Thoughts on various current items:
1. Count me as favorable initially about the Padres hiring of Jed Hoyer as general manager. When Dodgers Asst. GM Kim Ng was named a front-runner, I was worried that we were going to have an activist owner who busied himself too far into baseball matters. Ng is known as a strong administrator more than anything, which is good, but she's been with LA for years and they were nothing on the field until Ned Colletti took over from Paul DePodesta. At least the appearance would have been that she'd simply be an order-taker on baseball matters. I'd like Jeff Moorad to be an activist, certainly, but in the more appropriate areas of ownership. Now comes Hoyer, who appears energetic and well-prepared after spending most of the decade with the Red Sox. He looks like his own man. Now as long as he doesn't view the Padres as contenders like his predecessor, we'll be on the same page.
2. In the first half at Fort Collins last Saturday, it sure looked like Coach Brady Hoke was wrong in his apparent assessment that his Aztecs looked ready to turn the corner and become winners. Then came the second half, which might have been the best single half on the road in conference play since QB Tim Gutierrez led SDSU over Air Force back in the early-90s. Wow. Hoke was right. If he can figure out a way to get his players over the next hump, a New Mexico team used to beating the Aztecs and angry that former coach Rocky Long will be on the opposing sideline, then we might really have something here.
3. I've held back from saying this for a while, but I'm going to tell you why I think fans, who don't really know Norv Turner, don't like him. It's the Norv. People can be extremely shallow at times and the man has an unusual first name. People don't like Norv because he's named Norv and that's about all they know of him. They forget he has a brilliant offensive mind and has accomplished more in San Diego than Marty Schottenheimer ever did, and is arguably doing it with less talent because the offensive and defensive lines suck. Beat the Raiders and the Bolts will have a 4-3 record and we'll see what happens.
4. Former Helix HS QB Alex Smith is the new starter in San Francisco after Shaun Hill was pulled following a horrid first half in Houston. Smith came in and threw three TD passes to nearly pull the 49ers back from a big deficit. He did toss an INT in the closing seconds of a 24-21 loss, but its nice to see him back in the saddle. It will be interesting to see what an older, wiser Smith can do -- assisted by RB Frank Gore's return from an injury.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Aztecs Ready for Next Step
Relatively pleased fans of San Diego State football who left last Saturday's 38-28 loss to BYU must have been awfully confused listening to coach Brady Hoke's comments that he was embarrassed by the performance of his team, which didn't play to win.
That was a bit of a head-scratcher, because the fans witnessed the belated arrival of the passing game and pressed a ranked team nearly all the way to the end. There was enough adversity to send some of Chuck Long's teams into a 50-point tank, yet it didn't happen. That the defense gave up more than 500 yards to the Cougars was as much a testament to how good they are on offense and the fact that QB Max Hall is at least a small part of the discussion about the Heisman Trophy.
If Brady Hoke left Qualcomm Stadium last Saturday embarrassed, he was one of the few. After chewing over his statements for a couple of days, I think I've stumbled on an explanation: he thinks his Aztecs are ready for the next step.
When Hoke arrived last December, he talked about his first priority being instilling physical and mental toughness back into the program. After looking at the first six games, 2-4 record or no, I'd say mission accomplished. The BYU game is a shining example. That huge Cougar RB, Harvey Unga, gained barely 3 yards per carry in something like 26 totes. He's been the type of guy who ran all over the Aztecs in previous seasons. Also, SDSU held in two 4th-and-short situations and I'm not sure anyone has converted such a play against the Aztecs this year in at least four tries (no I don't have time now to check the stats -- feel free).
So while we're celebrating the toughness exhibited by the Aztecs last week, it appears to me that Brady Hoke is moving on to the next step of overall concepts: getting the Aztecs to play winning football. Enough with the close games. Let's win some.
Again, the BYU game is a great example. Hoke talks about arm-tackling and whether the players believe they can tackle good opponents the way they're supposed to. I look at the BYU game and see two plays that made the difference, another horrible interception thrown by QB Ryan Lindley at the goal line that cost them a TD and the defense not being mentally alert in allowing Hall to walk into the end zone after he pretended to spike the ball at the two. That's a 14-point swing right there. Toss in some dropped third-down passes and there you go. The UCLA and Idaho losses also swung on just a couple of key plays. Eliminate those and you're playing winning football.
Hoke must think the Aztecs are getting close. We'll see.
The transition to this new stage of development comes at a good time. SDSU travels to Colorado State Saturday, and the Rams have lost four straight games. Then 0-6 New Mexico comes to town. Win those two and the Aztecs are 4-4 and who knows.
It will be tougher than it sounds. The Aztecs haven't won on the road since 2007 and the Rams have beaten Colorado of the Big 12, have an experienced offensive line and a wide receiver with the ability to destroy a weak SDSU secondary. New Mexico will be a blood bath perfectly suited for Halloween as both teams get hyped over the presence of Aztecs defensive coordinator Rocky Long, the former Lobos head coach. If they still hold bowl hopes, they better win the two games because TCU is up next and Utah isn't too far down the road.
Hoke might think the Aztecs are ready for the next step. The only question is when the team is able to take it.
That was a bit of a head-scratcher, because the fans witnessed the belated arrival of the passing game and pressed a ranked team nearly all the way to the end. There was enough adversity to send some of Chuck Long's teams into a 50-point tank, yet it didn't happen. That the defense gave up more than 500 yards to the Cougars was as much a testament to how good they are on offense and the fact that QB Max Hall is at least a small part of the discussion about the Heisman Trophy.
If Brady Hoke left Qualcomm Stadium last Saturday embarrassed, he was one of the few. After chewing over his statements for a couple of days, I think I've stumbled on an explanation: he thinks his Aztecs are ready for the next step.
When Hoke arrived last December, he talked about his first priority being instilling physical and mental toughness back into the program. After looking at the first six games, 2-4 record or no, I'd say mission accomplished. The BYU game is a shining example. That huge Cougar RB, Harvey Unga, gained barely 3 yards per carry in something like 26 totes. He's been the type of guy who ran all over the Aztecs in previous seasons. Also, SDSU held in two 4th-and-short situations and I'm not sure anyone has converted such a play against the Aztecs this year in at least four tries (no I don't have time now to check the stats -- feel free).
So while we're celebrating the toughness exhibited by the Aztecs last week, it appears to me that Brady Hoke is moving on to the next step of overall concepts: getting the Aztecs to play winning football. Enough with the close games. Let's win some.
Again, the BYU game is a great example. Hoke talks about arm-tackling and whether the players believe they can tackle good opponents the way they're supposed to. I look at the BYU game and see two plays that made the difference, another horrible interception thrown by QB Ryan Lindley at the goal line that cost them a TD and the defense not being mentally alert in allowing Hall to walk into the end zone after he pretended to spike the ball at the two. That's a 14-point swing right there. Toss in some dropped third-down passes and there you go. The UCLA and Idaho losses also swung on just a couple of key plays. Eliminate those and you're playing winning football.
Hoke must think the Aztecs are getting close. We'll see.
The transition to this new stage of development comes at a good time. SDSU travels to Colorado State Saturday, and the Rams have lost four straight games. Then 0-6 New Mexico comes to town. Win those two and the Aztecs are 4-4 and who knows.
It will be tougher than it sounds. The Aztecs haven't won on the road since 2007 and the Rams have beaten Colorado of the Big 12, have an experienced offensive line and a wide receiver with the ability to destroy a weak SDSU secondary. New Mexico will be a blood bath perfectly suited for Halloween as both teams get hyped over the presence of Aztecs defensive coordinator Rocky Long, the former Lobos head coach. If they still hold bowl hopes, they better win the two games because TCU is up next and Utah isn't too far down the road.
Hoke might think the Aztecs are ready for the next step. The only question is when the team is able to take it.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Charger Fans Wrath Needs to Aim Higher
Aim the wrath higher. Not Norv. AJ. Or, higher still, Dean.
Listening to the radio a day after the Chargers latest debacle, this one a 34-23 Monday Night Football home loss to the undefeated Broncos, makes it seem like 80 percent of fans believe the Bolts are in deep doo-doo, and the other 20 see a team with only three losses so why not go out and win the other 10 games. Of that pessimistic four-fifths, perhaps 90 percent want head coach Norv Turner to be fired.
That just shows a misunderstanding of how the Chargers leadership functions. After Turner's predecessor, Marty Schottenheimer, was fired, the brass hired Turner to be part of a more cohesive, integrated decision-making team. You remember that press conference. There would be no more separation between what the front office wanted and what the coaching staff desired.
The skeptical saw it as Turner being hired to be General Manager AJ Smith's lap dog, a coach with a losing career record who would wag without question as his boss' yes-man.
No matter which situation is true, Turner does not have quite the same portfolio as a typical NFL head coach, who wields the true power in most franchises. So if we want to start throwing blame around, we have to move up the ladder, to Smith or to Dean Spanos, the team president.
I assign blame to Smith, myself, for ignoring the line of scrimmage. Yeah, you know. It's been my rant for years that he gets his offensive linemen off the scrap heap and expects them to perform as well as the others, and it never works. There's no question now that I've been right about this all along. Smith, remember, nearly let the Chargers' only quality offensive lineman, Kris Dielman, get away as a free agent a couple years ago before cooler heads prevailed. Speaking of blockers, where's Lorenzo Neal? Oh, yeah, not here.
The bottom line is if you get rid of Norv Turner, you're just going to get a replacement who will be a less-than-one-third part of a triumvirate. Much-more-than-one-third Smith will still rule the roost, so who knows if LT will have anyone who can pave a path through a line of scrimmage or if there will be anyone on defense to tie up an opposing lineman.
This is no call to fire Smith or anyone else. It is a desire to put some realism back into the debate, so people can understand the ramifications, or lack thereof, for the moves they advocate.
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If anything, this slow start will hopefully get Smith off his butt to acquire some decent linemen on both sides of the ball via free agency and maybe to draft a trench player before the third round.
By the way, call me a pessimist. Unlike the slow starts of previous years, I don't see much chance to improve during the course of the season. The losses of NT Jamal Williams and C Nick Hardwick are proving to be potentially fatal for playoff hopes.
Listening to the radio a day after the Chargers latest debacle, this one a 34-23 Monday Night Football home loss to the undefeated Broncos, makes it seem like 80 percent of fans believe the Bolts are in deep doo-doo, and the other 20 see a team with only three losses so why not go out and win the other 10 games. Of that pessimistic four-fifths, perhaps 90 percent want head coach Norv Turner to be fired.
That just shows a misunderstanding of how the Chargers leadership functions. After Turner's predecessor, Marty Schottenheimer, was fired, the brass hired Turner to be part of a more cohesive, integrated decision-making team. You remember that press conference. There would be no more separation between what the front office wanted and what the coaching staff desired.
The skeptical saw it as Turner being hired to be General Manager AJ Smith's lap dog, a coach with a losing career record who would wag without question as his boss' yes-man.
No matter which situation is true, Turner does not have quite the same portfolio as a typical NFL head coach, who wields the true power in most franchises. So if we want to start throwing blame around, we have to move up the ladder, to Smith or to Dean Spanos, the team president.
I assign blame to Smith, myself, for ignoring the line of scrimmage. Yeah, you know. It's been my rant for years that he gets his offensive linemen off the scrap heap and expects them to perform as well as the others, and it never works. There's no question now that I've been right about this all along. Smith, remember, nearly let the Chargers' only quality offensive lineman, Kris Dielman, get away as a free agent a couple years ago before cooler heads prevailed. Speaking of blockers, where's Lorenzo Neal? Oh, yeah, not here.
The bottom line is if you get rid of Norv Turner, you're just going to get a replacement who will be a less-than-one-third part of a triumvirate. Much-more-than-one-third Smith will still rule the roost, so who knows if LT will have anyone who can pave a path through a line of scrimmage or if there will be anyone on defense to tie up an opposing lineman.
This is no call to fire Smith or anyone else. It is a desire to put some realism back into the debate, so people can understand the ramifications, or lack thereof, for the moves they advocate.
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If anything, this slow start will hopefully get Smith off his butt to acquire some decent linemen on both sides of the ball via free agency and maybe to draft a trench player before the third round.
By the way, call me a pessimist. Unlike the slow starts of previous years, I don't see much chance to improve during the course of the season. The losses of NT Jamal Williams and C Nick Hardwick are proving to be potentially fatal for playoff hopes.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Harbaugh Makes Good, Chargers
My experience with Jim Harbaugh is a somewhat humorous warning about how to handle professional relationships, because you never know how the future will unfold.
Harbaugh was named head coach of the USD football team after the 2003 rather shameful firing of predecessor Kevin McGarry -- the way they did it, though they were well within their rights to do it -- and the school held a lavish news conference to announce the appointment. The hiring brought immediate excitement and attention to a school with a non-scholarship program, so there were far more media in attendance than USD football normally attracted.
At the time, I was well into my fourth year of operating Sandiegosportstown.com and one of the niches I had developed was thorough coverage of Toreros sports.
Therefore, I waited until the end of the news conference and past the informal part where television news crews did their one-on-ones, then I stepped forward and introduced myself. I told him who I was, about my Web site and then injected a slight dose of reality: when all the excitement died down, I'd be practically the only media person he'd be dealing with on a regular basis. It would be me and a freelance writer who sent game stories to the San Diego Union-Tribune. I was the man as far as he would be concerned -- or so I thought.
