Heartbreak City!!!

This is blasphemy.

Yahoo Sports Blogger Jay Busbee has come out with a list of the 50 worst announcers in sports today. Even though I am not on the list (and that will stay that way), I have to take issue, primarily, with one selection.

13. Gus Johnson: Only when he's screaming five minutes into an ordinary game

WHAT!!??

Gus Johnson is currently the premier Play-by-Play announcer in the world. How can he be NUMBER 13, let alone on this list, in general?

Also, Busbee's explanation for Gus being on the list seems to work against itself.

The reason why Gus Johnson screams is because he is excited about what he gets to see. If Danilo Gallinari crosses Kobe Bryant, drives to the basket and dunks over Andrew Bynum, this Monday, midway through the 1st quarter, I would expect Gus to get animated.

And his enthusiasm makes "ordinary" games extraordinary.

He is the LeBron James of announcing. Take him out of the lineup, and the rest of the team performs exponentially worse.

But at least they didn't put Walt 'Clyde' Frazier on this list.



Also, Michael Kay made the list at number 49, which I'm not thrilled about.


--Max Caster

Raiders Name Head Coach

Sources are indicating the Oakland Raiders have, once again, found somebody stupid enough to take on their head coaching duties.

That man...

Tom Cable.

In less than one year, you can add him to the long list of coaches who hate Al Davis and the Raiders organization.

Mike Shanahan
Bill Callahan
Jon Gruden
Art Shell (x2)
Lane Kiffin

And so on...


The black hole is the most appropriate nickname for anything in the history of the world. This is the place that derailed Randy Moss' career.

Good luck, Cable!

-Max Caster

Pettitte Signs with Yankees

From Newsday:

Andy Pettitte will stay a Yankee.The 36-year-old lefthander signed a one-year deal Monday for a base salary of slightly less than $6 million, with incentives that could push the total to $12 million. A conference call was scheduled for Monday afternoon.

Pettitte went 14-14 with 4.54 earned-run average last season for the Yankees, the second season of his second stint with the team, but he went 2-7 over his final 11 starts while pitching with a sore shoulder.

He turned down a one-year deal for a guaranteed $10-million three weeks ago after making $16-million in 2008, but found the free-agent market had dried up. His return provides the Yankees with a veteran presence at the back of a rotation that will feature new additions C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, plus youngsters Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain.

My response:





And why can't they sign Ben Sheets...?


-Max Caster

Some trivia...

What do Mardy Collins, Brett Ratliff, Brad Smith and Danilo Gallinari all have in common?

...



...


...

When they get minutes, they produce.


ROLL CALL


Ratliff!



Mardy! (featuring the last great DJ Premier beat)



Roosta!



Don't hate... appreciate.

And you wilin' if you don't like that Yo-Yo dribble, Matt.

Max Caster

Okay This Needs to Stop Seriously...

So I was taking a break from my Friday Night Lights marathon (thanks a lot Mike T.) and I figured I'd check out the WCWP Sports blog.

Honestly, this Danilo Gallinari love-fest has spread faster than a California wildfire. It needs to stop now. I know what I am going to hear from people like Mike, Max, and maybe even Jordan. The Knicks are outplaying their opponents when the Roosta is on the court, he's hitting down his shots, he's one of the better European defenders, blah, blah, blah.

Okay, so the guy is putting up 6-10 points a night right now. But let's see how consistent this is. My only knock on the guy is that back problems can be chronic and he's 19 which is a red flag. I also believed that with the 6th pick in the draft I felt the Knicks should have drafted Eric Gordon or D.J. Augustin.

However, what we have now is Mr. Gallanari in New York. I will agree to no longer judge the man until I have seen a greater sample size. Let's not crown him to be the next big thing. Caster has a tendency to do that with guys (i.e. Brad Smith, Brett Ratliff, and Mardy Collins)

Let's be realistic and take this a game at a time. But man, that was crossover was so gross...(i mean that in a bad way)

-Matt Soldano

DANILO!!

Danilo Gallinari is beginning to become one of my favorite players, mostly because he's playing very well immediately after missing over 30 games with a back ailment.

Plus, you need to see the runner he pulled out tonight against the Grizzles.



Here's a crazy crossover from Summer League.



And here are his plays from the game against the Suns.



Max Caster

Double Alley-Oop

This cheered me up after I heard that Brian Schottenheimer was staying with the Jets.





-Max Caster

Schotty to Stay

ESPN is reporting that Rex Ryan will retain offensive coordinator Brian Shottenheimer and apparently Shottenheimer has agreed to remain in green and white.

Two interesting subplots to go along with this story:

1. Reportedly, Shottenheimer told the Jet brass that he would not, under any circumstances, work under Rex Ryan. Was this a ploy to get the big job? Probably. We'd heard all month long that the Johnsons and Mike Tanenbaum were smitten with Shottenheimer. The only thing that kept them from hiring him for the big job was a fear that it would be nearly impossible to sell it to the fans (I, for one, would have done everything short of disowning the team I have grown up loving). Schottenheimers "ultimatum" was obviously an empty threat...and a pretty transparent one at that. Or it was an altogether false report.

2. Now it's time to test the theory that Shottenheimer was handcuffed by Eric Mangini. All season long, the main criticism of Shotty was his refusal to live and die with the running game. Although the running game was the strength of the Jet offense, Shottenheimer would routinely pass on obvious rushing downs. How many times did we yell and scream about Thomas Jones only getting 15-18 carries and Leon Washington only getting 2-5? It was naturally assumed that this fell on the shoulders of the offensive coordinator. Apparently, this may not be the case. A theory has surfaced that Eric Mangini had his hands more entrenched in the offensive game plan then we thought. This means that the Jets apparent refusal run the ball may have been more the fault of Mangini then it was of Shottenheimer. I actually believe this theory because of the football back round that Shottenheimer has. It always seemed odd to me that the spawn of Marty "Martyball" Shottenheimer would have such trouble managing a run game. It almost goes against all logic. The way the running game is managed this season will shed a lot of light on the validity of that theory. You can't tell me that a hard nosed, tough guy like Rex Ryan is going to be shy about running the football...

More Later on Fourth Down....

6:30 pm on youcastr.com

OR

9:00 pm on mywcwp.com


Jordan Lauterbach

I'm A Believer

I'll freely admit it. I was fundamentally against the hiring of a Rex Ryan type coach from the start. Even before Eric Mangini was let go, I thought that the right direction to go was one of experience. Let's face it, the first time head coach just hadn't worked for the Jets in recent years. Herm Edwards was decent, but ultimately ended in calamity. Eric Mangini was a wunderkind for a season, but it quickly became evident that he was a horrible in-game coach. Even Al Groh was a vaunted genius for a time and then ran away quicker then a pardoned death row inmate leaves a penitentiary. The last period of sustained success for the Jets had been under Bill Parcells. Parcells was one of the most accomplished and respected coaches at the time (and still is), and it showed. To return to that era, an era in which competitiveness was almost guaranteed, I thought the Jets needed to hire a guy like Bill Cower, Marty Shotenheimer, or even Brian Billick. Many of the Jets problems this year were a direct result of Mangini being an inexperienced head coach who more often than not, looked like he was in over his head.


