Spezza's Value Ever Increasing

As a serious Ottawa Senators Fan, I follow my team more than the average guy.  Often found at the center of attention (pun intended) is Jason Spezza.  Before I go any further, I have to point something out about this city and its snobbish attitude towards the red, black and gold.  People in Ottawa are quick to be critical about criticism aimed at criticizing the critical play of our critical players, especially at critical times during critical games of this obviously critical season.  

Catch my drift?

Minus the never ending goalie controversy, another popular criticism has been Spezza's turnovers.  People are always quick to dismiss the ridiculous point tallies that Spezza has put up since his ascension to the NHL.  My roommate, always says that if he played with Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson, that he could put up as many or more points as does Spezza...  What really drives the point home, is that he doesn't even play hockey.  Nonetheless, the fact of the matter is that playing with players of that caliber comes with great expectations.

Many people don't realize that Spezza carries the puck more then any other player on the Senators... Much like the point guard in basketball, who has the responsibility of carrying the ball up the floor and making the crucial pass that lead to scoring opportunities, tallying assists along the way.  As point guards always lead the league in assists, those who struggle lead the league in turnovers.  Spezza is essentially the point guard of the top line with two snipers on his wings.  Obviously, if he is always carrying the puck, he is the most likely player to turn it over.  What is encouraging is the fact that he is becoming more and more responsible with the puck as he matures into the superstar that we all want him to become.

On another note, Spezza finally made the switch from wooden sticks to one piece composite sticks.  Having played with both last winter, I can personally attest to the fact that the new sticks are way-way-way better from a performance standpoint.  Better because they are lighter, stronger, and more responsive.  Which means that he will stick handle faster, shoot harder, and he won't have to wind up as far back to get good wood (pun intended, again) on his shot.  

Anyways, defense is not supposed to be the strongest skill for our top scoring center.... I am of the school of thought that the Best Defense is a Great Offense, which is what Spezza personifies.  Leave the defensive criticisms to the defensive specialists.  I don't see anybody criticizing Chris Kelly for his lack of scoring.....      

Singletary: There's no Vernon in Team

Thank you Mike Singletary!  For those of you who love the dynamic of professional sports and the drama that surrounds it, this one's a beauty.

  

Last Week, the San Francisco 49ers fired their Head Coach in Mike Nolan and ushered in their own Defensive Coordinator Mike Singletary as his replacement.  The same Mike Singletary who won Super Bowls with the Bears, who is arguably the best middle linebacker to ever play the game, and who is a real old school football guy.  

Singletary was to usher in a new era and new culture in the Niners' dressing room.  In his debut as Head Coach on Sunday, Singletary's team got destroyed by a mediocre (at best) Seattle Seahawks.  However, that was not the top story coming out of that game.  Instead, an incident between Coach Singletary and Multimillion Dollar ″Franchise player‶ Tight End Vernon Davis did just that.  The incident which took place on the sidelines definitely stole the show.  Duging Singletary's playing days, this type of altercation would have gone virtually un-noticed by the nearly everyone, but not in today’s media driven game.  

Vernon Davis (as seen above), took a very selfish unsportsmanlike penalty during the 3rd Quarter of Sunday's game when he faced washed a Seattle defensive back following a tackle.  Singletary, in his right mind, did not like the penalty and walked over to Davis on the bench to talk about it.  Davis, allegedly, cut off his new coach and said: " I don't need to hear it.."  Singletary, allegedly, walked away without saying anything, most likely to let Davis cool off.  He later returned to discuss the incident and once again Davis cut him off and said: "I said, I don't want to hear it.." Which sparked Singletary's legendary short fuse, the result of which was Singletary sending Davis to the showers making sure that he brought his helmet with him.

Check out Singletary’s brilliant post game press conference:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4hl776tNTg&feature=related

Let me reiterate how ridiculous Vernon's behavior was in this circumstance.  He is a player, Singletary is a coach.  Coache's coach players...  Players listen to coache's, even if they don't want to.  There are no if's, and's or but's regarding the structure of that relationship.  Vernon Davis has done nothing special since his arrival to the NFL.  Davis shot up the draft board to be drafted 6th overall, to many onlookers' surprise, because of his freakish athletic ability which he displayed at the pre-draft combine.  However, simply being able to test spectacularly well in specific drills and in the weight room does not make you a good football player.  Anyone who's watched NCAA football knows that there are hundreds of very athletic individuals capable of doing crazy things in testing...  Yet only a few of them make a significant impact in the NFL.. Why?  Because they have the mental capacity and fortitude to display character and discipline in a very violent and emotional game. So to hear the under achieving/overpaid Davis tell his Hall of Famer coach that he quote: doesn't need to hear it, is absolutely ridiculous.  Big ups to Singletary for his already legendary press conference, to which he will no doubt add to in the not so distant future.

A Shoutout to the Worst Position in Football

As I sit here watching the NFL, I can't help but get jealous of the job that these grid iron warriors enjoy. Everyone who has ever played football or been a fan of the game has dreamt of being a Quarterback. Often referred to as the field general, the QB on the one hand has to fear for his life due to the monster defensive players desperate to get their over-bearing hands on him. On the other, he has seemingly the biggest men on the planet forming the offensive line doing everything they can to protect him. Oh yeah, he also gets all the glory/money/women... I once heard a silly statistic from a poll found in some men's magazine regarding something that we have all done: fantasize about which professional athletes' life we would trade with in a second. The poll asked the readers to vote on which professional athlete they would most want to be. The overwhelming concensus was Tom Brady, obviously. However, not all the players in the NFL have it that good.

Do the words Wedge Breaker mean anything to you? IF it they do, then you can relate to just how aweful that must responsibility must be. If they don't, please let me fill you in.