I got my own reality check in early 2004 as my personal and professional responsibilities continued to grow in relationship to the financial status of the Web site and I realized unless things changed soon, I was going to have to make some hard decisions. USD held spring practice several months later and I, the man as far as Harbaugh was concerned, made it out their ONCE to interview Harbaugh. I was never one to make a big deal out of spring football practice, but I would have tried to get out there more than ONCE to both USD and San Diego State.
As spring wound down, a particular measure I used to decide whether to continue Sandiegosportstown.com failed miserably and I decided to close up shop. Harbaugh never saw me again, and I never saw him. I was the man alright. Yup. That'll teach you to open your mouth wide.
Harbaugh, of course, went on to fabulous success with USD, fueled mostly by bringing in Josh Johnson to play quarterback. I went on to spend more time doing what was actually putting food in my children's mouths, which was covering the local courts. Harbaugh's DUI fell into my bailiwick, and I wrote a couple stories about the case. As a misdemeanor, he was never required to actually appear in court and he didn't. I still never saw him. Amazing.
Jim Harbaugh is now, as you no doubt know, the third-year head coach at Stanford and this time has hitched his horse to running back Toby Gerhart, who has received some Heisman talk. He has improved the Cardinal each season, has brought in a terrific freshman QB in Andrew Luck and a solid offensive line. Stanford is now 4-2 and has a strong shot at its first bowl since 2001. He is also lining up a second-straight highly regarded recruiting class. The man can coach, no doubt about it. I'd have enjoyed actually spending some time with him.
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This blog remains an island of tranquility in the sea of despair over the Chargers bad loss at Pittsburgh a week ago. No doubt that the Broncos 5-0 start, including Sunday's overtime win against New England, has thrown a monkey wrench into preseason prognostications, but Denver has a tougher row to hoe over the next few weeks. We'll know by the end of the month whether we need to panic.
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Scripps Ranch's Tate Forcier came out of Michigan's loss at Iowa not because of ineffective play but because of a concussion. The freshman quarterback had his first dose of reality last Saturday, but there's no question that he's had a great start to his college career. Coach Rich Rodriguez said Forcier will play this week if healthy, but since the opponent is only Delaware State (the Big Ten sucks, by the way), here's to hoping he gets a couple weeks off to recover. It's bigger than football, ya' know?
Harbaugh was named head coach of the USD football team after the 2003 rather shameful firing of predecessor Kevin McGarry -- the way they did it, though they were well within their rights to do it -- and the school held a lavish news conference to announce the appointment. The hiring brought immediate excitement and attention to a school with a non-scholarship program, so there were far more media in attendance than USD football normally attracted.
At the time, I was well into my fourth year of operating Sandiegosportstown.com and one of the niches I had developed was thorough coverage of Toreros sports.
Therefore, I waited until the end of the news conference and past the informal part where television news crews did their one-on-ones, then I stepped forward and introduced myself. I told him who I was, about my Web site and then injected a slight dose of reality: when all the excitement died down, I'd be practically the only media person he'd be dealing with on a regular basis. It would be me and a freelance writer who sent game stories to the San Diego Union-Tribune. I was the man as far as he would be concerned -- or so I thought.
I got my own reality check in early 2004 as my personal and professional responsibilities continued to grow in relationship to the financial status of the Web site and I realized unless things changed soon, I was going to have to make some hard decisions. USD held spring practice several months later and I, the man as far as Harbaugh was concerned, made it out their ONCE to interview Harbaugh. I was never one to make a big deal out of spring football practice, but I would have tried to get out there more than ONCE to both USD and San Diego State.
As spring wound down, a particular measure I used to decide whether to continue Sandiegosportstown.com failed miserably and I decided to close up shop. Harbaugh never saw me again, and I never saw him. I was the man alright. Yup. That'll teach you to open your mouth wide.
Harbaugh, of course, went on to fabulous success with USD, fueled mostly by bringing in Josh Johnson to play quarterback. I went on to spend more time doing what was actually putting food in my children's mouths, which was covering the local courts. Harbaugh's DUI fell into my bailiwick, and I wrote a couple stories about the case. As a misdemeanor, he was never required to actually appear in court and he didn't. I still never saw him. Amazing.
Jim Harbaugh is now, as you no doubt know, the third-year head coach at Stanford and this time has hitched his horse to running back Toby Gerhart, who has received some Heisman talk. He has improved the Cardinal each season, has brought in a terrific freshman QB in Andrew Luck and a solid offensive line. Stanford is now 4-2 and has a strong shot at its first bowl since 2001. He is also lining up a second-straight highly regarded recruiting class. The man can coach, no doubt about it. I'd have enjoyed actually spending some time with him.
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This blog remains an island of tranquility in the sea of despair over the Chargers bad loss at Pittsburgh a week ago. No doubt that the Broncos 5-0 start, including Sunday's overtime win against New England, has thrown a monkey wrench into preseason prognostications, but Denver has a tougher row to hoe over the next few weeks. We'll know by the end of the month whether we need to panic.
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Scripps Ranch's Tate Forcier came out of Michigan's loss at Iowa not because of ineffective play but because of a concussion. The freshman quarterback had his first dose of reality last Saturday, but there's no question that he's had a great start to his college career. Coach Rich Rodriguez said Forcier will play this week if healthy, but since the opponent is only Delaware State (the Big Ten sucks, by the way), here's to hoping he gets a couple weeks off to recover. It's bigger than football, ya' know?
Monday, October 05, 2009
Chargers Remain on Track
I don't have too much to say about the Chargers 38-28 loss at Pittsburgh Sunday night, partly because "I told you so" is a little gauche. However, the 2-2 record is exactly what I expected heading into the well-timed bye week, with the Bolts having beaten and lost in the games I figured would go those directions.
When you recall that I predicted 10-6 and a playoff berth, that means things are still okay in Chargerland, but of course could be much better.
In losing to the Ravens and Steelers, they fell to two of the best teams in the NFL. Forget Pittsburgh's 1-2 start, it's hard to keep the edge coming off a Super Bowl year. The talent remains on board.
So, no big worries, other than what we already knew: the offensive and defensive lines are sub-standard and that was before the middle of each unit, Nick Hardwick and Jamal Williams, went down. That exacerbates the imperfections elsewhere, like LT's injury and inconsistent play by the back seven on defense.
Put all that together and the Bolts, thanks to Philip Rivers and Darren Sproles and Quentin Jammer and others are still good enough to beat most teams in the NFL and they will. They will split with Denver, sweep Oakland and Kansas City and go to the playoffs before exiting early (I'll come clean. I thought they'd split with KC and sweep Oakland and Denver, but that was before the games were played and we see which way those opponents are headed).
The national media likes to talk about this season being the Chargers last chance to make the Super Bowl. It might be the last shot for Williams, but the rest of the team will be together for years to come. My belief is that Super Bowl hopes were unrealistic because of the lack of quality at the line of scrimmage. AJ Smith will finally have to pay attention to the trenches for the real opportunity to arrive.
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Since the Dodgers are the team to beat in the NL West after two straight titles (gag me), let's compare the Padres to them position by position. My preferences are in bold.
1B: Adrian Gonzalez vs James Loney.
No contest.
2B: David Eckstein vs Orlando Hudson.
Close call, but Hudson's better numbers make a difference over a whole season.
SS: Everth Cabrera vs Rafael Furcal.
Furcal today, but no question Cabrera is the choice of tomorrow.
3B: Kevin Kouzmanoff or Chase Headley vs Casey Blake
Blake gets the nod for consistency this season, but Kouz gets Gold Glove if he's not playing in baseball purgatory.
LF: Kyle Blanks or Headley vs Manny Ramirez
I think Blanks will be a fine player some day. Really.
CF: Tony Gwynn vs Matt Kemp or Juan Pierre
Assuming Blanks blossoms in first full season, this is widest gap between clubs.
RF: Will Venable vs Andre Ethier
I think Venable has potential, Ethier deserves some MVP votes.
C: Nick Hundley vs Russell Martin
No one sees Hundley being more than serviceable, Martin is an annual All-Star.
Just among the eight positions in the field, the Padres take only two spots and in some areas, especially the outfield, the gaps are extreme.
I don't see the Dodgers as having a great starting pitching rotation, but the Padres have problems after Mat Latos, who is again just a kid full of potential. Who knows if battered Chris Young will ever amount to anything again? As nice as it was to watch Kevin Correia this season, he was only passable at 12-11, 3.91. Clayton Richard had a nice won-loss record but his ERA was 4 and a half and he walked too many people. Will we see Wade LeBlanc of September or the skittish pitcher of earlier in the season? In other words, the Dodgers at least know who they're sending out to the mound every day and more or less what they'll get. I also think LA has a better bullpen.
Again, I'm high on the kids and think the building blocks are in place. But there's a long way to go before anyone still employed at Petco Park speaks of contending.
When you recall that I predicted 10-6 and a playoff berth, that means things are still okay in Chargerland, but of course could be much better.
In losing to the Ravens and Steelers, they fell to two of the best teams in the NFL. Forget Pittsburgh's 1-2 start, it's hard to keep the edge coming off a Super Bowl year. The talent remains on board.
So, no big worries, other than what we already knew: the offensive and defensive lines are sub-standard and that was before the middle of each unit, Nick Hardwick and Jamal Williams, went down. That exacerbates the imperfections elsewhere, like LT's injury and inconsistent play by the back seven on defense.
Put all that together and the Bolts, thanks to Philip Rivers and Darren Sproles and Quentin Jammer and others are still good enough to beat most teams in the NFL and they will. They will split with Denver, sweep Oakland and Kansas City and go to the playoffs before exiting early (I'll come clean. I thought they'd split with KC and sweep Oakland and Denver, but that was before the games were played and we see which way those opponents are headed).
The national media likes to talk about this season being the Chargers last chance to make the Super Bowl. It might be the last shot for Williams, but the rest of the team will be together for years to come. My belief is that Super Bowl hopes were unrealistic because of the lack of quality at the line of scrimmage. AJ Smith will finally have to pay attention to the trenches for the real opportunity to arrive.
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Since the Dodgers are the team to beat in the NL West after two straight titles (gag me), let's compare the Padres to them position by position. My preferences are in bold.
1B: Adrian Gonzalez vs James Loney.
No contest.
2B: David Eckstein vs Orlando Hudson.
Close call, but Hudson's better numbers make a difference over a whole season.
SS: Everth Cabrera vs Rafael Furcal.
Furcal today, but no question Cabrera is the choice of tomorrow.
3B: Kevin Kouzmanoff or Chase Headley vs Casey Blake
Blake gets the nod for consistency this season, but Kouz gets Gold Glove if he's not playing in baseball purgatory.
LF: Kyle Blanks or Headley vs Manny Ramirez
I think Blanks will be a fine player some day. Really.
CF: Tony Gwynn vs Matt Kemp or Juan Pierre
Assuming Blanks blossoms in first full season, this is widest gap between clubs.
RF: Will Venable vs Andre Ethier
I think Venable has potential, Ethier deserves some MVP votes.
C: Nick Hundley vs Russell Martin
No one sees Hundley being more than serviceable, Martin is an annual All-Star.
Just among the eight positions in the field, the Padres take only two spots and in some areas, especially the outfield, the gaps are extreme.
I don't see the Dodgers as having a great starting pitching rotation, but the Padres have problems after Mat Latos, who is again just a kid full of potential. Who knows if battered Chris Young will ever amount to anything again? As nice as it was to watch Kevin Correia this season, he was only passable at 12-11, 3.91. Clayton Richard had a nice won-loss record but his ERA was 4 and a half and he walked too many people. Will we see Wade LeBlanc of September or the skittish pitcher of earlier in the season? In other words, the Dodgers at least know who they're sending out to the mound every day and more or less what they'll get. I also think LA has a better bullpen.
Again, I'm high on the kids and think the building blocks are in place. But there's a long way to go before anyone still employed at Petco Park speaks of contending.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Padres Fire Towers
Kevin Towers outlasted that "new sheriff in town," Kevin Malone, by quite a few years, so that makes him alright in my book.
With Towers being let go by the new Padres ownership regime of Jeff Moorad, there will be a lot of post-mortems on his tenure, in which he outlasted not just the way-too-outspoken Malone of the Dodgers but every other GM and became the longest lasting in his position in franchise history.
I've always thought Towers was a mixed bag. For some reason, fans and talking heads take a straight love him or hate him approach, but that's never been my take. This is a guy who wrested Adrian Gonzalez and Chris Young from Texas for peanuts and picked up Phil Nevin from the Angels for a song, but also the one who sent away a popular legitimate starting pitcher for a washed up outfielder, and who sent away promising young sluggers Jason Bay and Xavier Nady. He had a great eye for pitching talent but not so much for position players. He also had to be saved from himself a couple of times -- some of his best trades were the ones he was unable to make.
I am also on record as being strongly opposed to this year's Jake Peavy deal and I think nearly a half-season of watching the average hurlers gained in return are bearing out my view, but I do not blame Towers for that one.