But after hearing Rex Ryans press conference yesterday, my feelings have changed. I have bought in. Rex said all the right things and appears more prepared for the job than anyone could be. His five hour power point will prove evidence to that. I was utterly captivated by everything Ryan said at the press conference yesterday. He talked about toughness. He talked about physicality. He talked about identity. These are all things that the Jets lacked on both sides of the ball during last season's collapse. But what I liked most is that he talked about winning.

On Sports Talk for Dummies last night, I joked that Rex "had me at hello". All kidding and bad movie puns aside, their is an element of truth to this statement. The first thing Ryan said when he came up to the podium was this: "with all the cameras and all that, I was looking for our new president back there. I think we'll get to meet him in the next couple of years anyway."... Rex is certainly not the first coach to mention the Super Bowl in his introductory press conference and you can bet that he won't be the last, but I was still struck by the confidence and swagger with which he said it. The goals are clear with Ryan. Theirs no "we'll take what comes". Theirs no "rolling with the punches". Their is no coach speak. The goal is the Super Bowl and Ryan makes no bones about that. He's not afraid to say it either and it appears as if he's not afraid to fail. More often then not in sports, you will succeed when you aren't afraid of failure. Eric Mangini and Herm Edwards fear of failure was palpable, even transparent and comical at times. You could see it in their eyes, you could read it in their quotes. Ryan appears ready to face that fear...and promptly smack it in the mouth.

With Ryan, The Jets are finally beginning to form their own identity. For too long they have tried to be the New England Patriots. With the hiring of Eric Mangini came the Patriot way. Life in Jet land was about over preparation and secrecy. It was about trying to out-genius Bill Belicheck and looking like buffoons in the process. That style of organizational structure has worked wonders in Foxboro, but never fit the Jets quite right. It always seemed like they were the annoying little brother trying desperately to act exactly like the bullying, domineering older brother. This seldom works in real life and never worked for the Jets. Ryan will bring an old school toughness that has been lacking during the search for the next great football genius. "The message to the rest of the league is 'Hey the Jets are coming and we're going to give you everything we've got, and that's going to be, I think, more then you can handle" said Ryan when referring to his teams toughness. "The players will have each others backs, and if you take a swipe at one of ours, we'll take a swipe at two of yours." Did you ever think you'd hear something as candid and honest from a Jets head coach as this. Sure, Edwards was honest and quirky, but aside from his "you play to win the game speech", he never spoke with this kind of drive and vigor. Their is a distinct and shallow difference between being candid and being confident. Ryan spoke with a confidence that is both exciting and direct.

Ryan was a great hire because he's different. It didn't take more then a few sentences for me to buy in. If I buy in that quickly, I can only imagine how fast the players will. But for now, I will act as the conductor of the REXpress. Get on it!

Jordan Lauterbach

The Anti-Eric

"With all the cameras and all that I was looking for our new president back there. You know, I think we'll get to meet him the next couple years anyway."

That was the first thing Rex Ryan said to the media, at his press conference, today. Without a doubt, that solidifies his characterization as the opposite of Eric Mangini, in terms of public personality.

Let's see how he does as a coach.

-Max Caster

The Perfect Offensive Coordinator.

It is no secret that Brian Schottenheimer was one of the most notable reasons for the demise of the New York Jets, late in 2008. It surprises me that he was even considered for the Jets' head coaching gig, much less to return as Offensive Coordinator. Now with the hiring of Rex Ryan, there is a much better chance that Scottenheimer will not return to New York, in any capacity. As the Offensive Coordinator spot is potentially opening, I cannot help but realize that the perfect man for the job is currently without a job, although he may not be unemployed for too much longer. That's why the Rex Ryan and Jets management need to hurry, and scoop up Mike Martz to be the team's new offensive coordinator.

Martz would be a perfect fit because of his past work with young quarterbacks, and can come in and aid Brett Ratliff on his way to being the starter.

Martz was the Washington Redskins' quarterbacks coach in 1997 & 1998. In those years, the team's QBs had experienced greater success than they had in any professional year before. In 1996, gus Frerotte had a Touchdown to Interception ratio of 12/11, in 16 games. One year later, under Martz, he improved his ratio to 17/12, in only 13 games. That would be his best year until 2005, with Miami.

Coming into the 1998 season, Trent Green had very little NFL experience. He was cut by the San Diego Chargers in 1993, went to Canada. In 1997, he was signed by the Redskins. He appeared in one game; throwing only one pass that whole year. The next year, as a starter, Green threw for 3,441 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with a 57.4 completion percentage.

After Washington, Martz moved on to the St. Louis Rams, where he was the offensive Coordinator for one year, and the head coach for five more. That's where Martz encountered, undoubtedly, his greatest product.

In the beginning of his professional career, Kurt Warner was always good, but a transition to the NFL was always questioned. After 3 great years in the Arena Football League and NFL Europe, Warner got his first shot in the NFL, in 1998, when he was picked up by the Rams as a backup quarterback. That year, he saw limited action; completing 4 of his 11 passing attempts.

In 1999, Martz arrived with the Rams, and soon thereafter, Starting Quarterback Trent Green was injured in a preseason contest. Kurt Warner, who had only thrown 11 passes in the NFL, was called upon to start under center, for the Rams. The rest was history, as Warner led the Rams to a Super Bowl victory; connecting on over 65% of his passes and throwing for 4,353 yards, 41 touchdowns & 13 picks. The next two years, Warner was just as good, and led the team to a Super Bowl appearance in 2001.

Brett Ratliff is extremely comparable to Trent Green, in 1998, and Kurt Warner, in 1999. All are guys who had/have an immense amount of talent, but are unable to display it due to a lack of opportunity (Mardy Collins...?). Ratliff can flourish under Martz and can turn into the quarterback of the future his tutelage.

Of course, Warner had the help of receivers such as Isaac Bruse, Torry Holt, Az-Zahir Hakim, Ricky Proehl and Marshall Faulk out of the backfield. I guess now is the best time to mention tha Martz was also a pretty good Wide Receivers Coach.

He held that position in 1995 & 1996 with St. Louis. In those years, Isaac Bruce had two All-Pro seasons; puting up his career best numbers, in '95, in which he amassed 119 passes, 1,781 yards and 13 touchdowns. In his first year as Offensive Coordinator for the Detroit Lions, both Roy Williams and Mike Furrey had their career years.

With young, somewhat underused receivers like Chansi Stuckey, Jerricho Cotchery and Brad Smith, Mike Martz will be able to give these guys more opportunities to make plays.

In addition, Jon Kitna was able to pass for over 4,000 yards and complete over 62% of his passes in both of the years he played in Martz's offense. When Martz left the team after the 2007 , Kitna's play regressed and was pulled after 4 games into the 0-16 2008 season.

