The moments that made San Diego sports in 2010, in no particular order:
-- the Chargers lose their first playoff game in January, following a 13-3 record in 2009. That the Bolts came close to the Jets yet lost because of mistakes and weakness in the trenches foretold this fall's collapse.
-- the Chargers went to Seattle with a 1-1 record to start the 2010 season and, against a team destined to finish below .500, allowed two kickoff returns for touchdowns, turned the ball over five times and committed 11 penalties -- and lost by a touchdown.
-- the Padres won 90 games and came within two games of beating out eventual World Series champion San Francisco for the NL West crown, but on Dec. 5 traded 1B Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox. Gonzalez led the team in batting average, home runs, RBI and runs scored -- and they got no major leaguers in return.
-- in the middle of August, Giants hot-head P Jonathan Sanchez promised a sweep of their upcoming series against San Diego at AT&T Park. In the first game, Padres P Clayton Richard threw one of his best games of the season for a 3-2 win over Sanchez. The Padres took two out of the three games. Alas, the 10-game losing streak was less than two weeks away.
-- the San Diego State women's basketball team had a rocky regular season, entering an early-season tournament with high hopes against top competition but losing all three games, and falling in four of five conference games in February. But stuck in a tough NCAA Tournament draw, the Aztecs caught fire and routed host Texas 74-63 on March 21. Two days later they beat #10 West Virginia, falling only to #6 Duke in the Sweet 16.
-- in all the years of SDSU men's basketball, which included a small college national championship in 1941, the Aztecs had never been ranked. On Oct. 28, they were for the first time, entering the pre-season AP poll at #25. The Aztecs have done nothing but head upward since, going 14-0 to rise to #7.
-- Admit it, you left last week's Poinsettia Bowl with a sense of satisfaction you haven't felt after an SDSU football game in decades. A 35-14 win over Navy gave the Aztecs their first post-season victory in 41 years.
---
Now for the predictions:
-- the Chargers will rebound behind QB Philip Rivers, a motivated WR Vincent Jackson and a reconfigured defense, and will beat out Kansas City for the AFC West title.
-- the Padres AAAA team will look good early behind some decent pitching, but the heat of summer will warm up the bats of opponents, sending them careening into last place.
-- the SDSU women are struggling behind youthful guards this year, but the men will win the MWC regular season title and enter the NCAA Tournament with a #3 seed. If they can survive their opener, no small task, they could match the women's accomplishment of last season -- or better it.
-- the SDSU football team will rout Cal Poly and Army to open the 2011 football season, but will have a tough time with a Washington State team that improved late this year and will have their hands full with Michigan. That said, they could beat a depleted TCU team at home later in the season and finish second behind Boise State in the new-look MWC.
-- the University of San Diego football team could see fortunes turn for the better in 2011 with the return of decorated DE Mario Kurn and most of a season under the belt of QB Mason Mills.
-- once basketball is done in March or, hopefully, April, the most interesting thing to watch will be USD baseball. That WCC mark of 19-2 last year hid an out-of-conference record of 18-20, so the Toreros are ranked only 28th in one preseason poll. Yet, coach Rich Hill brought in the second-best recruiting class in the nation, so if those youngsters can fit in early, this could be a darn good season. The pre-season includes visits by always strong Vanderbilt and Coastal Carolina.
Happy New Year!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Chargers to Miss Playoffs, Keep Smith and Turner
Chargers President Dean Spanos is correct, in a way, to stick with GM AJ Smith and head coach Norv Turner following the Bolts' elimination from playoff contention on Sunday. Many fans want blood, judging by comments on radio talk shows and the Internet, but a knee-jerk reaction will not do the team or supporters much good.
The Chargers simply had a bad year -- singular. Even that 8-8 season a couple of years ago included a playoff victory. Last year, the record was 13-3. Smith has done a pretty good job in identifying talent to stock his roster, and Turner has won with those players. This is the NFL, and other teams are good, too, so stuff like this year will happen. I can read trends like anyone else, with declining numbers of annual playoff victories, poor Septembers and alternating good and bad years.
All that said, Smith and Turner have their work cut out for them this off-season.
Smith publicly is a stickler for character, yet teams stocked with high quality people don't have wild inconsistencies like the 2010 Chargers, and way too many players have had off-field problems and run-ins with the law. He's brilliant in finding diamonds in the rough, talent on the waiver wire and second-day draft picks. Yet, his record is quite poor in the first round or two of the NFL Draft. RB Ryan Mathews was hobbled all year and has now experienced what the pro game requires for success. I bet he comes on strong in 2011, but just how high a level that is remains questionable. The results from recent high picks casts doubt.
Also, group together the sagas of WR Vincent Jackson, LT Marcus McNeill and LB Shawne Merriman and you have an utter fiasco. There's no excuse for the way Smith conducts business, and the Chargers are worse off for it. This year, for the first time, Smith's own character flaws caught up with his many accomplishments.
As for Turner, how does he meld a collection of under-performing high draft choices, malcontents and castoffs into a real team that pulls together for a legitimate playoff run in 2011? That he came close this year is testiment to his ability to coach. However, just because I disagree with his detractors doesn't mean I think he is great as a team leader. The greats don't let the Raiders games happen to them or allow constantly sloppy games on the road.
So, no, nothing knee-jerk from me. It is standard practice if you're a team owner to keep a mental list of potential GM or head coach candidates should you need one -- and I'm sure Spanos has such a list. He might have consulted the list already. If it includes better names than the ones which currently fill the positions, then I could see making changes as part of a package deal. Otherwise, why bother? Firing someone just because you're mad won't help matters.
---
The 2010 Chargers were a recipe for disaster.
-- Going into the season minus something like five or six of your best players,
-- Your top draft choice, the replacement for one of the missing, gets hurt in training camp,
-- A turnstile at receiver, and
-- Unresolved weaknesses in the trenches, as evidenced by the pounding administered by the Jets in last season's playoffs.
The Chargers top needs for draft and free agent help, in my eyes, are defensive end and safety. The offensive line could use some help and I wouldn't mind using a second-day pick on a receiver with raw potential of the sort Jackson was when he came out of the University of Northern Colorado. Fitting that bill would be San Diego State's DeMarco Sampson (Vincent Brown should be long gone before the Bolts turn to that priority).
The Chargers simply had a bad year -- singular. Even that 8-8 season a couple of years ago included a playoff victory. Last year, the record was 13-3. Smith has done a pretty good job in identifying talent to stock his roster, and Turner has won with those players. This is the NFL, and other teams are good, too, so stuff like this year will happen. I can read trends like anyone else, with declining numbers of annual playoff victories, poor Septembers and alternating good and bad years.
All that said, Smith and Turner have their work cut out for them this off-season.
Smith publicly is a stickler for character, yet teams stocked with high quality people don't have wild inconsistencies like the 2010 Chargers, and way too many players have had off-field problems and run-ins with the law. He's brilliant in finding diamonds in the rough, talent on the waiver wire and second-day draft picks. Yet, his record is quite poor in the first round or two of the NFL Draft. RB Ryan Mathews was hobbled all year and has now experienced what the pro game requires for success. I bet he comes on strong in 2011, but just how high a level that is remains questionable. The results from recent high picks casts doubt.
Also, group together the sagas of WR Vincent Jackson, LT Marcus McNeill and LB Shawne Merriman and you have an utter fiasco. There's no excuse for the way Smith conducts business, and the Chargers are worse off for it. This year, for the first time, Smith's own character flaws caught up with his many accomplishments.
As for Turner, how does he meld a collection of under-performing high draft choices, malcontents and castoffs into a real team that pulls together for a legitimate playoff run in 2011? That he came close this year is testiment to his ability to coach. However, just because I disagree with his detractors doesn't mean I think he is great as a team leader. The greats don't let the Raiders games happen to them or allow constantly sloppy games on the road.
So, no, nothing knee-jerk from me. It is standard practice if you're a team owner to keep a mental list of potential GM or head coach candidates should you need one -- and I'm sure Spanos has such a list. He might have consulted the list already. If it includes better names than the ones which currently fill the positions, then I could see making changes as part of a package deal. Otherwise, why bother? Firing someone just because you're mad won't help matters.
---
The 2010 Chargers were a recipe for disaster.
-- Going into the season minus something like five or six of your best players,
-- Your top draft choice, the replacement for one of the missing, gets hurt in training camp,
-- A turnstile at receiver, and
-- Unresolved weaknesses in the trenches, as evidenced by the pounding administered by the Jets in last season's playoffs.
The Chargers top needs for draft and free agent help, in my eyes, are defensive end and safety. The offensive line could use some help and I wouldn't mind using a second-day pick on a receiver with raw potential of the sort Jackson was when he came out of the University of Northern Colorado. Fitting that bill would be San Diego State's DeMarco Sampson (Vincent Brown should be long gone before the Bolts turn to that priority).
Friday, December 24, 2010
Christmas List - The Best San Diego Sports Teams Ever
It's become clear the past couple of weeks that the San Diego State basketball team is having a once-in-a-lifetime kind of season, indeed the school's first in which a team that shoots a round ball into a hoop is being given a legitimate shot at contending for a national championship. Sure, if you're Duke, North Carolina or Michigan State, reaching the Final Four is routine. I'm writing about San Diego State here. There is no reason to sell the school short, but the Aztecs have never been known as a basketball powerhouse. Far from it. When coach Steve Fisher arrived at Montezuma Mesa 12 years ago, SDSU had what was arguably the worst major college basketball program in the United States. Now the 2010-11 Aztecs are among the best.
Which leads us to this, our list of the greatest teams in the history of San Diego, be they professional, college or amateur. Level doesn't matter -- accomplishment does.
1. 1963 Chargers - The only local major professional team to win the championship of an entire league, the Chargers were led by veteran QB Tobin Rote, the RB tandem of Paul Lowe and Keith Lincoln, and WR Lance Alworth's 61 receptions.
2. 2009 Park View Little League - How about not just a league title, but a world championship? The Blue Bombers from Chula Vista captured our attention for a week with their inspired play, and they came home to rousing ovations.
3. 1998 San Diego Padres - Once CF Steve Finley hit that ninth-inning grand slam against the Diamondbacks in April, the NL West race was over. LF Greg Vaughn hit 50 HR, closer Trevor Hoffman had his best season and P Kevin Brown shut down opposing batters in a magical summer.
4. 1994 Chargers - There is not a Bolts fan in adulthood who can't immediately conjure up an image of LB Dennis Gibson knocking down that last-second pass in Pittsburgh to put the team in their first Super Bowl. Stan Humphries, Junior Seau and how about Leslie O'Neil and the late-Chris Mims combining for 23.5 sacks?
5. 1973 San Diego State men's volleyball team - The school's only Division 1 national championship. The Aztecs defeated top-ranked Long Beach State at the Sports Arena, and Duncan McFarland -- who became a longtime coach -- was named MVP. Chris Marlowe won a volleyball gold medal 11 years later.
6. 1988 Morse High football - Teddy Lawrence was an option QB with a per-carry average of 19 yards per game. Tommy Bennett joined him at UCLA. Gary and Cary Taylor ran the ball. They crushed Darnay Scott's Kearny team 51-6 back when the Komets were a force. They beat Vista for the CIF championship 48-14.
7. 1955 San Diego High football - Okay, it's hard to separate high school football teams, so let's keep them together. The Cavers, led by Art Powers, were crowned by some the mythical "national champions."
8. 1986 and 1987 Point Loma High girl's basketball - Terri Mann and the Pointers dominated prep hoops statewide about as much as UConn does today in college ball, led by coach Lee Trepanier.
9. 2003 La Costa Canyon High baseball - Named national and state champions and Justin Machado was state Coach of the Year. The Mavericks set CIF records with 32 wins in a season and 27 straight victories.
10. 2010 San Diego State football - The 1977 Aztecs won 10 games and had a better defense, and the 1979 edition took down better opponents, but neither of them capped off their years with bowl game victories. Ronnie Hillman, Ryan Lindley, Vincent Brown, Andrew Preston and the rest of the red & black got the job done.
---
The rousing Poinsettia Bowl victory by SDSU over Navy was a wonderful Christmas present. May the gifts keep flowing generously off the Mesa in the new year. Merry Christmas!
Which leads us to this, our list of the greatest teams in the history of San Diego, be they professional, college or amateur. Level doesn't matter -- accomplishment does.
1. 1963 Chargers - The only local major professional team to win the championship of an entire league, the Chargers were led by veteran QB Tobin Rote, the RB tandem of Paul Lowe and Keith Lincoln, and WR Lance Alworth's 61 receptions.
2. 2009 Park View Little League - How about not just a league title, but a world championship? The Blue Bombers from Chula Vista captured our attention for a week with their inspired play, and they came home to rousing ovations.
3. 1998 San Diego Padres - Once CF Steve Finley hit that ninth-inning grand slam against the Diamondbacks in April, the NL West race was over. LF Greg Vaughn hit 50 HR, closer Trevor Hoffman had his best season and P Kevin Brown shut down opposing batters in a magical summer.
4. 1994 Chargers - There is not a Bolts fan in adulthood who can't immediately conjure up an image of LB Dennis Gibson knocking down that last-second pass in Pittsburgh to put the team in their first Super Bowl. Stan Humphries, Junior Seau and how about Leslie O'Neil and the late-Chris Mims combining for 23.5 sacks?
5. 1973 San Diego State men's volleyball team - The school's only Division 1 national championship. The Aztecs defeated top-ranked Long Beach State at the Sports Arena, and Duncan McFarland -- who became a longtime coach -- was named MVP. Chris Marlowe won a volleyball gold medal 11 years later.
6. 1988 Morse High football - Teddy Lawrence was an option QB with a per-carry average of 19 yards per game. Tommy Bennett joined him at UCLA. Gary and Cary Taylor ran the ball. They crushed Darnay Scott's Kearny team 51-6 back when the Komets were a force. They beat Vista for the CIF championship 48-14.
7. 1955 San Diego High football - Okay, it's hard to separate high school football teams, so let's keep them together. The Cavers, led by Art Powers, were crowned by some the mythical "national champions."
8. 1986 and 1987 Point Loma High girl's basketball - Terri Mann and the Pointers dominated prep hoops statewide about as much as UConn does today in college ball, led by coach Lee Trepanier.
9. 2003 La Costa Canyon High baseball - Named national and state champions and Justin Machado was state Coach of the Year. The Mavericks set CIF records with 32 wins in a season and 27 straight victories.
10. 2010 San Diego State football - The 1977 Aztecs won 10 games and had a better defense, and the 1979 edition took down better opponents, but neither of them capped off their years with bowl game victories. Ronnie Hillman, Ryan Lindley, Vincent Brown, Andrew Preston and the rest of the red & black got the job done.
---
The rousing Poinsettia Bowl victory by SDSU over Navy was a wonderful Christmas present. May the gifts keep flowing generously off the Mesa in the new year. Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Gay Wins Over Fans of Streaking Aztecs, Padres in the Middle
Only a little more than a year ago, DJ Gay was the guy who made fans of San Diego State basketball nervous. After two inconsistent years as the Aztecs shooting guard, he was set to take over the point, which was vacated by four-year starter Richie Williams. The thinking was that Gay would do his best, but...
There was some reason for worry. Gay ran some point his first two seasons while Williams rested, and the offense invariably stagnated. That was then.
Now, who is the most popular Aztec? Consensus NBA prospect Kawhi Leonard? Spectacular four-year veteran Billy White? San Diegan Malcolm Thomas? No. It's DJ Gay.
Oh, sorry, that was supposed to be "D! J! Gay!" yelled with gusto by 12,000 fans thrusting out their fists in a hopping Viejas Arena.
The kid who was going to do his best while playing out of position is now the best point guard the school has ever had. He played nearly every minute of every game last season and led the Aztecs to a Mountain West Conference Tournament championship and the Big Dance. He is the leader on a deep team in time spent on the floor this season. He's converting on 43 percent of his three-point shots, including a couple of daggers fired with the shot clock well into single digits -- such a play keyed a big first-half run in Saturday's 90-64 rout of an otherwise very good UC Santa Barbara team.
Handling the ball and running the floor at the point, "D! J! Gay!" has committed just 21 turnovers in a dozen contests. The Aztecs are making more than half their shots. That doesn't happen when your stagnant.
For all that, Gay is the most popular Aztec on a 12-0 team, a guy who takes care of business at the point on a squad that should be solidly ranked in the Top 10 when the new rankings come out Monday. Those old worries are long gone.
---
A lot has been made over the four sellouts at Viejas Arena so far this season and how it plays into the "San Diego Only Supports a Winner" argument. To me, winning the conference tournament and going to the NCAAs and nearly knocking off Tennessee under unduly harsh conditions gave the program a stamp of legitimacy -- something more than simply winning a bunch of games. We'll see over the next few years, which will include a few lumps by this time next season, how it plays out.
---
I would have been more excited about the Padres acquisitions of SS Jason Bartlett and 2B Orlando Hudson two or three years ago. While Bartlett is unquestionably an upgrade at the position, even over Miguel Tejada, he is still a punch-and-judy hitter who has had only one good season at the plate. Hudson's on-base percentage has dropped successively the past three years, his batting average the past two. His strikeout totals are up.
So the Padres are better in the middle of the infield than a year ago, but only by a small margin, unless we get lucky. And major questions remain at the top with CF Cameron Maybin, and at C where Nick Hundley works best in tandem, but might have to carry the entire load on his shoulders in 2011. With those two issues, the Padres are still far below where they were last year, even after the Bartlett/Hudson additions.
The field starting lineup in 2011 looks like this, so far:
1B - Kyle Blanks
2B - Hudson
SS - Bartlett
3B - Chase Headley
LF - Ryan Ludwick
CF - Maybin
RF - Will Venable
C - Hundley
There are currently zero power threats. Counting on a return to 2008 form by Ludwick is ludicrous, as is holding out hope that Blanks will return healthy and productive. Either or both could happen, but you can't plan for them. Occasional homers will come off the bats of Headley and Hundley, but not many.
Hopefully, GM Jed Hoyer still has some cards to play.
There was some reason for worry. Gay ran some point his first two seasons while Williams rested, and the offense invariably stagnated. That was then.
Now, who is the most popular Aztec? Consensus NBA prospect Kawhi Leonard? Spectacular four-year veteran Billy White? San Diegan Malcolm Thomas? No. It's DJ Gay.