That, in fact, is another side of the story. I don't think Towers has had real GM-type power in the Padres front office for years now, dating back to when Sandy Alderson came to town. Moorad and Tom Garfinkel have all the power with the Padres now. I'm not suggesting the position be similar in scope to that of AJ Smith, who wields enormous clout with the Chargers, but he ultimately has to be able to make his own decisions, and I don't think he was able to the past few seasons. That being the case, its best the new ownership picks their own guy and gives him a portfolio, however large or small.
Towers will land on his own two feet, that's for sure. I have a sneaking suspicion that he won't immediately take a new GM job because he is perfect for another role in 2010. He's a glib, quotable man not afraid to share his opinion. I think he would be a great television studio commentator. You read it here first.
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Based on the location of my current digs, it was very cool to go to Petco Park Friday night and see two former Grossmont High School hurlers: the Padres' Kevin Correia and the Giants' Barry Zito -- who later transferred to the old Uni -- do battle on the mound.
The results are why I don't buy Towers assessment that the Padres in their current form are ready to be a contender. The Friars lineup made Zito look like Steve Carlton. I know that they didn't have mainstays Kevin Kouzmanoff and Kyle Blanks, but come on. Just a single in several situations might have done the trick. The lineup has too many guys around .260 with just a few home runs to be anywhere near imposing next year.
Meanwhile, Correia was nearly flawless the first time through the order but thereafter fooled no one. Even the outs were rockets. He's had a fine season but is currently the best bet for opening day starter in 2010. That will lead a rickety rotation that will scare no one.
Again, the building blocks are in place now, but more construction is needed during the off-season if the Padres hope to compete for a division title.
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Night update: SDSU very unimpressive in 34-17 win over New Mexico State Saturday night. It was tied at 17 early in the fourth quarter before the home team pulled away.
At one point in the second half, Ryan Lindley was 6-22 passing and, unlike last week when the turnovers were generally not his fault, he was missing receivers left and right against the Aggies. I now believe head coach Brady Hoke is jeopardizing his team by not giving Drew Westling -- who drove the Aztecs to a TD in his only possession of the season -- more opportunities. I'm not too down on Lindley, a sophomore with a bad offensive line, mediocre receivers and a new offensive system, but there's a point where reality hits, and that was tonight. Besides, I'm a two-QB proponent. I think even though Lindley is ultimately your guy, you have to keep the backup in game shape.
They might have found a running back in Walter Kazee, a whirling dervish unafraid to stick the ball up the middle.
With Towers being let go by the new Padres ownership regime of Jeff Moorad, there will be a lot of post-mortems on his tenure, in which he outlasted not just the way-too-outspoken Malone of the Dodgers but every other GM and became the longest lasting in his position in franchise history.
I've always thought Towers was a mixed bag. For some reason, fans and talking heads take a straight love him or hate him approach, but that's never been my take. This is a guy who wrested Adrian Gonzalez and Chris Young from Texas for peanuts and picked up Phil Nevin from the Angels for a song, but also the one who sent away a popular legitimate starting pitcher for a washed up outfielder, and who sent away promising young sluggers Jason Bay and Xavier Nady. He had a great eye for pitching talent but not so much for position players. He also had to be saved from himself a couple of times -- some of his best trades were the ones he was unable to make.
I am also on record as being strongly opposed to this year's Jake Peavy deal and I think nearly a half-season of watching the average hurlers gained in return are bearing out my view, but I do not blame Towers for that one.
That, in fact, is another side of the story. I don't think Towers has had real GM-type power in the Padres front office for years now, dating back to when Sandy Alderson came to town. Moorad and Tom Garfinkel have all the power with the Padres now. I'm not suggesting the position be similar in scope to that of AJ Smith, who wields enormous clout with the Chargers, but he ultimately has to be able to make his own decisions, and I don't think he was able to the past few seasons. That being the case, its best the new ownership picks their own guy and gives him a portfolio, however large or small.
Towers will land on his own two feet, that's for sure. I have a sneaking suspicion that he won't immediately take a new GM job because he is perfect for another role in 2010. He's a glib, quotable man not afraid to share his opinion. I think he would be a great television studio commentator. You read it here first.
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Based on the location of my current digs, it was very cool to go to Petco Park Friday night and see two former Grossmont High School hurlers: the Padres' Kevin Correia and the Giants' Barry Zito -- who later transferred to the old Uni -- do battle on the mound.
The results are why I don't buy Towers assessment that the Padres in their current form are ready to be a contender. The Friars lineup made Zito look like Steve Carlton. I know that they didn't have mainstays Kevin Kouzmanoff and Kyle Blanks, but come on. Just a single in several situations might have done the trick. The lineup has too many guys around .260 with just a few home runs to be anywhere near imposing next year.
Meanwhile, Correia was nearly flawless the first time through the order but thereafter fooled no one. Even the outs were rockets. He's had a fine season but is currently the best bet for opening day starter in 2010. That will lead a rickety rotation that will scare no one.
Again, the building blocks are in place now, but more construction is needed during the off-season if the Padres hope to compete for a division title.
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Night update: SDSU very unimpressive in 34-17 win over New Mexico State Saturday night. It was tied at 17 early in the fourth quarter before the home team pulled away.
At one point in the second half, Ryan Lindley was 6-22 passing and, unlike last week when the turnovers were generally not his fault, he was missing receivers left and right against the Aggies. I now believe head coach Brady Hoke is jeopardizing his team by not giving Drew Westling -- who drove the Aztecs to a TD in his only possession of the season -- more opportunities. I'm not too down on Lindley, a sophomore with a bad offensive line, mediocre receivers and a new offensive system, but there's a point where reality hits, and that was tonight. Besides, I'm a two-QB proponent. I think even though Lindley is ultimately your guy, you have to keep the backup in game shape.
They might have found a running back in Walter Kazee, a whirling dervish unafraid to stick the ball up the middle.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Air Force, New Mexico Mark SDSU Football
I have two markers for judging the status of SDSU football during a given season.
Air Force, which downed the Aztecs 26-14 today, is one -- the good one. If San Diego State's football program is in good shape, the Falcons can be beat. SDSU doesn't beat AFA too often, which is a sign that the program hasn't had many great seasons. Even in some of the good ones, Air Force came out on top. At this point, becoming as consistently good as BYU, with its built-in advantages of having its own football-crazy population to recruit from, and two-year missions that give the Cougars an unfair advantage in maturity, is just not attainable at this point (and the rule that allows the missions needs to be dropped).
The other marker, the bad one, is New Mexico. The Lobos until the late-1990s defined bad in old WAC. Then Dennis Franchione and Brian Urlacher and Rocky Long showed up, and the Lobos have since been a picture of mediocrity that's bested SDSU for something like six or seven seasons running. When I was in school, and in many years after, if you'd told me UNM would dominate the Aztecs in football, I'd have laughed in your face. But SDSU has been this bad.
There is no surprise the Falcons won today. Their position is what the Aztecs aspire to. Get there, maybe in another couple years, and then the big boys are in their sights. First, they have to figure out how to beat New Mexico, which returns to Qualcomm Stadium on Halloween. That will be a sign that the first step has been taken on a very long climb up the ladder.
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The score was deceptive. It should have been much worse. SDSU was pressured by a decent Air Force defense into six turnovers, thanks in large part to an offensive line that continues to perform poorly. QB Ryan Lindley continues to be affected by the troubles up front, and there was no running game again.
The defense made sure the end zone remained free of Falcons, an amazing performance based on results the past two seasons in which they ran over and around SDSU. A closer look, though, shows that Air Force coach Troy Calhoun ran a very limited offensive scheme because he was playing a backup quarterback in place of his injured starter. SDSU's defense is now capable of slowing repeated fullback dives when they know its coming.
It's going to take years of coaching the current players up, and recruiting, for San Diego State to approach that Air Force marker.
Air Force, which downed the Aztecs 26-14 today, is one -- the good one. If San Diego State's football program is in good shape, the Falcons can be beat. SDSU doesn't beat AFA too often, which is a sign that the program hasn't had many great seasons. Even in some of the good ones, Air Force came out on top. At this point, becoming as consistently good as BYU, with its built-in advantages of having its own football-crazy population to recruit from, and two-year missions that give the Cougars an unfair advantage in maturity, is just not attainable at this point (and the rule that allows the missions needs to be dropped).
The other marker, the bad one, is New Mexico. The Lobos until the late-1990s defined bad in old WAC. Then Dennis Franchione and Brian Urlacher and Rocky Long showed up, and the Lobos have since been a picture of mediocrity that's bested SDSU for something like six or seven seasons running. When I was in school, and in many years after, if you'd told me UNM would dominate the Aztecs in football, I'd have laughed in your face. But SDSU has been this bad.
There is no surprise the Falcons won today. Their position is what the Aztecs aspire to. Get there, maybe in another couple years, and then the big boys are in their sights. First, they have to figure out how to beat New Mexico, which returns to Qualcomm Stadium on Halloween. That will be a sign that the first step has been taken on a very long climb up the ladder.
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The score was deceptive. It should have been much worse. SDSU was pressured by a decent Air Force defense into six turnovers, thanks in large part to an offensive line that continues to perform poorly. QB Ryan Lindley continues to be affected by the troubles up front, and there was no running game again.
The defense made sure the end zone remained free of Falcons, an amazing performance based on results the past two seasons in which they ran over and around SDSU. A closer look, though, shows that Air Force coach Troy Calhoun ran a very limited offensive scheme because he was playing a backup quarterback in place of his injured starter. SDSU's defense is now capable of slowing repeated fullback dives when they know its coming.
It's going to take years of coaching the current players up, and recruiting, for San Diego State to approach that Air Force marker.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Padres Not Contenders Yet
Since the beginning of August, the best baseball team in the NL West has not been the presumptive titlist Dodgers or the likely wildcard Rockies, but the San Diego Padres. The now sustained success of nearly two months resulted in a Union-Tribune article in which General Manager Kevin Towers says his ballclub is ready to contend in 2010.
Puh and leeze. Give me a break.
There has certainly been turnover since an extremely poor first three months of this season left the Friars buried behind everyone but Arizona. A bunch of new players have been called up and have played well in their first few months in the big leagues. If it remains intact, the infield absolutely has the defense of a contender, with strong Gold Glove candidates at all four positions.
Two questions remain to be answered before the young Padres can be anointed division contenders:
1. How will the young players perform in their sophomore seasons? For whatever reason, the jinx is real. There's tremendous pressure to "do it again," and opponents will be spending many hours examining tape to find holes in the swings of Will Venable and Kyle Blanks. They will be found. How long will it take them to adjust? The five months it took Chase Headley, which will leave them out of contention again? Or sooner, which might put the Padres over .500?
2. How will the young players perform when the games are for real? The Padres have had no pressure on them whatsoever since the All-Star Break. They could try out whichever players they wanted. The kids were in a position where failure was accepted as part of a learning process, and in such a relaxed atmosphere were able to learn and flourish. The opponents seemed to overlook them because of their poor won-loss mark. In April 2010, when every team's record is 0-0, how will they do?
Don't get me wrong, the Padres are on the right track. I like a lot of these young players and think they have the building blocks for a solid major league roster. I just think there are too many questions to label them a contender.
Towers doesn't have far to go, in my opinion. The infield is solid, most of the outfield is intriguing. They need one more dependable power bat and a front-line pitcher, either via free agency or a trade. Then I'd say you have a contender. Those are the hardest to acquire, of course, but the Padres have an excess right now at third base and in back-of-the-rotation hurlers and relievers. A package deal could bring a quality player. I don't see them going for a free agent of any stature, but it would be great if they did. Towers' hint in the newspaper article that he might stand pat in the off-season gives me pause.
Puh and leeze. Give me a break.
There has certainly been turnover since an extremely poor first three months of this season left the Friars buried behind everyone but Arizona. A bunch of new players have been called up and have played well in their first few months in the big leagues. If it remains intact, the infield absolutely has the defense of a contender, with strong Gold Glove candidates at all four positions.
Two questions remain to be answered before the young Padres can be anointed division contenders:
1. How will the young players perform in their sophomore seasons? For whatever reason, the jinx is real. There's tremendous pressure to "do it again," and opponents will be spending many hours examining tape to find holes in the swings of Will Venable and Kyle Blanks. They will be found. How long will it take them to adjust? The five months it took Chase Headley, which will leave them out of contention again? Or sooner, which might put the Padres over .500?
2. How will the young players perform when the games are for real? The Padres have had no pressure on them whatsoever since the All-Star Break. They could try out whichever players they wanted. The kids were in a position where failure was accepted as part of a learning process, and in such a relaxed atmosphere were able to learn and flourish. The opponents seemed to overlook them because of their poor won-loss mark. In April 2010, when every team's record is 0-0, how will they do?
Don't get me wrong, the Padres are on the right track. I like a lot of these young players and think they have the building blocks for a solid major league roster. I just think there are too many questions to label them a contender.
Towers doesn't have far to go, in my opinion. The infield is solid, most of the outfield is intriguing. They need one more dependable power bat and a front-line pitcher, either via free agency or a trade. Then I'd say you have a contender. Those are the hardest to acquire, of course, but the Padres have an excess right now at third base and in back-of-the-rotation hurlers and relievers. A package deal could bring a quality player. I don't see them going for a free agent of any stature, but it would be great if they did. Towers' hint in the newspaper article that he might stand pat in the off-season gives me pause.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Chargers Remain on Track
I have to admit that I'm not upset by the Chargers 31-26 defeat at the hands of the Ravens in their 2009 home opener. In predicting a 10-6 season, this game was one that I had in the L column.
