The Heisman Trophy: Does It Spell Doom?

Over the past 20 years, a common trend in the NFL has taken place. The coveted Heisman Trophy, given to the top-performing player in college football each year, has not always equated to NFL success. In fact, only 5 of the past 20 winners have made an NFL Pro-Bowl, and only 2 players have won a Super Bowl. True, the NFL is a much different game than college football, where stats are not inflated and defenses are more elaborate. From a football fan's standpoint, it isn't hard to see why many of the players couldn't duplicate their success in college. Whether it be lack of fundamentals, the inability to grasp concepts, or simply lacking the necessary tools, players have found plenty of ways to find themselves out of a job after exiting college at the top. Since 1990, only Eddie George has both won the Heisman and finished his career as an NFL Hall of Famer. Of the 74 Heisman winners in the award's history, only 6 have gone to have Hall of Fame careers. These facts do not at all suggest the winners weren't worthy, but shows that the transition is far from a guarantee, regardless of the time period.
The Heisman Trophy has always been awarded for a combination of leadership, statistics, and team performance, with no one trait outweighing another. Statistical leaders, national champions, and fundamentally sound players in college have many times been overlooked or passed up for the award because they did not possess the trait set of a true Heisman winner. There are more winners who benefited from the system, lack of competition, and peak performances than those who dazzled the college football scene day in and day out. Of the top 15 career rushing yard leaders, only 5 won a Heisman. Only 1 of the top 10 career passing leaders won a Heisman (Detmer), and his NFL career was far from successful. And even of the top 10 scoring leaders in college football all-time, only Ricky Williams and Ron Dayne were presented with the honor as the nation's best. So why are there so many of the NFL's greatest passed up during their college careers? Below is a list of examples of NFL MVPs, and why they didn't win the award, or often even become a finalist for it.

• Peyton Manning (4 MVPs) - He won 39 of 45 games at Tennessee, becoming their career leader in yards and touchdowns after spurning his father's alma matter, Ole Miss. His freshman year he took over due to injuries and led an 8-4 squad to a Gator Bowl victory over Virginia Tech. His sophomore year he defeated Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl, finishing sixth in the Heisman voting for the number three ranked Vols. As a junior, the Volunteers would lose their chance as national champions due to upsets against Florida and Memphis, where Manning threw multiple interceptions forcing the team to its second straight Citrus Bowl, which ended in another victory. Manning returned his senior year with unfinished business, but again was upset by Florida and got demolished by Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, missing out as National Champion and Heisman winner again. Manning inability to overcome Florida and also avoid mid-season upsets doomed his Heisman chances, and he lost out to Danny Wuerffel and Charles Woodson in back-to-back years, both of whom coming from national champions.
• Tom Brady (1 MVP)- Opening his college career 7th on the depth-chart, Brady backed up Brian Griese his first two seasons in Michigan. He beat out Drew Henson his final two seasons as the teams starting QB, winning 20 of 25 games and finishing will All-Big Ten honors both seasons. He played unbelievably in Citrus and Orange Bowl victories, but threw only 35 TDs in his college career and never garnished any Heisman consideration.
• LaDainian Tomlinson (1 MVP) - Not considered a top RB prospect in high school, Tomlinson played at TCU in his very successful college career. In his 1999 junior campaign, he led the nation in rushing yards and set an NCAA record with 406 rushing yards in one game, but his team finished 8-4 with TCU's victory over USC in the Sun Bowl, their first bowl victory in 41 years. Playing in the mid-major WAC conference certainly hurt Tomlinson, as we wasn't even a Heisman finalist, but it hurt him moreso in his senior year. Tomlinson again led the nation in rushing, as TCU finished 10-2. But the team was never a championship contender, and eventually lost to SMU in the Mobile Alabama Bowl. Tomlinson finished fourth in the Heisman voting, behind QBs Chris Weinke and Josh Heupel.
• Shaun Alexander (1 MVP) - Unlike Tomlinson, Alexander played at a high-profile school in Alabama. Unfortunately, he played in Bama during a transition period where the school won one SEC Championship. He ran for an impressive 1178 yards and 13 TDs his junior year, but after being a Heisman candidate heading into his senior season, he sprained his ankle and finished with 614 rushing yards, missing out on his final opportunity to take home the trophy.
• Marshall Faulk (1 MVP) - Faulk ran for 1429 yards and 21 touchdowns his freshman year at San Diego State, but never duplicated his success. Playing for a lesser-known football team and not generating outstanding statistics, Faulk was never close to Heisman consideration.
• Brett Favre (3 MVPs) - Southern Mississippi wanted Favre to play DB, but he refused and remained at his preferred position. Favre put up decent numbers his junior year, but SMU dropped from being ranked as high as 6th to miss all bowl games. His senior year was clouded by a near-fatal car accident which caused him to miss the majority of the season, thus missing out on any Heisman consideration.
  

