyler Palko? It looked like he was trying to throw those two interceptions right to Steeler defenders.

Sometime between 8:30 and 11:30: Why doesn't Todd Haley shave or make himself look presentable? At least look like you have a clue. (And because it's too obvious to use this as a daily one...) I loved Mike Tomlin in House, oh wait, that wasn't Mike Tomlin?

Sometime between 8:30 and 11:30: Ew, this is a gross game.

Sometime between 8:30 and 11:30: Why am I still watching this?

Sometime between 8:30 and 11:30: Is there any Japanese soccer on?

Sometime between 8:30 and 11:30: *Pondering contraction in the NFL*

Sometime between 8:30 and 11:30: And Palko throws a backbreaking interception while Dwayne Bowe doesn't show any effort at all. Pretty embarrassing overall. Thank god this game is over now though; I can now watch more Tebow hatred on ESPN.

"I see your coaching mistakes, and I raise"

These are the words that Norv Turner seemed to utter to John Fox in the final minute of overtime in today's must win matchup against their division rival Broncos. With about three minutes left in the game, the Broncos dropped Mike Tolbert for a loss at the 35 yard line on a third down play. Instead of John Fox calling a timeout instantly after the play (in case San Diego missed the field goal), he waited until there were two seconds left on the play clock to stop the clock. In this situation, you have to either stop the clock right away with a TO, or save that possibly much needed timeout for the game-winning field goal drive.

This was only the beginning of the coaching gaffes from the overtime. After San Diego missed their game winning field goal attempt, Tebow and Denver drove down the field to put themselves in field goal range. Willis McGahee barged 24 yards on a read option to get down to the Chargers' 17 yard line with a little under two minutes remaining. The next play, Tebow centered the ball on a kneel play to the 19 yard line with 1:17 to play in the game.

Instead, of calling a time out in case Prater missed the field goal, Norv Turner decided to let the clock run down. But this wasn't even the biggest coaching mistake of the play. Denver's kicking unit got on the field late, and with no timeouts, they were about to take a delay of game penalty to set them back for a not so automatic 42-43 yard field goal. Don't worry Broncos fans, Tim Tebow seemed to use his Jedi Mind Tricks to convince Norv Turner to call a timeout with exactly one second left on the play clock to bail out the Broncos.

This prevented the delay of game and washed away John Fox's mistake in the process. Though the outcome of the game may have not been changed by these terrible coaching mistakes, coaches like these (Fox and Turner) will cost the team probably one or two games a year because of terrible clock/game management like the examples from the end of this game.

San Diego is all but eliminated from the playoffs after dropping to 4-7. When will Norv be fired?

He's Baaaaack

After what has been a mostly disappointing season for Chris Johnson, he might finally be back. Today against Tampa he had 190 yards on 23 carries. It could have been a really big day, but CJ didn't score and only had 1 catch for 3 yards. They seemed to use Javon Ringer on more snaps than CJ for some reason. I didn't see CJ in there too much on 3rd downs. Considering this was a close game throughout, you would think they would want to stick with the hot hand. But what do I know, Ringer did have whole 18 yards on 13 touches.

This marks CJ's 2nd big game in 3 weeks. Most CJ owners have been very disappointed by what CJ has done to this point, but if they are still alive, they might be able to make a run at the title. The schedule is also pretty solid for him in the fantasy playoffs.

Week 14- Saints allow 14th most points against RBs.

Week 15- Colts 3rd most allowed

Week 16- Jags 24th most allowed

The Jags game could be tough, but I think if CJ got you to your championship game, you would be pretty happy. They will also need to start using him more in the passing game and at the goal line for him to fully breakout. Considering how many RB injuries there have been, at least CJ is still alive and it looks like he may be poised to salvage the season.

Matt Leinart era over before it began

It looks like the Matt Leinart era is already over in Houston. He was hit in the 2nd quarter and landed on his left shoulder. There are reports that it is a broken collarbone and this would end his season. The Texans are now down to T.J. Yates who is a rookie out of UNC. Texans look like they are in trouble at QB and might have to sign a veteran now. I wonder what Brett Favre is up to.

At least this gives Leinart more time to party it up. It is amazing how many pictures there are online of him partying. The man has lived one hell of a life.

Look-a-like of the Day 11-26-11

Is it hip hop artist Akon, or Jets' wide receiver Santonio holmes?

Turkey Day NFL Headlines

Another Ho-Hum Kind of Day for Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers and the Packers dominated the Lions in a 27-15 victory that was not as close as the final score indicates. There wasn't much scoring in the first half, but the Packers scored on their first two possessions of the second half to put it out of reach. Not much else to say about this game besides that the Packers look to be rolling; an undefeated season is very much possible at this point. The biggest newsworthy item from this game was Ndamukong Suh's stomp attempt. He is very much living up to the stigma of being a dirty player. His comments after the game were startling. Suh seemed to think that he hadn't done anything wrong and insinuated that the public is making him out to be a villain. Actions like this have no place in sports, and he should be punished accordingly. If he doesn't learn to stop this bullish behavior, he could be in trouble for the long haul. All I'd ask right now is for Suh to at least acknowledge his mistakes and apologize. It doesn't look like we're even going to get that far.