A couple thoughts:
1. The Bolts generally played well despite their many injury shortcomings, and kept a game close when it appeared a rout was in the offing.
2. Losing LT for a couple weeks doesn't help matters at all, but Darren Sproles is really fun to watch.
3. So is Rivers.
4. Star players make the big plays that win NFL football games and lead teams to championships. Look at Ray Lewis on the Chargers fourth down play. Giving the ball to Sproles was a legitimate play call, and the Ravens LB busted through and stuffed him. The Chargers are loaded with such players, which is why I'm confident that they will win enough games to make the playoffs despite being short-handed.
History is that the Chargers don't do well when Jamal Williams is not available on the defensive line. I like the young guys they have on the line, though some of the lessons might be hard ones.
A couple thoughts:
1. The Bolts generally played well despite their many injury shortcomings, and kept a game close when it appeared a rout was in the offing.
2. Losing LT for a couple weeks doesn't help matters at all, but Darren Sproles is really fun to watch.
3. So is Rivers.
4. Star players make the big plays that win NFL football games and lead teams to championships. Look at Ray Lewis on the Chargers fourth down play. Giving the ball to Sproles was a legitimate play call, and the Ravens LB busted through and stuffed him. The Chargers are loaded with such players, which is why I'm confident that they will win enough games to make the playoffs despite being short-handed.
History is that the Chargers don't do well when Jamal Williams is not available on the defensive line. I like the young guys they have on the line, though some of the lessons might be hard ones.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Hoke's Rebuilding Task a Big One
Nothing like an old-fashioned beat-down to a lowly team to realize just how big a rebuilding project is ahead of you. San Diego State's 34-20 setback at Idaho, a team the Aztecs crushed a year ago, was unfortunately a display of just how much work first-year coach Brady Hoke has ahead of him -- and us fans.
When I wrote my reaction piece last week after the win over Southern Utah, I was not pleased with how the team looked and hoped that game was an anomaly, that the game effort the previous week at UCLA would be more the rule. No such luck. If anything, the Thunderbirds gave a quality coaching staff at Idaho -- and the coaches of the remaining nine opponents, I fear -- a lesson in how to beat the Aztecs: they can be manhandled at the line of scrimmage and the quarterback will have no problem connecting on short passes. That the Vandals stretched the definition of short passes to longer than 15 yards on too many occasions was very distressing.
When Tom Craft took over at the helm earlier this decade, he went into the Kibbie Dome and lost 38-34, a mistake-prone disaster marked by poor effort and SDSU still had a chance to win. This year, the Vandals throttled SDSU's running game, allowed just one long pass completion, mostly kept their QB upright and were able to move the ball on the ground. Idaho simply beat up the Aztecs physically and there never was a chance to win. As bad as that first loss to Idaho was, this was worse.
Here's a quick rundown of the problems I see:
1. Hoke immediately put the offensive line on a program to lose weight. That they did, but they have not had time to take the next step, which is to build those bodies back up the right way. They couldn't get any push on SUU or Idaho. They might be able to match up with New Mexico State in a couple weeks, but the Aztecs won't average 100 yards rushing in the Mountain West. In fact, if they run for more than 100 yards against more than one MWC opponent, I'll be stunned. This is no indictment of Hoke or the kids. They did what they felt they had to do. It's just that it takes time to tear down and rebuild the bodies of these big guys. Next year will be a different story and kids will have playing experience.
2. QB Ryan Lindley clearly is close enough to WR Vincent Brown to consider marriage, but he and his other receivers are still not on the same page after three outings. It's the first year of coordinator Al Borges' offense, and the growing pains are evident.
3. Just as there are growing pains on offense, the defense is struggling as badly. For a defense built around putting heat on the passer, both QBs the past two weeks have looked far too comfortable. That puts pressure on a young secondary that we knew wouldn't be very good, and isn't.
The news isn't all bad, however. In fact, Idaho can be a bit of a guiding light. The Vandals are in the third year of coach Rob Akey's regime, and you can see a team that is much improved over 2008. They beat NMSU handily in Las Cruces and, by all accounts, played well in Seattle in falling to Washington -- which just beat USC. I don't know how many games they'll win this year, but they're better than they have been.
The Aztecs will be better, too, when the coaching staff gets farther along in building the linemen's bodies, installing their systems and recruiting to their styles of play. It doesn't happen overnight in most circumstances and it won't in this case.
When I wrote my reaction piece last week after the win over Southern Utah, I was not pleased with how the team looked and hoped that game was an anomaly, that the game effort the previous week at UCLA would be more the rule. No such luck. If anything, the Thunderbirds gave a quality coaching staff at Idaho -- and the coaches of the remaining nine opponents, I fear -- a lesson in how to beat the Aztecs: they can be manhandled at the line of scrimmage and the quarterback will have no problem connecting on short passes. That the Vandals stretched the definition of short passes to longer than 15 yards on too many occasions was very distressing.
When Tom Craft took over at the helm earlier this decade, he went into the Kibbie Dome and lost 38-34, a mistake-prone disaster marked by poor effort and SDSU still had a chance to win. This year, the Vandals throttled SDSU's running game, allowed just one long pass completion, mostly kept their QB upright and were able to move the ball on the ground. Idaho simply beat up the Aztecs physically and there never was a chance to win. As bad as that first loss to Idaho was, this was worse.
Here's a quick rundown of the problems I see:
1. Hoke immediately put the offensive line on a program to lose weight. That they did, but they have not had time to take the next step, which is to build those bodies back up the right way. They couldn't get any push on SUU or Idaho. They might be able to match up with New Mexico State in a couple weeks, but the Aztecs won't average 100 yards rushing in the Mountain West. In fact, if they run for more than 100 yards against more than one MWC opponent, I'll be stunned. This is no indictment of Hoke or the kids. They did what they felt they had to do. It's just that it takes time to tear down and rebuild the bodies of these big guys. Next year will be a different story and kids will have playing experience.
2. QB Ryan Lindley clearly is close enough to WR Vincent Brown to consider marriage, but he and his other receivers are still not on the same page after three outings. It's the first year of coordinator Al Borges' offense, and the growing pains are evident.
3. Just as there are growing pains on offense, the defense is struggling as badly. For a defense built around putting heat on the passer, both QBs the past two weeks have looked far too comfortable. That puts pressure on a young secondary that we knew wouldn't be very good, and isn't.
The news isn't all bad, however. In fact, Idaho can be a bit of a guiding light. The Vandals are in the third year of coach Rob Akey's regime, and you can see a team that is much improved over 2008. They beat NMSU handily in Las Cruces and, by all accounts, played well in Seattle in falling to Washington -- which just beat USC. I don't know how many games they'll win this year, but they're better than they have been.
The Aztecs will be better, too, when the coaching staff gets farther along in building the linemen's bodies, installing their systems and recruiting to their styles of play. It doesn't happen overnight in most circumstances and it won't in this case.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Chargers Quick Reaction
Quick thoughts on the Chargers 24-20 season-opening victory over the Raiders Monday night, before I go off to bed.
1. This is the NFL and if you're considered a good team as the Chargers are, you're going to take an opponent's best shot sometimes. You just have to survive and the Bolts did. Their manhood was tested and they stood up at winning time in the fourth quarter.
2. The Chargers seem to need a few games to get into a rhythm. Partly why I wasn't too perturbed until the third quarter, when the Raiders were clearly manhandling them. I liked that the San Diego team stiffened their backs in response and won with two backup offensive linemen and no LT.
3. Props to Marcus McNeill for playing hurt. Next game, he better play better or the Chargers are going to be on the market for a left tackle. They already better be checking the waiver wire for a right tackle, because Jeromey Clary is no starter on a championship-caliber team.
4. Thank God for JaMarcus Russell. As long as Al Davis is paying him to play QB, the Raiders won't be a threat over the course of a season.
5. Shawne Merriman is at about 80 percent, it looks like.
6. On my recent post I wrote that one of the backup receivers was going to have a breakout season. I wrote Legedu Naanee, right? Right?
7. Next opponent: Baltimore. The Chargers better respond to the manhood test in the first quarter, because if they don't, standing up for themselves in the fourth won't make a difference.
1. This is the NFL and if you're considered a good team as the Chargers are, you're going to take an opponent's best shot sometimes. You just have to survive and the Bolts did. Their manhood was tested and they stood up at winning time in the fourth quarter.
2. The Chargers seem to need a few games to get into a rhythm. Partly why I wasn't too perturbed until the third quarter, when the Raiders were clearly manhandling them. I liked that the San Diego team stiffened their backs in response and won with two backup offensive linemen and no LT.
3. Props to Marcus McNeill for playing hurt. Next game, he better play better or the Chargers are going to be on the market for a left tackle. They already better be checking the waiver wire for a right tackle, because Jeromey Clary is no starter on a championship-caliber team.
4. Thank God for JaMarcus Russell. As long as Al Davis is paying him to play QB, the Raiders won't be a threat over the course of a season.
5. Shawne Merriman is at about 80 percent, it looks like.
6. On my recent post I wrote that one of the backup receivers was going to have a breakout season. I wrote Legedu Naanee, right? Right?
7. Next opponent: Baltimore. The Chargers better respond to the manhood test in the first quarter, because if they don't, standing up for themselves in the fourth won't make a difference.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Aztecs vs Southern Utah Quick Reaction
As expected, a middlin' kind of win, but not one that leaves questions unanswered. Unfortunately, I think answers came in heaps in San Diego State's 35-19 defeat of Southern Utah of the lower-level FCS.
1. The Aztecs can't generate a running game. The blocking is very poor and the running backs wouldn't see the field for a lot of FCS teams. There were a ton of cutback lanes open that Brandon Sullivan and Anthony Miller couldn't make. This team won't average over 100 yards rushing in conference play.
2. The secondary couldn't cover a grandmother with a rocking chair.
3. QB Ryan Lindley and the receivers were back on the same page, which saved the game.
4. You don't want to bore the fans at the Sky Show game and they did.
5. Give the offensive line props for keeping Lindley's uniform clean for the second game in a row.
6. When budgeting your entertainment dollar for the holidays, don't plan on a bowl game. Tonight's performance was one of a four-win team at best. The game at Idaho next week suddenly looks dicey. Save the $$ for basketball.
1. The Aztecs can't generate a running game. The blocking is very poor and the running backs wouldn't see the field for a lot of FCS teams. There were a ton of cutback lanes open that Brandon Sullivan and Anthony Miller couldn't make. This team won't average over 100 yards rushing in conference play.
2. The secondary couldn't cover a grandmother with a rocking chair.
3. QB Ryan Lindley and the receivers were back on the same page, which saved the game.
4. You don't want to bore the fans at the Sky Show game and they did.
5. Give the offensive line props for keeping Lindley's uniform clean for the second game in a row.
6. When budgeting your entertainment dollar for the holidays, don't plan on a bowl game. Tonight's performance was one of a four-win team at best. The game at Idaho next week suddenly looks dicey. Save the $$ for basketball.
Friday, September 11, 2009
The Lines on the Chargers Say 10-6
When the Chargers start this season with a 4-4 record, don't panic. The history of last season says this team knows how to recover from early troubles to trample through the competition when it counts, and it will happen this year, too.
I still hold to my contention that the Bolts are deficient on both lines. I feel better about the health of NT Jamal Williams and DE Luis Castillo, but who knows how long the good fortune will last. I am happy with the development of rookie G Louis Vasquez, but his status as a first-year player means rough times are ahead for him. He's going to make tremendous plays -- like the block in Atlanta -- but will likely be prone to horrendous breakdowns. He's a rookie, 'nuff said. I do prefer him over fading veteran Mike Goff, who was beaten badly in Kansas City during the preseason, and journeyman Kynan Forney, who has no upside. Vasquez might pay off big down the line, which I like.
The good teams on the Chargers schedules will mostly beat them because they will have better lines, simple as that. But that's only six times. The Chargers will still remain potent offensively, even if the least knowledgeable fan in the stadium knows they'll be running left on 3rd and short.
After that 4-4 start, I see them winning three straight before concluding the season 3-2. That gives us 10-6 with an AFC West title by two games minimum, possibly more. They won't be threatened for a playoff berth. The record probably puts them in a game at home with a wildcard team, which they might beat. But they'll go no farther.
That, in this year of people hoping for a Super Bowl, makes me a pessimist. I see it as being a realist.
Players Whose Performances Will Make a Difference, Good or Bad, So Watch Them: LT Marcus McNeill, RT Jeromey Clary, CB Antonio Cromartie, ILB Kevin Burnett.
Breakout Years: FS Eric Weddle, WR Malcolm Floyd -- you read it here first. Chris Chambers will get hurt and Floyd will make some spectacular grabs in his place.
Opponents I Fear: Baltimore, Miami, Pittsburgh, New York Giants, Philadelphia, Dallas, Tennessee. Duh, but I think they beat a couple of these teams.
AFC West: 5-1 with the loss at Kansas City.
