According to news reports out of Denver, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and new head coach Josh McDaniels will be shopping the league for a new back-up quarterback. There has been speculation for weeks that Jay Cutler would be traded after Cutler voiced his displeasure with McDaniels and the Broncos’ front office.
In an interview with the Denver Post on March 15th, both Bowlen and McDaniels expressed their anger and frustration with their QB regarding comments he made about the team and their new coach after McDaniels decided that his first order of business was to clean house, starting with Cutler.
Naturally, Cutler took offense and immediately started voicing his opinion. After all, everyone who has watched the Broncos play in the past two seasons knows that it is the defense and not Cutler, a Pro Bowler and a franchise player whose offense have been statistical leaders in the league.
McDaniels is definitely to blame for the Cutler-Broncos fiasco. Now, thanks to McDaniels’ lack of diplomacy, Cutler could end up with either the Jets, Browns, Bears or even the Redskins, teams that will immediately improve their offensive situation with Cutlers experience and leadership.
McDaniels’ bone head move puts the Broncos in a more precarious situation but it sets Cutler up for a possible move to a team that might give him a better shot at a title run. If Jay Cutler’s mom were Polynesian, McDaniels would have been running away from a beating with a size 12 high heel shoe!
PITT-XAVIER Sam Young, Levance Fields and and DeJuan Blair have combined for 45.3 points-per-game, more than half of the output for the Pitt Panthers. Young has already proven in the regular season why he is an outstanding big man and in the tournament this year, he’s already increased his scoring and is a major threat on the inside for the Panthers. East Tennessee State gave Pitt a run for their money in the first round and Oklahoma State gave them a scare in the second and we’re still waiting to see which team shows up for the contest against Xavier, a team that doubled-up Portland State and made easy work of Wisconsin. The Musketeers are a deeper, bigger team with talent at every position. B.J. Raymond is a versatile G-F with a scorers mentality but the key to this game for Xavier may be the play of the other G-F, C.J. Anderson and Forward Derrick Brown. This will be an entertaining win but I’m banking on the experience at Pitt to get them past the Musketeers. Prediction: Pitt by four
DUKE-VILLANOVA Great 2-and-3 match-up but….Gerald Henderson and Jon Scheyer will be too much for Dante Cunningham and Scottie Reynolds. Reynolds has the edge in speed, but Scheyer’s and Henderson’s defense will make ‘Nova work for every basket and they can score and dish at will and in that order. ‘Nova’s big men will be tested but Brian Zoubek has to be bigger for Duke on the inside. Prediction: Duke by 12
UNC-GONZAGA The ‘Zags are no joke. There is a reason that this small school keeps making it into the later rounds and that has a lot to do with basketball fundamentals, a knack for exposing teams defensively and of course they have an incomparable team mentality. The Bulldogs have four players who average in the double-digits in scoring in Josh Hytvelt, Jeremy Pargo, Austin Daye and Matt Bouldin. They lost to UConn in OT during the regular season and they’ve been here before. They are giant-killers and enjoy playing in the underdog role. The ‘Zags swept past Akron but narrowly escaped No. 12 seeded Western Kentucky but their biggest test comes tomorrow against the No. 1 seed North Carolina. The Tar Heels have their own formidable scorers in all-everything Tyler Hansbrough, Deon Thompson, versatile Danny Green, swingman Wayne Ellington and speedy point-guard Ty Lawson. Lawson has been questionable since injuring a toe before the tournament but this may be too much firepower for the Bulldogs to contend with. I’m really looking forward to the matchup between Pargo and Lawson. Prediction: UNC by eight