2010 AFC East: Best Division in Sports?

Buffalo Bills

2009 Finish: 6-10 (2-4 Division) – Last in AFC East

Points Allowed: 326 (9^th in AFC)

Points Scored: 258 (14^th in AFC)

Key Offseason Subtractions: WR Terrell Owens, WR Josh Reed, DE Aaron Schobel, LB Chris Draft, TE Derek Fine, OG Richie Incognito,

Key Offseason Additions: RB CJ Spiller, DT Dwan Edwards, LB Reggie Torbor, DT Torell Troup, DE Alex Carrington, LB Andra Davis, OT Cornell Green

2010 Outlook: The Bills did very little through free agency and instead focused heavily on drafting depth for the defensive line. They stole CJ Spiller in the draft, who will quickly pass Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson on the depth chart. The potential of their three-headed monster backfield is overshadowed by weaknesses at WR, where Lee Evans is the only viable option, as well as at quarterback. Buffalo failed to improve on one of the worst QB carousels in football, instead opting to stick with Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick, who sported a 69.7 QB rating in 2009. Their inability to shore up the passing game only takes away from the potential of the offensive backfield, and puts more pressure on an already over-worked defense. Buffalo was 30^th against the run last year, and although they finished 2^nd against the air attack, they had no answer for the likes of DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Chris Johnson, Ricky Williams, or Jamaal Charles. Facing Ryan Grant, Adrian Peterson, MJD, and Ray Rice (to name a few) only worsens their chances this year, and they will be hard pressed to win six games again. The won't likely upset the Jets or Dolphins again, will go win-less in the AFC East, and really only have cupcake games against Detroit and Cleveland.

Prediction: 4-12 (0-6 Division)

Miami Dolphins

2009 Finish: 6-10 (4-2 Division) - 3^rd in AFC East

Points Allowed: 390 (14^th in AFC)

Points Scored: 360 (7^th in AFC)

Key Offseason Subtractions: LB Joey Porter, LB Reggie Torbor, DE Jason Taylor, FS Gibril Wilson, WR Tedd Ginn Jr.

Key Offseason Additions: LB Karlos Dansby, OG Richie Incognito, DT Jared Odrick, OLB Koa Misi, WR Brandon Marshall

2010 Outlook: Chad Henne got a much needed weapon when the Fins traded for Brandon Marshall. With a healthy Ronnie Brown and the emergence of Davone Bess and Brian Hartline, the passing attack and overall offense looks much healthier going into 2010. The defense is a whole different story. Miami was 24^th against the pass and 18^th against the run in 2009, problems they hope to address through the additions of Dansby, Odrick, and Misi. Mediocre pass rushing and the inability to capitalize on turnovers caused the defense to spend too much time on the field, and also forced the Fins to overpay for Dansby. Odrick will have a lot on his shoulders as he attempts to bolster the pass-rush, but in the end it comes down to the young defensive backfield and how much they can improve. The young DB trio of Vontae Davis, Sean Smith, and Will Allen have ample amounts of potential, but have yet to break out in the form of stardom. Only because of a bolstered offense will Miami win more contests this year.

Prediction: 9-7 (3-3 Division)

New York Jets

2009 Finish: 9-7 (2-4 Division) - 2^nd in AFC East, Lost AFC Championship to IND

Points Allowed: 236 (1^st in AFC)

Points Scored: 348 (9^th in AFC)

Key Offseason Subtractions: OG Alan Faneca, RB Thomas Jones, DB Justin Miller, FS Brodney Pool, CB Lito Sheppard, RB Leon Washington, S Kerry Rhodes, K Jay Feely

Key Offseason Additions: DE Jason Taylor, RB LaDainian Tomlinson, RB Joe McKnight, WR Santonio Holmes, QB Mark Brunell, CB Antonio Cromartie, CB Kyle Wilson, OG Vladimir Ducasse, FB Jon Conner, K Nick Folk

2010 Outlook: Nothing needs to be said about the NFL's best defense in 2009, except that they may have gotten better. Jason Taylor, Cromartie and Wilson add speed, youth, depth, and veteran experience to an already stellar defense. The Jets probably lost 5 games that should have gone the other way last year, losing the division only due to early losses against Miami and Buffalo. Their run-first offense is bolstered by Tomlinson, granted he has something left in the tank, and Shonne Green enters his first season as the primary work horse. The WR corps is upgraded once Santonio Holmes returns from his suspension, and if Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery can fill his void in the mean time, then Mark Sanchez will remain the only question mark in the offense. With a QB prone to mistakes, a tougher schedule, and a super-team with egotistical question marks, New York should find both success and failures this season.