Oh, sorry, that was supposed to be "D! J! Gay!" yelled with gusto by 12,000 fans thrusting out their fists in a hopping Viejas Arena.
The kid who was going to do his best while playing out of position is now the best point guard the school has ever had. He played nearly every minute of every game last season and led the Aztecs to a Mountain West Conference Tournament championship and the Big Dance. He is the leader on a deep team in time spent on the floor this season. He's converting on 43 percent of his three-point shots, including a couple of daggers fired with the shot clock well into single digits -- such a play keyed a big first-half run in Saturday's 90-64 rout of an otherwise very good UC Santa Barbara team.
Handling the ball and running the floor at the point, "D! J! Gay!" has committed just 21 turnovers in a dozen contests. The Aztecs are making more than half their shots. That doesn't happen when your stagnant.
For all that, Gay is the most popular Aztec on a 12-0 team, a guy who takes care of business at the point on a squad that should be solidly ranked in the Top 10 when the new rankings come out Monday. Those old worries are long gone.
---
A lot has been made over the four sellouts at Viejas Arena so far this season and how it plays into the "San Diego Only Supports a Winner" argument. To me, winning the conference tournament and going to the NCAAs and nearly knocking off Tennessee under unduly harsh conditions gave the program a stamp of legitimacy -- something more than simply winning a bunch of games. We'll see over the next few years, which will include a few lumps by this time next season, how it plays out.
---
I would have been more excited about the Padres acquisitions of SS Jason Bartlett and 2B Orlando Hudson two or three years ago. While Bartlett is unquestionably an upgrade at the position, even over Miguel Tejada, he is still a punch-and-judy hitter who has had only one good season at the plate. Hudson's on-base percentage has dropped successively the past three years, his batting average the past two. His strikeout totals are up.
So the Padres are better in the middle of the infield than a year ago, but only by a small margin, unless we get lucky. And major questions remain at the top with CF Cameron Maybin, and at C where Nick Hundley works best in tandem, but might have to carry the entire load on his shoulders in 2011. With those two issues, the Padres are still far below where they were last year, even after the Bartlett/Hudson additions.
The field starting lineup in 2011 looks like this, so far:
1B - Kyle Blanks
2B - Hudson
SS - Bartlett
3B - Chase Headley
LF - Ryan Ludwick
CF - Maybin
RF - Will Venable
C - Hundley
There are currently zero power threats. Counting on a return to 2008 form by Ludwick is ludicrous, as is holding out hope that Blanks will return healthy and productive. Either or both could happen, but you can't plan for them. Occasional homers will come off the bats of Headley and Hundley, but not many.
Hopefully, GM Jed Hoyer still has some cards to play.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Rationalizing the Gonzalez Trade
Me: a desperate Padres fan.
Current activity: trying to rationalize the trade of 1B Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox.
As said in previous posts, I fully understand the need to trade the slugger based on statements that he was not interested in any "San Diego discount." That's fine, his choice. It meant the Padres were never going to re-sign him.
But get a major leaguer for him to at least make the 2011 team competitive.
That Hoyer didn't makes me wonder why. He's not dumb, and there have been comments from owner Jeff Moorad that they have oars in the water that will affect next year. So I'm wondering if he plans on repackaging the prospects in some way that might bring in a legitimate major league player.
One more supporting bit of evidence: the timing. This trade happened right before the start of baseball's Winter Meetings. When there was a snag over the weekend, they rushed to complete the trade by basically ignoring the hangup.
I think there's more to come, maybe something big. Something we might like.
Or maybe I'm just desperate.
---
As an unabashed San Diego State fan, I would love some Oceanside and Cathedral Catholic linemen to stay home. Awesome.
And you have to love how a lot of coach Brady Hoke's end-of-season leverage was used to improve facilities and get pay raises for his assistants.
The Michigan thing might still be there, but my bet is he probably received a discreet signal that it is a couple of years too early for him to be considered a serious candidate. The problem for Hoke is, when he has the Aztecs at greater heights in a few seasons, he might be considered too old. It would also require the Wolverines to completely botch their second coaching hire in a row. I'm not sure that's going to happen.
Current activity: trying to rationalize the trade of 1B Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox.
As said in previous posts, I fully understand the need to trade the slugger based on statements that he was not interested in any "San Diego discount." That's fine, his choice. It meant the Padres were never going to re-sign him.
But get a major leaguer for him to at least make the 2011 team competitive.
That Hoyer didn't makes me wonder why. He's not dumb, and there have been comments from owner Jeff Moorad that they have oars in the water that will affect next year. So I'm wondering if he plans on repackaging the prospects in some way that might bring in a legitimate major league player.
One more supporting bit of evidence: the timing. This trade happened right before the start of baseball's Winter Meetings. When there was a snag over the weekend, they rushed to complete the trade by basically ignoring the hangup.
I think there's more to come, maybe something big. Something we might like.
Or maybe I'm just desperate.
---
As an unabashed San Diego State fan, I would love some Oceanside and Cathedral Catholic linemen to stay home. Awesome.
And you have to love how a lot of coach Brady Hoke's end-of-season leverage was used to improve facilities and get pay raises for his assistants.
The Michigan thing might still be there, but my bet is he probably received a discreet signal that it is a couple of years too early for him to be considered a serious candidate. The problem for Hoke is, when he has the Aztecs at greater heights in a few seasons, he might be considered too old. It would also require the Wolverines to completely botch their second coaching hire in a row. I'm not sure that's going to happen.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Gonzalez Still a Padre (For a Short While, Anyway); Holiday Bowl, Chargers
Sunday night edit: Contract extension talks are now on hold, and it appears the deal will go through without one.
Maybe Adrian wants to go to the Washington Nationals?
For whatever reason, 1B Adrian Gonzalez could not reach a long-term deal with the Red Sox and will go into baseball's Winter Meetings as a member of the San Diego Padres still. This could go down as one of those "best trades that Kevin Towers made were the ones that never went through," like the ones where he tried to pawn off Phil Nevin for a loaf of bread and a splintered Louisville Slugger. Saving Jed Hoyer's butt for not at least getting one major leaguer in exchange for his best player.
Again, I understand the necessity for trading Gonzo, and I think some of those prospects look fine, but you've got to think of 2011, too.
And if you're not sure of the Nationals reference, slugger Jayson Werth signed in DC for $126 million over seven years. If I'm Adrian, I'd re-think my demands, too.
---
Holiday Bowl now has Nebraska taking on Washington instead of Missouri. The Cornhuskers were an up-and-down team this season, but have good backs in Roy Helu and Rex Burkhead. The freshman QB, Taylor Martinez, had a brilliant start to his career but has been injury-plagued and inconsistent the past month or so.
---
The Chargers can't handle confidence, is what I think. You must be confident to succeed at the highest levels of competition, but you can't be smug. The Chargers don't seem to be able to figure out how to have the confidence to do what is necessary to win -- it's like they expect to win. The Raiders simply wanted to win more and were willing to pay the price of victory.
It was the Chargers first December loss in 18 games dating back to Dec. 31, 2005, against Miami and will be costly, since they are now two games behind Kansas City with four to play. The only hope the Bolts have now to make the playoffs is the Chiefs don't have a cakewalk of a schedule.
Maybe Adrian wants to go to the Washington Nationals?
For whatever reason, 1B Adrian Gonzalez could not reach a long-term deal with the Red Sox and will go into baseball's Winter Meetings as a member of the San Diego Padres still. This could go down as one of those "best trades that Kevin Towers made were the ones that never went through," like the ones where he tried to pawn off Phil Nevin for a loaf of bread and a splintered Louisville Slugger. Saving Jed Hoyer's butt for not at least getting one major leaguer in exchange for his best player.
Again, I understand the necessity for trading Gonzo, and I think some of those prospects look fine, but you've got to think of 2011, too.
And if you're not sure of the Nationals reference, slugger Jayson Werth signed in DC for $126 million over seven years. If I'm Adrian, I'd re-think my demands, too.
---
Holiday Bowl now has Nebraska taking on Washington instead of Missouri. The Cornhuskers were an up-and-down team this season, but have good backs in Roy Helu and Rex Burkhead. The freshman QB, Taylor Martinez, had a brilliant start to his career but has been injury-plagued and inconsistent the past month or so.
---
The Chargers can't handle confidence, is what I think. You must be confident to succeed at the highest levels of competition, but you can't be smug. The Chargers don't seem to be able to figure out how to have the confidence to do what is necessary to win -- it's like they expect to win. The Raiders simply wanted to win more and were willing to pay the price of victory.
It was the Chargers first December loss in 18 games dating back to Dec. 31, 2005, against Miami and will be costly, since they are now two games behind Kansas City with four to play. The only hope the Bolts have now to make the playoffs is the Chiefs don't have a cakewalk of a schedule.
Aztecs Recall Old Greats, The Once-Great Holiday Bowl
The San Diego State men's basketball team trailed a very good Wichita State team by a point in the second half of Saturday night's game when the homestanding Aztecs burst into a 14-0 run that extended to 21-3, and SDSU won 83-69.
That 14-0 spree covered 1:11 of game time and wasn't simply getting on a hot spell from behind the arc or something. It was a stifling pressing defense that caused steals and blocks that led to fast breaks and dunks. As an old-timer myself, it reminded me of one of college basketball's great phenomenon's, Phi Slamma Jamma of the University of Houston. Those teams back in the early 1980s featured two players who went on to become greats in the NBA, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. The supporting cast was darn good, too, and they'd go on these dunk-fest runs that would blow good teams right out of the gym. The Aztecs, for a little over a minute last night, were as close to Phi Slamma Jamma as I've seen since. The physical domination ignited the greatest crowd response at Viejas Arena since the NIT quarterfinal win over St. Mary's two seasons ago.
SDSU still has a number of challenges ahead, including a fire-and-ice Cal team in Berkeley and two other undefeated Mountain West Conference rivals, BYU and UNLV. But if the Aztecs can bottle that 1:11 and uncork it when necessary, then this is going to be a heck of a year.
By the way, get your tickets now. The last two home games were sold out. I suspect tickets will be snapped up quickly for the rest of the weekend games, plus weeknight games vs good opponents.
---
I'm not sure this is what Holiday Bowl officials had in mind when they created the Poinsettia Bowl a few years ago, but for the third season in a row, the newer post-season college football game in San Diego is going to show up big brother.
Two years ago, Boise State and TCU brought thousands of fans and one loss between them and engaged in a thrilling one-point game, that was the Broncos last setback until the shocker in Reno the day after this Thanksgiving. That same year, Oregon and Oklahoma State engaged in a Holiday Bowl scorefest that was pretty interesting but nowhere near as well-played as the earlier game, with the Cowboys appearing to be in meltdown mode.
Last year, it appeared that the Holiday Bowl had the upper hand with upstart Arizona taking on Nebraska, after the Cornhuskers might have had a Big 12 championship stolen from them by poor officiating. No, Nebraska dominated in a snoozer, coming a week after Utah beat Cal in a pretty good Poinsettia Bowl.
This year, San Diego State-Navy on Dec. 23 looks a heck of a lot more interesting than Missouri against Washington, which qualified for a bowl game with a 6-6 record and had to defeated sad-sack Washington State by a touchdown to do so. Holiday Bowl officials, in their hearts, rooted for a Cougars upset so they could go outside the Pac-10 and get Notre Dame. No luck. I think highly of Missouri as a team, and there was some high-quality conversation between Aztecs and Tigers fans when their teams played back in September, but you have to figure they're not going to be thrilled coming here after their season started with such promise. And Washington is as good as its record. As much as luck took up residence in the Holiday Bowl from the beginning of its existence, good fortune appears to have migrated to the Poinsettia Bowl.
Sunday evening edit: and it will be Nebraska instead of Missouri.
That 14-0 spree covered 1:11 of game time and wasn't simply getting on a hot spell from behind the arc or something. It was a stifling pressing defense that caused steals and blocks that led to fast breaks and dunks. As an old-timer myself, it reminded me of one of college basketball's great phenomenon's, Phi Slamma Jamma of the University of Houston. Those teams back in the early 1980s featured two players who went on to become greats in the NBA, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. The supporting cast was darn good, too, and they'd go on these dunk-fest runs that would blow good teams right out of the gym. The Aztecs, for a little over a minute last night, were as close to Phi Slamma Jamma as I've seen since. The physical domination ignited the greatest crowd response at Viejas Arena since the NIT quarterfinal win over St. Mary's two seasons ago.
SDSU still has a number of challenges ahead, including a fire-and-ice Cal team in Berkeley and two other undefeated Mountain West Conference rivals, BYU and UNLV. But if the Aztecs can bottle that 1:11 and uncork it when necessary, then this is going to be a heck of a year.
By the way, get your tickets now. The last two home games were sold out. I suspect tickets will be snapped up quickly for the rest of the weekend games, plus weeknight games vs good opponents.
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I'm not sure this is what Holiday Bowl officials had in mind when they created the Poinsettia Bowl a few years ago, but for the third season in a row, the newer post-season college football game in San Diego is going to show up big brother.
Two years ago, Boise State and TCU brought thousands of fans and one loss between them and engaged in a thrilling one-point game, that was the Broncos last setback until the shocker in Reno the day after this Thanksgiving. That same year, Oregon and Oklahoma State engaged in a Holiday Bowl scorefest that was pretty interesting but nowhere near as well-played as the earlier game, with the Cowboys appearing to be in meltdown mode.
Last year, it appeared that the Holiday Bowl had the upper hand with upstart Arizona taking on Nebraska, after the Cornhuskers might have had a Big 12 championship stolen from them by poor officiating. No, Nebraska dominated in a snoozer, coming a week after Utah beat Cal in a pretty good Poinsettia Bowl.
This year, San Diego State-Navy on Dec. 23 looks a heck of a lot more interesting than Missouri against Washington, which qualified for a bowl game with a 6-6 record and had to defeated sad-sack Washington State by a touchdown to do so. Holiday Bowl officials, in their hearts, rooted for a Cougars upset so they could go outside the Pac-10 and get Notre Dame. No luck. I think highly of Missouri as a team, and there was some high-quality conversation between Aztecs and Tigers fans when their teams played back in September, but you have to figure they're not going to be thrilled coming here after their season started with such promise. And Washington is as good as its record. As much as luck took up residence in the Holiday Bowl from the beginning of its existence, good fortune appears to have migrated to the Poinsettia Bowl.
Sunday evening edit: and it will be Nebraska instead of Missouri.
Friday, December 03, 2010
Gonzalez Going?, Hoke's Motivation, Notes
I'm waiting for good off-season news from the Padres.
Of course, I'm not exactly holding my breath, either, for that could prove fatal the way things have started out. While GM Jed Hoyer has added a defensive-minded project in CF Cameron Maybin, we've been treated to saying goodbye to a whole bunch of other quality players.
The latest here on Friday is that trade talks are heating up with the Red Sox over 1B Adrian Gonzalez, who would go to Boston for prospects. I understand why trading the best player -- and most marketable -- on the team might be necessary, but at least get a major league hitter for him. There is nothing this team needs more than a legitimate threat in the batter's box and if Gonzalez goes, there will be none.
(Saturday morning edit: sources say the deal is done, with P Casey Kelly, 1B Anthony Rizzo and OF Reymund Fuentes coming here. Kelly was considered the Sox top prospect despite going 3-5, 5.31 in 21 starts in AA this year, throws in the low-90s and has a hard curveball; Rizzo is a big lefty with gap power that might fit Petco Park well, solid defender and considered a top prospect despite mediocre minor league numbers; Fuentes looks like another Maybin.)
I will say that by listening to the radio and reading some Internet postings, some panic appears to be setting in among Padres fans about the 2011 season, but Hoyer did a fine job in patching holes last year and Bud Black was fully deserving of his NL Manager of the Year Award despite stiff opposition. It's early yet -- I won't panic until tomorrow. No, seriously, mid-January.
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It doesn't take much to read into coach Brady Hoke's motivation for waiting to sign his contract extension at San Diego State. It's because the Michigan athletic director will not evaluate embattled Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez until after their bowl game, most likely at the start of the new year. None of this is really news, but it at least gives us a timeline.
Michigan is Hoke's dream job, even if he would probably not, at this point, be the top candidate. That would be Jim Harbaugh, the former Chargers QB and USD coach who took the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl and now runs the Stanford program. Michigan might want him, but Harbaugh went to high school in Palo Alto in a family that was involved in athletics on The Farm. I'm not sure he goes. If he doesn't, then Hoke moves one rung up the ladder of candidates, who knows how close to the top.
A lot of people are annoyed with Hoke for dragging this whole thing out, and I would be too if this were all about Minnesota or Indiana. But it's Michigan, and you've got to allow a man to pursue his career dream, especially when the SDSU program could absorb the horrible timing of such a loss in-house.
Eventually, I think this will all go for naught -- this year. I think cooler heads will prevail in Ann Arbor, where Rodriguez has the right QB to run his spread offense. He just needs to recruit better players for defense.
Coincidentally, the Aztecs play in the "Big House" next season. If Michigan is struggling again, it could be an on-scene audition for Hoke.
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It was a wonderful night, Wednesday, watching Hoke and the Aztec football seniors accepting an invitation to the Poinsettia Bowl before the basketball game vs. Saint Mary's. I like Hoke but sometimes I don't understand his methods. His bomb-throwing QB is a junior, his top defenders are a junior and sophomore, his conference Freshman of the Year running back is, yep, a freshman. I think they should have joined in the fun...Then to watch the hoops team dismantle a very good Gaels squad that returned three starters from a Sweet 16 appearance en-route to a 14-point win in which they were never seriously threatened...The Wichita State game is on track to be another sellout. If the Aztecs can get through the next couple games unscathed, you might not find another empty seat at Viejas Arena the rest of the season...I haven't written about the Chargers much because, well, none of what's happening is particularly surprising. Stop screwing up and you win...Congratulations to coaches Gary Blevins and Chris Thompson for getting Mira Mesa High to the stadium after many years of playoff frustration...Oceanside High has won six straight Division II titles and is headed back to the final again. The Pirates really should be competing in Division I...I love it whenever the Padres sign a local guy, like P Aaron Harang (Patrick Henry High, SDSU), but since his best season of 2007 (16-6, 3.87), his records have been 6-17, 6-14, and 6-7 with bad ERA's. At least we can count on the Padres winning six games next season.