Like Vince from the ShamWow commercial says: "I don't know... it sells itself." I feel the same way about Martz getting the Offensive Coordinator position with the Jets. He does a great job of exploiting talent on his team, which is exactly what an underachieving team like the Jets need.

Max Caster

The Look of Defeat

First off, don't forget to listen to The Edge tonight at 9pm EST onn http://mywcwp.com/ to hear Newsday's Jets Beat Writer Erik Boland talk to Jordan Lauterbach about the hiring of Rex Ryan.

Here is an exclusive picture of Matt Soldano after Troy Polamalu sealed the fate of Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens.

[Click here] for the full sized image.

Look at that shot. I should be majoring in photography.

Max Caster

Tonight on The Edge...

Erik Boland of Newsday will be joining us to talk about Rex Ryan and the conclusion of the Jet coaching search.....



See you at 9pm (eastern) on mywcwp.com



Jordan Lauterbach

REX RYAN IS THE NEW HEAD COACH OF THE JETS

Well, reportedly at least.

Check out what friend of WCWP Erik Boland has to say about it.


When Mangini was fired, I was completely against hiring a first time head coach unless it was Spags. But now my tune has changed. Ryan will be a good fit here. He's a proponent of the 3-4 defense, comes from a fantastic football family, and will bring swagger and toughness to a defense that we all know needed some towards the end of the year.

Their will be tons more of this on The Edge tonight as we debut a new look to the show with not one, but TWO new co-hosts. Should be fun. See ya at 9pm (eastern) on mywcwp.com!

Jordan Lauterbach

The Most Valuable Player the Knicks Traded Away?

Back on November 21st, 2008, the New York Knicks made two trades to acquire Tim Thomas, Cuttino Mobley and Al Harrington. Some talent is present in that group of players, but there isn't as much as there is in the group they sent away. New York, along with some of their identity as a team, traded away their best player, and it could come back to bite them.

In 26 games, Jamal Crawford is the leading scorer for the Golden State Warriors, with 20.4 points a game, with a 41.6% field goal percentage, and is second in assists; averaging 4.9 each game. He is also proving his stamina and late game presence by averaging 38.2 minutes, including a 60 minute, triple overtime performance on Wednesday against Sacramento.

Zach Randolph is still the top scorer on the LA Clippers with 23.1 points a game, despite missing the team's last 11 games with a bruised knee. He's shooting 48% from the floor and is the second best rebounder behind Marcus Camby, with 9.9 a game.

But most surprising of all, Mardy Collins has filled in extraordinarily at guard, for the Clippers. Since the start of January, Collins has averaged 12.8 points, 6.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals a game. Given playing time, he has made himself one of the Clippers' most important players.

This recent surge also proves that Mardy was one of New York's most valuable players, before the trade. In a more competitive Western Conference, Mardy has been a dominant passer and acceptional scorer; two aspects of his game that were always questioned when he was with the Knicks. It is amazing to see what someone can do when handed playing time and the confidence of the coach (Brett Ratliff...?).

Look at the Knicks before the trade. They had two point guards who were given floor time: Chris Duhon, who was playing a mediocre point guard at the start of the season, and Jamal Crawford, who really isn't a point guard. In addition, Mardy Collins was planted on the bench by Mike D'Antoni.

D'Antoni was clearly unaware of Collins' talent and did not see the end of his rookie season. At the end of February 2007, Collins began to start for the Knicks. Throughout nine games in March of that year, he put up 14.8 points, 5.8 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals; numbers extremely similar to this year with Los Angeles.

After the November 21st trade, the Knicks were left with one point guard: Chris Duhon, who, to his credit, played incredibly when New York had a trungcated rotation. But no one who could produce was there to fill in for Duhon when fatigue set in. Nate Robinson is an above average scorer, but cannot pass like Duhon or Collins. Anthony Roberson is a good outside shooter, but does not have much else to his game.

If Donnie Walsh hadn't traded Mardy Collins, he would have established himself as an exceptional alternative to Chris Duhon. Now, without having drafted a point guard, the Knicks are left with no backup point guard to alleviate Duhon of some minutes and exhaustion.

Just another reason why the Knicks were wrong for trading 3 of their best players in exchange for a possibility to sign LeBron James in 2010.

--I was very happy to see Danilo Gallinari get back on the court last night and score 6 points. I really hope he works out with the Knicks. He seems like a nice enough guy and an extremely good player.


Max Caster

The Sportswire: Thursdays at 9pm EST on WCWP
The Replacements: Fridays at 2pm EST on WCWP
Over the Ropes: Saturdays at 10pm EST on WCWP

Marbury Loosens Stance on Buyout

The New York Post is reporting that Knicks Point Guard Stephon Marbury has offered to give the Knicks 1 million of his 22 million dollars owed to him, if the team gives him a buyout.

I feel that Marbury should be granted his release. He brings nothing but negativity to the Knicks and draws the media away from the actual on-court stories. Also, I hate to see players who are on poor terms with their team be buried, in terms of playing time, as Marbury is with the Knicks.

However, with several rumors circulating, stating that Marbury has a good chance to get a job with the Celtics, Donnie Walsh's situation becomes more complex. Even if Boston is the second best team in the East, and is a lock to make the playoffs, why would Walsh want to allow them to get Marbury and become even better? And if Marbury goes to the Celtics, there is a chance that he will have an outstanding game against New York.

From a Donnie Walsh perspective, you have to keep Stephon marbury under wraps for the remainder of his deal.

Max Caster

Better than the Barack Obama coins...

... it's the Brett Favre coins (and gold plated card)!!

I think Mr. Bodenstein of Locker Room Memorabilia has solved the United States' economic problems. By puting Brett Favre's glorious mug on some US Mint, the value of each coin increases tenfold. Kudos, Bodenstein.

Here is an exclusive look at the coins from Home Shopping.


I'm going to buy these for Jordan Lauterbach, just so he can always remember that he was wrong, and I was right.

I jest, of course... or do I? I do.

Max Caster

Don't Trade Nady.

Ken Davidoff of Newsday has reported that the New York Yankees are looking to move either Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher, and are leaning more towards trading Nady. Nady, who hit 12 homeruns and drove in 40 runs in 59 games for the Yankees (25 homeruns, 97 RBIs, .305 average, and a .510 Slugging % in 148 games in 2008), was acquired, along with Relief Pitcher Dámaso Marté by New York in a July 2008 trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In return, the Yankees shipped off Jose Tabata, Russ Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens and Dan McCutchen. Nick Swisher came to the Yankees via a trade with the Chicago White Sox, where New York sent Wilson Betemit and two high-level prospects back. Swisher hit 24 homeruns and 69 RBIs with a .332 on-base percentage, in 2007.

I am surprised that Nady is even involved in trade talks. He is a consistent player; hitting for average and has the ability to hit homeruns. He is a proven major league outfielder and a proven performer in New York, which is evidenced by the second half of 2008 and half of 2006 when he was with the Mets. In addition, he was obtained at a relatively low price.