On every kick off, the kicking team kicks the ball down field to the kick returner. The kicking team then rushes all eleven of their players (at full sprint) in attempts to minimize the return yards. The receiving team, in attempts to maximize return yards, form protective schemes to block for the returner. Now, I wouldn't want to undermine the often quirky genius of Special Teams coordinators by generalizing the methods by which they block for their returners. Nonetheless, the one constant that is found in return tactics is the Wedge.















The Wedge is formed by a varying number of players who often interlock arms or hands and run together as the leading blockers in front of the returner (as seen above). The wedge breaker is the unlucky player from the kicking team who makes it down the field first and has the lovely duty of "breaking" the wedge so that the rest of his team can get through and tackle the ball carrier. Would you like to run into big number 95 or 74 at full speed.... Me neither. Yet some players only play special teams and due to their speed often have to break the wedge. Curiously, those guys tend to get injured a lot and don't really get any glory. At least, when asked by strangers "what do you do for a living?" they get to answer: "I play football" and I am pretty sure I can think of a few things worse to answer then that.

Spinners: Dallas Cowboys

Exhibit A: Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones

As if owning "America's Team" wasn't enough responsibility, Jerry Jones also acts as the team's President and General Manager. This man clearly knows what he's doing, with one of the deepest on paper team's in the NFL. However, the one constant knock on Jones is that he takes chances on players that have "behavioral issues," to put it lightly. Why? Because he is so committed to winning that he is willing to take a chance on players that for a number of reasons can no longer find a job in the league. Some players are so good at football that character is omitted from the decision-making process.

Perfect segway to bring up Adam "Pacman" Jones. For those of you aren't familiar with Pacman, here is a brief summary of his entertaining life since getting to the NFL.

Drafted 6th overall by the Tennessee Titans in 2005, Pacman was the freak athlete coming out of his West Virginia alma mater. He was to become Tennesee's top Cornerback and a dangerous kick return man. However, off the field Pacman continued to be a dangerous presence. One night in a Vegas Strip Club, Pacman brought an estimated $80,000 in cash and "made it rain" on the strippers. Some witnesses said he poured approx. $39,000 benjamins all over the lucky strippers. However, Pacman was quick to ask, more like demand his money back. Bouncers intervened, then Pacman and his entourage intervened... Gun shots intervened... Police intervened... Then the League Office intervened with Pacman's career suspending him for the entirety of the 2007 season. Pacman said in an interview: "it ain't no sin to go to the strip club, I was just being rebellion. That's it. Period, point blank." (Ya, that's what he said. No Type O's)

While on suspension, Pacman became a tag team champion in TNA wrestling... I don't want to know any more about it then you do. Still, let it be known that the NFL wasn't particularly pleased by this venture. Anyways, newly hired Commissioner Roger Goodale had the wonderfully welcoming task of reviewing the pacman file. After, I'm sure, what was great deliberation Pacman was re-instated into the NFL as a active player.

Together with Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, the League was very concise about the conduct and behavioral specifications for Pacman's re-instatement. Basically, stay out of trouble. STAY DOWN PACMAN and you will be allowed to continue living the dream......

Jerry Jones took a big chance. He hired security guards to follow Pacman to keep him out of trouble, he gave him a condo in a nice neighborhood to keep him out of trouble....... No trouble, no cry... (Bob Marley would have hated that, still you get the point)

Pacman can't be held down... He just wants to be rebellion. Or maybe its more like Rebellion wants to be pacman.... I don't know. Anyways, he got drunk and fought one of his body guards at a hotel. He put his security guard into trouble, or not wait, into a wall... and then Pacman was in trouble. The irony and potential for play on words is endless so I would go there, again.

Which brings me to my original point, Jerry Jones spun this faster then a dj could. The SAME day Pacman was issued his suspension, Jerry and the Cowboys announced the blockbuster trade in which they acquired Wide Receiver, Texas U Longhorn, Texas native, and childhood Cowboys fan Roy Williams. Talk about a negative turned to positive. How beautifully calculated by the Dallas Owner/President/GM.

As they say, any press is good press. "They" say that because negative press is still press, in other words people are talking about it... So negative press can still be a good thing, but what's better than that? Seriously negative news followed up by positive news... I'm sure people in Dallas have since been saying: "Hey you hear about Pacman getting suspended again.." says the first guy to the other guy. "Ya but we got Roy Williams................."

Primary Post: "Spinners"

Welcome to ALL THE BEST Sports Blog. This is officially the first post regarding actual events/news in sports, as the awesome and cool post about the Top 10 Sports Movies was a test for me. A test that I passed with flying colors...

Spinners
No, this post isn't about bling blingin' Rims found on Escalades or Impalas, although that might be for another day. Instead, I want to talk about an area in sports business that is rarely addressed. It requires calculated savy and experience from management when dealing with negative press aimed at their respective organization or league. ALL THE BEST people in the professional sports business have a knack for deflecting negative attention or even over-shadowing it with something else.

The above posts will detail this phenomena.

Top 10 Sports Movies

The Following are the Top 10 Sports Movies as rated by Me.  

The rankings are based on entertainment value NOT what the Academy Awards say.  Essentially, what I mean by entertainment value is how effectively the movie makes you get goose bumps, or even cry, like only Sports Movies can.  

10)  Cool Runnings

9)  Tin Cup

8)  Mighty Ducks ( the original)

7)  Any Given Sunday

6)  He Got Game

5)  Happy Gilmore

4)  Rocky

3)  The Program

2)  Hoosiers

1)  Field of Dreams

Honorable mentions:  Jerry MacGuire,  61*,  Rudy, Remember the Titans, The Hurricane, Raging Bull, Slap Shot, and Caddy Shack.