SYRACUSE-OKLAHOMA Eric Devendorf and Jonny Flynn are probably the best all-around backcourt in the tournament. They complement each other perfectly and though Flynn is the younger of the two, he shows maturity beyond his years. Devendorf has a tendency to live-and-die by the three but when he’s on, there’s no stopping him and his size makes him a mismatch for smaller guards in the post when he’s willing to exploit it. Oklahoma’s three-guard rotation of Willie Warren, Austin Johnson and Tony Crocker should be enough to contain Devendorf and Flynn but for Syracuse, Arinze Onuaku and Paul Harris will have the toughest assignment: shutting down the Blake Griffin show down low. I really believe that Syracuse can overcome the three-pronged attack from Oklahoma but if they can’t solve the Griffin problem in the paint, Oklahoma will be playing UNC in the elite eight. Prediction: Syracuse by four
KANSAS-MICHIGAN STATE Travis Walton was huge for the Spartans in their 74-69 victory over the Trojans of USC. As the number two seed in the Midwest you expect big things from Tom Izzo’s team but they struggled against the Trojans defensively, narrowly escaping a defeat at the hands of the number ten seed who sent No. 7 Boston College home early. But the Spartans can’t expect to make the same mistakes and win against defending champs Kansas. If Cole Aldrich posts the same impressive numbers he did against Dayton (no pusher mind you), the Jayhawks will walk away victorious. Sherron Collins needs another big day but Tyshawn Taylor will need to step it up just a notch to get through to the next level. Prediction: Kansas by eight
ARIZONA-LOUISVILLE Arizona embarrassed Utah in the first round, then just went in and did to Cleveland State what Wake Forest was expected to do – torch them. As the lowest seeded team in the Sweet 16 no one expects them to go any further and yet, no one was expecting them to get past Utah. If Arizona can produce the same upset magic that Siena nearly pulled out against Louisville, we may be seeing more of ‘Cats. But like everyone else I have my doubts and the Cardinals have been outstanding all season long. Rick Pitino will count on Terrence Williams to skin the Cats and help diminish Nic Wise’s role and contributions on the court. Prediction: Louisville by 12
UCONN-PURDUE If you haven’t had a chance to watch the Huskies in action this year, ignoring their first two games of the tournament may have been a mistake because they masterfully and mercilessly mauled Chattanooga (103-47) and Texas A&M (92-66) respectively. The latter put up a fight but in the end UConn had far too much fire power and were determined to put the other teams in the tournament on notice. Purdue on the other hand struggled against Northern Iowa (61-56) and squeaked past Washington in one of the more competitive games of the tournament. UConn is too deep and too experienced for Purdue who rely too heavily on their big three, E’Twaun Moore, JaJuan Johnson and Robbie Hummel. Prediction: UCONN by 16
MEMPHIS-MISSOURI The Memphis Tigers are getting consistent numbers out of their star Tyreke Evans while Shawn Taggart and Antonio Anderson have really stepped up their game to contribute nicely on the offensive end. Robert Dozier’s numbers have dropped off slightly but he’s still a presence on the boards. But the Tigers had a much easier way to the Sweet-16 overcoming CS-Northridge (81-70) and Maryland (89-70) while the other Tigers from Mizzou battled through Cornell and a very scrappy Marquette team to get here. Missouri is much better team on paper with stability from its starters and its bench players. DeMarre Carroll is as good a player as you’ll find in the entire tournament and Leo Lyons is a great complimentary player to Carroll with an inside-outside touch. Prediction: Mizzou by four
As a long time fan of North Carolina basketball, a fanaticism that dates back to the days of James Worthy and a certain All-time great that goes by the moniker Air Jordan, its hard for me to stomach the success of their cross-town rivals, the Duke Blue Devils. But its hard to ignore the achievements of a team that has won three national championships, has celebrated more Sweet Sixteen’s than Cher and has been at the top of the College basketball rankings for what seems like every year since 1986.
The Blue Devils and head coach Mike Krzyzewski have amassed individual and team records, player, coach and team awards and are by far one of the most successful men’s college basketball teams in the past two decades. But to what do the Blue Devils owe this incredible success?