Swisher, on the other hand, has never hit for average; something the Yankees do not need in their lineup one year removed from missing the playoffs. Although he is a utility man, the Yankees can fill that void with several promising players. Alberto Gonzalez and Cody Ransom are capable of playing every position in the infield, and a fourth outfielder, whether it be Brett Gardner, Melky Cabrera or another, can fill a backup corner outfield spot.

Sources indicate that New York is talking to the Reds about a possible trade. I would be ecstatic if they could get either Bronson Arroyo or Aaron Harang; two above average starting pitchers who are coming off of disappointing years. Arroyo went 15-11 with a 4.77 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP.

Harang, who would appear to be more of a letdown than Arroyo, had a record of 6-17, with a 4.78 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. While a pitchers record could be misleading, most baseball analysts will look at that first, along with ERA. Therefore, I would not put a massive amount of stake in his record and attribute it to a down year. In 2007, Harang had a much better season; the ideal year for a #2 starter in the National League. Throughout his entire career in Cincinnati, Harang has put up the numbers of a typical NL #2 or #3 starter. That's why he would be the perfect fit as the #5 starter for the Yankees.

New York needs another pitcher for the end of the rotation. Phil Hughes is still unproven, Darrell Rasner is off to Japan, Dan Giese is a great long reliever, and Joba Chamberlain is a relief pitcher. Oh yeah. Ian Kennedy and Kei Igawa. Enough said.

I think Swisher can cause this deal to happen just on name and potential alone, but New York is a win now team, and they need another starting pitcher. They have a prime opportunity to make that happen with the Reds.

In sort of a sidenote, the Yankees should try and get Micah Owings in a deal with the Reds as well. He started off extremely strong with Arizona and fell off dramatically. His demise resulted in a trip to Cincinnati's farm system.

With all that said, there is only one way I would trade Xavier Nady. The Yankees would have to sign Manny Ramirez. (I almost exploded when I thought of the Yankees lineup with Manny.) Barring that, which is not likely to happen, especially when New York is trying to lower their payroll, Xavier Nady is too valuable to this lineup to let go. I'm still wondering why they let Bobby Abreu go.

EDIT: Another alternative to trading Nady is to try and move Johnny Damon. His stock will most likely never be as high as it is right now. Trade him before the season starts and he begins playing like a 35 year old.
------------

The only other starter the Yankees should consider is Oliver Perez, and with Spring Training set to start in a few weeks, his price will most likely go down. I'm surprised the Mets haven't signed him. But I suppose that won't happen after they got Tim Redding.

In summary:

Don't trade Nady.

We want Manny.


Max Caster

Bowl Mania Day 16- The Final Game

Its all come down to this. Ok, I know that sounds cliche, but isn't it the ultimate truth. This is the only game that the average College Football fan thinks has any merit at all. And this year, some don't even believe that. Their are some (like one Matt Suldano) who believe that this game should be for third place. Their are tons of things wrong with both the theories, but that's for another column. One that I will write in the coming days. Sure, their are problems. Even I, a staunch and rigid defender of the BCS system, don't love the match up. If you've read my columns in the last week, I've made it pretty evident that I think USC would whip both these team. However, I am also willing to accept the match up that the system in place gave us. Would a playoff be awesome? Absolutely. Would it give us different results? Probably. But here's the real question when considering the BCS and its validity. Is it the best non-playoff system? Is it leaps and bounds better then the system that was in place? I think the answer to both questions is a resounding yes. So I am willing to consider whoever wins tonight the national champion. I am willing to believe that the team that wins it is the one who deserves to hold up the trophy with pride. If I was a voter (and I hope one day I will be), I would notch my reed (kudos to all who got that reference) for tonight's winner. I am a college football lover. Could it be better? Yes. But I am willing to go along with the premise. Especially because I don't believe it to be an outlandish one. Hey, you can argue with me about this till dawn, but for now its about one final game. One big game.

FedEx BCS National Championship Game- #1 Oklahoma v. #2 Florida- For the record, I don't think a lot of teams could beat Florida. I really could care less what Dominique Franks thinks, Tim Tebow is one of the top two quarterbacks in the nation. However, number one is Sam Bradford and Oklahoma is one of the few teams that can beat Florida. Tebow came off a Heisman trophy winning season and arguably improved himself. The knock on Tebow was his ability to play the traditional role of quarterback and not the hybrid he had previously been used as. He answered all the critics within the first few weeks of the season. Tebow threw for 28 touchdown passes and was only picked off twice. His completion percentage hovered around the 65 percent mark. In 2007, Tebow threw for more touchdowns, but also threw four more interceptions. Ironically, his touchdown to interception ratio was identical, but he still looked way more comfortable in the pocket and made smarter decisions. Again, few college quarterbacks could outplay Tebow. Bradford just happens to be one of them. Bradford threw for 48 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards. He may have thrown six interceptions to Tebows two, but that may also be because Oklahoma throws the ball more. Also, interceptions aren't always the quarterbacks fault, and given Bradford's accuracy, its easy to infer that the guy doesn't make a ton of mistakes. He has a completion percentage nearing 69 percent. That is almost unreal considering the ball left his hand over 440 times. The quote floating around is that Bradford could "win a lot of teddy bears at the fair". While this quote may not strike me as utterly hilarious as it does other college football writers, it does ring true. He gets protected, too. Oklahoma boosts one of the best offensive lines in the entire country. Bradford has only hit the dirt nine times. The o-line has also made 1,000 yard rushers out of both DeMarco Murry and Chris Brown. Murry has found the end zone twenty times. Murry is out tonight, but I trust that Brown and the passing attack can pick up the slack.

I know the old saying goes "Defense wins championships", and I think that's the truth 95% of the time. But here's a saying for ya, "Legendary Offenses win championships." Often times we hear nicknames and the moniker of a "legend" attached to defenses, but seldom do we hear that term connected with offense. That's about to change. The 2008 Oklahoma Sooner offense will be talked about for years. Oklahoma is the first team ever to score over 700 points. Sure, Florida is by far the best defense they have faced, but the Sooners managed to put up 35 points against two other pretty good units, Texas and TCU. I know, I know. They didn't beat Texas. But can you fault an offense for scoring thirty five points and loosing. I don't think so, even in the high flying, high scoring world of Big 12 football. They will not score 60 in this one, but their not going to need 60. The Oklahoma defense may not be the "stuff of legends", but its nowhere near putrid. They gave up less then 25 points a game, and even those numbers are skewed. The Sooner special teams unit let up four touchdowns and the back up unit let up eight. I'm sorry if I can't take poor defensive numbers seriously when you're up by 40. Find me a coach or scout who does and I'll show you a guy who thinks way too hard about the flow of a game. The defense produced 42 sacks and 32 turnovers. They also held opponents to a 33 percent third down conversion rate.