Of course, I'm not exactly holding my breath, either, for that could prove fatal the way things have started out. While GM Jed Hoyer has added a defensive-minded project in CF Cameron Maybin, we've been treated to saying goodbye to a whole bunch of other quality players.
The latest here on Friday is that trade talks are heating up with the Red Sox over 1B Adrian Gonzalez, who would go to Boston for prospects. I understand why trading the best player -- and most marketable -- on the team might be necessary, but at least get a major league hitter for him. There is nothing this team needs more than a legitimate threat in the batter's box and if Gonzalez goes, there will be none.
(Saturday morning edit: sources say the deal is done, with P Casey Kelly, 1B Anthony Rizzo and OF Reymund Fuentes coming here. Kelly was considered the Sox top prospect despite going 3-5, 5.31 in 21 starts in AA this year, throws in the low-90s and has a hard curveball; Rizzo is a big lefty with gap power that might fit Petco Park well, solid defender and considered a top prospect despite mediocre minor league numbers; Fuentes looks like another Maybin.)
I will say that by listening to the radio and reading some Internet postings, some panic appears to be setting in among Padres fans about the 2011 season, but Hoyer did a fine job in patching holes last year and Bud Black was fully deserving of his NL Manager of the Year Award despite stiff opposition. It's early yet -- I won't panic until tomorrow. No, seriously, mid-January.
---
It doesn't take much to read into coach Brady Hoke's motivation for waiting to sign his contract extension at San Diego State. It's because the Michigan athletic director will not evaluate embattled Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez until after their bowl game, most likely at the start of the new year. None of this is really news, but it at least gives us a timeline.
Michigan is Hoke's dream job, even if he would probably not, at this point, be the top candidate. That would be Jim Harbaugh, the former Chargers QB and USD coach who took the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl and now runs the Stanford program. Michigan might want him, but Harbaugh went to high school in Palo Alto in a family that was involved in athletics on The Farm. I'm not sure he goes. If he doesn't, then Hoke moves one rung up the ladder of candidates, who knows how close to the top.
A lot of people are annoyed with Hoke for dragging this whole thing out, and I would be too if this were all about Minnesota or Indiana. But it's Michigan, and you've got to allow a man to pursue his career dream, especially when the SDSU program could absorb the horrible timing of such a loss in-house.
Eventually, I think this will all go for naught -- this year. I think cooler heads will prevail in Ann Arbor, where Rodriguez has the right QB to run his spread offense. He just needs to recruit better players for defense.
Coincidentally, the Aztecs play in the "Big House" next season. If Michigan is struggling again, it could be an on-scene audition for Hoke.
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It was a wonderful night, Wednesday, watching Hoke and the Aztec football seniors accepting an invitation to the Poinsettia Bowl before the basketball game vs. Saint Mary's. I like Hoke but sometimes I don't understand his methods. His bomb-throwing QB is a junior, his top defenders are a junior and sophomore, his conference Freshman of the Year running back is, yep, a freshman. I think they should have joined in the fun...Then to watch the hoops team dismantle a very good Gaels squad that returned three starters from a Sweet 16 appearance en-route to a 14-point win in which they were never seriously threatened...The Wichita State game is on track to be another sellout. If the Aztecs can get through the next couple games unscathed, you might not find another empty seat at Viejas Arena the rest of the season...I haven't written about the Chargers much because, well, none of what's happening is particularly surprising. Stop screwing up and you win...Congratulations to coaches Gary Blevins and Chris Thompson for getting Mira Mesa High to the stadium after many years of playoff frustration...Oceanside High has won six straight Division II titles and is headed back to the final again. The Pirates really should be competing in Division I...I love it whenever the Padres sign a local guy, like P Aaron Harang (Patrick Henry High, SDSU), but since his best season of 2007 (16-6, 3.87), his records have been 6-17, 6-14, and 6-7 with bad ERA's. At least we can count on the Padres winning six games next season.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Hoke Era Ending Already?, Garland
I, for one, was curious but not worried when it was revealed that the University of Minnesota made overtures to San Diego State football coach Brady Hoke early this week. There were more reasons to reject the Gophers job than to take it, with the possible hitch being that UM officials were planning to bury their new hire in cash.
I always saw Hoke here for the long term to build the SDSU program unless someone else made an offer he couldn't refuse, and I didn't see that coming for awhile. Also, based on various media reports in recent years, one gets the impression that Hoke, offensive coordinator Al Borges and defensive coordinator Rocky Long committed to each other -- the only exception being if Borges was given a long-coveted head coaching job.
Now I think conditions are changing, and that Hoke might receive such an offer that he can't turn down. None of the big names connected to the Minnesota job along with him seem realistic to me, and his credentials are right there with other candidates like Al Golden of Temple.
The market is turning into the coaches favor, which will drive up salary offers. The head coach at Vanderbilt resigned, the coach at Indiana is on shaky ground in territory where Hoke is familiar, and Ohio State's rout of Michigan might have ended the star-crossed tenure of Rich Rodriguez in Ann Arbor.
Hoke would be interested in two of those three jobs, and he would be sought-after in both. If for some strange reason Stanford's Jim Harbaugh cast his lot with the Wolverines, it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility for Hoke to end up at The Farm, where he and Borges could salivate over the best offensive line in college football, as well as the best quarterback by far in Andrew Luck, with all due respect to Auburn's Cam Newton.
None of my thinking has anything to do with loyalty to schools, players or coaching colleagues, or SDSU's status as a mere stepping stone. It's all about market forces at work, and those forces are turning against the chances of Hoke remaining in San Diego.
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When all is said and done, I hope Hoke stays. Earlier in the week, I'd have rated the odds 75-25 that he remains at SDSU. Now it's more like 50-50. Hoke has been the perfect head coach for the past almost three calendar years, waking up the sleeping giant of Aztecs football. In a way, his success is what makes him replaceable. Athletic Director Jim Sterk can hire from within or bring someone from the outside who can build on a foundation that is now firm.
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I'm on record of not being fond of former Padres P Jon Garland. He was very little of what he was made out to be when first signed. I'm certainly not going to like him anymore now that he's signed with the Dodgers. I hope he's every bit as wild with LA as he was at Petco.
That said, GM Jed Hoyer has his work cut out for him.
I always saw Hoke here for the long term to build the SDSU program unless someone else made an offer he couldn't refuse, and I didn't see that coming for awhile. Also, based on various media reports in recent years, one gets the impression that Hoke, offensive coordinator Al Borges and defensive coordinator Rocky Long committed to each other -- the only exception being if Borges was given a long-coveted head coaching job.
Now I think conditions are changing, and that Hoke might receive such an offer that he can't turn down. None of the big names connected to the Minnesota job along with him seem realistic to me, and his credentials are right there with other candidates like Al Golden of Temple.
The market is turning into the coaches favor, which will drive up salary offers. The head coach at Vanderbilt resigned, the coach at Indiana is on shaky ground in territory where Hoke is familiar, and Ohio State's rout of Michigan might have ended the star-crossed tenure of Rich Rodriguez in Ann Arbor.
Hoke would be interested in two of those three jobs, and he would be sought-after in both. If for some strange reason Stanford's Jim Harbaugh cast his lot with the Wolverines, it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility for Hoke to end up at The Farm, where he and Borges could salivate over the best offensive line in college football, as well as the best quarterback by far in Andrew Luck, with all due respect to Auburn's Cam Newton.
None of my thinking has anything to do with loyalty to schools, players or coaching colleagues, or SDSU's status as a mere stepping stone. It's all about market forces at work, and those forces are turning against the chances of Hoke remaining in San Diego.
---
When all is said and done, I hope Hoke stays. Earlier in the week, I'd have rated the odds 75-25 that he remains at SDSU. Now it's more like 50-50. Hoke has been the perfect head coach for the past almost three calendar years, waking up the sleeping giant of Aztecs football. In a way, his success is what makes him replaceable. Athletic Director Jim Sterk can hire from within or bring someone from the outside who can build on a foundation that is now firm.
---
I'm on record of not being fond of former Padres P Jon Garland. He was very little of what he was made out to be when first signed. I'm certainly not going to like him anymore now that he's signed with the Dodgers. I hope he's every bit as wild with LA as he was at Petco.
That said, GM Jed Hoyer has his work cut out for him.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Giving Thanks to a Great Local Sports Year
Sports is often trivial in the overall scheme of things, below the real life concerns of jobs and family, our troops abroad and terrorists still trying to get to us at home.
With the proper perspective laid, 2010 has been a heck of a year for sports in San Diego, and I give thanks for what we've all enjoyed for nearly 11 months. Remember, we started the calendar in downer mode with the Chargers losing the playoff game to the Jets and the Padres not expected to do well. But we got over the Bolts setback and went on a wild ride that, thankfully, is not over yet.
So share with me the following thanks:
-- For Steve Fisher, for the patience to build a program over the long term and providing other coaches at San Diego State the proper path to success.
-- For the Padres in general, for making the summer far more interesting than it could have been.
-- For high school baseball, for never failing to be the best of the best in San Diego.
-- For Brady Hoke, for being a man of character who will see the building of the San Diego State football program through and will have the common sense to know SDSU has a higher upside on the gridiron than Minnesota.
-- For Laura Hoke, who will tell Brady that she has no intention of moving to Minneapolis.
-- For Norv Turner, who is simply one hell of a coach no matter what the detractors say. Look at the other brand-name coaches who were unable to hold things together when their teams started to slide.
-- And staying on the Chargers, being able to watch a QB as great and as fiercely competitive as Philip Rivers.
-- For The San Diego Union-Tribune, which continues to do a fine job reporting on local sports, and has upgraded its coverage of SDSU athletics, despite all the changes and cutbacks.
-- Also in the media, for Chris Ello and Brent Schrotenboer for putting the necessary heat on BYU and the Mountain West Conference over "Replaygate."
-- For David Eckstein, who gave everything he had and, somehow, more. He is the epitome of how to play the game of baseball.
-- For Bud Black, who was deserving of the NL Manager of the Year Award over very strong and similarly deserving competition.
-- For DJ Gay, who understands the necessity of filling a team need.
-- For Beth Burns for taking a San Diego college basketball team to the Sweet 16 for the first time.
-- For Jene Morris and Quinese Davis, because Burns didn't do it without players.
-- For Stephen Strasburg, for displaying raw dominance, and for ultimately teaching us that some things are inevitable, no matter how much you try to avoid them.
-- For Eastlake High, for showing that quality prep football is not only played in the North County.
-- For having met the late-Bob Breitbard and enjoyed the work of Don Coryell -- and for having not just gone to Coryell's memorial service but got paid for it.
-- For catching Tony Gwynn's cancer early.
-- For the chance to view the amazing talents of Kawhi Leonard, Billy White, Vincent Brown, DeMarco Sampson and Miles Burris.
-- For the amazing additions to SDSU sports teams of James Rahon, Ronnie Hillman and Gavin Escobar.
-- For Mat Latos, who will give Padres GM Jed Hoyer someone to build around.
-- For a year in which San Diego State made a scintillating run into the NCAA Tournament, reached the Sweet 16 of the women's tourney and resurrected the football team; for the Padres pushing the World Champion Giants to the limit in the NL West; and for the rest of the AFC West sucking so much that the Chargers will likely come back and win the division despite a 2-5 start.
Happy Thanksgiving!
With the proper perspective laid, 2010 has been a heck of a year for sports in San Diego, and I give thanks for what we've all enjoyed for nearly 11 months. Remember, we started the calendar in downer mode with the Chargers losing the playoff game to the Jets and the Padres not expected to do well. But we got over the Bolts setback and went on a wild ride that, thankfully, is not over yet.
So share with me the following thanks:
-- For Steve Fisher, for the patience to build a program over the long term and providing other coaches at San Diego State the proper path to success.
-- For the Padres in general, for making the summer far more interesting than it could have been.
-- For high school baseball, for never failing to be the best of the best in San Diego.
-- For Brady Hoke, for being a man of character who will see the building of the San Diego State football program through and will have the common sense to know SDSU has a higher upside on the gridiron than Minnesota.
-- For Laura Hoke, who will tell Brady that she has no intention of moving to Minneapolis.
-- For Norv Turner, who is simply one hell of a coach no matter what the detractors say. Look at the other brand-name coaches who were unable to hold things together when their teams started to slide.
-- And staying on the Chargers, being able to watch a QB as great and as fiercely competitive as Philip Rivers.
-- For The San Diego Union-Tribune, which continues to do a fine job reporting on local sports, and has upgraded its coverage of SDSU athletics, despite all the changes and cutbacks.
-- Also in the media, for Chris Ello and Brent Schrotenboer for putting the necessary heat on BYU and the Mountain West Conference over "Replaygate."
-- For David Eckstein, who gave everything he had and, somehow, more. He is the epitome of how to play the game of baseball.
-- For Bud Black, who was deserving of the NL Manager of the Year Award over very strong and similarly deserving competition.
-- For DJ Gay, who understands the necessity of filling a team need.
-- For Beth Burns for taking a San Diego college basketball team to the Sweet 16 for the first time.
-- For Jene Morris and Quinese Davis, because Burns didn't do it without players.
-- For Stephen Strasburg, for displaying raw dominance, and for ultimately teaching us that some things are inevitable, no matter how much you try to avoid them.
-- For Eastlake High, for showing that quality prep football is not only played in the North County.
-- For having met the late-Bob Breitbard and enjoyed the work of Don Coryell -- and for having not just gone to Coryell's memorial service but got paid for it.
-- For catching Tony Gwynn's cancer early.
-- For the chance to view the amazing talents of Kawhi Leonard, Billy White, Vincent Brown, DeMarco Sampson and Miles Burris.
-- For the amazing additions to SDSU sports teams of James Rahon, Ronnie Hillman and Gavin Escobar.
-- For Mat Latos, who will give Padres GM Jed Hoyer someone to build around.
-- For a year in which San Diego State made a scintillating run into the NCAA Tournament, reached the Sweet 16 of the women's tourney and resurrected the football team; for the Padres pushing the World Champion Giants to the limit in the NL West; and for the rest of the AFC West sucking so much that the Chargers will likely come back and win the division despite a 2-5 start.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Aztecs Close Enough to Hurt
The San Diego State football team is pretty darn good, especially if it utilizes its assets of WRs Vincent Brown and DeMarco Sampson, and supreme bomb-tossing QB Ryan Lindley. They proved it in defeating Air Force and coming close in losses at Missouri and TCU, and Saturday night against Utah.
They just aren't quite good enough. The Utes, now 9-2 after getting schooled by the Horned Frogs, embarrassed by Notre Dame and taking SDSU's best shot, are where the Aztecs aspire to be. They have depth, experience and the confidence to know they are good and should win the type of game they found themselves in at rainy Qualcomm Stadium.
While the Aztecs turned the ball over four times, the Utes held onto the pigskin all night. Three of the turnovers were interceptions deep in Utes territory -- the final game-ending play in their end zone -- and a snap bobbled by P Brian Stahovich led to a blocked kick recovered at the SDSU three, leading to the winning points. Such plays are made by the better team, and given up by the lesser team. That's football.
They were able to run the ball while SDSU was held to 2.8 yards per carry. Rocky Long's gambling defense was burned more often than they pressured Ute QB Jordan Wynn, the Oceanside High grad who played efficiently in raising his career prep and college record to 4-0 in The Q. Utah dialed up a reasonable pass rush at times in the second half, and the last interception came with Lindley facing heat.
The teams traded tipped passes that went for touchdowns. The difference is the one the Utes got wouldn't have happened except for a young Aztecs secondary that saw a last seconds of the first half Hail Mary pass go off the fingertips of a freshman and into the hands of an opposing receiver. The third quarter tip drill caught be Brown for a 90-yard score was just a freak thing. However, to show how there is room still be to closed between these two programs, if Brown hadn't grabbed that ball and outrun Ute defenders to the end zone, the Utes would have shut out SDSU in the second half after allowing four touchdowns in the first 30 minutes.
It was a game the Aztecs could have won. Utah looked every bit the struggling team in the first half, and the Brown/Sampson combo absolutely torched their secondary. But they just didn't have enough to make the plays to win, and avoid the errors that make them lose.
The Aztecs are now 7-4 with horrible UNLV ahead and beatable Navy set to face them in the Poinsettia Bowl. The potential remains for a 9-4 season. Even if the Aztecs are not as complete as Utah, are not as good as a Top 25 program, the improvement in head coach Brady Hoke's second year is phenomenal. It might be a few years before SDSU has a roster talented and experienced enough across the two-deep to be a legitimate Top 25 program, but the trajectory is headed in the right direction.
They just aren't quite good enough. The Utes, now 9-2 after getting schooled by the Horned Frogs, embarrassed by Notre Dame and taking SDSU's best shot, are where the Aztecs aspire to be. They have depth, experience and the confidence to know they are good and should win the type of game they found themselves in at rainy Qualcomm Stadium.
While the Aztecs turned the ball over four times, the Utes held onto the pigskin all night. Three of the turnovers were interceptions deep in Utes territory -- the final game-ending play in their end zone -- and a snap bobbled by P Brian Stahovich led to a blocked kick recovered at the SDSU three, leading to the winning points. Such plays are made by the better team, and given up by the lesser team. That's football.
They were able to run the ball while SDSU was held to 2.8 yards per carry. Rocky Long's gambling defense was burned more often than they pressured Ute QB Jordan Wynn, the Oceanside High grad who played efficiently in raising his career prep and college record to 4-0 in The Q. Utah dialed up a reasonable pass rush at times in the second half, and the last interception came with Lindley facing heat.
The teams traded tipped passes that went for touchdowns. The difference is the one the Utes got wouldn't have happened except for a young Aztecs secondary that saw a last seconds of the first half Hail Mary pass go off the fingertips of a freshman and into the hands of an opposing receiver. The third quarter tip drill caught be Brown for a 90-yard score was just a freak thing. However, to show how there is room still be to closed between these two programs, if Brown hadn't grabbed that ball and outrun Ute defenders to the end zone, the Utes would have shut out SDSU in the second half after allowing four touchdowns in the first 30 minutes.
It was a game the Aztecs could have won. Utah looked every bit the struggling team in the first half, and the Brown/Sampson combo absolutely torched their secondary. But they just didn't have enough to make the plays to win, and avoid the errors that make them lose.