1. Coaching Duke has had a long string of hard nose, disciplinarians at the helm of the program who were committed to hard work and discipline including Eddie Cameron (1929-42) who left Duke with three Southern Conference Championships and an impressive 226-99 record. In nine years (1960-69) Vic Bubas led the team to four conference championships and three Final Four appearances while steering them to 213-67 record. But it is Krzyzewski’s leadership, which began back in 1981, that will go down in the record books as the most imposing and the most enviable. Under Krzyzewski’s direction the Blue Devils have appeared in 10 Final Four’s with three of them resulting in championships (’91, ’92, 2001). They’ve also won 11 ACC championships. There have been eight ACC Player of the Year recipients from Duke since 1988 beginning with Danny Ferry and the most recent, J.J. Redick won the award twice (’05, ’06). Coach K’s accolades are too numerous to list here, but there is no doubt that the guy can coach and that he has a knack for developing relationships and instilling lasting life and basketball philosophies within his players, a fact that is evident by the number of former players who are now coaching in the Division I ranks. Two of his standout players are coaches on his current team; Steve Wojciechowski has been on the coaching staff for seven years now and Chris Collins has been around for six.
2. Recruiting As long as Duke keeps churning out one winning season after another there will never be a shortage of talented high school players lining up to put on a Blue Devils jersey. Thanks to Coach K’s success in broadening the basketball knowledge of his players and bringing out the best in even his less stellar recruits (which have been very few since Krzyzewski took over), the number of top flite players at Cameron Hall have been sufficient to field two elite teams that can compete on any given day. Tommy Amaker, Grant Hill, Christian Laettner, Elton Brand, Bobby Hurley, Shane Battier, Wojciechowski, Ferry, Chris Duhon, Johnny Dawkins, Carlos Boozer to name a few.
3. Philosophy Coach K expects a lot out of his players but he prepares them for every scenario that they will face on the court. Discipline has been a staple in the Duke repertoire and everything begins on the defensive end of the court as evidenced by the number of National Defensive Players of the Year awards won by Duke players since Billy King first won the award in 1986. Duke teams are well known for holding their opponents to a lower points per-game-average but they are also known for their efficient attacking offense and there is probably no other team in the nation that prepares more readily for an opponent than the Blue Devils.
The Blue Devils are making yet another run at a National title in this year’s NCAA Tournament. They have already demolished Binghamton 86-62 and wrangled the Texas Longhorns 74-69 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen where they will first tangle with Villanova, a team who walloped UCLA in the second round. Barring any misfortunes, Duke could go on to meet the winner of the Pitt-Xavier game in the Elite Eight.
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Over the years we've watched some of the NFL's greatest earn their stripes in one uniform, only to become nomads in the League who eventually lose their luster when they move on in the waning years of their career to another team. When that happens it seems like they are no longer the same player and an alter-ego has taken over their body in a new uniform. Brett Favre will always been the guy in green and yellow. Emmitt Smith had spurts of brilliance as a Cardinal (and in dancing shoes on Dancing With the Stars) but he will forever be known as the bruising back in gray and blue. And, it only took Thurman Thomas one season in Miami to realize that he should have closed out his career as a Buffalo Bill.
With today's blockbluster deal in San Diego it appears that LaDainian Tomlinson will not make the same mistake and his future in the city where he has become a household name and a treasure is secure.
I'm a huge Charger fan and an even bigger fan of LT's but I wonder if the Chargers are on the losing end of the deal? Since his MVP season in 2006, LT has been untouchable when he's healthy but he's spending more and more time on IR. Only time will tell if he can have another break out season and there are still questions on the offensive line.
The PAC-10 is preparing for the first tip-off of its men’s basketball tournament today in Los Angeles at the Staple Center. Unfortunately for UCLA, one of their top scorers and the guy who manages the Bruins’ attack may not be one hundred percent. Doctor’s indicated that Collison’s x-rays were negative for major damage to his tailbone but the bruising and stiffness are still bothering the Bruins’ point guard who participated in the team shoot-around on Tuesday.