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The collapse of the San Diego State football program can be measured against 1-AA, now FCS schools, from the rout of Tony Romo's Eastern Illinois team early this decade to the sputtering and unfulfilling wins over Eastern Washington and Samford to the recent Chuck Long contributions of losses to Cal Poly.
Big schools schedule a division down to get a guaranteed win for bowl qualification purposes, and to decide the game by halftime so players deep down the depth chart can get quality snaps.
Saturday's visit to SDSU by Southern Utah will be an interesting test of where the Aztecs program is right now. The Thunderbirds have a Division 1 transfer at QB, a large and experienced offensive line and an NFL prospect at safety. They have just enough talent to make this thing interesting if the hosts are unprepared or under-talented.
If the game is a rout decided at halftime, then I think you can say that coach Brady Hoke and his great staff are getting things back on track, particularly in light of the many good things that happened at UCLA last week. If SDSU struggles, then you can probably abandon those slim hopes of a minor bowl berth.
Look to see:
1. Whether QB Ryan Lindley and his receivers are back on the same page, particularly when he is pressured.
2. Whether the offensive line can push open some running lanes.
3. Whether the defense can pursue with proper angles in order to tackle ball-carriers quickly and avoid the major gaps in the field that opened in the first half last week.
My bet is it will be a contest for about 20 minutes, then the Aztecs depth of talent will take over for a comfortable victory. But we'll be left with questions about this team's true level -- questions that might be answered the following week with a visit to lowly Idaho in the dangerous Kibbie Dome.
I still hold to my contention that the Bolts are deficient on both lines. I feel better about the health of NT Jamal Williams and DE Luis Castillo, but who knows how long the good fortune will last. I am happy with the development of rookie G Louis Vasquez, but his status as a first-year player means rough times are ahead for him. He's going to make tremendous plays -- like the block in Atlanta -- but will likely be prone to horrendous breakdowns. He's a rookie, 'nuff said. I do prefer him over fading veteran Mike Goff, who was beaten badly in Kansas City during the preseason, and journeyman Kynan Forney, who has no upside. Vasquez might pay off big down the line, which I like.
The good teams on the Chargers schedules will mostly beat them because they will have better lines, simple as that. But that's only six times. The Chargers will still remain potent offensively, even if the least knowledgeable fan in the stadium knows they'll be running left on 3rd and short.
After that 4-4 start, I see them winning three straight before concluding the season 3-2. That gives us 10-6 with an AFC West title by two games minimum, possibly more. They won't be threatened for a playoff berth. The record probably puts them in a game at home with a wildcard team, which they might beat. But they'll go no farther.
That, in this year of people hoping for a Super Bowl, makes me a pessimist. I see it as being a realist.
Players Whose Performances Will Make a Difference, Good or Bad, So Watch Them: LT Marcus McNeill, RT Jeromey Clary, CB Antonio Cromartie, ILB Kevin Burnett.
Breakout Years: FS Eric Weddle, WR Malcolm Floyd -- you read it here first. Chris Chambers will get hurt and Floyd will make some spectacular grabs in his place.
Opponents I Fear: Baltimore, Miami, Pittsburgh, New York Giants, Philadelphia, Dallas, Tennessee. Duh, but I think they beat a couple of these teams.
AFC West: 5-1 with the loss at Kansas City.
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The collapse of the San Diego State football program can be measured against 1-AA, now FCS schools, from the rout of Tony Romo's Eastern Illinois team early this decade to the sputtering and unfulfilling wins over Eastern Washington and Samford to the recent Chuck Long contributions of losses to Cal Poly.
Big schools schedule a division down to get a guaranteed win for bowl qualification purposes, and to decide the game by halftime so players deep down the depth chart can get quality snaps.
Saturday's visit to SDSU by Southern Utah will be an interesting test of where the Aztecs program is right now. The Thunderbirds have a Division 1 transfer at QB, a large and experienced offensive line and an NFL prospect at safety. They have just enough talent to make this thing interesting if the hosts are unprepared or under-talented.
If the game is a rout decided at halftime, then I think you can say that coach Brady Hoke and his great staff are getting things back on track, particularly in light of the many good things that happened at UCLA last week. If SDSU struggles, then you can probably abandon those slim hopes of a minor bowl berth.
Look to see:
1. Whether QB Ryan Lindley and his receivers are back on the same page, particularly when he is pressured.
2. Whether the offensive line can push open some running lanes.
3. Whether the defense can pursue with proper angles in order to tackle ball-carriers quickly and avoid the major gaps in the field that opened in the first half last week.
My bet is it will be a contest for about 20 minutes, then the Aztecs depth of talent will take over for a comfortable victory. But we'll be left with questions about this team's true level -- questions that might be answered the following week with a visit to lowly Idaho in the dangerous Kibbie Dome.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Local Ballplayer Moves
I have to admit having something of a soft spot for the athletes I covered when I was operating Sandiegosportstown.com, so I was thrilled to see a pair of local athletes receive September call-ups to their major league teams.
Infielders Mike McCoy (Grossmont HS and USD) and Freddy Sandoval (the old Marian Catholic HS and USD) were brought up by the Rockies and Angels, respectively. McCoy's mother was a regular attendee at Toreros games and was very nice to me, so it's easy to root for him. Catcher and 1B Kyle Phillips (El Capitan HS) was brought up by the Blue Jays. He's part of a very active baseball family in the East County.
The news was far from perfect as the Orioles put CF Adam Jones (Morse HS) on the 15-day disabled list with a severe sprain of his left ankle. And the Giants sent P Alex Hinshaw (SDSU) back to the minors after walking seven and compiling an ERA of 12 in six innings pitched.
USD's Brian Matusz has a 4-2 record with the Orioles, but he's been rocked around a bit, allowing 48 hits and 12 walks in 37.2 innings. That's why his ERA is 5.26.
Infielders Mike McCoy (Grossmont HS and USD) and Freddy Sandoval (the old Marian Catholic HS and USD) were brought up by the Rockies and Angels, respectively. McCoy's mother was a regular attendee at Toreros games and was very nice to me, so it's easy to root for him. Catcher and 1B Kyle Phillips (El Capitan HS) was brought up by the Blue Jays. He's part of a very active baseball family in the East County.
The news was far from perfect as the Orioles put CF Adam Jones (Morse HS) on the 15-day disabled list with a severe sprain of his left ankle. And the Giants sent P Alex Hinshaw (SDSU) back to the minors after walking seven and compiling an ERA of 12 in six innings pitched.
USD's Brian Matusz has a 4-2 record with the Orioles, but he's been rocked around a bit, allowing 48 hits and 12 walks in 37.2 innings. That's why his ERA is 5.26.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Merriman, Aztecs
I have no idea what went on early Sunday morning between Shawne Merriman and Tila Nguyen (Tila Tequila), but I do know what's happened since, and little of the reaction has been fair to the Chargers linebacker.
First of all, there's the immediate reaction that he must be guilty because he was arrested. This comes because Merriman is a somewhat controversial persona and because so many of his teammates past and present did in fact commit crimes. I found myself debating a number of people Sunday who said it figured that he was arrested, or "'roid boy' is at it again." The fact of the matter is that Shawne Merriman had not been arrested or charged with a crime since becoming a Charger in 2005. His off-field conduct has been far to the other side, with numerous business and charity interests.
Secondly, there's been a lot of complaints about his those interests outside of football, pursuit of Hollywood celebrity status and active nightlife. People claim Merriman has put himself ahead of the Chargers. I don't understand this, either. I have my job, but then I write this blog, have a couple of outside projects in the works and try to be actively involved in what members of my family are doing. That doesn't mean I'm putting myself above my job. For Merriman, I see his off-the-field interests as being rather refreshing. He's a man of substance. You might not like that substance, but there's something to him. I have zero interest in the celebrity culture he so vigorously pursues. Yet I greatly admire his willingness and ability to start a construction firm after the 2007 wildfires and be the first one to rebuild a house in Rancho Bernardo. I also have a theory that your mind is not something you can switch on and off when you step on a football field. You keep your mind engaged through the day and you don't have to worry about when it should be activated.
I think we know how this is going to go. The deputies who went to Merriman's house in Poway said Nguyen told them she'd been drinking and she appeared to be intoxicated. Nguyen now claims to be allergic to alcohol and the "Tequila" name is a joke because she doesn't actually drink. There are reports that she twittered about being drunk over the weekend, but those tweets were pulled. She'll say she was sober, but Merriman has witnesses who will be on his side, no matter who is telling the truth.
My bet is that the Sheriff's Department by the end of the week will wrap up its investigation by saying it can't prove the allegations and won't pursue charges, so this won't be a distraction leading into Monday's season-opener in Oakland.
That will leave, however, the major distraction, which is the question of whether Merriman will be a Charger in 2010. General Manager AJ Smith has his image of a football player cast in stone, and Merriman ain't it. This distraction was going to exist whether Merriman made his first tackle of the year on a 4-foot-11 woman or not.
---
If I'm Brady Hoke, I am ecstatic over the San Diego State season-opening 33-14 loss to UCLA. The big question coming into 2009 for the Aztecs was how much of the previous year's disaster had to do with coaching, and how much was a simple lack of talent. Now we know the answer, it was coaching by a long shot.
Most of the problems that led to the loss were either bad luck or correctable:
1. A UCLA receiver fumbles at the end of a long-pass play and not only do the officials whistle the play dead when SDSU had a chance to run it all way back, but then the replay review took mere seconds to confirm the ref's incorrect call. The ball was coming out before the Bruins player's knee hit the ground.
2. The Aztecs lined up for a field goal that would have made the score a manageable 26-17 but it was blocked. Terrible execution to allow the Bruins defenders to jump up that high so far in from the line of scrimmage, but to have the ball bounce right to a guy in sky blue was just a horrible break. Just a simple block, ok? 26-14 looks bad enough, 33-14 appears to be a rout that the game was not.
3. The defense allowed UCLA QB Kevin Prince too much time, and running backs too much room, in the first half. Defensive coordinator Rocky Long got his players back on track for the final thirty minutes, in which just three points were allowed, despite the offense going nowhere and the defense working with short fields. That was a correction right there.
4. QB Ryan Lindley had a very rough final three quarters while being constantly pressured. He and his receivers were clearly not on the same page when it came to making route adjustments. That can be corrected. Whether SDSU qualifies for a bowl or not will depend on how long that process takes. My bet is not too terribly long, since Lindley has been working with Vincent Brown and Roberto Wallace for several years now.
5. Special teams is always a work in progress. UCLA's are almost always superb, so the contrast was stark. Look for vast improvement by mid-season.
That doesn't mean SDSU's talent pool is where it needs to be. Neither line is up to Pac-10 standards, which means it isn't up to the standards of the upper half of the Mountain West. The running back corps appears neither deep nor talented. The receivers look good but not deep. The cornerbacks didn't stick with anyone wearing blue and gold, but they are so young we'll have to watch and see if they develop.
Again, this team has a shot at 6-6. We'll know a lot more by this time next week, after they've played a Southern Utah team from a lower division. It will be encouraging if the game is a rout, not encouraging if the contest is close.
First of all, there's the immediate reaction that he must be guilty because he was arrested. This comes because Merriman is a somewhat controversial persona and because so many of his teammates past and present did in fact commit crimes. I found myself debating a number of people Sunday who said it figured that he was arrested, or "'roid boy' is at it again." The fact of the matter is that Shawne Merriman had not been arrested or charged with a crime since becoming a Charger in 2005. His off-field conduct has been far to the other side, with numerous business and charity interests.
Secondly, there's been a lot of complaints about his those interests outside of football, pursuit of Hollywood celebrity status and active nightlife. People claim Merriman has put himself ahead of the Chargers. I don't understand this, either. I have my job, but then I write this blog, have a couple of outside projects in the works and try to be actively involved in what members of my family are doing. That doesn't mean I'm putting myself above my job. For Merriman, I see his off-the-field interests as being rather refreshing. He's a man of substance. You might not like that substance, but there's something to him. I have zero interest in the celebrity culture he so vigorously pursues. Yet I greatly admire his willingness and ability to start a construction firm after the 2007 wildfires and be the first one to rebuild a house in Rancho Bernardo. I also have a theory that your mind is not something you can switch on and off when you step on a football field. You keep your mind engaged through the day and you don't have to worry about when it should be activated.
I think we know how this is going to go. The deputies who went to Merriman's house in Poway said Nguyen told them she'd been drinking and she appeared to be intoxicated. Nguyen now claims to be allergic to alcohol and the "Tequila" name is a joke because she doesn't actually drink. There are reports that she twittered about being drunk over the weekend, but those tweets were pulled. She'll say she was sober, but Merriman has witnesses who will be on his side, no matter who is telling the truth.
My bet is that the Sheriff's Department by the end of the week will wrap up its investigation by saying it can't prove the allegations and won't pursue charges, so this won't be a distraction leading into Monday's season-opener in Oakland.
That will leave, however, the major distraction, which is the question of whether Merriman will be a Charger in 2010. General Manager AJ Smith has his image of a football player cast in stone, and Merriman ain't it. This distraction was going to exist whether Merriman made his first tackle of the year on a 4-foot-11 woman or not.
---
If I'm Brady Hoke, I am ecstatic over the San Diego State season-opening 33-14 loss to UCLA. The big question coming into 2009 for the Aztecs was how much of the previous year's disaster had to do with coaching, and how much was a simple lack of talent. Now we know the answer, it was coaching by a long shot.