The Aztecs are now 7-4 with horrible UNLV ahead and beatable Navy set to face them in the Poinsettia Bowl. The potential remains for a 9-4 season. Even if the Aztecs are not as complete as Utah, are not as good as a Top 25 program, the improvement in head coach Brady Hoke's second year is phenomenal. It might be a few years before SDSU has a roster talented and experienced enough across the two-deep to be a legitimate Top 25 program, but the trajectory is headed in the right direction.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Utes Are Aztecs Real Test, Save Ron Caragher, Padres Protections
Go throughout a football season with a rising program like San Diego State and you often hear that such-and-such upcoming game is going to a test, a real indicator of where you stack up with the rest of the teams.
Usually, you can take such statements with a grain of salt, but Saturday night's game against Utah at Qualcomm Stadium really is such a game. This will be the truest indicator all season of where the Aztecs are.
The Utes are a very good Mountain West Conference team that has stumbled on hard times the last two weeks. They were shocked by the TCU stormtroopers and were still too dazed to come out of the rain at Notre Dame. They are too well-coached and too talented to struggle for a third straight weekend, darn it. For the bulk of the season, they have existed where the Aztecs want to live, at the upper reaches of the conference and national rankings, with a big fat zero in the L column. Yet, the last two weeks have also proven that the Utes aren't perfect. Compare yourself with the Horned Frogs and you get yourself in trouble. The Aztecs 5-point loss in Fort Worth last week was good for a hand clap, but not a whole lot more. The Utes are a more realistic test, and it will be interesting to see how the Aztecs stack up.
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USD might have a good football coach in Ron Caragher. There hasn't been much positive to write about the Toreros on the gridiron the past couple of years as the record progressively slipped to 4-7 last year. However, even though USD finished the season 5-6 in 2010, there are some bright spots on which to build.
Once former Coronado High QB Mason Mills got settled in, the Toreros won four of their final five games. Two of their losses were to scholarship teams, three others were to the top three finishers in the Pioneer Football League standings and the other to Azusa-Pacific, which is plenty capable of knocking off USD in a down year. Once the Toreros got into conference play, their level, they went 5-3, and two of the setbacks to those teams above them came on the road.
No one is going to celebrate 5-6, but considering all the circumstances, it could have been worse.
I still have a hard time with the hypocrisy of the USD athletic administration, which saw fit to fire some pretty good coaches a few years back in an effort to grow their programs while not holding their successors to the same standards. They hit lightning in a bottle with ex-football coach Jim Harbaugh, now weaving his magic up north at Stanford, but those 11-1 seasons are becoming a distant memory. However, Caragher did a pretty good job to hold the program together, and it seems worthwhile to keep him around to see what next fall will bring.
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News: the Padres added seven minor leaguers to the 40-man roster Friday to protect them from the Rule V Draft, including top young pitching prospects Simon Castro and Jeremy Hefner.
Reaction: Of the seven, only one was among Baseball America's top 10 prospects in the organization...Castro. Several others on the BA list, like P Wynn Pelzer, were sent packing in mid-season trades. Another, P Corey Luebke, finished 2010 as a major league player.
Of those Top 10 players, which certainly will be updated this off-season to reflect the new realities will include most of the seven promoted on Friday, only Castro is on the 40-man roster. Just kind of strange.
Usually, you can take such statements with a grain of salt, but Saturday night's game against Utah at Qualcomm Stadium really is such a game. This will be the truest indicator all season of where the Aztecs are.
The Utes are a very good Mountain West Conference team that has stumbled on hard times the last two weeks. They were shocked by the TCU stormtroopers and were still too dazed to come out of the rain at Notre Dame. They are too well-coached and too talented to struggle for a third straight weekend, darn it. For the bulk of the season, they have existed where the Aztecs want to live, at the upper reaches of the conference and national rankings, with a big fat zero in the L column. Yet, the last two weeks have also proven that the Utes aren't perfect. Compare yourself with the Horned Frogs and you get yourself in trouble. The Aztecs 5-point loss in Fort Worth last week was good for a hand clap, but not a whole lot more. The Utes are a more realistic test, and it will be interesting to see how the Aztecs stack up.
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USD might have a good football coach in Ron Caragher. There hasn't been much positive to write about the Toreros on the gridiron the past couple of years as the record progressively slipped to 4-7 last year. However, even though USD finished the season 5-6 in 2010, there are some bright spots on which to build.
Once former Coronado High QB Mason Mills got settled in, the Toreros won four of their final five games. Two of their losses were to scholarship teams, three others were to the top three finishers in the Pioneer Football League standings and the other to Azusa-Pacific, which is plenty capable of knocking off USD in a down year. Once the Toreros got into conference play, their level, they went 5-3, and two of the setbacks to those teams above them came on the road.
No one is going to celebrate 5-6, but considering all the circumstances, it could have been worse.
I still have a hard time with the hypocrisy of the USD athletic administration, which saw fit to fire some pretty good coaches a few years back in an effort to grow their programs while not holding their successors to the same standards. They hit lightning in a bottle with ex-football coach Jim Harbaugh, now weaving his magic up north at Stanford, but those 11-1 seasons are becoming a distant memory. However, Caragher did a pretty good job to hold the program together, and it seems worthwhile to keep him around to see what next fall will bring.
---
News: the Padres added seven minor leaguers to the 40-man roster Friday to protect them from the Rule V Draft, including top young pitching prospects Simon Castro and Jeremy Hefner.
Reaction: Of the seven, only one was among Baseball America's top 10 prospects in the organization...Castro. Several others on the BA list, like P Wynn Pelzer, were sent packing in mid-season trades. Another, P Corey Luebke, finished 2010 as a major league player.
Of those Top 10 players, which certainly will be updated this off-season to reflect the new realities will include most of the seven promoted on Friday, only Castro is on the 40-man roster. Just kind of strange.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Aztecs Handle Gonzaga on Road
Two things stood out to me in San Diego State's 79-76 victory at Gonzaga in mens' basketball Tuesday night.
First, the Bulldogs held a lead in the game for mere seconds early in the second half, after which the Aztecs fairly quickly recovered and built the lead back up to seven points. Which neatly segues to...
Second, this was a play or two from being a comfortable win at the home of the number 11 team in the nation, not the nail-biter it became. In a stretch around the five-minute mark, SDSU had possession something like four straight times with a chance to push a 7-point margin to a 9-point bulge, and couldn't do it. It was a couple parts failure, a couple parts Gonzaga being really good. Normal teams do not go into Spokane and win easily -- or come close to doing so the way the Aztecs did.
Huge win, though I disagree with those who call it the biggest in school history. I'm a believer in those kinds of labels meaning something, and post-season is what means something. I still rate the NIT quarterfinal win over Saint Mary's as SDSU's biggest win. New Mexico was ranked eighth when the Aztecs beat them in last season's Mountain West Tournament. But it is a very nice win, and I do believe that it punches their ticket into the NCAA Tournament.
---
Meanwhile, SDSU football just can't win. With a chance to draw their biggest non-Sky Show crowd in years when they host Utah this Saturday, the weatherman starts predicting rain. The chance is 40 percent, so let's hope both us fans and the football team get lucky.
First, the Bulldogs held a lead in the game for mere seconds early in the second half, after which the Aztecs fairly quickly recovered and built the lead back up to seven points. Which neatly segues to...
Second, this was a play or two from being a comfortable win at the home of the number 11 team in the nation, not the nail-biter it became. In a stretch around the five-minute mark, SDSU had possession something like four straight times with a chance to push a 7-point margin to a 9-point bulge, and couldn't do it. It was a couple parts failure, a couple parts Gonzaga being really good. Normal teams do not go into Spokane and win easily -- or come close to doing so the way the Aztecs did.
Huge win, though I disagree with those who call it the biggest in school history. I'm a believer in those kinds of labels meaning something, and post-season is what means something. I still rate the NIT quarterfinal win over Saint Mary's as SDSU's biggest win. New Mexico was ranked eighth when the Aztecs beat them in last season's Mountain West Tournament. But it is a very nice win, and I do believe that it punches their ticket into the NCAA Tournament.
---
Meanwhile, SDSU football just can't win. With a chance to draw their biggest non-Sky Show crowd in years when they host Utah this Saturday, the weatherman starts predicting rain. The chance is 40 percent, so let's hope both us fans and the football team get lucky.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Aztecs Hoops and Football, Bowl Projections, Padres Get Centerfielder
San Diego State's season-opening 81-65 victory at Long Beach State Saturday afternoon serves as a preview of how this year is going to play out, hopefully. The schedule is loaded with favorites or contenders from lesser, but still respectable conferences, that will give State their best shots in games that are generally going to be at their place. That means close games well into the second half before SDSU's extreme depth of talent influences the outcome in a positive way.
The only game early on the calendar that I don't see that scenario playing out is Tuesday at Gonzaga. God only knows what's going to happen in Spokane against the #12 Bulldogs. Saint Mary's, at Viejas Arena on Dec. 1, is also a concern. But this, in general, is how games are going to play out.
A lot is being made about transfer G James Rahon making 4-of-7 from behind the three-point stripe. What caught my attention was DJ Gay's 4-of-5 on threes. If he can shoot well over the course of the season, then the Aztecs are going to be good for a lot of points.
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San Diego State football fans should enjoy what they have in QB Ryan Lindley, an imperfect work in progress as a passer who might throw the best deep ball of anyone in the college game. No play is more fun to watch than the bomb, and no one hits more of them than Lindley, thanks in huge part to WRs Vincent Brown and DeMarco Sampson.
Lindley at TCU, against the best defense overall in college football, and the best passing defense, completed throws of 49, 33 and 35 yards, all to Brown and the last two for scores. The first went to the Frogs' one. Another TD was set up by a long completion.
The Aztecs back in the early-1990s had a QB named Tim Gutierrez who rode pine most of his career, finally got into some games and displayed a beautiful touch on deep passes but suffered a career-ending injury. Just a couple of years before that, Dan McGwire was unmatched in throwing bombs to WR Patrick Rowe. That was a long, long time ago, and it is nice to have it back.
The flip-side is that Lindley has absolutely no touch for short passes. He's been the starting QB since the beginning of his redshirt freshman season, and I still don't think he's completed a screen pass. The only ones I know of that didn't hit the ground ended up in the hands of a defensive player. I exaggerate, but only slightly. It's an unusual trade-off in a world where 99 percent of quarterbacks owe their careers to the late-Bill Walsh's development of the short passing game. Fans need to take the bad with the good.
One other thing sets Lindley apart, his ability to lead a football team. It appears that leadership on the Aztecs is not tightly centralized, but on offense seems spread across FB Brandon Sullivan, C Trask Iosefa and other seniors. But the junior Lindley is the quarterback, so on the field, he runs the show. Every Mountain West Conference opponent until Saturday gave SDSU its best shot, and I don't know if the Aztecs would have won any of them without Lindley's steady presence. State won those games because he made plays, and allowed others to make plays. That's important.
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The past couple weeks have greatly narrowed the field of likely schools for San Diego's two bowl games.
Holiday
Big 12: I think you can call Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma State gone, but I don't see a second BCS team from this conference, so the selection order should be straightforward. Texas A&M is hot and has a tie-breaking win over Oklahoma. So the choices probably come down to Kansas State, which has an easy path to a final record of 8-4 with games against Colorado and North Texas, or the Sooners, who are 8-2 but still have to play at Baylor and at Oklahoma State.
Pac-10: Oregon and Stanford are out of the picture, but the Cardinal serves as the linchpin. If they beat Cal next week in The Big Game at Berkeley, they're going to join the Ducks in the BCS. That knocks the Holiday Bowl down still another notch in the selection process. A Stanford BCS scenario could mean Cal at 6-6 or 7-5 or UCLA at 6-6 or 7-5. I don't think Holiday Bowl officials thought of themselves offering a 6-6 bowl when they were devalued effective 2010, but look at the Pac-10 standings and you'll see the potential. If Stanford loses to Cal, look for Arizona to make a return trip.
Poinsettia
Navy is in for sure but SDSU, also nearly a sure thing just hours before this Sunday writing, now could be ticketed for Las Vegas. Utah's collapse, coupled with an Aztecs upset of the Utes next Saturday, will make SDSU the clear second choice in the conference. Apparently, the bowl directors work all this stuff out so the odds are still Utah to Vegas and SDSU to the Poinsettia. But an Aztecs win over the Utes, and maybe even a BYU win over Utah, could change matters.
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The three decade-long Gwynn Era is over in San Diego.
That's my take on the trade announced Saturday that brought 23-year-old Cameron Maybin over from the Marlins in exchange for relievers Ryan Webb and Edward Mujica. Maybin is an athletic centerfield prospect who is five years younger than Tony Gwynn Jr., who in his year and a half in San Diego has pretty much proven that he is a good defensive outfielder who can't hit.
Maybin is supposed to be a great defender who can't hit, at least so far. But it's early to give up on him, while we pretty much know what the Padres have in Gwynn. Maybin was brought over specifically to fill his role. It is a shame, but junior is not going to be on the Friars roster by April.
Whether it is wise to replace him with a .246 career hitter is another story.
The only game early on the calendar that I don't see that scenario playing out is Tuesday at Gonzaga. God only knows what's going to happen in Spokane against the #12 Bulldogs. Saint Mary's, at Viejas Arena on Dec. 1, is also a concern. But this, in general, is how games are going to play out.
A lot is being made about transfer G James Rahon making 4-of-7 from behind the three-point stripe. What caught my attention was DJ Gay's 4-of-5 on threes. If he can shoot well over the course of the season, then the Aztecs are going to be good for a lot of points.
---
San Diego State football fans should enjoy what they have in QB Ryan Lindley, an imperfect work in progress as a passer who might throw the best deep ball of anyone in the college game. No play is more fun to watch than the bomb, and no one hits more of them than Lindley, thanks in huge part to WRs Vincent Brown and DeMarco Sampson.
Lindley at TCU, against the best defense overall in college football, and the best passing defense, completed throws of 49, 33 and 35 yards, all to Brown and the last two for scores. The first went to the Frogs' one. Another TD was set up by a long completion.
The Aztecs back in the early-1990s had a QB named Tim Gutierrez who rode pine most of his career, finally got into some games and displayed a beautiful touch on deep passes but suffered a career-ending injury. Just a couple of years before that, Dan McGwire was unmatched in throwing bombs to WR Patrick Rowe. That was a long, long time ago, and it is nice to have it back.
The flip-side is that Lindley has absolutely no touch for short passes. He's been the starting QB since the beginning of his redshirt freshman season, and I still don't think he's completed a screen pass. The only ones I know of that didn't hit the ground ended up in the hands of a defensive player. I exaggerate, but only slightly. It's an unusual trade-off in a world where 99 percent of quarterbacks owe their careers to the late-Bill Walsh's development of the short passing game. Fans need to take the bad with the good.
One other thing sets Lindley apart, his ability to lead a football team. It appears that leadership on the Aztecs is not tightly centralized, but on offense seems spread across FB Brandon Sullivan, C Trask Iosefa and other seniors. But the junior Lindley is the quarterback, so on the field, he runs the show. Every Mountain West Conference opponent until Saturday gave SDSU its best shot, and I don't know if the Aztecs would have won any of them without Lindley's steady presence. State won those games because he made plays, and allowed others to make plays. That's important.
---
The past couple weeks have greatly narrowed the field of likely schools for San Diego's two bowl games.
Holiday
Big 12: I think you can call Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma State gone, but I don't see a second BCS team from this conference, so the selection order should be straightforward. Texas A&M is hot and has a tie-breaking win over Oklahoma. So the choices probably come down to Kansas State, which has an easy path to a final record of 8-4 with games against Colorado and North Texas, or the Sooners, who are 8-2 but still have to play at Baylor and at Oklahoma State.
Pac-10: Oregon and Stanford are out of the picture, but the Cardinal serves as the linchpin. If they beat Cal next week in The Big Game at Berkeley, they're going to join the Ducks in the BCS. That knocks the Holiday Bowl down still another notch in the selection process. A Stanford BCS scenario could mean Cal at 6-6 or 7-5 or UCLA at 6-6 or 7-5. I don't think Holiday Bowl officials thought of themselves offering a 6-6 bowl when they were devalued effective 2010, but look at the Pac-10 standings and you'll see the potential. If Stanford loses to Cal, look for Arizona to make a return trip.
Poinsettia
Navy is in for sure but SDSU, also nearly a sure thing just hours before this Sunday writing, now could be ticketed for Las Vegas. Utah's collapse, coupled with an Aztecs upset of the Utes next Saturday, will make SDSU the clear second choice in the conference. Apparently, the bowl directors work all this stuff out so the odds are still Utah to Vegas and SDSU to the Poinsettia. But an Aztecs win over the Utes, and maybe even a BYU win over Utah, could change matters.
---
The three decade-long Gwynn Era is over in San Diego.
That's my take on the trade announced Saturday that brought 23-year-old Cameron Maybin over from the Marlins in exchange for relievers Ryan Webb and Edward Mujica. Maybin is an athletic centerfield prospect who is five years younger than Tony Gwynn Jr., who in his year and a half in San Diego has pretty much proven that he is a good defensive outfielder who can't hit.
Maybin is supposed to be a great defender who can't hit, at least so far. But it's early to give up on him, while we pretty much know what the Padres have in Gwynn. Maybin was brought over specifically to fill his role. It is a shame, but junior is not going to be on the Friars roster by April.
Whether it is wise to replace him with a .246 career hitter is another story.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Notes on Padres, Aztecs, Chargers
Padres: Even with Adrian Gonzalez likely to miss most of spring training while rehabbing from shoulder surgery, I'm not sure the Padres can afford to get another first baseman. There are too many other needs to spend money on or trade for. I'm willing to have Kyle Blanks ready to go there than someone else who will just fill in a little bit...I was surprised to read how 3B Chase Headley stuck out 139 times last season. Those kinds of numbers come from power guys, not players who hit 11 HR and 58 RBIs. I give the kid another season, but his 2010 performance was one of the worst at the plate you could imagine. Okay, there was RF Ryan Ludwick, I stand corrected. GM Jed Hoyer's infatuation with Ludwick is mind-boggling and makes me question his judgment...The Padres will re-sign P Chris Young. Just watch. I was a little surprised that C Yorvit Torrealba left. I'm not sure he'll get more money elsewhere. He's a guy we should really want back, and be willing to pay some good bucks for...Did anyone like P Jon Garland? Didn't think so.