Today, No 8 Oregon State takes on No 9 Stanford. Ordinarily this would be a no-brainer but you have to take into consideration the complete turnaround for the Beavers who have gone 7-11 in conference play compared to their abysmal 0-18 conference record of a year ago. A lot of that can be attributed to the First Brother In-Law, Craig Robinson who has helped the Beavers shore up a woeful defense and now has athleticism at the back court and the three spot. But Calvin Haynes is injured (hand) and although they are scrappy, they still have to deal with the deadly shooting of The Cardinal guards and their size up front. The Beavers will have a tough time throughout the tournament, but they are still very entertaining. PICK: Oregon State
In the other game today, Washington State (7) plays No 10 Oregon. The Ducks have been completely lame this season finishing 8-22 overall and 2-16 in conference play. Considering the numbers and the lack of depth on the Oregon bench, this looks like it will be a cakewalk for Wazoo and they will need the warmup because the winner of this contest moves on to play No 2 UCLA. PICK: Washington State
Tomorrow: (4) Arizona State vs. (5) Arizona Always a heated rivalry between these two schools and Arizona has often gotten the best of the Sun Devils. The Devils beat the ‘Cats in both meetings this season but you can never count Arizona out in tournament play. They have seasoned veterans in Chase Budinger and Junior forward Jordan Hill. This will be the most competitive game in the tournament but I’m giving the edge to Arizona simply because they play better as the underdog. But if the Devils can’t get consistent scoring out of James Hardin, the ‘Cats will be in trouble. PICK: Arizona
(3) California vs. (6) USC Cal really needs to step it up to get past the Trojans who beat them in the regular season but got blown out in the other contest. The Bears lead the nation in 3-point-shooting percentage (43.8) and when they’re hot they can’t be beat. If guard Jerome Randle, their top scorer, has an off night, there’s really not much for the Bears to turn to. On the other end of the court, USC’s Taj Gibson is an inside presence on defense that the Bears will have to contend with but on offense, the Trojans have had issues taking care of the ball resulting in the worst turnover ration (-26) in the PAC-10. Look for coach Mike Montgomery who ruled the PAC-10 for years while at Stanford, to make this a half-court game with the Bears coming out on top. PICK: California
Every year, the number of Polynesian players increases as professional scouts and coaches realize the potential of some of our most promising sons. In this year’s NFL Scouting Combines another crop of outstanding athletes impressed the experts as college athletes got a chance to prove their stock ahead of the upcoming draft.
Last year (2008) may be the first year in several years that we have not had at least one player with ties to the Pacific in all seven rounds. This year, there are no less than three who may sign contracts before the two-day draft comes to a close.
Among this year’s notables of course are USC linebacker Rey Maualuga and his teammate, defensive lineman Fili Moala. Here’s a brief breakdown of PI players who were invited to this year’s NFL Scouting Combine:
Paul Fanaika, OG (6'5", 327) Milbrae, CA
College: Arizona State / High School: Mills
Was a member of a very explosive Sun Devil offensive line and is a former walk-on. Scouts are raving about his size, athleticism and strength but question his conditioning. He is great explosiveness at the point of attack but fades in space. He’s a three year starter at ASU and is projected to a right tackle despite playing at right guard during his collegiate career.
Ray Feinga, OL (6'4", 337) West Valley City, UT
College: BYU / High School: Hunter HS
Another gifted young offensive lineman who plays with the intensity of a defensive tackle. He’s a two-time first-team All-MWC selection for the Cougars. He has great hands, excellent foot work and works angles well in the trenches. He’s a mid-rounder with potential to move up if teams with a less than agile quarterback or pocket-passer are looking for a very aggressive pass protector. He’s had some injuries but his athleticism is a plus and he’s a quick study. Former Utah Mr. Football.
Kaluka Maiava, OLB (5'11", 229) Wailuku, HI
College: Southern Cal / High School: Baldwin
Played understudy to guys like Dallas Sartz, Keith Rivers, Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga at USC and really only had one season to showcase his abilities to pro scouts. Maiava took advantage of his 2008-09 season culminating in defensive MVP honors in the Rose Bowl. He has natural football instincts, reads coverage well and attacks the football aggressively. He has a great motor and is a big hitter.