Most of the problems that led to the loss were either bad luck or correctable:
1. A UCLA receiver fumbles at the end of a long-pass play and not only do the officials whistle the play dead when SDSU had a chance to run it all way back, but then the replay review took mere seconds to confirm the ref's incorrect call. The ball was coming out before the Bruins player's knee hit the ground.
2. The Aztecs lined up for a field goal that would have made the score a manageable 26-17 but it was blocked. Terrible execution to allow the Bruins defenders to jump up that high so far in from the line of scrimmage, but to have the ball bounce right to a guy in sky blue was just a horrible break. Just a simple block, ok? 26-14 looks bad enough, 33-14 appears to be a rout that the game was not.
3. The defense allowed UCLA QB Kevin Prince too much time, and running backs too much room, in the first half. Defensive coordinator Rocky Long got his players back on track for the final thirty minutes, in which just three points were allowed, despite the offense going nowhere and the defense working with short fields. That was a correction right there.
4. QB Ryan Lindley had a very rough final three quarters while being constantly pressured. He and his receivers were clearly not on the same page when it came to making route adjustments. That can be corrected. Whether SDSU qualifies for a bowl or not will depend on how long that process takes. My bet is not too terribly long, since Lindley has been working with Vincent Brown and Roberto Wallace for several years now.
5. Special teams is always a work in progress. UCLA's are almost always superb, so the contrast was stark. Look for vast improvement by mid-season.
That doesn't mean SDSU's talent pool is where it needs to be. Neither line is up to Pac-10 standards, which means it isn't up to the standards of the upper half of the Mountain West. The running back corps appears neither deep nor talented. The receivers look good but not deep. The cornerbacks didn't stick with anyone wearing blue and gold, but they are so young we'll have to watch and see if they develop.
Again, this team has a shot at 6-6. We'll know a lot more by this time next week, after they've played a Southern Utah team from a lower division. It will be encouraging if the game is a rout, not encouraging if the contest is close.
Saturday, September 05, 2009
SDSU-UCLA Quick Reax
SDSU fell 33-14 in Brady Hoke's debut as head coach.
The good:
1. SDSU's offense got an early jump on UCLA's defense, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter.
2. The defense in past years would have given up considering the bad breaks they had, but they hung in there for 60 minutes. Bruins only score three points on offense in the second half.
3. Schemes looked good, organization and game plans solid -- very unlike last year.
The bad:
1. Pass blocking and run blocking overwhelmed by a good UCLA defense. QB Ryan Lindley was really thrown off his game and his passes in the second half were mostly terrible.
2. Special teams were terrible.
3. Receivers were shut down after the first quarter.
Lots of work ahead for Hoke and Company, but the schedule gets thankfully easier.
The good:
1. SDSU's offense got an early jump on UCLA's defense, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter.
2. The defense in past years would have given up considering the bad breaks they had, but they hung in there for 60 minutes. Bruins only score three points on offense in the second half.
3. Schemes looked good, organization and game plans solid -- very unlike last year.
The bad:
1. Pass blocking and run blocking overwhelmed by a good UCLA defense. QB Ryan Lindley was really thrown off his game and his passes in the second half were mostly terrible.
2. Special teams were terrible.
3. Receivers were shut down after the first quarter.
Lots of work ahead for Hoke and Company, but the schedule gets thankfully easier.
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
SDSU and Mountain West Predictions
Building on the last post and with just a couple days before the beginning of the college football season, its time for me to make my predictions of what will happen in the Mountain West this year.
Concerning the Aztecs, there are two factors that should result in major improvements on both sides of the ball.
First, the change to Brady Hoke and his celebrated coordinators -- Al Borges for offense and Rocky Long on defense. There was zero thinking that went into the offense in 2008. Chuck Long and Del Miller kept their spread offense even though they were going from fleet Kevin O'Connell to dropback passer Ryan Lindley, a true freshman, and even though they didn't have the skill personnel or linemen to carry it off. The results were predictable. Decent efforts by the defense early last season were constantly stymied by an offense that kept going three-and-out. That won't happen this year. There will not just be an emphasis on the run, but Borges has designed his offense to make sure he has the tools to carry out his plans. He has tight ends and fullbacks who can block, run or go out for passes in order to keep defenses on their heels. The linemen will come out of three-point stances. Lindley will be under center. I could go on. Expect serious improvement.
On defense, the read-and-react defense of the past few years under Chuck Long and Bob Elliott turned into the read-and-get-injured defense as smaller players constantly got pummeled. The attacking style of Rocky Long's 3-3-5 suits a smaller, speedier defense and the Aztecs will be much better for it.
The second reason to expect serious improvement is a general return to health. I think much of the reason for last year's lopsided scores was players just didn't have enough physically as the games went on. This year they do.
Strong points -- quarterback, a deep and quick linebacker corps, an experienced front seven.
Weaknesses -- the left side of the offensive line has two players making their first start, a young and possibly talent-shy secondary.
Running the numbers recently, in several ways, I came up with 6-6. Some good breaks mean 7-5 and a bowl bid. I don't really think six wins sends State to a post-season game, but I could be wrong. Bad breaks or injuries means 5-7, still a three-game improvement over last season.
This is a very impressive coaching staff that's doing things right. If the winning doesn't come immediately, it won't be a long wait.
---
I see no weaknesses and a lot of pluses for TCU, so to me they are the choice to win the Mountain West Conference and might be, except for a tough schedule, the best bet to bust into the BCS (I think Boise loses against Oregon Thursday, we'll see). BYU will be no better than last year, though the drop off will be minimal. Utah will slip to third or fourth place because of their extreme personnel losses.
My picks:
1. TCU - defense wins championships, and the offense is experienced with third-year QB Andy Dalton, two versatile RBs and the best set of wideouts in the conference.
2. BYU - better defense makes up for the loss of playmaking receiver Austin Collie. The two great tight ends are back, along with QB Max Hall and RB Harvey Unga.
3. Utah - without Brian Johnson at quarterback in 2008, the Utes might have lost three games. Too many playmakers lost on both offense and defense, as well as steady K/P Louie Sakoda.
4. Colorado State - I'm not sure if this is too high, but the Rams obviously have benefited under Steve Fairchild's coaching and they seem to win close games. It looks like they have the RBs to replace Gartrell Johnson, WR Rashaun Greer is tops and the offensive line is veteran.
5. SDSU - The 4-8 spots are kind of a mix in which any of these teams can finish in any order, but I think the new coaching staff can get SDSU right to mid-pack. The games against Notre Dame and UNLV in 2008 showed what this group of players is capable of.
6. UNLV - Lack of depth ends up hurting the Rebels by the end of the season, it seems like, so this year won't be much different. QB Omar Clayton is efficient and WR Ryan Wolfe is a good one. Big stable of RBs but none seem any good.
7. Air Force - Even though soph QB Tim Jefferson could be great, last year he operated with a veteran team. Now everyone around him is young, so they could fall. I'm not sure it'll be this far, but there's plenty of new faces playing for the Falcons.
8. Wyoming - Looks like they're going with a freshman over veteran and turnover-plagued QBs Dax Crum and Karsten Sween. Smart move, but it will take time to pay off. Not much skill talent on offense, but defense is perhaps second only to TCU. If there was any offense at all on this team, they'd be a trendy dark horse pick.
9. New Mexico - Mike Locksley is the anti-Brady Hoke, it seems like nothing he's done has come off well, and it will hurt the Lobos. No more than three wins total.
Concerning the Aztecs, there are two factors that should result in major improvements on both sides of the ball.
First, the change to Brady Hoke and his celebrated coordinators -- Al Borges for offense and Rocky Long on defense. There was zero thinking that went into the offense in 2008. Chuck Long and Del Miller kept their spread offense even though they were going from fleet Kevin O'Connell to dropback passer Ryan Lindley, a true freshman, and even though they didn't have the skill personnel or linemen to carry it off. The results were predictable. Decent efforts by the defense early last season were constantly stymied by an offense that kept going three-and-out. That won't happen this year. There will not just be an emphasis on the run, but Borges has designed his offense to make sure he has the tools to carry out his plans. He has tight ends and fullbacks who can block, run or go out for passes in order to keep defenses on their heels. The linemen will come out of three-point stances. Lindley will be under center. I could go on. Expect serious improvement.
On defense, the read-and-react defense of the past few years under Chuck Long and Bob Elliott turned into the read-and-get-injured defense as smaller players constantly got pummeled. The attacking style of Rocky Long's 3-3-5 suits a smaller, speedier defense and the Aztecs will be much better for it.
The second reason to expect serious improvement is a general return to health. I think much of the reason for last year's lopsided scores was players just didn't have enough physically as the games went on. This year they do.
Strong points -- quarterback, a deep and quick linebacker corps, an experienced front seven.
Weaknesses -- the left side of the offensive line has two players making their first start, a young and possibly talent-shy secondary.
Running the numbers recently, in several ways, I came up with 6-6. Some good breaks mean 7-5 and a bowl bid. I don't really think six wins sends State to a post-season game, but I could be wrong. Bad breaks or injuries means 5-7, still a three-game improvement over last season.
This is a very impressive coaching staff that's doing things right. If the winning doesn't come immediately, it won't be a long wait.
---
I see no weaknesses and a lot of pluses for TCU, so to me they are the choice to win the Mountain West Conference and might be, except for a tough schedule, the best bet to bust into the BCS (I think Boise loses against Oregon Thursday, we'll see). BYU will be no better than last year, though the drop off will be minimal. Utah will slip to third or fourth place because of their extreme personnel losses.
My picks:
1. TCU - defense wins championships, and the offense is experienced with third-year QB Andy Dalton, two versatile RBs and the best set of wideouts in the conference.
2. BYU - better defense makes up for the loss of playmaking receiver Austin Collie. The two great tight ends are back, along with QB Max Hall and RB Harvey Unga.
3. Utah - without Brian Johnson at quarterback in 2008, the Utes might have lost three games. Too many playmakers lost on both offense and defense, as well as steady K/P Louie Sakoda.
4. Colorado State - I'm not sure if this is too high, but the Rams obviously have benefited under Steve Fairchild's coaching and they seem to win close games. It looks like they have the RBs to replace Gartrell Johnson, WR Rashaun Greer is tops and the offensive line is veteran.
5. SDSU - The 4-8 spots are kind of a mix in which any of these teams can finish in any order, but I think the new coaching staff can get SDSU right to mid-pack. The games against Notre Dame and UNLV in 2008 showed what this group of players is capable of.
6. UNLV - Lack of depth ends up hurting the Rebels by the end of the season, it seems like, so this year won't be much different. QB Omar Clayton is efficient and WR Ryan Wolfe is a good one. Big stable of RBs but none seem any good.
7. Air Force - Even though soph QB Tim Jefferson could be great, last year he operated with a veteran team. Now everyone around him is young, so they could fall. I'm not sure it'll be this far, but there's plenty of new faces playing for the Falcons.
8. Wyoming - Looks like they're going with a freshman over veteran and turnover-plagued QBs Dax Crum and Karsten Sween. Smart move, but it will take time to pay off. Not much skill talent on offense, but defense is perhaps second only to TCU. If there was any offense at all on this team, they'd be a trendy dark horse pick.
9. New Mexico - Mike Locksley is the anti-Brady Hoke, it seems like nothing he's done has come off well, and it will hurt the Lobos. No more than three wins total.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Mountain West Tempers Hokemania Enthusiasm
First, a shout out to the Park View Little League All-Stars, a job well done, and its been a pleasure to write about you. Thanks for a fun couple of weeks, and for reminding us that we don't need the overpriced and inconvenient major leagues to find good and exciting baseball.
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San Diego State football is the epitome of bad timing. With the advent of the BCS, the WAC/Mountain West took an absolute pounding from the esteemed power conferences. The conference SDSU was in presented from 1997 to 2003 some truly horrid football. During that time, the Aztecs were only once able to take advantage of the lack of competition and reach a bowl game. That was in 1998, and then-Athletic Director Rick Bay had to pull a lot of strings to get his school into the Las Vegas Bowl against North Carolina.
Here in 2009, with the pathetic staff of Chuck Long jettisoned and the highly accomplished staff of Brady Hoke ready to take over, SDSU's poor sense of timing strikes again. This is not your father's MWC/WAC. Instead, the Aztecs have to compete in one of the top conferences in the nation. In the old days, it was a big deal for this core group of schools -- BYU and Utah, Air Force and Colorado State, UNLV, New Mexico and Wyoming -- to have one preseason ranked team. In 2009, there are three and they all deserve to be there.
So San Diego State should be better in 2009 and will likely improve tremendously in coming seasons, but it's like a greyhound chasing a metal rabbit, the goal keeps moving. It's not like 1986, when Denny Stolz came in and took the Aztecs to the Holiday Bowl in a WAC that offered very little competition. SDSU will be better, but they have to climb a much taller mountain.
That said, the numbers point to a 6-6 season, probably no worse than 5-7 and no better than 7-5, a record I think they'll need to attain a bowl game. There are some teams -- opening night opponent UCLA, TCU, BYU and Utah -- that they just aren't going to beat. They have to play Air Force and UNLV on the road. On the other hand, they get Wyoming and New Mexico at home and play a weak non-conference schedule after Week One. Things are really set for a season that will be close to .500.