San Diego State Football: The idea of an SDSU-Navy Poinsettia Bowl is just great, for the game, the city, the bowl and the Aztecs. The hoteliers aren't liking it, but I betcha they end up doing better than they expect...As bad as I feel about DE BJ Williams season, and college career, -ending injury, SDSU will be hurt worse by the loss of senior LB Marcus Yarborough. Hope his injured arch will be healed by the Utah game. Now sophomore Rob Andrews steps in, followed by redshirt freshman Nick Tenhaeff. Fortunately, both have seen plenty of action this fall, but if this week's depth chart is indeed accurate, it represents some shuffling of the linebacker corp right before, yikes, TCU...I'm a little worried for next year for how few plays young receivers have seen. Yeah, the Aztecs starting combo of Vincent Brown and DeMarco Sampson is the best in the league and among the best in the nation, but you want the kids getting some experience, too.
San Diego State Basketball: Don't worry much about the lack of announcements on the recruiting front. Such news always drips slowly from the Mesa, but is usually good...The key to the success of the upcoming season will be how comfortable forwards Billy White and Malcolm Thomas have become with each other. White was no longer in the forefront last season with Thomas around and Kawhi Leonard becoming a star. We were so used to White making these unbelievably athletic plays, but they were few and far between last season. If those guys have settled into their roles, watch out...So how do I feel about U-T sports writer Nick Canepa's column on the possibility of a national championship? All he did was ask "why not?" so it's not like he's gone off his rocker. But the formula exists. They're deep, athletic, experienced and committed to defense. They will be very solid at guard with DJ Gay and Chase Tapley. Their front line is as good as any in the country, and analyst Greg Anthony calls the Aztecs bigs THE best. And they have a star whose broad shoulders they can latch onto in Leonard. Yeah, I agree, why not?...The whole thing is strange. The cynic would ask, how about just winning a tournament game for once? And that's legitimate. I don't know about a national title, and I certainly wouldn't shell out big bucks for Final Four tix, but anything short of getting to the second week of the tournament would be a disappointment.
Chargers: I know a lot of guys need to heal, but I think this bye comes at a bad time. They're finally on a winning streak and, especially in the second half at Houston, appeared to be putting things together...Patience to all the people who worry that QB Philip Rivers will be over-looked when it comes to awards, since the Bolts are under .500. If they really are turning things around, and make it to the playoffs, he'll get some serious MVP consideration...You want to know why the Bills are 0-8 and haven't won anything since Marv Levy retired? Because they waste their time signing the likes of Shawne Merriman, who immediately aggravates his Achilles tendon injury and is now out indefinitely. Sure, Merriman might help them someday. Maybe...With the Chargers not playing Sunday, Kansas City at Denver might be the game to keep an eye on. It could say a lot about the Bolts chances in the second half of the season.
San Diego State Football: The idea of an SDSU-Navy Poinsettia Bowl is just great, for the game, the city, the bowl and the Aztecs. The hoteliers aren't liking it, but I betcha they end up doing better than they expect...As bad as I feel about DE BJ Williams season, and college career, -ending injury, SDSU will be hurt worse by the loss of senior LB Marcus Yarborough. Hope his injured arch will be healed by the Utah game. Now sophomore Rob Andrews steps in, followed by redshirt freshman Nick Tenhaeff. Fortunately, both have seen plenty of action this fall, but if this week's depth chart is indeed accurate, it represents some shuffling of the linebacker corp right before, yikes, TCU...I'm a little worried for next year for how few plays young receivers have seen. Yeah, the Aztecs starting combo of Vincent Brown and DeMarco Sampson is the best in the league and among the best in the nation, but you want the kids getting some experience, too.
San Diego State Basketball: Don't worry much about the lack of announcements on the recruiting front. Such news always drips slowly from the Mesa, but is usually good...The key to the success of the upcoming season will be how comfortable forwards Billy White and Malcolm Thomas have become with each other. White was no longer in the forefront last season with Thomas around and Kawhi Leonard becoming a star. We were so used to White making these unbelievably athletic plays, but they were few and far between last season. If those guys have settled into their roles, watch out...So how do I feel about U-T sports writer Nick Canepa's column on the possibility of a national championship? All he did was ask "why not?" so it's not like he's gone off his rocker. But the formula exists. They're deep, athletic, experienced and committed to defense. They will be very solid at guard with DJ Gay and Chase Tapley. Their front line is as good as any in the country, and analyst Greg Anthony calls the Aztecs bigs THE best. And they have a star whose broad shoulders they can latch onto in Leonard. Yeah, I agree, why not?...The whole thing is strange. The cynic would ask, how about just winning a tournament game for once? And that's legitimate. I don't know about a national title, and I certainly wouldn't shell out big bucks for Final Four tix, but anything short of getting to the second week of the tournament would be a disappointment.
Chargers: I know a lot of guys need to heal, but I think this bye comes at a bad time. They're finally on a winning streak and, especially in the second half at Houston, appeared to be putting things together...Patience to all the people who worry that QB Philip Rivers will be over-looked when it comes to awards, since the Bolts are under .500. If they really are turning things around, and make it to the playoffs, he'll get some serious MVP consideration...You want to know why the Bills are 0-8 and haven't won anything since Marv Levy retired? Because they waste their time signing the likes of Shawne Merriman, who immediately aggravates his Achilles tendon injury and is now out indefinitely. Sure, Merriman might help them someday. Maybe...With the Chargers not playing Sunday, Kansas City at Denver might be the game to keep an eye on. It could say a lot about the Bolts chances in the second half of the season.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Basketball Starts as Football Hits its Peak
Wasn't it just last year when San Diego fans of college athletics couldn't get to basketball season fast enough because football wasn't going well?
Times have changed. With San Diego State at 7-2 and ranked 27th on the gridiron, and headed for a showdown at TCU this weekend, the beginning of the hoops season looms but seems much, much too early. Really, it only got cold at night this week. It's still fall, but the round-ballers are ready to take center stage.
Expectations are off the charts at SDSU, where the men's team is ranked for the first time ever and inspiring usually sober sports columnists to speculate on chances for a national championship. The women are unranked after losing its backcourt from last season's Sweet 16 club, but replacements are ready to step in.
The men start at Long Beach State Saturday before traveling to a showdown at Gonzaga Monday night. The women host UCLA Friday and have two more home games at Viejas Arena before Thanksgiving.
By the way, as this is written, womens' coach Beth Burns tweeted that she had a big day getting in Letters-of-Intent, so theoretically something will be announced Thursday.
The USD women announced five signees earlier in the day, including Katie Kuklok of Poway High.
The Toreros, both men and women, are in a rebuilding year, as noted in a previous post.
It's going to be a great year, but it's coming just a little too soon. We still have our attention on football.
---
I loved the list of the top 50 high school athletes in the 50 years of the San Diego Section of the CIF. While everyone included deserves to be there, you can come up with a list of many others who are just as deserving. A lot of people have already chimed in with their suggestions of who else should be on the list. Here are mine:
-- Darnay Scott, Kearny, football
-- Willie Banks, Oceanside, track
-- Chris Chambliss, Oceanside, baseball, football
-- Brian Sipe, Grossmont, football
-- Thom Hunt, Patrick Henry, track
-- Brian Giles, Granite Hills, football, baseball
-- Percy Gilbert, San Diego, football, basketball
Even without those guys, the list includes three Heisman Trophy winners, a Super Bowl MVP and several Olympic gold medalists. The list is on SignonSanDiego.
Times have changed. With San Diego State at 7-2 and ranked 27th on the gridiron, and headed for a showdown at TCU this weekend, the beginning of the hoops season looms but seems much, much too early. Really, it only got cold at night this week. It's still fall, but the round-ballers are ready to take center stage.
Expectations are off the charts at SDSU, where the men's team is ranked for the first time ever and inspiring usually sober sports columnists to speculate on chances for a national championship. The women are unranked after losing its backcourt from last season's Sweet 16 club, but replacements are ready to step in.
The men start at Long Beach State Saturday before traveling to a showdown at Gonzaga Monday night. The women host UCLA Friday and have two more home games at Viejas Arena before Thanksgiving.
By the way, as this is written, womens' coach Beth Burns tweeted that she had a big day getting in Letters-of-Intent, so theoretically something will be announced Thursday.
The USD women announced five signees earlier in the day, including Katie Kuklok of Poway High.
The Toreros, both men and women, are in a rebuilding year, as noted in a previous post.
It's going to be a great year, but it's coming just a little too soon. We still have our attention on football.
---
I loved the list of the top 50 high school athletes in the 50 years of the San Diego Section of the CIF. While everyone included deserves to be there, you can come up with a list of many others who are just as deserving. A lot of people have already chimed in with their suggestions of who else should be on the list. Here are mine:
-- Darnay Scott, Kearny, football
-- Willie Banks, Oceanside, track
-- Chris Chambliss, Oceanside, baseball, football
-- Brian Sipe, Grossmont, football
-- Thom Hunt, Patrick Henry, track
-- Brian Giles, Granite Hills, football, baseball
-- Percy Gilbert, San Diego, football, basketball
Even without those guys, the list includes three Heisman Trophy winners, a Super Bowl MVP and several Olympic gold medalists. The list is on SignonSanDiego.
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Chargers and Aztecs Win Ugly, Football Notes
When you're 3-5 and on the road in the NFL, or a college team that hasn't been to a bowl game in 12 years, style points mean little. "Just win, baby" really means something -- don't care how. That the Chargers and San Diego State held on for victories this weekend means everything.
The Bolts 29-23 victory at Houston puts them just a game under .500 with a bye-week coming up. The next month of the schedule will determine how the season goes, as Denver, Kansas City and Oakland all come to Qualcomm Stadium, with a trip to Indianapolis thrown in. Win all the home games and you're at 7-6 and in the hunt. I see no way the Bolts contend for a wildcard -- unless they get unexpectedly hot -- but the AFC West remains in play.
I've had my disagreements with the way GM AJ Smith has performed, though I think he's done pretty well overall, but I've never been among the inexplicable legions of coach Norv Turner-haters. In fact, I'd go as far as to say the past two weeks have given us a glimpse of Turner's best coaching since he's been with the Chargers. He has lost most of his receivers and his All-Pro tight end, and has been hampered by a rookie running back who has not immediately met expectations, but his team has combined the past two weeks for 62 points and more than 800 yards of offense. That's pretty amazing.
-- That intentional grounding penalty on the Texans QB in the fourth quarter was horrible. Good, but horrible. Texans fans have a right to think they got jobbed.
-- Houston's Arian Foster looks like the man among boys he was at Mission Bay High, not the average back he appeared to be in college at Tennessee.
-- Bad special teams comes because you suck in players 30-53. Evaluation of a general manager's first-round draft pick is so over-hyped that you forget how important it is to have quality depth. That the Bolts have had punts blocked in three straight games is inexcusable.
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The 2010 San Diego State football team is the most resilient I have perhaps ever seen in my thirty-plus years of watching them. No team since 1998 has been quite so gutty, and no coincidence, that was the last year the Aztecs went bowling.
As mistake piled upon misfortune in Saturday night's 24-19 victory over Colorado State, previous editions of SDSU would have folded like fresh laundry. Not this bunch. The defense, which spent about 22 minutes of the first half on the field -- and mostly on their end because of turnovers -- was spectacular in holding the Rams to a pair of field goals. Only one Rams drive, late in the fourth quarter, was productive in the second half -- the other TD was by the Rams defense on a fumble return.
Finally, the offense came together late in the first half and was solid through most of the second 30 minutes.
Sure, other Aztecs teams might have crushed the Rams by three touchdowns, but they would have blown a couple of other games, too. In fact, if you look at Aztec football history, you see more often than not gritty teams that find a way to pull out close games, not pretty boys who dominate.
The '98 Aztecs that went to the Las Vegas Bowl beat New Mexico by 3, Utah by 1 thanks to a missed Ute extra point, UTEP by 5, Tulsa by 10 in a much closer game and Fresno State 10-0.
The '91 Freedom Bowl team beat UTEP by just a touchdown, topped Utah by 3 when their safeties collided while knocking away a last-second Hail Mary pass to the end zone, squeaked by Wyoming by 2, and suffered the infamous 52-52 tie with BYU.
The '86 Holiday Bowl Aztecs beat Utah by a touchdown, New Mexico by 4, UTEP by a 15-10 margin, Colorado State 27-26 on a late Todd Santos touchdown pass, Wyoming by a TD and BYU by a TD at 10-3.
You don't win 'em all by being pretty. You win them by being tough and responding when the other team hits you.
-- Let me be the first to say that SDSU will make a game of it next week against TCU in Fort Worth. If the Horned Frogs come out of that shellacking of Utah without an emotional letdown, then Gary Patterson is Coach of the Year. Besides, the Aztecs have shown they can rise to the occasion against good teams, and they'll be facing a couple of the best the next two weeks.
-- Thank goodness for late-night kickoffs. If any poll voters actually watched the Aztecs Saturday night, no way would they have received enough votes to be 27th in both polls. However, they could beat a lot of those teams ranked close behind them.
-- Ronnie Hillman ranks ninth nationally in rushing at 116 yards per game -- the highest for a freshman -- but the team only ranks 46th running the ball. "Only" really should be in quotes because they've generally ranked among college football's worst on the ground in recent seasons.
-- Safety Brandon Davis is turning into a pretty good kickoff returner, another area the Aztecs have needed to improve.
-- SDSU ranks fifth in tackles for loss with an average of 8 per game.
-- Is it too early to think about MWC honors? Brady Hoke deserves strong consideration for Coach of the Year unless Patterson gets the Frogs into the National Championship Game. Hillman is a lock for the first-team running back based on statistics, as is WR DeMarco Sampson. The very few sacks allowed should give strong consideration to C Trask Iosefa. On defense, LB Miles Burris and CB Leon McFadden should be first-teamers, while DE Ernie Lawson and CB Jose Perez deserve consideration. Meanwhile, and I don't think Aztecs fans realize this, but K Abel Perez is 15-20 on field goals, a total only matched by Ben Deline of CSU. Brian Stahovich should be a lock as the first-team punter.
The Bolts 29-23 victory at Houston puts them just a game under .500 with a bye-week coming up. The next month of the schedule will determine how the season goes, as Denver, Kansas City and Oakland all come to Qualcomm Stadium, with a trip to Indianapolis thrown in. Win all the home games and you're at 7-6 and in the hunt. I see no way the Bolts contend for a wildcard -- unless they get unexpectedly hot -- but the AFC West remains in play.
I've had my disagreements with the way GM AJ Smith has performed, though I think he's done pretty well overall, but I've never been among the inexplicable legions of coach Norv Turner-haters. In fact, I'd go as far as to say the past two weeks have given us a glimpse of Turner's best coaching since he's been with the Chargers. He has lost most of his receivers and his All-Pro tight end, and has been hampered by a rookie running back who has not immediately met expectations, but his team has combined the past two weeks for 62 points and more than 800 yards of offense. That's pretty amazing.
-- That intentional grounding penalty on the Texans QB in the fourth quarter was horrible. Good, but horrible. Texans fans have a right to think they got jobbed.
-- Houston's Arian Foster looks like the man among boys he was at Mission Bay High, not the average back he appeared to be in college at Tennessee.
-- Bad special teams comes because you suck in players 30-53. Evaluation of a general manager's first-round draft pick is so over-hyped that you forget how important it is to have quality depth. That the Bolts have had punts blocked in three straight games is inexcusable.
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The 2010 San Diego State football team is the most resilient I have perhaps ever seen in my thirty-plus years of watching them. No team since 1998 has been quite so gutty, and no coincidence, that was the last year the Aztecs went bowling.
As mistake piled upon misfortune in Saturday night's 24-19 victory over Colorado State, previous editions of SDSU would have folded like fresh laundry. Not this bunch. The defense, which spent about 22 minutes of the first half on the field -- and mostly on their end because of turnovers -- was spectacular in holding the Rams to a pair of field goals. Only one Rams drive, late in the fourth quarter, was productive in the second half -- the other TD was by the Rams defense on a fumble return.
Finally, the offense came together late in the first half and was solid through most of the second 30 minutes.
Sure, other Aztecs teams might have crushed the Rams by three touchdowns, but they would have blown a couple of other games, too. In fact, if you look at Aztec football history, you see more often than not gritty teams that find a way to pull out close games, not pretty boys who dominate.
The '98 Aztecs that went to the Las Vegas Bowl beat New Mexico by 3, Utah by 1 thanks to a missed Ute extra point, UTEP by 5, Tulsa by 10 in a much closer game and Fresno State 10-0.
The '91 Freedom Bowl team beat UTEP by just a touchdown, topped Utah by 3 when their safeties collided while knocking away a last-second Hail Mary pass to the end zone, squeaked by Wyoming by 2, and suffered the infamous 52-52 tie with BYU.
The '86 Holiday Bowl Aztecs beat Utah by a touchdown, New Mexico by 4, UTEP by a 15-10 margin, Colorado State 27-26 on a late Todd Santos touchdown pass, Wyoming by a TD and BYU by a TD at 10-3.
You don't win 'em all by being pretty. You win them by being tough and responding when the other team hits you.
-- Let me be the first to say that SDSU will make a game of it next week against TCU in Fort Worth. If the Horned Frogs come out of that shellacking of Utah without an emotional letdown, then Gary Patterson is Coach of the Year. Besides, the Aztecs have shown they can rise to the occasion against good teams, and they'll be facing a couple of the best the next two weeks.
-- Thank goodness for late-night kickoffs. If any poll voters actually watched the Aztecs Saturday night, no way would they have received enough votes to be 27th in both polls. However, they could beat a lot of those teams ranked close behind them.
-- Ronnie Hillman ranks ninth nationally in rushing at 116 yards per game -- the highest for a freshman -- but the team only ranks 46th running the ball. "Only" really should be in quotes because they've generally ranked among college football's worst on the ground in recent seasons.
-- Safety Brandon Davis is turning into a pretty good kickoff returner, another area the Aztecs have needed to improve.
-- SDSU ranks fifth in tackles for loss with an average of 8 per game.
-- Is it too early to think about MWC honors? Brady Hoke deserves strong consideration for Coach of the Year unless Patterson gets the Frogs into the National Championship Game. Hillman is a lock for the first-team running back based on statistics, as is WR DeMarco Sampson. The very few sacks allowed should give strong consideration to C Trask Iosefa. On defense, LB Miles Burris and CB Leon McFadden should be first-teamers, while DE Ernie Lawson and CB Jose Perez deserve consideration. Meanwhile, and I don't think Aztecs fans realize this, but K Abel Perez is 15-20 on field goals, a total only matched by Ben Deline of CSU. Brian Stahovich should be a lock as the first-team punter.