Oklahoma is a more complete team. I can see the Florida defense containing the Oklahoma offense for a bit, but it won't be enough. The offense is too good to be shut down. If Florida scores thirty points, Oklahoma wins by 10. I think the Sooner defense will do enough to prevent Tim Tebow and Florida from keeping up with Bradford and Oklahoma. It'll be a shootout and in the end, I can't see Tim Tebow going throw for throw with Sam Bradford

The Pick: Oklahoma

The Score: 44-28

Bowl Mania Record: 17-16

Pacman Jones Released by Dallas

According to ESPN's Ed Werder, Adam Jones' contract has been terminated by the Dallas Cowboys due to an allegation stemming back to 2007, when the mischievous cornerback was a member of the Tennesee Titans and suspended from the NFL.

Three Atlanta men told "Outside the Lines" that Jones had devised a plan where a third party would shoot them, after one of the men was involved in an altercation with Jones. Although the attack took place, the NFL did not take action against Jones because the victims had not seen the shooter.


It's getting more difficult to feel sorry for this guy.

I hate that a man is out of a job in order to avoid a terrible PR problem and the unfair & biased media coverage he'll be pelted with, but as soon as you think Jones has turned it around, something else happens.

A scuffle while drunk is relatively commonplace, but essentially hiring a hitman due to a disagreement is something completely different, whether the claims are true or not.

And while these allegations cannot be proven, I could definitely see something like this happening.

As a bystander, one would wonder why Adam Jones has not yet computed this simple equation; one as self explanitory as 'Mo' money = Mo' Problems'.

Pacman + Strip Clubs = Trouble

He should tie a strinng around his finger so he never forgets that.

The only upside (or downside, if you're a Giants fan) coming from this is the Cowboys can finally get a good punt returner.

Quick Notes:

-Congrats to Eric Mangini getting the HC job in Cleveland. I would have much rather seen him in New York but what's done is done.

-Good job by Ottawa's Jarkko Ruutu for making an NHL fight exciting for once. For years, hockey fights have been stagnant; primarily consisting of the 'Double Collar-Grab' and head punches. Several possible tactics have only been fabled by the guys in the bleachers. While waiting for the 'Skate Stab' and the 'DDT', Ruutu pulled off the perfect 'Hand Bite' on Andrew Peters of the Buffalo Sabres. For his successful attempt at entertaining the audience, Ruutu was suspended for two games, by the NHL.

Here's the video plus post-game comments.



-I finally got around to listening to The Cure's newest album '4:13 Dream', and I must say that the negative reviews are not warranted. While it is not a classic album nor The Cure's sound from the 1980's, it is still a solid project. 'Sirensong' is officially my "Jam of the Winter".



Make sure you tune in to The Sportswire tomorrow night at 9pm on mywcwp.com and youcastr.com.

Also, listen to The Replacements at 2pm on Friday and Over the Ropes at 10pm on Saturday.

Max Caster

Lil' Wayne: ESPN Analyst?

Damn... So the way to get to Bristol is to record a mainstream rap album? Quick! Get me Khalid's number!

Here are a few parts of yesterday's ESPN First Take featuring Lil' Wayne.





Skip was going easy on him.

Max Caster

Stephon Marbury on Fox Business

In the midst of a contract dispute and the bankruptcy of Steve & Barry's, the carrier of the Starbury clothing line, Stephon Marbury is still able to find the time to save his business while maintaining the benevolent concept.

He also talks about his contract and where he wants to go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35vTH0rIj9o

(Embedding was disabled, so bear with me)

Good job, Steph.

Max Caster

Bowl Mania Day 15

Of all the BCS losses Ohio State has suffered in the past few years, last night was no doubt the worse. Less then half a minute away from making me look like an absolute moron (see Bowl Mania Day 14), Ohio State let Colt McCoy find Quan Cosby in the middle of the field. Cosby than waltzed twenty six yards for the go ahead score. It was a beautiful caper to what will be remembered as a signature drive for McCoy. It was a good thing it ended that way too, because if Texas had lost that game everyone would be all over Mac Brown and McCoy. And perhaps, rightfully so. It was a poorly executed final drive from a game management perspective. Did anyone remember that Texas had two timeouts left? Why were the Longhorns rushing around instead of stopping the clock. Maybe they were looking to catch Ohio State off balance,but I don't know if that should be the main objective down by a score with less than a minute to go. What were they waiting for? The fact that they had two time outs begins to explain the Texas play call. A pass in the center of the field? I know you have two time outs left, but that still strikes me as a risky play. Ohio State has to be kicking themselves for the way they defended that specific play. If the safety stays back and doesn't try and jump the play, that's an easy tackle. Instead, he over pursued when he shouldn't have and there's your ball game. ...But on the positive side, what a game Quan Cosby had. 14 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner. However, I think the "Texas got hosed" argument should stop. Their just not as good as Oklahoma. They were flat all night and needed a great drive in the final minute to come back. We detailed last night how bad Ohio State was compared to past years. They were impressive tonight in the sense that they were competitive. Heck, they should have won the football game. But they let a flat Texas team beat them and weren't all that spectacular themselves. However, the story of this game, to me at least, is not how Texas came back, but rather how Ohio State blew it. Getting killed in National championships is one thing, but that's relatively easy to get over given the finality of the score. The reality is I should be writing about a spectacular end to an unspectacular season for Ohio State. Instead, its arguably Jim Tressel's worst BCS loss yet.

GMAC Bowl: Number 22 Ball State v Tulsa- If theirs any more of a buzz kill game, its a non bcs game towards the end of the bowl season. At the beginning, its exciting. It's an appetizer before the BCS main course. Having the GMAC bowl smack dab in the middle of BCS season is like having that last cold mozzarella stick towards the end of a meal. It just doesn't carry the same joy as it did when it still arrived. However, Ball State is sort of interesting. They picked the worst time to loose their first and only game. Turner Gill and the Buffalo Bulls beat them in the season finale to win the C-USA championship. The fact that they were shellacked in their first and only real "huge game" of the season may say something about Ball State. They did have a big win against Central Michigan, but when it counted most, Ball State came up small. This is an offense led by two players. Nate Davis and MiQuale Lewis. Quarterback Nate Davis threw for over 3,400 yards and 26 touchdowns. Running back MiQuale Davis rushed for over 1000 yards and 22 touchdowns. There won't be much defense in this one as Tulsa also have an explosive offense attack. Golden Hurricane quarterback David Johnson threw for over 3,800 yards and 43 touchdown passes. Its hard to argue with a team who's quarterback found the end zone 43 times, but what you don't like about Johnson is his inability to take care of the football. Johnson had 18 interceptions this season. That's almost as startling a number as his 43 touchdowns. For comparison, Nate Davis only threw seven interceptions. Whats shocking about Tulsa is the season running back Tarrion Adams had. You would think that when a quarterback puts the ball in the end zone 43 times, that a running game is virtually non-existent. Surprisingly, that's not the case. Adams had over 1000 yards and 11 touchdowns. The senior averaged 5.8 yards per carry, the highest number he's had since averaging over six as a freshman. Tulsa finished the year 10-3. They did not play a ranked opponent and lost to the best team on their schedule (East Carolina 27-24). Their defense may not be as bad as you think either, but they certainly would not be considered good by any measure. They held all but five of their opponents to under 30 points. But, what cannot be overlooked is the 70 spot Houston put up on November 15th. This is downright terrifying. I don't like a team who has a quarterback that got picked off 18 times and a defense that is even remotely capable of giving up 70 points to any team, much less 8-5 Houston. The Pick: Ball State.