If it was the old days, I'd predict a Stolz-style turnaround with no qualms. This team might have the best set of linebackers in the conference, a quarterback who will open eyes in the West this season and some receivers who can make plays. If the offensive line can open some running lanes and the cornerbacks can hold their own, then this team will be vastly improved. But the timing remains poor.
---
Reports floated around recently that true freshman Jordan Wynn (Oceanside HS)won the starting QB job at Utah. In reality, while Coach Kyle Whittingham has not officially named a starter, Wynn has been mostly working out with the second team, according to media reports in Salt Lake City ... Former Aztecs QB Kevin O'Connell was cut from New England Sunday, a shocker for a guy who entered training camp as Tom Brady's heir apparent. O'Connell was awful in the most recent exhibition game, and Brady's health is such that the Patriots can't take a chance on the youngster now that Matt Cassell is gone. It appears that a couple teams are interested in the La Costa Canyon HS alum, including the 49ers, so my earlier speculation that I'll soon be writing about Alex Smith (Helix HS) being cut might actually come to pass. Darn it ... I read last week that former USD QB Josh Johnson, who seemed paired with O'Connell during pre-draft All-Star games and workouts, is on the trading block in Tampa Bay ... Deja vu all over again: in Baltimore's 5-2 win over Cleveland in baseball Sunday, USD's Brian Matusz was the winning pitcher over SDSU's Justin Masterson.
---
San Diego State football is the epitome of bad timing. With the advent of the BCS, the WAC/Mountain West took an absolute pounding from the esteemed power conferences. The conference SDSU was in presented from 1997 to 2003 some truly horrid football. During that time, the Aztecs were only once able to take advantage of the lack of competition and reach a bowl game. That was in 1998, and then-Athletic Director Rick Bay had to pull a lot of strings to get his school into the Las Vegas Bowl against North Carolina.
Here in 2009, with the pathetic staff of Chuck Long jettisoned and the highly accomplished staff of Brady Hoke ready to take over, SDSU's poor sense of timing strikes again. This is not your father's MWC/WAC. Instead, the Aztecs have to compete in one of the top conferences in the nation. In the old days, it was a big deal for this core group of schools -- BYU and Utah, Air Force and Colorado State, UNLV, New Mexico and Wyoming -- to have one preseason ranked team. In 2009, there are three and they all deserve to be there.
So San Diego State should be better in 2009 and will likely improve tremendously in coming seasons, but it's like a greyhound chasing a metal rabbit, the goal keeps moving. It's not like 1986, when Denny Stolz came in and took the Aztecs to the Holiday Bowl in a WAC that offered very little competition. SDSU will be better, but they have to climb a much taller mountain.
That said, the numbers point to a 6-6 season, probably no worse than 5-7 and no better than 7-5, a record I think they'll need to attain a bowl game. There are some teams -- opening night opponent UCLA, TCU, BYU and Utah -- that they just aren't going to beat. They have to play Air Force and UNLV on the road. On the other hand, they get Wyoming and New Mexico at home and play a weak non-conference schedule after Week One. Things are really set for a season that will be close to .500.
If it was the old days, I'd predict a Stolz-style turnaround with no qualms. This team might have the best set of linebackers in the conference, a quarterback who will open eyes in the West this season and some receivers who can make plays. If the offensive line can open some running lanes and the cornerbacks can hold their own, then this team will be vastly improved. But the timing remains poor.
---
Reports floated around recently that true freshman Jordan Wynn (Oceanside HS)won the starting QB job at Utah. In reality, while Coach Kyle Whittingham has not officially named a starter, Wynn has been mostly working out with the second team, according to media reports in Salt Lake City ... Former Aztecs QB Kevin O'Connell was cut from New England Sunday, a shocker for a guy who entered training camp as Tom Brady's heir apparent. O'Connell was awful in the most recent exhibition game, and Brady's health is such that the Patriots can't take a chance on the youngster now that Matt Cassell is gone. It appears that a couple teams are interested in the La Costa Canyon HS alum, including the 49ers, so my earlier speculation that I'll soon be writing about Alex Smith (Helix HS) being cut might actually come to pass. Darn it ... I read last week that former USD QB Josh Johnson, who seemed paired with O'Connell during pre-draft All-Star games and workouts, is on the trading block in Tampa Bay ... Deja vu all over again: in Baltimore's 5-2 win over Cleveland in baseball Sunday, USD's Brian Matusz was the winning pitcher over SDSU's Justin Masterson.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Chargers Sacks, Padres Future
So here we are two weeks into the exhibition season and only now people are starting to worry about the protection QB Philip Rivers is going to receive? I've been complaining about the Chargers offensive line for years now, and the inattention given to the unit by GM AJ Smith, because its so easy to see how things are going to go.
That Rivers was sacked four times in the first quarter at Arizona last Saturday is not necessarily a sign of the times. Weird things happen in these games that don't count, and that was one of them. It doesn't translate to 16 sacks in a full regular season game, and the coaches will tighten things up.
But it was something that we fans have to be concerned about. Even eight sacks in one game is a tremendous amount, because it will mean that the defensive line is getting pressure on Rivers on many more pass attempts.
What's more, the line has not opened running lanes for LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles, both of whom are averaging less than three yards per carry after the first two exhibition games. I stated on this blog previously that I think the Bolts are deficient in three of the five spots on the offensive line, maybe four of the five if LT Marcus McNeill doesn't return to form. I think we're seeing the effects of that now.
---
As the Padres head into the final month of the season, it's not to early to start thinking about how to build for next year. As I see it, the Friars are now set in a number of positions on the field, unlike their situation coming into the season.
The 2010 Padres will have 1B Adrian Gonzalez, 2B David Eckstein, Lf Kyle Blanks, CF Tony Gwynn, RF Will Venable and C Nick Hundley. The bullpen appears set with Heath Bell and Mike Adams as the anchors.
Your issues are what to do about 3B, starting pitching and the question of whether Everth Cabrera is really that good at SS.
At third, Kevin Kouzmanoff is doing nothing special (.256-16-74 before Thursday) and Chase Headley has hit.307 since the All-Star break just to lift his batting average to Kouz's level, and has far fewer HR and RBI. Kouzmanoff, at least, is a Gold Glove candidate at the hot corner. While Headley has played more left than third, he'll probably never be the fielder Kouzmanoff is. I go with Kouz and make Headley a reserve since he won't unseat Blanks. At the same time, I'm going through the trade market like crazy. I'd love to get a legit every day guy there and I'd trade both of these guys to get one.
Starting pitching remains pretty weak, leading me to renew my wonder at trading away one of the few legitimate number one starters in baseball. Jake Peavy suffered a new injury in Chicago, which might not have happened here, so his 2009 is probably finished. However, in 2010 he'll be there, not here.
Chris Young is having his second straight injury-plagued season, so who knows what sort of production the Padres will get from him next year. You can pencil him into the rotation but you better keep your eraser handy.
Right now, I'd say the 2010 rotation looks like Mat Latos-Kevin Correia-Clayton Richard. That's three guys and you need five. Pencil in Young to make four. Tim Stauffer could make five, but he's not terribly impressive. If the Padres want to compete in the NL West next season, they really need one more solid guy.
Finally, Cabrera. Headed into Thursday, he's hitting .269-2-23 with on on-base percentage of .359 and 19 steals. Moreover, he's a plus fielder who has committed just eight errors. Yet he needs to be a little more productive at the plate if the Padres are to contend, and I don't know if he is there yet. If the Padres get an every day SS offered in a trade package, I'd really have to consider it.
One more issue to think about. Venable, Blanks and even Headley now are all hitting and Cabrera isn't doing too badly. But the outfielders and SS have not been up from AAA for very long, so pitchers haven't found the holes in their bats. They will, either in September or next year. It happens to all youngsters, and those who go on to be successful are able to adjust. I don't know if they have that ability in them or not. So while they go into 2010 as near-certain starters for the Padres, it's highly questionable that they'll hit as well as they have in August. If they do, and they get more out of Cabrera and Gwynn, Gonzalez stays the same and improvements are made at 3B, this could be an interesting ball club to watch.
That Rivers was sacked four times in the first quarter at Arizona last Saturday is not necessarily a sign of the times. Weird things happen in these games that don't count, and that was one of them. It doesn't translate to 16 sacks in a full regular season game, and the coaches will tighten things up.
But it was something that we fans have to be concerned about. Even eight sacks in one game is a tremendous amount, because it will mean that the defensive line is getting pressure on Rivers on many more pass attempts.
What's more, the line has not opened running lanes for LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles, both of whom are averaging less than three yards per carry after the first two exhibition games. I stated on this blog previously that I think the Bolts are deficient in three of the five spots on the offensive line, maybe four of the five if LT Marcus McNeill doesn't return to form. I think we're seeing the effects of that now.
---
As the Padres head into the final month of the season, it's not to early to start thinking about how to build for next year. As I see it, the Friars are now set in a number of positions on the field, unlike their situation coming into the season.
The 2010 Padres will have 1B Adrian Gonzalez, 2B David Eckstein, Lf Kyle Blanks, CF Tony Gwynn, RF Will Venable and C Nick Hundley. The bullpen appears set with Heath Bell and Mike Adams as the anchors.
Your issues are what to do about 3B, starting pitching and the question of whether Everth Cabrera is really that good at SS.
At third, Kevin Kouzmanoff is doing nothing special (.256-16-74 before Thursday) and Chase Headley has hit.307 since the All-Star break just to lift his batting average to Kouz's level, and has far fewer HR and RBI. Kouzmanoff, at least, is a Gold Glove candidate at the hot corner. While Headley has played more left than third, he'll probably never be the fielder Kouzmanoff is. I go with Kouz and make Headley a reserve since he won't unseat Blanks. At the same time, I'm going through the trade market like crazy. I'd love to get a legit every day guy there and I'd trade both of these guys to get one.
Starting pitching remains pretty weak, leading me to renew my wonder at trading away one of the few legitimate number one starters in baseball. Jake Peavy suffered a new injury in Chicago, which might not have happened here, so his 2009 is probably finished. However, in 2010 he'll be there, not here.
Chris Young is having his second straight injury-plagued season, so who knows what sort of production the Padres will get from him next year. You can pencil him into the rotation but you better keep your eraser handy.
Right now, I'd say the 2010 rotation looks like Mat Latos-Kevin Correia-Clayton Richard. That's three guys and you need five. Pencil in Young to make four. Tim Stauffer could make five, but he's not terribly impressive. If the Padres want to compete in the NL West next season, they really need one more solid guy.
Finally, Cabrera. Headed into Thursday, he's hitting .269-2-23 with on on-base percentage of .359 and 19 steals. Moreover, he's a plus fielder who has committed just eight errors. Yet he needs to be a little more productive at the plate if the Padres are to contend, and I don't know if he is there yet. If the Padres get an every day SS offered in a trade package, I'd really have to consider it.
One more issue to think about. Venable, Blanks and even Headley now are all hitting and Cabrera isn't doing too badly. But the outfielders and SS have not been up from AAA for very long, so pitchers haven't found the holes in their bats. They will, either in September or next year. It happens to all youngsters, and those who go on to be successful are able to adjust. I don't know if they have that ability in them or not. So while they go into 2010 as near-certain starters for the Padres, it's highly questionable that they'll hit as well as they have in August. If they do, and they get more out of Cabrera and Gwynn, Gonzalez stays the same and improvements are made at 3B, this could be an interesting ball club to watch.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Closed to Public Scrutiny, Alex Smith
As an alumnus of San Diego State University and a committed fan of the Aztecs sports teams, or a fan who should be committed, I want to know everything I can find out about the players, coaches, injuries, strategies, etc. when I pick up my morning newspaper or listen to the radio.
That's clearly not happening under the new regime of football coach Brady Hoke, who has closed practices to the public and media, and banned freshmen from speaking with reporters. The lone exception is he'll let the media in for the first 30 minutes of a couple practices each week, mainly so TV crews can get some fresh video. For those not in the know, the first 30 minutes of a football practice consists of stretching. Whoopee.
As a reporter by trade, I believe there is an obligation of transparency for people in public positions. Scrutiny by a good reporter gives the busy populace its only chance to evaluate its public institutions. SDSU football, as part of a state university and dependent on ticket sales to emotionally connected fans, requires scrutiny. If you think this is a stretch, I have two words for you: Chuck Long.
On the other hand, I've spent most of this decade covering the criminal courts and police stories, both government functions. There are times that you just can't get the information you want when you want it. After a while, you learn where the line is drawn, though there are a number of public lawyers who are media unfriendly and won't tell you anything for any reason. But these issues don't involve football.
Again, these people -- from District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis to San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders to Hoke -- work for us and should not be allowed to hide behind a "no comment." They're obligated to let the public see what's going on within their offices and, for better or worse, the press is the public's representative in such matters.
I'm not typing here to demand Hoke immediately open his practices to one and all. I do think he's erred by a matter of degree in that he's trying to reconnect local football fans and SDSU alumni to the program and yet he's shutting them out of watching practice. He should have said practice on this day or that day is open and the others are closed, or some formula of that type. He's installing new systems and it appears he's going to be using a lot of new players, including true freshmen, and he doesn't want anything revealed, or distraction to the kids trying to learn new things. I understand that.