Monday, November 01, 2010
Give Padres an Assist for Giants Title
Give the Padres an assist for the Giants first World Series championship since 1954. San Francisco needed to remain sharp for 162 games in order to win the National League West title, and that edge allowed them to battle game after game and, when all was done, remain the last team standing.
The Giants played seven one-run games in the NL playoffs, and won six. It's how they won throughout most of the year. Just look at their September results. They played 10 one-run games, winning six. Seven other games finished with margins of two runs, and the Giants won four. Their season was very Padres-like, but they needed incentive to get there. It was provided by the Friars.
Bruce Bochy's and Tim Flannery's Giants blew apart their roster at mid-season because they started off 1-7 against San Diego and fell 7.5 games off the lead by Independence Day. The impact of those facts resulted in the promotion of C Buster Posey and P Madison Bumgarner, the signing of LF Pat Burrell, and the acquisitions of P Javier Lopez, OF and NLCS MVP Cody Ross, and RF Jose Guillen. Those guys were critical in helping Los Gigantes overcome the Padres, fight past Atlanta, outlast Philadelphia and, ultimately, humiliate a Texas Rangers team that came into the World Series having dominated its opponents.
As cool as it was for the low-budget Padres to play as well as they did for four and a half months, it's also kind of fun to see a team full of castoffs defeat the league's bigwigs. Forget the Yankees, the Giants were the best team money could buy in 2010, with a major assist from the Padres.
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Game 5 featured the best pitcher's duel in a clinching game, with Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee, since Jack Morris of the Twins downed John Smoltz of the Braves 1-0 in Game 7 in 1991.
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Interesting Historical Tidbit:
In February 2004, the University of Washington came down to play a three-game series at USD, with the Huskies taking two-of-three games. With the Toreros program on an upswing, I remember being kind of annoyed at the result even though the Dogs had some pretty good pitchers.
In the Saturday game, a 10-6 loss, the Toreros knocked the UW starter out of the box in the fifth inning, having received five walks, collecting five hits and scoring two runs. It was Lincecum.
It turned out to be nothing special. USD beat him two years later, roughing Lincecum up for seven runs on eight hits in five innings in an 8-4 win.
The Giants played seven one-run games in the NL playoffs, and won six. It's how they won throughout most of the year. Just look at their September results. They played 10 one-run games, winning six. Seven other games finished with margins of two runs, and the Giants won four. Their season was very Padres-like, but they needed incentive to get there. It was provided by the Friars.
Bruce Bochy's and Tim Flannery's Giants blew apart their roster at mid-season because they started off 1-7 against San Diego and fell 7.5 games off the lead by Independence Day. The impact of those facts resulted in the promotion of C Buster Posey and P Madison Bumgarner, the signing of LF Pat Burrell, and the acquisitions of P Javier Lopez, OF and NLCS MVP Cody Ross, and RF Jose Guillen. Those guys were critical in helping Los Gigantes overcome the Padres, fight past Atlanta, outlast Philadelphia and, ultimately, humiliate a Texas Rangers team that came into the World Series having dominated its opponents.
As cool as it was for the low-budget Padres to play as well as they did for four and a half months, it's also kind of fun to see a team full of castoffs defeat the league's bigwigs. Forget the Yankees, the Giants were the best team money could buy in 2010, with a major assist from the Padres.
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Game 5 featured the best pitcher's duel in a clinching game, with Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee, since Jack Morris of the Twins downed John Smoltz of the Braves 1-0 in Game 7 in 1991.
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Interesting Historical Tidbit:
In February 2004, the University of Washington came down to play a three-game series at USD, with the Huskies taking two-of-three games. With the Toreros program on an upswing, I remember being kind of annoyed at the result even though the Dogs had some pretty good pitchers.
In the Saturday game, a 10-6 loss, the Toreros knocked the UW starter out of the box in the fifth inning, having received five walks, collecting five hits and scoring two runs. It was Lincecum.
It turned out to be nothing special. USD beat him two years later, roughing Lincecum up for seven runs on eight hits in five innings in an 8-4 win.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Aztecs Bowling, Early Projections for Holiday and Poinsettia Bowls
The primary signal of San Diego State's gridiron improvement in 2010 is that previous editions of the Aztecs would not have held up to Wyoming on Saturday. Instead, SDSU gutted out a 48-38 victory in Laramie and, in so doing, became bowl-eligible with a 6-2 record.
It was just a year ago that the Aztecs blew a 27-6 fourth quarter lead to the Cowboys at Qualcomm Stadium in a loss that knocked them out of contention for a bowl. This time, they took the Cowboys' best shots and kept firing themselves, with huge plays by QB Ryan Lindley, WRs DeMarco Sampson and Vincent Brown, P Brian Stahovich and a gutty defense led by DE Ernie Lawson and Aztec Andrew Preston.
Wyoming, if nothing else, is gritty and you have to tough it out to beat them. That the Aztecs did so was awesome and earning a bowl game for the first time in 12 years was a just reward. When Brady Hoke took over nearly three years ago (by the calendar), he told us that what needed changing most was the mindset. He was right more than we realized. We witnessed the result in Laramie.
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So where do the Aztecs go? It depends, to a certain extent, on them. They still have to play the two unbeaten conference titans, at TCU in two weeks and at home vs. Utah the following Saturday -- and those teams play each other next week in Salt Lake City. If SDSU then upsets the winner, then the Mountain West Conference will get shut out of the BCS. The league champion will go to the Las Vegas Bowl, the second choice the Poinsettia Bowl here in San Diego and SDSU probably goes to the New Mexico Bowl to play a WAC team, probably Nevada.
If either TCU or Utah run the table, that team will go to a BCS bowl game, the second place club to Vegas and the Aztecs will play in the Poinsettia.
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So how do the local bowls project as of now?
Poinsettia
Navy is contracted to come here if the Midshipmen are bowl-eligible. With five wins in the bag and upcoming games vs. Central Michigan and Arkansas State, the Middies can book their reservation without fear.
The only threat to SDSU in the MWC, other than circumstances listed above, is an Air Force team likely to finish 8-4, and bowl officials probably won't want a military academy rematch.
Holiday
They get the fifth pick in the Big 12, and the way things break down, two teams will go to the BCS -- the league champion and Missouri, which can mail in the rest of its schedule. Nebraska, if not the champ, will get taken by a bowl with a higher selection. If Baylor can get through its remaining slate with no more than one loss, the Bears will also be gone, but that might not happen. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State both play the Bears, with the loser of the round-robin probably coming here.
From the Pac-10, the Holiday picks third. Again, I think Oregon and maybe Stanford go to the BCS, and Arizona will be gone before the Holiday makes its selection. That leaves USC or Oregon State as the best bets right now.
It was just a year ago that the Aztecs blew a 27-6 fourth quarter lead to the Cowboys at Qualcomm Stadium in a loss that knocked them out of contention for a bowl. This time, they took the Cowboys' best shots and kept firing themselves, with huge plays by QB Ryan Lindley, WRs DeMarco Sampson and Vincent Brown, P Brian Stahovich and a gutty defense led by DE Ernie Lawson and Aztec Andrew Preston.
Wyoming, if nothing else, is gritty and you have to tough it out to beat them. That the Aztecs did so was awesome and earning a bowl game for the first time in 12 years was a just reward. When Brady Hoke took over nearly three years ago (by the calendar), he told us that what needed changing most was the mindset. He was right more than we realized. We witnessed the result in Laramie.
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So where do the Aztecs go? It depends, to a certain extent, on them. They still have to play the two unbeaten conference titans, at TCU in two weeks and at home vs. Utah the following Saturday -- and those teams play each other next week in Salt Lake City. If SDSU then upsets the winner, then the Mountain West Conference will get shut out of the BCS. The league champion will go to the Las Vegas Bowl, the second choice the Poinsettia Bowl here in San Diego and SDSU probably goes to the New Mexico Bowl to play a WAC team, probably Nevada.
If either TCU or Utah run the table, that team will go to a BCS bowl game, the second place club to Vegas and the Aztecs will play in the Poinsettia.
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So how do the local bowls project as of now?
Poinsettia
Navy is contracted to come here if the Midshipmen are bowl-eligible. With five wins in the bag and upcoming games vs. Central Michigan and Arkansas State, the Middies can book their reservation without fear.
The only threat to SDSU in the MWC, other than circumstances listed above, is an Air Force team likely to finish 8-4, and bowl officials probably won't want a military academy rematch.
Holiday
They get the fifth pick in the Big 12, and the way things break down, two teams will go to the BCS -- the league champion and Missouri, which can mail in the rest of its schedule. Nebraska, if not the champ, will get taken by a bowl with a higher selection. If Baylor can get through its remaining slate with no more than one loss, the Bears will also be gone, but that might not happen. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State both play the Bears, with the loser of the round-robin probably coming here.
From the Pac-10, the Holiday picks third. Again, I think Oregon and maybe Stanford go to the BCS, and Arizona will be gone before the Holiday makes its selection. That leaves USC or Oregon State as the best bets right now.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
No Outside Love for USD Hoops
Every so often, you hear something encouraging about the state of University of San Diego basketball, but rarely from outside of town, and now the preseason judgment has been passed -- media covering the West Coast Conference picked the Toreros men to finish last this upcoming season and the women to be sixth out of eight teams.
None of the men were picked for the All-WCC team. Only junior point guard Dominique Connors was selected for the women.
Clearly, no one is expecting much to happen at Jenny Craig Pavilion this season, and for good reason. Coach Bill Grier's men are undergoing a roster makeover after losing four senior starters and sending F Rob Jones packing, losing F Clinton Houston and seeing G Patrick McCollum transfer. This team of freshmen, redshirt freshmen and sophomores will have to play at Stanford, at New Mexico, and at North Carolina State a week after a tournament in Hawaii that includes some elite competition.
This is a big year for Grier, however. The follow-up to the NCAA Tournament upset of UConn has not been impressive, to say the least, and even though the record will not be fabulous in 2010-11, it would be nice to see if he has laid a foundation for the future with his new players. If not, his seat could grow warm.
Coach Cindy Fisher's women return four seniors, including the two leading scorers in Connors and Sam Child, and their best three-point shooter, F Morgan Woodrow. The schedule seems manageable, with the highlight being a tournament appearance by Texas.
BTW, I found it interesting that none of this stuff made the newspaper, which all of a sudden can't find enough room for all the San Diego State articles lately, even placing one on A-1 this week. Maybe that's because of what follows below.
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Thursday could be a huge day for the men's team at San Diego State, which has never been ranked in the AP Top 25 in its history -- with good reason. That could change when the preseason rankings come out because Coach Steve Fisher returns all five starters and considerable depth from a 25-win team that came within a hair of defeating Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The hangup could be the early part of the schedule, which sees the Aztecs play five games away from home out of the gate, including a match at Gonzaga. For good reason, it could be that voters want to see how they really do out of the gate.
(and an update, the Aztecs were indeed ranked 25th)
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I was thrilled to learn that three prominent SDSU alumni sent a letter to the BYU president demanding a thorough investigation into Replaygate, the video reversal that wasn't from the Aztecs' 24-21 loss to the Cougars -- and asking for a forfeit if malfeasance is found.
They accused BYU of stonewalling, but the Mountain West Conference is also trying to sweep this thing under the rug. State fans can't allow this to happen. That the MWC is treating SDSU like a second-class citizen is inexcusable.
None of the men were picked for the All-WCC team. Only junior point guard Dominique Connors was selected for the women.
Clearly, no one is expecting much to happen at Jenny Craig Pavilion this season, and for good reason. Coach Bill Grier's men are undergoing a roster makeover after losing four senior starters and sending F Rob Jones packing, losing F Clinton Houston and seeing G Patrick McCollum transfer. This team of freshmen, redshirt freshmen and sophomores will have to play at Stanford, at New Mexico, and at North Carolina State a week after a tournament in Hawaii that includes some elite competition.
This is a big year for Grier, however. The follow-up to the NCAA Tournament upset of UConn has not been impressive, to say the least, and even though the record will not be fabulous in 2010-11, it would be nice to see if he has laid a foundation for the future with his new players. If not, his seat could grow warm.
Coach Cindy Fisher's women return four seniors, including the two leading scorers in Connors and Sam Child, and their best three-point shooter, F Morgan Woodrow. The schedule seems manageable, with the highlight being a tournament appearance by Texas.
BTW, I found it interesting that none of this stuff made the newspaper, which all of a sudden can't find enough room for all the San Diego State articles lately, even placing one on A-1 this week. Maybe that's because of what follows below.
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Thursday could be a huge day for the men's team at San Diego State, which has never been ranked in the AP Top 25 in its history -- with good reason. That could change when the preseason rankings come out because Coach Steve Fisher returns all five starters and considerable depth from a 25-win team that came within a hair of defeating Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The hangup could be the early part of the schedule, which sees the Aztecs play five games away from home out of the gate, including a match at Gonzaga. For good reason, it could be that voters want to see how they really do out of the gate.
(and an update, the Aztecs were indeed ranked 25th)
---
I was thrilled to learn that three prominent SDSU alumni sent a letter to the BYU president demanding a thorough investigation into Replaygate, the video reversal that wasn't from the Aztecs' 24-21 loss to the Cougars -- and asking for a forfeit if malfeasance is found.
They accused BYU of stonewalling, but the Mountain West Conference is also trying to sweep this thing under the rug. State fans can't allow this to happen. That the MWC is treating SDSU like a second-class citizen is inexcusable.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Turnovers, Padres Far From World Series
Turnovers don't just happen out of nowhere, in such a way that they can be prevented by a little more practice. My experience in following and covering football for many years is that fumbles and interceptions are mostly the result of one team being physically more talented than the other. Sometimes a team can be sloppy or careless, but mostly it happens because your opponent is better than you. They're quicker to the ball and strong enough to jar it loose.
I bring this up after another Chargers loss, 23-20 to New England, in which the Bolts lost three fumbles and an interception and the Patriots had zero turnovers. This game was kind of an outlier because two of the fumbles were bizarre -- Richard Goodman putting the ball on the ground before he was touched and Jacob Hester ignoring a screen pass that went backwards. Even so, that still leaves another fumble and the pick.
The fact is that the 2010 version of the home team lost too many good players from last year's entry, and the turnovers are the result. Turnovers and missed plays on special teams have been the hallmark of this year's team, and they are not something that is going to be corrected overnight.
Here are some stats to make you think:
1. Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert combined to gain 20 yards on 10 carries. Talk all day about how the Chargers doubled the total yardage on the Patriots, but that was all Philip Rivers passing.
2. Buster Davis, for all the criticism he has received, caught six passes in the game.
3. New England gained four first downs from Chargers penalties. The Bolts were penalized six times to the Patriots seven -- their timing stinks.
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It's easy to sit here and think that the Padres might have been just this close to the World Series, since the NL West rival Giants made it. However, watching the National League Championship Series made me realize just how far away this team is. Who among the Padres is the kind of dominant player that we saw with the Giants or the Phillies?
The Padres have one, closer Heath Bell. Adrian Gonzalez can be one but his injury-plagued 2010 makes me pause, and Mat Latos has the stuff but remains unproven. David Eckstein is a former World Series MVP but his body has taken a toll since.
Compare that to the NL champion Giants:
P - Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Brian Wilson
C - Buster Posey
Cody Ross did come through in the clutch in the NLCS and Madison Bumgarner gives them a fourth shutdown pitcher who is tender young like Latos. That's four for the Giants (and two possibles) to one for the Padres (and three possibles), but could you really imagine anyone but Bell coming through in the post-season? Me neither.
Try the Phillies:
P - Roy Halladay, P Roy Oswalt, P Cole Hamels
1B - Ryan Howard
2B - Chase Utley
SS - Jimmy Rollins, though his best years might be behind him.
RF - Jayson Werth
The Padres just don't compare, making their 2010 performance even more remarkable. Manager Bud Black performed miracles and pitching coach Darren Balsley does everything but walk on water. The Padres will be competitive again in 2011, unless the off-season is a disaster, but some of these young guys like Latos, Kyle Blanks and Will Venable need to step up their games to a much higher level if they want to accomplish anything in the playoffs.
I bring this up after another Chargers loss, 23-20 to New England, in which the Bolts lost three fumbles and an interception and the Patriots had zero turnovers. This game was kind of an outlier because two of the fumbles were bizarre -- Richard Goodman putting the ball on the ground before he was touched and Jacob Hester ignoring a screen pass that went backwards. Even so, that still leaves another fumble and the pick.
The fact is that the 2010 version of the home team lost too many good players from last year's entry, and the turnovers are the result. Turnovers and missed plays on special teams have been the hallmark of this year's team, and they are not something that is going to be corrected overnight.
Here are some stats to make you think:
1. Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert combined to gain 20 yards on 10 carries. Talk all day about how the Chargers doubled the total yardage on the Patriots, but that was all Philip Rivers passing.
2. Buster Davis, for all the criticism he has received, caught six passes in the game.
3. New England gained four first downs from Chargers penalties. The Bolts were penalized six times to the Patriots seven -- their timing stinks.
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It's easy to sit here and think that the Padres might have been just this close to the World Series, since the NL West rival Giants made it. However, watching the National League Championship Series made me realize just how far away this team is. Who among the Padres is the kind of dominant player that we saw with the Giants or the Phillies?
The Padres have one, closer Heath Bell. Adrian Gonzalez can be one but his injury-plagued 2010 makes me pause, and Mat Latos has the stuff but remains unproven. David Eckstein is a former World Series MVP but his body has taken a toll since.
Compare that to the NL champion Giants:
P - Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Brian Wilson
C - Buster Posey
Cody Ross did come through in the clutch in the NLCS and Madison Bumgarner gives them a fourth shutdown pitcher who is tender young like Latos. That's four for the Giants (and two possibles) to one for the Padres (and three possibles), but could you really imagine anyone but Bell coming through in the post-season? Me neither.
Try the Phillies:
P - Roy Halladay, P Roy Oswalt, P Cole Hamels
1B - Ryan Howard
2B - Chase Utley
SS - Jimmy Rollins, though his best years might be behind him.