Romo Leads Game-Winning Drive

At first glance, the now 7-3 Cowboys beating a now 3-7 Dolphins team doesn't seem to be a big deal; however, I believe that this is a very underrated Dolphins team. Matt Moore has played surprisingly well, Reggie Bush is running with attitude, and Brandon Marshall can be a beast. The defense has also played very well - they have only given up two touchdowns in their last four games. Romo threw two interceptions early, but overcame them to eventual lead the Cowboys to a 20-19 victory. The Dolphins couldn't convert on the Cowboys' end of the field, settling for four field goals. Look for the Dolphins to be an underrated bet the rest of the season, and I'm sure that you can find value there.

The Harbaugh Bowl: A Snoozefest

What a boooooring game this was. I know the football "purists" out there would like to have you think that this was good old-fashioned football, and it very well might have been. The problem is that no one used to watch football back then, because it wasn't fun or interesting (and they wore leather helmets). Both of these coaches did a miserable job in this game, especially Jim (Alex Smith was sacked 9!!! times). Both teams ran the ball far too often (52 runs averaging 3.19 yards per attempt) and displayed some poor play-calling. Jim and the 49ers threw more often than the Ravens because they were behind for most of the second half of this game. I did a quick re-watch of the game. The Ravens disguised their blitzes and actually blitzed pretty often. Of the 37 pass plays run by the 49ers, not one was a screen! Against an aggressive, blitzing team, what better play to run than a screen? Also, of those 37 pass plays, only 9 of them (24%) were 3 step drops or quick passes. The other 28 were 5 or 7-step drops. In the 9 quick-passes, Smith went 7-9 for 54 yards, 6 yards per play, no sacks. On the other hand, during the other 28 plays (long dropbacks), Smith was 8-15 for 86 yards, 2 runs for 12 yards, was sacked 9 times for 44 yards, and had a 15 yard intentional grounding penalty. So, on these 28 plays, they netted a total of 39 yards. That's absolutely pathetic. Why did they not run more quick passes or even try a screen? That's just bad coaching. The NFL is a coaching league, and Jim called plays very poorly. That's not to say that brother John did a great job either, but Jim's glaring mistakes really cost the 49ers a chance to keep pace with the undefeated Packers for homefield throughout the NFC playoffs.

Look-A-like of the Day 11-25-11

Is it Saints' offensive lineman Pat McQuistan or the freaky kid from the 80's movie Mask?

Prop of the Day

Jeremichael Finley +950 to score the first TD in the Packers/Lions game.

Week 12 Confidence Picks

We have another hell week on our hands. We are about to hit the home stretch and this week could be make or break. I moved up another spot playing it safe and I am mostly going to stick to that play. I will let my opponents make the mistakes.

Current Standings:

913 points

1 weekly win

6th out of 110

Home teams are in bold, percentage is the percentage of people that are currently picking each team.

16- Steelers (98%) over Chiefs, I think Ben can party all week long, this one should be easy.

15- Falcons (98%) over Vikings, Adrian Peterson might not be playing in this one and since he pretty much is there whole offense they don't have a chance without him.

14- Jets (87%) over Bills, This Bills were a flash in the pan and Fitzpatrick is finally showing his true colors. Jets need to win to stay in the playoff hunt.

13- Packers (76%) over Lions

12- Cowboys (88%) over Dolphins

11- Pats (86%) over Eagles, I really wish i knew more about who the Eagles will have at QB for this one. It looks like it will be Vince Young so I will go with the Pats. I think the Eagles D can slow down the Pats but I am not sure the Eagles can score enough with Young at QB.

{UPDATE} Nnamdi was carted off at Eagles practice this morning so I move the Pats way up. This is a death blow for the Eagles.

10- Saints (87%) over Giants. The Saints are perfect at home this year and I don't see that changing this week.

9- Texans (90%) over Jags, The Texans lost Schaub for the season 2 weeks ago but I still think they are a very good team. The have not been much of a passing team over the past month and I think they will stick to the ground game. They also get Andre Johnson back this week.

8- Panthers (85%) over Colts

7- Ravens (52%) over 49ers

6- Bengals (96%) over Browns, Cincy lost last week but is still in the lead to take the final wild card spot and they need to win easy ones like this if they are going to stay in that spot.

5- Titans (53%) over Bucs

4- Rams (58%) over Cardinals

3- Bears (32%) over Raiders, Caleb Hanie in at QB for the Bears but I still think they can win this on defense. I still don't believe in Carson Palmer and this will be the 1st real defense he has faced. I dont think he can rise to the occasion.

2- Broncos (33%) over Chargers, I don't really understand why the Chargers are bad but they are so I have to pick against them in this one. Plus I have to pick Tebow.

1- Seahawks (79%) over Redskins

Look-a-like of the Day 11-24-11

Is it Newman picturing Kramer as dinner, or your Thanksgiving turkey? Happy Thanksgiving!