Bowl Mania Record: 17-15


Jordan Lauterbach

Huge NFL Playoff Sized Edition of The Edge tonight

Lots to talk about tonight with the first round of the NFL playoffs in the books and we have just the people to talk about it with us. Both Ed Lee from the Baltimore Sun and Andy Schwartz from Comcast sports in Philiadelphia will join us.

As always, the fun starts at 9 on mywcwp.com

Jordan Lauterbach

Bowl Mania Day 14

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Number 10 Ohio State V. Number 3 Texas- Throughout the last two weeks, I have written a lot about motivation. We have seen that it plays a big part in these games. Teams that think they ought to be higher on the college football "props list" often come out flat or don't play a compleate game. It comes from a lack of motivation because of an overwhelming feeling that they "got hosed". We saw BYU loose to Arizona on day one of Bowl Mania. To a lesser extent, we saw a very good Texas Tech team fall apart in the second half of the Cotton Bowl. While Ole' Miss is better then I thought they were, Texas Tech was considered a relative slam dunk for the BCS before the Oklahoma game. They were even talking national championship in mid-november. While I happen to think that USC is the biggest victom of this years BCS fracas, many believe its Texas. By now you've all heard the story. Texas beats Oklahoma on October 11th. They loose to Texas Tech less then a month later. Despite beating Oklahoma, they are left out of the Big 12 championship game because of Oklahoma's drubbing of then number two Texas Tech on November 22nd. Millions of Texas supporters are screaming for a recount. I would agree if not for the fact that the Sooners have the best college football offense I have ever seen. I just don't see how you can justify keeping an offense that leathal out of the national championship game? While it makes sense based on head to head play, you cannot convince me that Texas is a better team then Oklahoma. Like it or not, the BCS is there to have the two "best teams" compete for the national championship. I think the Sooners beat Texas nine out of ten times.

I only bring this up because I wonder if the "we got hosed, so who gives a ****" theory will hold in a BCS type game. It's not a secreat that the Longhorns and their fans believe they should be playing in the big one on Thursday night. Sure, the Fiesta Bowl is nice, but it still kind of feels hollow. This is the consullation that they don't want. I think we will see some of this, especially in the first half. However, I don't think that the feeling will have an effect on the ultimate result. After all, it still is the BCS. It's not like Texas found themselves hosed all the way to the Gator Bowl. Secondly, I don't think Ohio State is a BCS team. To me, Texas Tech had a much better case for the BCS then Ohio State did. I know the BCS likes to spread the wealth around the major confrences, but did the Big 10 really deserve two teams in the BCS this year? Texas Tech finished11-2 and 7-1 in confence. The Red Raiders had three consecutive wins over ranked opponents late in the season, including then number one Texas on November 1st. Ohio State went 10-2 and 7-1 in a weak Big 10. They also won three games against ranked teams, but one of those wins came early in the year to a Wisconsin team that would finish 7-6. Another one of those wins, Michigan State, wound up with four losses. Sure, Ohio State looked dominant against Michigan in their season finale, but who didn't look good against the three win Wolverines? Oh, by the way, one of those Michigan wins came against Wisconsin. Still want to argue that Wisconsin is a quality win? The argument is one worth having and I don't think anyone would laugh at you for picking Ohio State over Texas Tech, but I just think that Tech has more quality wins then OSU.

I am also tired of seeing Ohio State get their butts whiped by BCS competition. This may change a little with the emergence of Terrelle Prior, but I still don't see how the OSU defense stops Texas' offense. Colt McCoy had a mighty good case for the Heisman and will no doubt be the front runner in Augest to win the award. McCoy had well over three thousand yards passing and 32 touchdowns this season. He also ran for 10 touchdowns and over 500 yards. While Ohio State's defense has been solid (again, in Big 10 play), they have not seen a team nearly as good as Texas since they played USC in September. In the 35-3 loss, USC's Mark Sanchez threw for four touchdowns and only one pick. Yes, it was early in the season, but USC is the closest to Texas that OSU has seen. USC is a lot beter, but the comparison still resonates. Look for this one to be close in the first quarter, but once Texas gets over the "we're not in the National Championship" blues (and they will), it'll be a blow out. No doubt this is another terrible outing against a non-big 10 opponent in a BCS game for OSU. Except this time, they didnt even deserve the bid. The Pick: Texas

Bowl Mania Record- 16-15

Jordan Lauterbach

Jordan Lauterbach, eat your heart out.

Ray Maualuga gets up close with Jordan Lauterbach's boo, Erin Andrews at the 2009 Rose Bowl.




You mad?


Max Caster

The Sportswire: Thursdays at 9pm on http://mywcwp.com
The Replacements: Fridays at 2pm on WCWP
Over the Ropes: Saturdays at 10pm on WCWP

Bowl Mania Day 13

Ouch.

Their are simply no other words to describe the absolute beating I took yesterday. It was like college football was the big senior grand master at a frat house and I was the lowly freshman who asked if they were serving Diet Coke in addition to "all this alcohol". I would have had as much luck picking at random than I did yesterday. I had gone winless in Bowl Mania before, but only on days where I had one shot. Yesterday I had three and I lost them all.... Obviously Utah is a lot better then we all thought. Or at the very least, better then I thought. Also, maybe Alabama shot up too quickly for its own good. Only next year will tell the whole story on that front, but perhaps the Crimson Tide went from relative also-ran in the SEC to national power house too quickly for their own good this season. Winning a bowl game is a whole different animal then winning a regular season game. This is especially true when talking about the BCS. The feel of the game is different. The intensity of the game is different. Heck, even the speed of the game is different. Maybe that was too much for an Alabama game that put all its eggs in the basket of the SEC championship game and wasn't able to recover. Yes, they had almost a month but remember, college football isn't the NFL. In fact, its far from it. John Parker Wilson was average at best yet again for 'Bama. He threw one touchdown and was picked off twice. On the other hand, Utah quarterback Brian Johnson was great in a big game yet again. Johnson found the end zone three times and wasn't picked off once. Even when Alabama pulled back to 21-17, it seemed to me as if Utah still had the game in hand. A huge key was Utah's ability to stop the Alabama run game. The Tide had only 31 yards from scrimmage on the ground. The offensive line looked over matched at times. Its a shame the Alabama season ended on such a sour note, with two big losses. However, I think this is only the beginning of a long run of dominance for Alabama. But they obviously aren't their quite yet....

Only one game today....