RF - Jayson Werth
The Padres just don't compare, making their 2010 performance even more remarkable. Manager Bud Black performed miracles and pitching coach Darren Balsley does everything but walk on water. The Padres will be competitive again in 2011, unless the off-season is a disaster, but some of these young guys like Latos, Kyle Blanks and Will Venable need to step up their games to a much higher level if they want to accomplish anything in the playoffs.
Friday, October 22, 2010
No Soft Part of Schedule for SDSU
A Friday morning newspaper column says the San Diego State football team has reached "the cupcake portion of its schedule" with Saturday's game at winless New Mexico, a subsequent road contest at Wyoming and a home match vs. Colorado State.
Uh, no.
First of all, a program that compiled a 6-18 record the past two seasons can't have any part of its slate termed "cupcake."
Second, given the weak schedule this season, the opening Nicholls State-New Mexico State portion was where the cupcakes could be found.
Finally, the comment does not comport with the current facts.
-- The BYU game showed that SDSU's defense does not match up well with big, strong offensive lines, particularly on the road. New Mexico, if nothing else, has a big group of blockers. The Aztecs should win, but it will be no rout. I see this game as low-30s to low-20s-ish, especially since the Lobos are returning key players from injury.
-- Wyoming is just 2-5 but by one formula has played the fifth-hardest schedule in the country, and Laramie has never been fun for Aztecs teams in rebuilding mode. The team with the fourth-hardest is BYU, which physically manhandled the defense before resorting to cheating in the replay booth to hold onto the victory.
-- Colorado State has seven freshmen and sophomores in its starting lineup, including first-year players at quarterback -- Peter Thomas of Valhalla High -- and and center. In the last two weeks, the Rams gave Air Force a game in Colorado Springs and creamed UNLV. They're improving rapidly.
I can see the Aztecs going anywhere from 3-0 to 1-2 in this stretch of games so, at worse, they'll be left a game away from bowl eligibility with the sorry Rebels still to be played. But this won't be an easy part of the schedule, by any means.
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BTW, maybe it's just me, but TCU does not look as powerful as last year. I bet Utah takes them in Salt Lake City, and it would not shock me if Air Force comes off their loss here last week by upsetting the Froggies in Fort Worth.
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Interesting to see that opposing coaches want to see Steve Fisher's SDSU men's basketball team to prove itself before placing them in the Top 25. They'll begin the season in the coaches' poll 26th. I can't say I blame them, frankly.
The schedule has no big-name opponents other than Gonzaga unless you follow hoops closely. Saint Mary's, Wichita State and UC Santa Barbara are all very good. Long Beach State and Cal are pretty good, too. The AP writers poll will come out soon enough, and we'll see what they say. Five other polls -- magazines and stuff -- SDSU ranked.
If they hit mid-December with only one loss, they'll be in the Top 25.
I'm really looking forward to see if now-eligible transfer James Rahon (Torrey Pines High) can fit Fisher's system and maintain his long-range shooting touch, and just athletic freshman Jamaal Franklin really is.
Uh, no.
First of all, a program that compiled a 6-18 record the past two seasons can't have any part of its slate termed "cupcake."
Second, given the weak schedule this season, the opening Nicholls State-New Mexico State portion was where the cupcakes could be found.
Finally, the comment does not comport with the current facts.
-- The BYU game showed that SDSU's defense does not match up well with big, strong offensive lines, particularly on the road. New Mexico, if nothing else, has a big group of blockers. The Aztecs should win, but it will be no rout. I see this game as low-30s to low-20s-ish, especially since the Lobos are returning key players from injury.
-- Wyoming is just 2-5 but by one formula has played the fifth-hardest schedule in the country, and Laramie has never been fun for Aztecs teams in rebuilding mode. The team with the fourth-hardest is BYU, which physically manhandled the defense before resorting to cheating in the replay booth to hold onto the victory.
-- Colorado State has seven freshmen and sophomores in its starting lineup, including first-year players at quarterback -- Peter Thomas of Valhalla High -- and and center. In the last two weeks, the Rams gave Air Force a game in Colorado Springs and creamed UNLV. They're improving rapidly.
I can see the Aztecs going anywhere from 3-0 to 1-2 in this stretch of games so, at worse, they'll be left a game away from bowl eligibility with the sorry Rebels still to be played. But this won't be an easy part of the schedule, by any means.
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BTW, maybe it's just me, but TCU does not look as powerful as last year. I bet Utah takes them in Salt Lake City, and it would not shock me if Air Force comes off their loss here last week by upsetting the Froggies in Fort Worth.
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Interesting to see that opposing coaches want to see Steve Fisher's SDSU men's basketball team to prove itself before placing them in the Top 25. They'll begin the season in the coaches' poll 26th. I can't say I blame them, frankly.
The schedule has no big-name opponents other than Gonzaga unless you follow hoops closely. Saint Mary's, Wichita State and UC Santa Barbara are all very good. Long Beach State and Cal are pretty good, too. The AP writers poll will come out soon enough, and we'll see what they say. Five other polls -- magazines and stuff -- SDSU ranked.
If they hit mid-December with only one loss, they'll be in the Top 25.
I'm really looking forward to see if now-eligible transfer James Rahon (Torrey Pines High) can fit Fisher's system and maintain his long-range shooting touch, and just athletic freshman Jamaal Franklin really is.
Monday, October 18, 2010
After Six Games You Are Your Record
Six games have been played in the local professional and college football seasons, and as you approach, or have arrived at, the mid-point of the schedule, you pretty much are what your record says.
The Chargers are 2-4 after being physically beat up by the Rams. They stink.
San Diego State is 4-2 after finally beating a Top 25 team and could be 5-1 without Replaygate, and 6-0 if the coaches could keep track of their players. They're good.
USD is 2-5, having not had a bye week, and are mediocre at their own level but over-scheduled.
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A couple of very interesting rankings for SDSU in the national statistics. The Aztecs couldn't have bought a running game since former head coach Chuck Long stepped on campus, but freshman RB Ronnie Hillman is seventh in rushing with 131 yards per game, despite limited carries in the opener. If you haven't seen his 65-yard TD run vs Air Force, go to the Aztecs Website and take a look.
The overall team rushing offense, which spent most of the past few years ranking in the 100s out of 119 or 120 teams, now is 35th nationally. Total offense ranks 16th.
What really gets me excited is to see the Aztecs rank 28th in pass defense and 19th in scoring defense. Even though they're yielding a bunch of yards on the ground, they're not letting opponents into the end zone easily like they used to. A couple of reasons for that. Behind P Brian Stahovich, they are ninth in net punting, and they are on the plus side by three in turnovers, a big reversal from past years. That means no more short field for opposing offenses. It also helps that they are tied for 19th in tackles for loss, meaning defensive coordinator Rocky Long's attacking 3-3-5 scheme is working, and are ninth in their own offense not allowing tackles for loss. That's field position.
Let's try this for the Chargers. Don't punch your computer as you read the following.
LaDainian Tomlinson is sixth in the NFL in rushing yards for the Jets, and Michael Turner is ninth. The highest Charger is Mike Tolbert at 24th. If you go by per-game averages, they rank 9th, 13th and 31st. And its not just that they've carried the ball more. Tomlinson ranks higher in yards per carry and in longest carry.
Antonio Cromartie leads the NFL in passes defended for the Jets and has the same number of interceptions as the leading Charger, Antoine Cason, with two.
Only Chicago's Jay Cutler (23) has been sacked more often the Philip Rivers (18).
Even though Rivers leads the league in passing yards, the highest-ranked Charger in receiving yards is Malcolm Floyd, who is 10th. In terms of receptions, the highest is Antonio Gates, a tight end, at 20th.
The NFL has a system rating the offensive line, long my pet peeve regarding GM AJ Smith, who seems to think the unit is not very important, AND THE CHARGERS RANK 29TH OUT OF THE LEAGUE'S 32 TEAMS (shouting is intentional).
Not much more to say. Let's hope they enjoy the home cooking and continue to win at Qualcomm Stadium, because I don't know if they will win on the road all year.
The Chargers are 2-4 after being physically beat up by the Rams. They stink.
San Diego State is 4-2 after finally beating a Top 25 team and could be 5-1 without Replaygate, and 6-0 if the coaches could keep track of their players. They're good.
USD is 2-5, having not had a bye week, and are mediocre at their own level but over-scheduled.
---
A couple of very interesting rankings for SDSU in the national statistics. The Aztecs couldn't have bought a running game since former head coach Chuck Long stepped on campus, but freshman RB Ronnie Hillman is seventh in rushing with 131 yards per game, despite limited carries in the opener. If you haven't seen his 65-yard TD run vs Air Force, go to the Aztecs Website and take a look.
The overall team rushing offense, which spent most of the past few years ranking in the 100s out of 119 or 120 teams, now is 35th nationally. Total offense ranks 16th.
What really gets me excited is to see the Aztecs rank 28th in pass defense and 19th in scoring defense. Even though they're yielding a bunch of yards on the ground, they're not letting opponents into the end zone easily like they used to. A couple of reasons for that. Behind P Brian Stahovich, they are ninth in net punting, and they are on the plus side by three in turnovers, a big reversal from past years. That means no more short field for opposing offenses. It also helps that they are tied for 19th in tackles for loss, meaning defensive coordinator Rocky Long's attacking 3-3-5 scheme is working, and are ninth in their own offense not allowing tackles for loss. That's field position.
Let's try this for the Chargers. Don't punch your computer as you read the following.
LaDainian Tomlinson is sixth in the NFL in rushing yards for the Jets, and Michael Turner is ninth. The highest Charger is Mike Tolbert at 24th. If you go by per-game averages, they rank 9th, 13th and 31st. And its not just that they've carried the ball more. Tomlinson ranks higher in yards per carry and in longest carry.
Antonio Cromartie leads the NFL in passes defended for the Jets and has the same number of interceptions as the leading Charger, Antoine Cason, with two.
Only Chicago's Jay Cutler (23) has been sacked more often the Philip Rivers (18).
Even though Rivers leads the league in passing yards, the highest-ranked Charger in receiving yards is Malcolm Floyd, who is 10th. In terms of receptions, the highest is Antonio Gates, a tight end, at 20th.
The NFL has a system rating the offensive line, long my pet peeve regarding GM AJ Smith, who seems to think the unit is not very important, AND THE CHARGERS RANK 29TH OUT OF THE LEAGUE'S 32 TEAMS (shouting is intentional).
Not much more to say. Let's hope they enjoy the home cooking and continue to win at Qualcomm Stadium, because I don't know if they will win on the road all year.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
"Replaygate" Getting Worse, Not Better
So far, the only person remotely connected to the SDSU-BYU "Replaygate" scandal is Aztecs radio color commentator Chris Ello, for his anti-BYU rant on his talk show the other day. See a problem here?
You know the basics. San Diego State is down three to BYU in the second half last Saturday in Provo when Cougars RB JJ DiLuigi fumbles but is ruled down by contact. Aztecs coach Brady Hoke challenges the call, and even though video replays clearly show a fumble caused and recovered by DE BJ Williams, the ruling on the field was upheld. This was no simple judgment call, you look at the video and there is no way a logical, unbiased person can allow the official's call to stand. Since then, it was revealed that the three people in the video booth included a BYU employee, a BYU alumnus and a deli owner from Reno.
I heard only part of Ello's comments, nothing that appeared out of line.
I have not heard any apologies from BYU, the Mountain West Conference, anyone from the video booth, or the officials. I'm waiting.
The conference suspended the video booth personnel for one measly week and made policy changes against the involvement of school employees for anyone except the person making sure the equipment works. That's a start, but much more needs to be done.
1. We need a comprehensive, open and honest accounting into what took place in the booth and why the non-call was made. I am worried about future errors in judgment by officials, which happen, and what fan reaction will be. I am also concerned about the Viejas Arena atmosphere when the BYU men's basketball team comes to town. These things can be mitigated if the MWC opens up.
2. We need SDSU's football to be protected from the "loss." As the fumble non-call happened at a time the Aztecs were regaining momentum, odds are better than 50-50 they would have gone on to win. The steps listed in a prior post, protecting the team's bowl interests, need to be taken.
The MWC still is more looking out for its own interests that those of their member schools, and that is wrong. Now, onto football vs. Air Force. Get to 4-2 and worries about bowl games begin to evaporate. By the way, in my SDSU football preview before the start of the season, I mentioned that the defense would perform well until the MWC scheduled opened, then the games would resemble old WAC-style shootouts. That starts vs. the Falcons.
You know the basics. San Diego State is down three to BYU in the second half last Saturday in Provo when Cougars RB JJ DiLuigi fumbles but is ruled down by contact. Aztecs coach Brady Hoke challenges the call, and even though video replays clearly show a fumble caused and recovered by DE BJ Williams, the ruling on the field was upheld. This was no simple judgment call, you look at the video and there is no way a logical, unbiased person can allow the official's call to stand. Since then, it was revealed that the three people in the video booth included a BYU employee, a BYU alumnus and a deli owner from Reno.
I heard only part of Ello's comments, nothing that appeared out of line.
I have not heard any apologies from BYU, the Mountain West Conference, anyone from the video booth, or the officials. I'm waiting.
The conference suspended the video booth personnel for one measly week and made policy changes against the involvement of school employees for anyone except the person making sure the equipment works. That's a start, but much more needs to be done.
1. We need a comprehensive, open and honest accounting into what took place in the booth and why the non-call was made. I am worried about future errors in judgment by officials, which happen, and what fan reaction will be. I am also concerned about the Viejas Arena atmosphere when the BYU men's basketball team comes to town. These things can be mitigated if the MWC opens up.
2. We need SDSU's football to be protected from the "loss." As the fumble non-call happened at a time the Aztecs were regaining momentum, odds are better than 50-50 they would have gone on to win. The steps listed in a prior post, protecting the team's bowl interests, need to be taken.
The MWC still is more looking out for its own interests that those of their member schools, and that is wrong. Now, onto football vs. Air Force. Get to 4-2 and worries about bowl games begin to evaporate. By the way, in my SDSU football preview before the start of the season, I mentioned that the defense would perform well until the MWC scheduled opened, then the games would resemble old WAC-style shootouts. That starts vs. the Falcons.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Great Seasons by Hamels and Conrad Diverge in Playoffs, Chargers
Cole Hamels pitched like a number three starter in 2009, finishing with a record under .500 and an ERA north of 4, while Brooks Conrad continued his career as a journeyman minor leaguer in search for a home in The Show.
The two San Diego-area products enjoyed much better seasons this year, however, as Hamels (Rancho Bernardo High) went 12-11, 3.09 for the NL East champion Phillies, reversed 2009's trend to allow far fewer hits than innings pitched and topped 200 strikeouts for the first time; and Conrad (Monte Vista High) became a star utility infielder in Atlanta, playing in more than 100 big league games (tripling his career high), and slugging 8 HR -- seemingly every one of which won a game as the Braves sneaked the NL wildcard spot from the Padres.
True, things changed in the playoffs. Hamels, throwing like a number one despite really being a number three now, tossed a 5-hit shutout of Cincinnati in the first round, while Conrad played out of position at 2B and committed three costly errors in a Game 3 loss to San Francisco, a pivotal point in a series loss. Baseball is a tough game. Two pinch hit grand slams are a high, and you just know there is a low out there waiting to punch you in the gut. It just happened to Conrad at a bad time.
The 2010 season, however, will be a memorable one for both local players, and quite a few others:
-- Conrad's teammate, injury-plagued Troy Glaus of Carlsbad High, rebounded from a 14-game season in 2009 to play in 128 contests, batting .240-16-71.
-- Padres closer Heath Bell (Oceanside native) is starting to receive awards for a season in which he collected 47 saves, a record of 6-1 and a 1.93 ERA.
-- Baltimore 1B Ty Wigginton (Hilltop High) revived his career by slugging 22 home runs, knocking in 76 runs and playing in 154 games, his highest total since 2003.
-- A strong second half propelled Orioles CF Adam Jones (Morse High) to a .284-19-69 season.
-- Another bird, P Brian Matusz (USD), overcame a rocky start to win his final six decisions, finishing 10-12, 4.30. His two starts in that streak that were no-decisions were won by the Orioles after he left the mound.
When considering the three players above, keep in mind that Baltimore was the worst team in baseball the first couple of months of the season, and finished with the second-worst record in the AL.
-- Oakland P Trevor Cahill (Vista High) was solid after returning from a pre-season injury, finishing 18-8, 2.97
-- Tampa Bay C John Jaso (Chula Vista) got into 109 games in his first full season as a major leaguer.
-- Chicago White Sox slugger Carlos Quentin's (the old USDHS) return to health paid off with 26 home runs and 87 RBIs, in a career-high 131 games.
While a number of other local players had rather mediocre seasons, a few ended in disaster.
The most notable was P Stephen Strasburg, (West Hills High, SDSU), whose minor league coddling by Washington kept baseball fans fascinated the first month of the season. He finished 5-3, 2.91 in 12 major league starts before tearing a ligament in August, and it is unlikely he will pitch next season.
The injury-plagued career of Oakland 3B/1B Eric Chavez (Mt Carmel High) might be over after he went on the disabled list in May and never saw action again. He has a multi-million contract option that the A's a unlikely to pick up.
Detroit fireballing reliver Joel Zumaya (Bonita Vista High) made a stirring comeback from injury to throw in 31 games for the Tigers. Just as you start thinking "how can you not root for this guy?" his season ended sadly with a fractured elbow on June 28.
San Francisco passed up the Padres late in the season to win the NL West title on the strength of its starting pitching, but Barry Zito (USDHS) was of little help. Zito finished 9-14, 4.15 while losing 10 of his final 11 decisions, including a horrible performance on the last Saturday of the season against San Diego -- all while sucking up $18.5 million.
The most tragic season was experienced by Padres P Kevin Correia (Grossmont High). Coming off a superb 2009, Correia was sharp in April, but his brother died in a hiking accident and it seemed he was never the same. He made only two appearances in September and finished 10-10, 5.40, and his hometown days could be over.
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I was told at a young age that two wrongs do not make a right, and indeed the adage holds true as an adult. That's how I view the Chargers situation when it comes to LB Shawne Merriman, LT Marcus McNeill and WR Vincent Jackson.
Regarding Merriman, wrong number one was him thinking that he was still the player he once was, and he is not because of his injuries, which is a shame. Wrong number two was the Chargers not originally treating him with the respect he deserved for his past good deeds and then trying to rush him onto the field at the last minute because his successor, Larry English, might be turning into a bust.