Prediction: 11-5 (4-2 Division) AFC Wild Card, Lose in Divisional Playoffs

New England Patriots

2009 Finish: 10-6 (4-2 Division) – AFC East Champions, Lost Wild Card Playoff to BAL

Points Allowed: 285 (3^rd in AFC)

Points Scored: 427 (2^nd in AFC)

Key Offseason Subtractions: LB Adalius Thomas, DE Jarvis Green, TE Ben Watson, P Chris Hanson, CB Shawn Springs

Key Offseason Additions: TE Alge Crumpler, TE Aaron Hernandez, TE Rob Gronkowski, DT Gerard Warren, CB Devin McCourty, LB Brandon Spikes, P Zoltan Mesko

2010 Outlook: Both the holdout and injury bug have already hit New England. Logan Mankins is preparing for a lengthy holdout, crippling the Pats offensive line. Ty Warren is lost for the season, the secondary is just as questionable as a year ago, and nothing changed at running back. The season could go one of two ways. The Patriots could flourish (as usual) on offense, hiding defensive weaknesses. Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Tom Brady should all excel as they have their entire careers. The young tight end duo is something the Patriots have lacked for almost a decade, and so far they have only impressed in the pre-season. One of the running backs MUST step up and solidify himself as the starter, as Maroney has been unable to do so. Fred Taylor is the most likely, if he can stay healthy, which Sammy Morris will not. The performance of the Patriots defense ultimately will decide their fate. Gerard Warren and Mike Wright step in to fill Jarvis Green and Ty Warren's shoes. The OLB combo of Banta-Cain and Derrick Burgess is at best mediocre, as the Patriots were one of the worst pass-rushing teams in the game in 2009. The secondary should only improve with another year under the belts of youngsters Meriweather, Chung, Butler, Wheatley, and Wilhite. The most exciting part of the New England squad is the pair of inside linebackers, Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes. 24 and 22 years old, respectively, if both play to their potential and stay injury free, they will combine to be one of the most important defensive duos in the NFL. But depending on rookie linebackers is a big if. In the end, because of the loss of Warren and Mankins, the Patriots are almost the same team as 2009 talent-wise, but younger. And a younger team only means they can be volatile, either missing the playoffs or repeating as division champions. Some may call me bias, but there weren't enough changes in the AFC East to call for a shift in powers. The Patriots should take advantage of an easier schedule and win 11 games, taking the division through a tie-breaker from the Jets. They'll win the Super Bowl out of pure thirst for another.

Prediction: 11-5 (5-1 Division) AFC East Champions, AFC Champs, Super Bowl Champs

Lackeying the Right Pieces: Goodbye 2010

Heading into the final 31 games over September and October, the Sox are 6.5 games back in both the division and wild card race. The season is over. The top two teams in baseball loom over Boston in the star-filled AL East, and the Red Sox simply do not have the pieces to overcome, or even match-up with either Tampa or New York. As New England anticipates the start of the NFL season and the Celtics run at banner 18, it is time to reflect on what went wrong with the Sox this year.

1. The injury bug was certainly the biggest reason this team underachieved. It is hard for any team to overcome lengthy injuries to its key players, and the Red Sox defined this trend. They lost Youkilis for the year before the start of the final third of the season, arguably the most crucial point in their schedule. Pedroia was lost only a week before, and fell short in his comeback attempt after only two games. Ellsbury was basically MIA the whole season, and Cameron's abdominal problems nagged him from day 1. Of the 40 players on their roster, 21 were injured at some point in the season. They have played almost half the season missing 4 regulars on the field. Depending on the likes of Darnell McDonald, Ryan Kalish, Daniel Nava, Kevin Cash, Yamaico Navarro, and Eric Patterson simply will not work in the most competitive division in baseball. Even Keanu Reeves would think twice about trying to lead this band of replacements to the promised land.