International Bowl: Buffalo V. Uconn- Ask Matt Suldano about Turner Gill. He loves the guy. And rightfully so, I guess. Gill led Buffalo to an 8-5 mark this season, good for first place in the MAC Eastern division and a conference championship. Buffalo knocked off previously undefeated Ball State 42-24 in the season finale. This was super impressive, considering the highest point total the Ball State defense let up prior to this game was 24. But to be absolutely fair, Ball State didn't help their cause by turning the ball over five times in the game. The Ball State win allowed Buffalo to finish the year winners of six of their last seven games. Quarterback Drew Willy Threw for 25 touchdown passes and over three thousand yards. The Bulls also have a dangerous running game. James Starks rushed for over 1'300 yards and 15 touchdowns. The Bulls offense has scored thirty points seven times. But the real story from a ground game perspective is Connecticut. The Huskies Donald Brown is the nations leading rusher. Brown ran for over 1800 yards and 17 touchdowns. Virtually the entire Huskies offense goes through Brown. Quarterback Tyler Lorenzen acts as more of a decoy than anything else for UConn. Lorenzen started eight games for UConn and only threw two touchdowns. He was picked off eight times, but only twice since returning to the starting lineup in mid-November. UConn also has a solid defense, but is not without its questions. The key will be who can stop the run more effectively. In their season ending loss to Pitt, Lesean McCoy ran for 95 yards and one touchdown. Despite having an occasional dud, Uconn is ranked 10th in the nation in fewest yards allowed. That's why I give the edge to Uconn. They will overpower Buffalo in the trenches. UConn is bigger and stronger and that will come through. Its going to be a game of grind out ground game football. In this situation, I would think it be of some benefit to have the nations best rusher (statistically) on your side. The Pick: UConn

Bowl Mania Record: 15-15

Jordan Lauterbach

Bowl Mania Day 12

How disappointing was Cincinnati last night? Tony Pike was terrible, throwing four interceptions and only one touchdowns. He misread coverages all night and looked overwhelmed by the entire bowl atmosphere. On the flip side, Virginia Tech looked great. They were clicking on all cylinders and made every big defensive stop. I thought the defensive play of the night came early in the fourth when Va. Tech stoped Tony Pike just short of the end zone on a fourth and goal from the one. Pike had a fairly large hole opened up for him that was clogged up almost immediately by a Va. Tech linebacker. With just under 11 minutes left in the game, the touchdown would have cut the Bearcat deficit to six. The Bearcats ran one more play the entire game, a Pike pick...and on the subject of impressive, I continue to be awed by USC. Don't be fooled by the 38-24 score, this was complete domination. Mark Sanchez threw for 413 yards, four touchdowns, and no picks. He also ran for a touchdown. The offense was as outstanding as the defense. I don't put a lot of stock in Penn States big fourth quarter. It was already 31-7 and the game was decided. As much as I hate the idea of a split national championship, how could you argue with USC right now? They are so far and away better then everyone in the nation, its almost a joke that their not playing next Thursday. How much fun would an Oklahoma/USC final be? I answer that for you- Legendary.

Onto BCS day two....

Allstate Sugar Bowl- #6 Utah V. #4 Alabama- Hey, where's Urban Meyer? Where's Alex Smith? No, this isn't the Utah Utes team of a few years ago. This is a different group of guys with motivation to show that Utah is a mid-major that is here to stay. Despite being a relative unknown, Utah remains the only undefeated team in the country. But don't be fooled- they play in a weak conference, the WAC. However, they do have two impressive wins on the schedule. They beat Number 12 TCU and Number 14 Brigham Young. BYU laid up a dud in their bowl loss to Arizona, but still had a good year. Utes quarterback Brian Johnson has played well, but can be erratic at times. He threw 24 touchdowns this season, but was picked off nine times. Two things are encouraging about Johnson in respect to this game. 1) He plays well in big games. In Utah's season finale win over BYU, Johnson had four touchdowns and no interceptions. In the November 6th win over TCU, he only threw one touchdown pass, but wasn't picked off. 2) He keeps bleeding to a minimum. In the games where Johnson was picked off, he was only picked off once. This shows that he can bounce back. This will be a huge asset in a bowl game. As we saw in the Orange Bowl, teams that let one turnover snowball into three or four find themselves onlookers to the post game trophy ceremony. Also, watch out for Utah running back Matt Asiata. Asiata averaged 5 yards a carry and found the end zone 11 times. The Utah defense was also impressive this year. They failed to allow more then twenty points in any game this season. That's a heck of a stat. However, keep in mind that all these stats are "WAC-inflated stats". I also use the rule that unless a stat is otherworldly, it should be taken with a major grain of salt if the team plays in a mid-major conference. Alabama was one of my favorite stories of the college football season. They left years of mediocrity behind and finally returned to their rightful position as a college football power. Their only loss of the season came in the SEC championship when a much more experienced Florida team beat them 31-20. John Parker Wilson struggled in that game. Wilson was only 12/25 for 187, no touchdowns and one pick. Running Back Glenn Coffee and receiver Julio Jones kept the Tide afloat. Coffee had 112 yards on 21 carries and 1 touchdown. He had over 1'000 yards on the season and found the end zone ten times. Jones caught 5 passes for 124 yards in the loss to Florida, but could not find the end zone. He was one of the better freshman this season, catching 51 passes for 847 yards but only four touchdowns. Alabama defense is what really stands out. They allowed over 30 points twice this season. In six games, opponents scored nine or less. This came in much tougher competition, the SEC. I think this is a bit of a mismatch for Utah. Alabama has a better defense then anyone the Utes have seen. Utah will not be able to contain the Alabama running back tandem of Coffee and Mark Ingram. Ingram had 12 touchdowns this year. I don't see how Utah stays in the game for sixty minutes with a team like Alabama. For those who say, "How can an undefeated team not be playing for a national championship?", watch this game and you'll see why. The Pick: Alabama

Cotton Bowl: # 25 Mississippi V #7 Texas Tech- When you're a one loss team, theirs two ways to look at your season. It might be a missed opportunity and thus, a tremendous disappointment or it could be a job well done. I'd chose the later if I was a Texas Tech fan. Sure, the one loss was bad, horrific even, but it came to Oklahoma, a team with an offense so deadly that I don't know if USC could stop it. Texas Tech's year was full of great moments. Whether it was the Michael Crabtree touchdown with one second left to beat Texas or putting a 56 spot on number nine Oklahoma State a week later, this has been a banner year for Red Raider football. Obviously, all eyes will be on two players for Texas Tech. Receiver Michael Crabtree won his second consecutive Fred Biletnikoff award by catching 93 passes for over 1,100 yards and 18 touchdowns. He is as explosive a player as their is in the college game. Quarterback Graham Harrell was a low-level Heisman candidate (after the Oklahoma debacle). He threw for over 4,000 yards and 41 touchdown passes. Talk about explosive. Harrell recently had surgery, but is expected to be fine for the game. The only time we've seen Harell struggle is in the two games where his pass protection has not been good. That will be tested again today because Ole Miss has one of the best pass rushing teams in the nation. Ole Miss finished the year hot. They won their last five games, including a 31-13 with at #18 LSU. Quarterback Jevan Snead hit his stride at the exact right moment, Snead threw thirteen touchdowns and only two picks during the winning streak. Ole Miss may be a little more into playing in this game then Texas Tech. They feel shafted because they were left out of the BCS. I think this will be a struggle for Texas Tech. Ole Miss allowed a total of twenty points in their final four games. This included two shutout. In the end, I don't see this offense loosing Graham Harrell's final game as a Red Raider. This is bar none the best game of the day, but Texas Tech will put it out in the second half. The Pick: Texas Tech