On McNeill, you have a team that undervalued their veteran left tackle before the season, and a player who eventually gave in and, according to the newspaper, signed a contract that only gives him guaranteed money this year. He could make $48 million over the life of the contract, but it wouldn't shock me to see him and the team at loggerheads again in a year or two. Very little was solved.
I have no idea if Jackson will show up at the end of the month to accrue another season of NFL service, but this saga has been filled with nothing but wrongs. His agents are a joke, Jackson is close to but not yet an elite receiver, he still should not have been subject to financial hi-jinks and, I believe, the Chargers would have pulled out the Kansas City game if he were in the lineup.
This is heading toward a season in which no one, not the players, not the coaches, nor GM AJ Smith look good.
The two San Diego-area products enjoyed much better seasons this year, however, as Hamels (Rancho Bernardo High) went 12-11, 3.09 for the NL East champion Phillies, reversed 2009's trend to allow far fewer hits than innings pitched and topped 200 strikeouts for the first time; and Conrad (Monte Vista High) became a star utility infielder in Atlanta, playing in more than 100 big league games (tripling his career high), and slugging 8 HR -- seemingly every one of which won a game as the Braves sneaked the NL wildcard spot from the Padres.
True, things changed in the playoffs. Hamels, throwing like a number one despite really being a number three now, tossed a 5-hit shutout of Cincinnati in the first round, while Conrad played out of position at 2B and committed three costly errors in a Game 3 loss to San Francisco, a pivotal point in a series loss. Baseball is a tough game. Two pinch hit grand slams are a high, and you just know there is a low out there waiting to punch you in the gut. It just happened to Conrad at a bad time.
The 2010 season, however, will be a memorable one for both local players, and quite a few others:
-- Conrad's teammate, injury-plagued Troy Glaus of Carlsbad High, rebounded from a 14-game season in 2009 to play in 128 contests, batting .240-16-71.
-- Padres closer Heath Bell (Oceanside native) is starting to receive awards for a season in which he collected 47 saves, a record of 6-1 and a 1.93 ERA.
-- Baltimore 1B Ty Wigginton (Hilltop High) revived his career by slugging 22 home runs, knocking in 76 runs and playing in 154 games, his highest total since 2003.
-- A strong second half propelled Orioles CF Adam Jones (Morse High) to a .284-19-69 season.
-- Another bird, P Brian Matusz (USD), overcame a rocky start to win his final six decisions, finishing 10-12, 4.30. His two starts in that streak that were no-decisions were won by the Orioles after he left the mound.
When considering the three players above, keep in mind that Baltimore was the worst team in baseball the first couple of months of the season, and finished with the second-worst record in the AL.
-- Oakland P Trevor Cahill (Vista High) was solid after returning from a pre-season injury, finishing 18-8, 2.97
-- Tampa Bay C John Jaso (Chula Vista) got into 109 games in his first full season as a major leaguer.
-- Chicago White Sox slugger Carlos Quentin's (the old USDHS) return to health paid off with 26 home runs and 87 RBIs, in a career-high 131 games.
While a number of other local players had rather mediocre seasons, a few ended in disaster.
The most notable was P Stephen Strasburg, (West Hills High, SDSU), whose minor league coddling by Washington kept baseball fans fascinated the first month of the season. He finished 5-3, 2.91 in 12 major league starts before tearing a ligament in August, and it is unlikely he will pitch next season.
The injury-plagued career of Oakland 3B/1B Eric Chavez (Mt Carmel High) might be over after he went on the disabled list in May and never saw action again. He has a multi-million contract option that the A's a unlikely to pick up.
Detroit fireballing reliver Joel Zumaya (Bonita Vista High) made a stirring comeback from injury to throw in 31 games for the Tigers. Just as you start thinking "how can you not root for this guy?" his season ended sadly with a fractured elbow on June 28.
San Francisco passed up the Padres late in the season to win the NL West title on the strength of its starting pitching, but Barry Zito (USDHS) was of little help. Zito finished 9-14, 4.15 while losing 10 of his final 11 decisions, including a horrible performance on the last Saturday of the season against San Diego -- all while sucking up $18.5 million.
The most tragic season was experienced by Padres P Kevin Correia (Grossmont High). Coming off a superb 2009, Correia was sharp in April, but his brother died in a hiking accident and it seemed he was never the same. He made only two appearances in September and finished 10-10, 5.40, and his hometown days could be over.
---
I was told at a young age that two wrongs do not make a right, and indeed the adage holds true as an adult. That's how I view the Chargers situation when it comes to LB Shawne Merriman, LT Marcus McNeill and WR Vincent Jackson.
Regarding Merriman, wrong number one was him thinking that he was still the player he once was, and he is not because of his injuries, which is a shame. Wrong number two was the Chargers not originally treating him with the respect he deserved for his past good deeds and then trying to rush him onto the field at the last minute because his successor, Larry English, might be turning into a bust.
On McNeill, you have a team that undervalued their veteran left tackle before the season, and a player who eventually gave in and, according to the newspaper, signed a contract that only gives him guaranteed money this year. He could make $48 million over the life of the contract, but it wouldn't shock me to see him and the team at loggerheads again in a year or two. Very little was solved.
I have no idea if Jackson will show up at the end of the month to accrue another season of NFL service, but this saga has been filled with nothing but wrongs. His agents are a joke, Jackson is close to but not yet an elite receiver, he still should not have been subject to financial hi-jinks and, I believe, the Chargers would have pulled out the Kansas City game if he were in the lineup.
This is heading toward a season in which no one, not the players, not the coaches, nor GM AJ Smith look good.
Monday, October 11, 2010
MWC's Costly Officiating, Chargers Early History
Saturday's 24-21 loss by San Diego's State's football team at BYU was the third setback by an Aztecs athletics team that I know of that can be attributed directly to Mountain West Conference officials making something up out of nothing. Clinging to a 17-14 second-half lead, Cougar RB JJ DiLuigi was stripped of the ball while struggling forward in a pile. DE BJ Williams took the ball out and recovered it.
The problem was the officials called DiLuigi down. When coach Brady Hoke challenged the ruling, the video clearly showed the fumble. This wasn't a fan looking at it with his heart. Check the video highlights of the game, around the 1:47 mark. The announcers promptly said the ball belonged to SDSU. Several BYU fans have written saying the ball belonged to State. BYU went on to score the touchdown that clinched the victory, and the Aztecs' subsequent score was not enough to win the game.
Now, you can never say what might have happened if the Aztecs were given possession. They might have fumbled, gone three-and-out leading to a BYU score anyway. But you at least want to have the opportunity.
Needless to say, coupled with the non-call block in the back at Missouri, I'm sick of this kind of crap.
In 2004, Aztecs RB Michael Franklin was given the ball on a running play around his own 5-yard line with a small lead over Colorado State in the fourth quarter. When the play was over, he put the ball down and a Rams defender picked it up, and the officials gave the ball to CSU -- citing a rule that did not even exist. The Rams promptly scored and won the game.
Two seasons ago in men's basketball, the Aztecs were in position to tie or beat BYU in Provo at the buzzer when F Kyle Spain was physically assaulted under the basket, and there was no call, and the Cougars held on to win.
There are bad calls, like the Missouri game in football this year, but that was a judgment call that can be difficult for officials at the heat of the moment. I can live with those. Plus, it never should have happened after the coaches lost track of a freshman TE who should not have been on the field, costing the Aztecs a chance to maintain possession and run the clock out.
Then there are inexcusable calls, like in Saturday's BYU game and the other two described above.
Those other two ended up not costing San Diego State a bowl game or NCAA berth, but this year's call might be expensive.
Can you imagine if that call costs SDSU a bowl bid? Let's take it a step further and say that, with BYU struggling, the call costs the entire conference a bowl bid? Don't laugh, because right now the MWC has only three teams on track for a bowl berth and the Aztecs, who would have made it four with a win, are now questionable. The conference is guaranteed FIVE (5) bowl games.
Still, the Aztecs need only win three more games, and they have yet to play conference bottom-feeders New Mexico, Colorado State and UNLV -- the latter two at home. They match up well, also, with 23rd ranked Air Force and Wyoming. So they should get to 6-6, with a shot at 8-4. Still, this is a program that is early in the building stages and nowhere near "there," as was obvious through a lot of the game at BYU. Here's to hoping that the ludicrous video review doesn't send them into a tailspin.
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San Diego State Athletic Director Jim Sterk is new to the program and doesn't really understand the past history of the officiating injustices heaped upon his school.
If it was me -- since I do have the background -- I'm on the telephone with MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson this morning and telling him in no uncertain terms that the conference needs to be accountable for its officiating. I would demand that the league take immediate and tangible actions, such as:
1. Removing the replay officials from the BYU booth and replacing them with someone else.
2. The league should notify via official press release to all key media personnel, such as ESPN, major newspapers, key college football Web writers like Dennis Dodds of CBSSports.com, that its mistake is the only thing between SDSU and a 4-1 record, and the Missouri non-call possibly is all that keeps them from being 5-0. Even with those injustices, the Aztecs are six points from being undefeated.
3. If the Cougars do get hot and end up bowl eligible along with the Aztecs, SDSU is to be given priority over which bowl to attend (which may or may not matter), as long as the difference in their records is one game or less.
4. If the Aztecs fall short of bowl eligibility by one game, the MWC should pay SDSU the equivalent amount of the bowl payout.
Sterk's next call goes to the legal arm of the Cal State University system, because the program stands to be injured by the MWC not standing by its contractual obligation of fair officiating. Finally, he needs to get a committee together to study following BYU into independence. On the final two points, if nothing else, Thompson needs to know SDSU is serious this time.
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A history lesson, Chargers fans. In all four seasons under coach Norv Turner, the Bolts have been 2-3 after five games every year. Each time, they have recovered to make the playoffs, sometimes in sparkling fashion. That has given the fans some comfort, with the knowledge that the team is on a familiar path.
I'm here to destroy your comfort.
What has been mystifying about the three losses this season is they have all come against teams that no one has any respect for. Kansas City, Seattle and Oakland are 3-2, 2-2 and 2-3, respectively. It would be a real shock if any of those teams finish the season over .500.
If you're thinking history is just repeating itself in 2010, you got another thing coming. Last year, the three early losses were 31-26 to Baltimore, 38-28 at Pittsburgh and 34-23 at Denver. Those teams finished with records of 9-7, 9-7 and 8-8. Not the greatest of football teams, but they didn't suck.
It gets worse. In 2008, the setbacks were 26-24 to Carolina, 39-38 in the Ed Hochuli game in Denver and 17-10 at Miami. Those teams finished 12-4, 8-8 and 11-5
In 2007, the three early failures were 38-14 to regular-season undefeated New England, 31-24 to Green Bay and 30-16 to Kansas City. The Packers were 13-3, the Chiefs 4-12.
The conclusion, then, is that in 2010, the Chargers have lost to three bad teams, but in similar 2-3 starts in the three prior years, only one of the losses was to a bad team. Therefore, the past not predicting the future really holds true in this case.
The other outstanding common factor is the three losses this season have all come on the road. If the issue is the team's sudden inability to perform while traveling, keep in mind that the season ends with two straight road games -- back-to-back trips to Cincinnati and Denver.
The problem was the officials called DiLuigi down. When coach Brady Hoke challenged the ruling, the video clearly showed the fumble. This wasn't a fan looking at it with his heart. Check the video highlights of the game, around the 1:47 mark. The announcers promptly said the ball belonged to SDSU. Several BYU fans have written saying the ball belonged to State. BYU went on to score the touchdown that clinched the victory, and the Aztecs' subsequent score was not enough to win the game.
Now, you can never say what might have happened if the Aztecs were given possession. They might have fumbled, gone three-and-out leading to a BYU score anyway. But you at least want to have the opportunity.
Needless to say, coupled with the non-call block in the back at Missouri, I'm sick of this kind of crap.
In 2004, Aztecs RB Michael Franklin was given the ball on a running play around his own 5-yard line with a small lead over Colorado State in the fourth quarter. When the play was over, he put the ball down and a Rams defender picked it up, and the officials gave the ball to CSU -- citing a rule that did not even exist. The Rams promptly scored and won the game.
Two seasons ago in men's basketball, the Aztecs were in position to tie or beat BYU in Provo at the buzzer when F Kyle Spain was physically assaulted under the basket, and there was no call, and the Cougars held on to win.
There are bad calls, like the Missouri game in football this year, but that was a judgment call that can be difficult for officials at the heat of the moment. I can live with those. Plus, it never should have happened after the coaches lost track of a freshman TE who should not have been on the field, costing the Aztecs a chance to maintain possession and run the clock out.
Then there are inexcusable calls, like in Saturday's BYU game and the other two described above.
Those other two ended up not costing San Diego State a bowl game or NCAA berth, but this year's call might be expensive.
Can you imagine if that call costs SDSU a bowl bid? Let's take it a step further and say that, with BYU struggling, the call costs the entire conference a bowl bid? Don't laugh, because right now the MWC has only three teams on track for a bowl berth and the Aztecs, who would have made it four with a win, are now questionable. The conference is guaranteed FIVE (5) bowl games.
Still, the Aztecs need only win three more games, and they have yet to play conference bottom-feeders New Mexico, Colorado State and UNLV -- the latter two at home. They match up well, also, with 23rd ranked Air Force and Wyoming. So they should get to 6-6, with a shot at 8-4. Still, this is a program that is early in the building stages and nowhere near "there," as was obvious through a lot of the game at BYU. Here's to hoping that the ludicrous video review doesn't send them into a tailspin.
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San Diego State Athletic Director Jim Sterk is new to the program and doesn't really understand the past history of the officiating injustices heaped upon his school.
If it was me -- since I do have the background -- I'm on the telephone with MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson this morning and telling him in no uncertain terms that the conference needs to be accountable for its officiating. I would demand that the league take immediate and tangible actions, such as:
1. Removing the replay officials from the BYU booth and replacing them with someone else.
2. The league should notify via official press release to all key media personnel, such as ESPN, major newspapers, key college football Web writers like Dennis Dodds of CBSSports.com, that its mistake is the only thing between SDSU and a 4-1 record, and the Missouri non-call possibly is all that keeps them from being 5-0. Even with those injustices, the Aztecs are six points from being undefeated.
3. If the Cougars do get hot and end up bowl eligible along with the Aztecs, SDSU is to be given priority over which bowl to attend (which may or may not matter), as long as the difference in their records is one game or less.
4. If the Aztecs fall short of bowl eligibility by one game, the MWC should pay SDSU the equivalent amount of the bowl payout.
Sterk's next call goes to the legal arm of the Cal State University system, because the program stands to be injured by the MWC not standing by its contractual obligation of fair officiating. Finally, he needs to get a committee together to study following BYU into independence. On the final two points, if nothing else, Thompson needs to know SDSU is serious this time.
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A history lesson, Chargers fans. In all four seasons under coach Norv Turner, the Bolts have been 2-3 after five games every year. Each time, they have recovered to make the playoffs, sometimes in sparkling fashion. That has given the fans some comfort, with the knowledge that the team is on a familiar path.
I'm here to destroy your comfort.
What has been mystifying about the three losses this season is they have all come against teams that no one has any respect for. Kansas City, Seattle and Oakland are 3-2, 2-2 and 2-3, respectively. It would be a real shock if any of those teams finish the season over .500.
If you're thinking history is just repeating itself in 2010, you got another thing coming. Last year, the three early losses were 31-26 to Baltimore, 38-28 at Pittsburgh and 34-23 at Denver. Those teams finished with records of 9-7, 9-7 and 8-8. Not the greatest of football teams, but they didn't suck.
It gets worse. In 2008, the setbacks were 26-24 to Carolina, 39-38 in the Ed Hochuli game in Denver and 17-10 at Miami. Those teams finished 12-4, 8-8 and 11-5
In 2007, the three early failures were 38-14 to regular-season undefeated New England, 31-24 to Green Bay and 30-16 to Kansas City. The Packers were 13-3, the Chiefs 4-12.
The conclusion, then, is that in 2010, the Chargers have lost to three bad teams, but in similar 2-3 starts in the three prior years, only one of the losses was to a bad team. Therefore, the past not predicting the future really holds true in this case.
The other outstanding common factor is the three losses this season have all come on the road. If the issue is the team's sudden inability to perform while traveling, keep in mind that the season ends with two straight road games -- back-to-back trips to Cincinnati and Denver.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Not to Say I Told You So...
...but the previous couple of posts regarding the Chargers and Aztecs are why you need this blog.
Friday, October 08, 2010
Quick Padres Notes, Chargers at Oakland
Phillies P Roy Halladay deserves all the congratulations for his playoff-opening no-hitter vs. Cincinnati, but you realize, don't you, that could very well have been the Padres on the other side? With his stuff that night, it wouldn't have made much of a difference...Good that the Padres have increased the number of low-priced seats at Petco Park for 2011. It shows the management is not inflexible and is willing to roll with the times, which will have benefits on the baseball side, too. That's a good first step toward increasing attendance next season. The next step, can you please move Petco Park to a more convenient location?...Lord, I'm hoping that the statements attributed to GM Jed Hoyer about bringing back RF Ryan Ludwick, and Ludwick's comments about wanting to return, are all about them making nice. The Padres insistence on putting him in the lineup every night in September might have cost them a playoff berth.
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The feeling of over-confidence among Chargers fans and commentators this week is rivaling Kansas City and Seattle proportions. I know the Bolts have beaten the Raiders 13 times in a row by an average of two touchdowns each, but this is 2010, when San Diego has yet to win on the road. Fortunately, the weather should be good.
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It used to be a big deal when Dayton came to town to play USD in football. Plus, it's homecoming. Instead, nothing. Sure, the Toreros are 1-4 but that owes as much to an over-ambitious schedule as anything. The game is at 2 p.m.
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The feeling of over-confidence among Chargers fans and commentators this week is rivaling Kansas City and Seattle proportions. I know the Bolts have beaten the Raiders 13 times in a row by an average of two touchdowns each, but this is 2010, when San Diego has yet to win on the road. Fortunately, the weather should be good.
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It used to be a big deal when Dayton came to town to play USD in football. Plus, it's homecoming. Instead, nothing. Sure, the Toreros are 1-4 but that owes as much to an over-ambitious schedule as anything. The game is at 2 p.m.
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