2. The whole pitching and defense mantra that Theo preached coming into the season didn't work out so well. Lester has pitched well, and Clay is probably a Cy Young candidate. But Lackey has been streaky and often disappointing, Wakefield is no longer a viable option, Dice-K can't get past the sixth inning, and Beckett has been absolutely horrible. Aside from Bard, the bullpen was one of the worst in baseball. Papelbon underachieved, blowing 6 saves and recording a career high ERA. Previously dependable arms like Okajima, Ramirez, and Delcarmen all posted high ERA's, blew multiple hold opportunities, and simply could not get the job done. Defensively, the team currently stands at 15^th in baseball with a .983 FP, and bottom-feeding teams like Seattle, Arizona, Kansas City, and Washington have made less errors in the field. It is not possible to be a playoff contender when your pitching staff has an ERA in the bottom 50% of the MLB, and has allowed the 10^th most runs.

3. Offensive, no one player has stood out in terms of having an amazing year in Tampa. Aside from David Price, the Rays staff has been deep, consistent, and Soriano has been shut-down. Up the coast in New York, Robbie Cano and CC Sabathia lead a Yankee squad tied for first in baseball in wins. The surprising part? A-Rod, Tex, Posada, Granderson, Vazquez, and Burnett are all having mediocre to horrible seasons. Yet they have found a way to win 80 games. They are on pace for another 100 win season. They probably will win the World Series. For Tampa and New York, it comes down to one major difference in why they stay ahead of the Red Sox. They win the games they are supposed to win. They put away the Seattles, Kansas Citys, Clevelands, and Oaklands of the game. They win the crucial 5 to 10 extra inning games necessary to capture the division. Boston? They have the fourth worst record in extra innings in 2010, above only Washington, Florida, and Seattle. They lost games where their starters flirted with no-hitters. They opened the second half of the season by losing 3 of 4 to Texas AT HOME. Sure, they turned a home-series sweep by the Rays into a sweep of their own down in Tampa, but they followed that moral-boosting series with two straight losses at home to Kansas City. If making the MLB playoffs was compared to making the NCAA March Madness Tournament, the Red Sox would be a perennial bubble team. In 2010, Boston's bubble finally burst after months of false hope and expectations.

Filling in the Blanks

As the Red Sox square off with the lowly Mariners for game one of today's double-header, Sox fans can look ahead a couple days to the biggest series of the season so far. Six back from both the division and wild card spots, Boston heads to Tampa for a three game series against a Rays team that has won 11 of their last 14 games. With 30 games to go, unless Boston sweeps it is hard to see them snagging a playoff spot, much ado to their injury woes. But that isn't the issue I am addressing. The problem with the Red Sox is how boring of a team they have become. And the fans certainly agree. TV and radio ratings have been down as much as almost 40% over the course of the season, even while the team stands at 18 games above .500! Much of this can be attributed to injuries to star players, such as Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia. Sox nation has also been distraught by the horrid pitching, notably from the bullpen. Nothing was done at the trade deadline, and there has been speculation since the beginning of the season that Theo Epstein was using 2010 as a “transition year” by waiting for the future stars to mature in the minors. Ultimately, there are two glaring weaknesses the Red Sox roster possesses.

The first is the lack of an “attractive” player. Since the departure of Manny Ramirez, the Red Sox have lacked that marquee name that casual baseball fans come to the ballpark to see. Youk, Pedroia, Lester, Bard, Ortiz, and Beltre all have had terrific seasons and any team would love to have them, but the fact is that none are marquee players. Players that would fall under this category are more along the lines of Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer, Mark Texieria, Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, Prince Fielder, Johan Santana, or CC Sabathia to name a few. Even up-and-coming superstars, like Joey Votto, Ike Davis, Austin Jackson, Stephen Strausberg, Evan Longoria and Josh Johnson bring in fans with their aura. As Red Sox fans with two World Series victories since 2004, we are jaded and expect big names from the outrageously high payroll the team boasts. As a team that can afford top players, Sox fans expect to see ace quality starting pitchers, and sluggers that hit 40 home runs without breaking a sweat. It is true that since the conclusion of the 2004 World Series, only 33 players have hit 40 or more home runs in a season. Manny did it for the Sox in 2005, and Ortiz in 2005 and 2006, but since 2006 only Ortiz and Jason Bay have reached even the 36 home run plateau. This year? Ortiz leads the team with 27 home runs, good for tenth in baseball. But that isn't enough for the fans. Home runs lead to higher scoring, more exciting games, both of which the Red Sox have had plenty of, but they lack the “big-name” presence in their lineup since the departure of Manny.