Autozone Liberty Bowl: Kentucky V. East Carolina- Kentucky looks like a one year wonder. After a surprise season in 2007, the Wildcats just made bowl eligibility in 2008. They hardly come into the game hot, either. Losers of their last three and four out of their last five, Kentucky looks like a dead team walking. Quarterback Mark Hartline threw only eight touchdown passes and seven interceptions. Hartline also missed two out of Kentucky's final three games. The Wildcats finished a morbid 2-6 in the SEC east. Their leading receiver has two touchdown catches and they lost to every ranked team on their schedule. East Carolina, on the other hand, opened up the season with two wins against ranked opponents en route to a first place finish in the Conference USA East and a conference championship. The Pirates are coming off a huge win over Tulsa in the championship game and will have no trouble with an awful Kentucky team. The Pick: East Carolina

Bowl Mania Record: 15-12

Jordan Lauterbach

Newsday's Erik Boland on The Sportswire

Here's an interview, from the 1/1/09 Edition of The Sportswire, featuring Newsday's Jets Beat Writer Erik Boland talking about the Jets coaching situation and Brett Favre's future with the team.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/53578497c496f7d6/


The Sportswire can be heard live every Thursday night at 9 on http://mywcwp.com/.

And make sure you check out the newest WCWP Sports program 'The Replacements', every Friday at 2pm on http://mywcwp.com/

Max Caster

Bowl Mania Day 11

Dontcha just love days that are synonymous with sports? To me, their are two big ones. You can't have a Thanksgiving feast without some NFL football on the tube and you can't fully recover from your New Years Eve partying without some college football. These are the days when people who are only interested in a sport every once in a while suddenly become huge fans. These are days where your guaranteed a special feeling when you turn on your living room television. No matter how bad the game is, you not only watch it, but you stick with it. I know a lot of people turned off that Lions/Titans thanksgiving match up, but I was not one of them. New Years Day is also when the big games start. I'll start the first column of 2009 with the two huge ones...

Rose Bowl: #5 USC V. #8 Penn State- I won't beat around the bush. USC is the best team in the country. If their is any argument for a playoff, its not the Texas Longhorn situation- its the USC situation. I was shocked at how a team with a defense as good as there's and an offense that put up less then twenty five points THREE TIMES did not get any national championship consideration. They weren't even in the conversation. Its always said that if you're going to have one loss, its better to have it come early. USC's one loss came to Oregon State on September 25th. They finished the season on a nine game winning streak, including a 17-3 win against Number 21 Cal on November 8th. The Trojans beat all three ranked opponents on their schedule, including a 35-3 drubbing of Number 5 Ohio State in week two. The defense is utterly dominant. It's as close to a pro style defense as you'll see in college. USC allowed 10 points or less in 10 of their 12 games. Offensively, this is not the Bush/Leinart Trojans and I think that's what hurt them. However, its not as if the offense struggled. Mark Sanchez threw for 30 touchdowns. Stafon Jackson and C.J Gable combined for 17 touchdowns on the ground. The more I watched USC the more angry I became that they weren't higher in the polls. The more I look at the numbers, its astounding to me that they are even playing in this game and not in the big game a few days from now. Forget Texas, USC is the team that got hosed this year. Penn State had a great season, but I wonder how much of it came from a Big Ten that was incredibly weak. However, that 49-18 win over Number 15 Michigan State makes you feel a whole lot better about their chances. Watch out for Evan Roster. He had 12 touchdowns on the ground this year. Friend and former Edge co-host Steve Didamo tells me that is Daryll Clark has a good game, Penn State can win. Clark only threw four picks this season, but I don't know if he's faced a defense like USC has this year. I think this is a close game for a half and then USC pulls away and wins by 17. The Pick: USC

FedEx Orange Bowl: #12 Cincinnati V. #19 Virginia Tech- Ok, so this game may not be quite as alluring as the Rose Bowl, but its got some interesting aspects to it. Cincinnati was a surprise team in a Big East that started out slow and gained speed as the year went on. They finished the year on a six game winning streak, including some big ones down the stretch. The won in overtime at number 25 West Virginia on November 8th and beat a streaky Pitt team at home in one of the biggest games the Bear cat football program has ever seen. They then crushed a Syracuse team that was coming off a huge win against Notre Dame the week before and may have been feeling their oats a little bit. The thing you like about Cincinnati (or don't like) is that almost all of their games are close. Seven of their eleven wins came by 10 points or less. This is a positive I think because, in the year of the blowout, Cincinnati knows how to win the close ones. This could prove invaluable in a big time bowl game. This is not a tremendously explosive offense, but watch out for Marshwan Gilyard. Gilyard had over 1000 yards receiving this year and 10 touchdowns. Look for him to make a big play or two. As for Va Tech, they did a great job getting off the pavement after loosing a lot of players to the NFL. The Hokies finished the season with a 9-4 record, but managed to win the Big East. The four losses scare me a lot. They were impressive against Boston College, but can they two that against another formidable foe. You have to like the defense for the Hokies. This is a team that hasn't let opponents rack up more then 16 points since Florida State scored 30 on October 25th. I like this game to be close, with both clubs in the low 20's. But even in the ACC, I can't get past the four losses and the offense that doesn't wow anyone for Va Tech. The Pick: Cinncinatti

Time for some shotgun style picks for the rest of the New Years Day slate.

Outback Bowl: South Carolina V. Iowa- Rumors are floating that Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz may be NFL bound. Do you think Gamecock head ball coach Steve Spurier will have some advice for him? Perhaps "Don't do it!" South Carolina failed to win a game against a ranked opponent all season. Iowa ruined Penn State's national championship hopes by beating them in early November and finished the year by killing Minnesota 55-0. All four Iowa losses came by less then 5 points. The Pick: Iowa

Capitol One Bowl: Number 15 Georgia V Number 18 Michigan State- You know who I love? Michigan State running back Javon Ringer. Ringer scored 21 touchdowns this year and is one of the most exciting players to watch in the entire country. He had seven games where he ran for over 120 yards and two games where he eclipsed 200. He hasn't hit 200 since September 20th against Notre Dame, but did get 194 against Michigan on October 25th. He only had 42 yards on 17 carries in the season finale against Penn State, but look for him to bounce back today. The Pick: Michigan State

Gator Bowl: Nebraska V. Clemson: Clemson is a team with a lot of problems. They were super overrated coming into the year and finished 4-4 in the ACC. The Pick: Nebraska

Bowl Mania Record: 12-10

Jordan Lauterbach