Marcus Mailei, FB (6'0", 248) Salt Lake City, UT
College: Weber State / High School: Highland
A surprise to everyone outside of Utah who hasn’t seen this powerful young runner blow-up linebackers in the Big Sky Conference. A rare find even though scouts consider him too short to play fullback in the NFL. He makes up for his lack of speed with his superior blocking skills and ability to run over defenders.
Rey Maualuga, ILB (6'2", 249) Eureka, CA
College: Southern Cal / High School: Eureka
There is no question that this guy is going to be an early selection despite pulling up with a ham-string strain in the combine. He is all-everything in the PAC-10 and everyone knows what this guy can do when he straps on his helmet.
Josh Mauga, OLB (6'1", 243) Fallon, NV
College: Nevada / High School: Churchill County
Another surprise to anyone who doesn’t follow WAC football but Mauga has been a consistent run stopper and a decent pass protector in short yardage situations. A local product, he led the Wolfpack defense and the WAC in tackles (11.7 TPG). He comes from football stock and knows the game inside out. He has excellent instincts and almost always finds his way to the ball. He could be this years Pago Togafau or Freddie Keiaho.
Roy Miller, DT (6'1", 310) Killeen, TX
College: Texas / High School: Shoemaker
An All-Big-12 Conference performer, scouts do not consider Miller a prototypical run-stopper because of his lack of size. But he is as mean as they come and he has posted significant numbers despite being undersized during his career at Texas as evidenced by his defensive MVP recognition against Ohio State in this year’s Fiesta Bowl. Scouts love Miller’s explosiveness off the ball and ultimately it will be his numbers and his motor that will determine his exit in the draft although he would probably do quite well as a free-agent.
Fili Moala, DT (6'4", 305) Buena Park, CA
College: Southern Cal / High School: Western
Moala is your prototypical Defensive Tackle in the mold of another physically imposing Polynesian tackle, Haloti Ngata. He is huge and often depends on that size and strength to overpower opponents ultimately leaving him exposed when he is properly engaged by offensive lineman with size and agility. With a little work on his burst and some pass rushing moves, Moala could become a complete package of size, strength, speed and football smarts.
Louis Murphy, WR (6'2", 203) St. Petersburg, FL
College: Florida / High School: Lakewood
Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow had so many offensive weapons at their disposal that its hard to say how impressive Murphy is but there’s no questioning his talent. Even with other talented receivers on the Gators’ roster he still averaged 38 catches and 6.5 TD’s in two seasons. He has the hands and the speed but lacks strength and needs to work on his blocking to be a complete receiver.
Fenuki Tupou, OT (6'5", 314) Elverta, CA
College: Oregon / High School: Center
Massive offensive lineman who was wooed by several Division I schools but ended up playing a couple of years in the Junior College ranks before moving to Oregon. He has a tremendous upside and has a lot of positives on his side. Of all the PI offensive linemen in this class he’s considered the quickest and naturally gifted but he needs to work on using his size as well as his quickness. Does not figure into the top rounds of the draft but he could be a surprise 6th or 7th rounder.
David Veikune, DE (6'2", 257) Wahiawa, HI
College: Hawaii / High School: Campbell
Veikune impressed scouts in the 40-yard-dash and was a top performer in that drill as well as the bench press and 3-cone-drill amongst defensive linemen. Coaches and fans raved about his performance against one of the most formidable offensive lines in the country, the Florida Gators. He’s slightly shorter than most pro teams would like in a defensive end but he covers ground well and has good pursuit in the open field and decent lateral movement. Could be better suited by increasing his speed to move into a middle linebacker role.
According to news reports out of Denver, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and new head coach Josh McDaniels will be shopping the league for a new back-up quarterback. There has been speculation for weeks that Jay Cutler would be traded after Cutler voiced his displeasure with McDaniels and the Broncos’ front office.