The second glaring yet overlooked weakness is the lead-off spot. The Sox had the third best average in the MLB from the lead-off spot in Johnny Damon's final year in 2005. He led-off almost every game, and batted .312 with a healthy .363 OBP. Since then, the Red Sox have tried numerous players in the one spot, only to come up short. In order from 2006 to this season, Sox lead-off hitters have batted .260, .266, .256, .276, and .266 for the season. They have experimented with Youkilis, JD Drew, Coco Crisp, Julio Lugo, Jacoby Ellsbury, Pedroia, and Marco Scutaro, none of which have worked out consistently. Even more important than average in OBP by the one hitter, in which the Sox have also faltered. Since 2006, Ellsbury/Scutaro/Lugo have led off the most, and the Sox haven't ranked higher than 22^nd in the MLB in lead-off OBP. Any baseball fan knows you can't score runs if there is no one on base, and although they won the World Series in 2007 with poor leadoff production, the statistics do not reflect the late-season call-up and postseason heroics of Jacoby Ellsbury, leading to the false notion that he was the future of the Red Sox in the one hole.

The solution to both of these problems? It remains to be seen, but I have a few suggestions as you will see in the upcoming post. Until then, wish the Sox much luck.

Sean v. Tyler Update For A Cool G

No one cares but me and Sean, but this is the update anyways. 2010 home run numbers are as of the morning of August 17th. Sean was quickly pulling away, but unfortunately ARod has been on a tear, and Chris Young has cooled off after a thumping start. We have also added an addendum to the bet: if one of us dies before the bet is over, the winner still gets the money. A trust will be set up that the winner can either withdraw from, or the cash will be placed in the casket with the winner if he is dead. OK!

Why the Yankees Really Do Suck

Just see the chart. And the Sox MAIN focus was pitching and defense, looks like we got quite a better bang for our buck. If it wasn't for injuries they'd be looking up at us in the standings right now.....

Sox to be ME

Famous Red Sox Pizza Incident Video

The above video is one of my all-time favorites. It is over a year old, but hearing Orsillo cracking up over the pizza is still hilarious. Which is why I thought I'd share a story of my own....
So I'm at the Framingham movie theater, just sitting down with two of my pals who I will nickname Heinz and Stringbean. It was a lovely Saturday afternoon, and we had gone to see the over-hyped Inception, which was not as much of a mind-fucking movie as the media made it out to be. After being seated in the middle of the theater for about five minutes, right before the movie was about to begin, something smashed against my face and I felt a warm sensation all over me. Feel free to insert jokes here about semen, but it was actually liquid cheese. All over my face and clothes, all over Heinz's clothes, and the rest in Stringbean's hair and clothes. Disgusting.
Now for those of you who know me, you probably think this was a provoked attack. It was not. I said or did nothing but sit and watch the previews. What was my response? I stood up and screamed "Who the fuck threw that?" An audience of horrified spectators sat silently. I looked to the direction that the infamous cheese came from, and saw 10-12 early teenage boys sitting in the corner, looking like they'd seen a ghost. Obviously, they were terrified of what was in store. They knew I knew.
I approached them all and demanded to know who threw it. I wanted revenge. An old lady behind me stood up and in a weird foreign accent, exclaimed "I am getting zee poleese!" I said no no, I want to figure out which little fucker it is and take care of it myself. But with no response, I lost my cool and threw my giant bag of popcorn at the little buggers. After storming out of the theater and throwing the trash barrel in the direction of the scared little boys, I saw the security guards already running in the direction of the theater. Seeing myself as well as Heinz and Stringbean covered in cheese, they asked who it was and proceeded to escort all of the young criminals out of the theater. The theater audience clapped and cheered as the violators were herded towards their doom. They stood in a circle around the security in the hall, heads hung low. When none would answer who threw the cheese, they were all promptly thrown out, including the poor mother of the boy who's birthday it was. She was quite embarrassed and apologetic, but I cared not. I was cheesed. After the three of us cleaned as much yellow gunk off us as we could, we received many free passes for tickets, soda, and popcorn for the future, and went back in to see we only had missed five minutes of the movie. In the end, I won. But I'll never forget the time I got hit in the face with a miniature bucket of cheese.