Hoke has said, however, that at Ball State he loosened up the restrictions after the first couple of years and thinks he'll do the same here. We the media and the public need to make sure he does so.
---
SDSU defensive coordinator Rocky Long justifies the restrictions by saying practices really don't tell you much about players, that to really judge them you have to see them perform in games. That appears to be applicable to former Helix QB Alex Smith, who lost his battle to start for the 49ers to Shaun Hill.
Smith, who missed the 2008 season with an injury, has failed to live up to his promise when he was drafted first out of Utah. The 49ers as a whole were awful the past few seasons but appear to be building steam in 2009, so this is a big season for them. I actually think the NFC is weak enough for San Francisco to be a wild card contender, so coach Mike Singletary better get his QB choice right.
The trouble is Smith looked great throwing the ball in off-season workouts. The Bay Area newspapers all had articles along the lines of: guess who's back in the QB mix? That's how well he was doing.
Then came the exhibition games. He threw a TD pass in the first contest against Denver but his completions averaged just over six yards. Against the Raiders last week he completed just 3 of his 9 throws and tossed an interception. His passer rating was 4.2. Not good.
So he lost his chance to start and, I'd bet, maybe his job. The 49ers have veteran Damon Huard and drafted Hoke's old Ball State signal-caller, Nate Davis. Therefore, look for Smith to be released in early September. Just my bet.
---
Raiders LB Kirk Morrison (SDSU) separated his shoulder in that second exhibition game and will be out a few weeks. Former Aztecs WR Chaz Schilens had all but nailed down the Raiders top receiving spot before he also got hurt. Yuck. Best to the recovery for both.
That's clearly not happening under the new regime of football coach Brady Hoke, who has closed practices to the public and media, and banned freshmen from speaking with reporters. The lone exception is he'll let the media in for the first 30 minutes of a couple practices each week, mainly so TV crews can get some fresh video. For those not in the know, the first 30 minutes of a football practice consists of stretching. Whoopee.
As a reporter by trade, I believe there is an obligation of transparency for people in public positions. Scrutiny by a good reporter gives the busy populace its only chance to evaluate its public institutions. SDSU football, as part of a state university and dependent on ticket sales to emotionally connected fans, requires scrutiny. If you think this is a stretch, I have two words for you: Chuck Long.
On the other hand, I've spent most of this decade covering the criminal courts and police stories, both government functions. There are times that you just can't get the information you want when you want it. After a while, you learn where the line is drawn, though there are a number of public lawyers who are media unfriendly and won't tell you anything for any reason. But these issues don't involve football.
Again, these people -- from District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis to San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders to Hoke -- work for us and should not be allowed to hide behind a "no comment." They're obligated to let the public see what's going on within their offices and, for better or worse, the press is the public's representative in such matters.
I'm not typing here to demand Hoke immediately open his practices to one and all. I do think he's erred by a matter of degree in that he's trying to reconnect local football fans and SDSU alumni to the program and yet he's shutting them out of watching practice. He should have said practice on this day or that day is open and the others are closed, or some formula of that type. He's installing new systems and it appears he's going to be using a lot of new players, including true freshmen, and he doesn't want anything revealed, or distraction to the kids trying to learn new things. I understand that.
Hoke has said, however, that at Ball State he loosened up the restrictions after the first couple of years and thinks he'll do the same here. We the media and the public need to make sure he does so.
---
SDSU defensive coordinator Rocky Long justifies the restrictions by saying practices really don't tell you much about players, that to really judge them you have to see them perform in games. That appears to be applicable to former Helix QB Alex Smith, who lost his battle to start for the 49ers to Shaun Hill.
Smith, who missed the 2008 season with an injury, has failed to live up to his promise when he was drafted first out of Utah. The 49ers as a whole were awful the past few seasons but appear to be building steam in 2009, so this is a big season for them. I actually think the NFC is weak enough for San Francisco to be a wild card contender, so coach Mike Singletary better get his QB choice right.
The trouble is Smith looked great throwing the ball in off-season workouts. The Bay Area newspapers all had articles along the lines of: guess who's back in the QB mix? That's how well he was doing.
Then came the exhibition games. He threw a TD pass in the first contest against Denver but his completions averaged just over six yards. Against the Raiders last week he completed just 3 of his 9 throws and tossed an interception. His passer rating was 4.2. Not good.
So he lost his chance to start and, I'd bet, maybe his job. The 49ers have veteran Damon Huard and drafted Hoke's old Ball State signal-caller, Nate Davis. Therefore, look for Smith to be released in early September. Just my bet.
---
Raiders LB Kirk Morrison (SDSU) separated his shoulder in that second exhibition game and will be out a few weeks. Former Aztecs WR Chaz Schilens had all but nailed down the Raiders top receiving spot before he also got hurt. Yuck. Best to the recovery for both.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Little League Brings Home Title Hopes
The sluggers of the Green Machine, the mighty 11- to 13-year-olds of Chula Vista's Park View Little League, head to South Williamsport, Pa., this week with a chance to merely bring home the first national championship for a San Diego team since 1973.
There's some pressure to place on young shoulders, huh? Not really. While we all hope for the best for the squad that will now be labeled simply "West" in their upcoming games, they will come home as conquering heroes no matter what happens on the exalted ballfield back east. Both Oceanside and Rancho Buena Vista fell just short of winning it all in their 2000 and 2005 appearances and came home to raucous welcomes. Park View will, also.
I bring up the connection not to longingly look to pre-teens for championship salvation, but to point out the utter futility of being a sports fan around here. Not since San Diego State's volleyball team shocked the world by winning the NCAA volleyball crown 36 years ago has a local team gone all the way. The 1980s Sockers? Please. Indoor soccer was a novelty. The Gulls played minor league hockey, albeit mostly successfully. USD had a women's tennis national champion, but she was an individual and an Eastern European import for Chrissakes.
The Padres, the Chargers, the Aztecs, the Toreros. None of them have won a team title for that period covering nearly four decades. Some teams have at least come close. SDSU soccer made a national final and I think USD made a soccer final, too, or at least a Final Four. I think UCSD won Division III girls a couple times but I doubt if anyone noticed. It's been frustrating.
These kids from Chula Vista, who have rocket launchers for bats, have a chance to go the distance. With Little League, they could even make it an international championship, so much the better.
If they don't, no big. If they do, then the kid sitting next to you in sixth grade English class might be more accomplished than Tony Gwynn, Junior Seau or Marshall Faulk. How about that?
---
As of this writing, Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State has yet to sign a contract with the Washington Nationals. You can never really tell what's going on behind closed doors. I hope the kid went into his relationship with agent Scott Boros with his eyes open. One gets the impression that with Boros, you work for the agent, instead of the other way around. Some of the talk -- which could be just that -- is that Boros is pushing for some kind of fundamental change in how draftees are evaluated and valued by the baseball clubs. If I'm Strasburg, that's fine, but in the meantime, get me signed. I hope it happens.
---
The layoffs at The San Diego Union-Tribune are now cutting deeply into the sports department. Just last week, SDSU sports beat writer Mick McGrane was sent packing, joining former Padres writer Tom Krasovic and several high school writers.
Padres coverage has suffered terribly without Krasovic, who had a nose for what was not just newsworthy but also interesting to read. Now you can pick up the sports page and read the same news about the Friars players you saw the day before, and the day before that. Not good.
I feel better about the Aztecs coverage. It appears Brent Schrotenboer is taking the spot, and he has a great record of investigative reporting. He, I hope, will give some needed direction to the coverage of the Aztecs. I also hope that with Brady Hoke throwing a virtual cloak of invisibility about his team, that he has the insight and energy to do the legwork to actually find the news instead of simply taking what's been handed to him.
There's some pressure to place on young shoulders, huh? Not really. While we all hope for the best for the squad that will now be labeled simply "West" in their upcoming games, they will come home as conquering heroes no matter what happens on the exalted ballfield back east. Both Oceanside and Rancho Buena Vista fell just short of winning it all in their 2000 and 2005 appearances and came home to raucous welcomes. Park View will, also.
I bring up the connection not to longingly look to pre-teens for championship salvation, but to point out the utter futility of being a sports fan around here. Not since San Diego State's volleyball team shocked the world by winning the NCAA volleyball crown 36 years ago has a local team gone all the way. The 1980s Sockers? Please. Indoor soccer was a novelty. The Gulls played minor league hockey, albeit mostly successfully. USD had a women's tennis national champion, but she was an individual and an Eastern European import for Chrissakes.
The Padres, the Chargers, the Aztecs, the Toreros. None of them have won a team title for that period covering nearly four decades. Some teams have at least come close. SDSU soccer made a national final and I think USD made a soccer final, too, or at least a Final Four. I think UCSD won Division III girls a couple times but I doubt if anyone noticed. It's been frustrating.
These kids from Chula Vista, who have rocket launchers for bats, have a chance to go the distance. With Little League, they could even make it an international championship, so much the better.
If they don't, no big. If they do, then the kid sitting next to you in sixth grade English class might be more accomplished than Tony Gwynn, Junior Seau or Marshall Faulk. How about that?
---
As of this writing, Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State has yet to sign a contract with the Washington Nationals. You can never really tell what's going on behind closed doors. I hope the kid went into his relationship with agent Scott Boros with his eyes open. One gets the impression that with Boros, you work for the agent, instead of the other way around. Some of the talk -- which could be just that -- is that Boros is pushing for some kind of fundamental change in how draftees are evaluated and valued by the baseball clubs. If I'm Strasburg, that's fine, but in the meantime, get me signed. I hope it happens.
---
The layoffs at The San Diego Union-Tribune are now cutting deeply into the sports department. Just last week, SDSU sports beat writer Mick McGrane was sent packing, joining former Padres writer Tom Krasovic and several high school writers.
Padres coverage has suffered terribly without Krasovic, who had a nose for what was not just newsworthy but also interesting to read. Now you can pick up the sports page and read the same news about the Friars players you saw the day before, and the day before that. Not good.
I feel better about the Aztecs coverage. It appears Brent Schrotenboer is taking the spot, and he has a great record of investigative reporting. He, I hope, will give some needed direction to the coverage of the Aztecs. I also hope that with Brady Hoke throwing a virtual cloak of invisibility about his team, that he has the insight and energy to do the legwork to actually find the news instead of simply taking what's been handed to him.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Coaching Question to be Answered at SDSU
When San Diego State’s football team begins its first pre-season workout Monday, it will not only usher in the new era with head coach Brady Hoke, but it will answer a question asked by local fans for years: can the Aztecs program find success if it ever gets a good coaching staff?
The group under Hoke certainly qualifies. Al Borges (offense) and Rocky Long (defense) are among the game’s best coordinators over the past couple decades and Brian Sipe, brought in to tutor the quarterbacks, is merely a former NFL Player of the Year. There’s something to say for the other guys on the staff, too.
I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say this is the best group of football coaches assembled on the Mesa since the beginning of the Ted Tollner-era in the mid-1990s. Those guys, remember, led the Aztecs to two 8-win seasons. The current staff might not rival the NFL coaching factory under Don Coryell and Claude Gilbert but that’s only because they’re just now getting their first season underway.
There’s plenty of reason for the diminished number of Aztec faithful to be desperate for a quality staff:
After the news of the past couple of weeks, I don’t think I need to pile on the legacy of Chuck Long, who now goes down as one of the worst coaching hires in the history of American sports.
As great an offensive mind as he has, Tom Craft needed an offensive coordinator to help with in-game adjustments, but the athletic department wouldn’t spend enough money. The lack of financial support resulted in a low-quality staff that recruited poorly and left their successors in a lurch.
Tollner had the great staff initially but those early successes were stymied by the development of the BCS, which redirected players and assistants to the Pac-10 and other major conferences. They ran out of steam by the new millennium.
(By way of full disclosure, from my dealings with both men, I really like and respect both Craft and Tollner personally. Both had nothing but love for SDSU. Tollner was beat down by the changed landscape of college football and Craft’s resurrection program simply didn’t work.)
Longtime fans are certainly aware that Al Luginbill, Denny Stolz and Doug Scovil all had their issues, too.
Now a good staff is on hand, guys with solid track records. One gets the impression of a sea change at San Diego State because of these coaches. We’ll finally find out what SDSU football can do with another great coaching staff -- especially interesting because the sport’s landscape has swayed back into State’s favor with the ascent – finally – of the Mountain West Conference.
How long it will take to get the answer is obviously unclear. It took Tollner and Luginbill two seasons each to find success. Stolz did it his first year, before he discovered he liked golf even more than Steve Spurrier. I bet we’ll have our answer, good or bad, sometime in November 2010. However, anyone who prays for something – and Aztecs fans have prayed for salvation for years now – knows the answer sometimes is “no.”
Friday, August 07, 2009
Assault Prompted Long's Firing, Little League
Considering that San Diego State University has one of the finer business schools in the country, it's perhaps fitting that a highly teachable episode of mismanagement occurred on campus last fall and apparently led to the removal of Chuck Long as head coach of the football team. This could serve as a great "how not to" lesson, in case management professors believe that students won't be able to relate to General Motors.
According to Friday's edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune, former offensive lineman Lance Louis, apparently annoyed by being poked with a stick by safety Nick Sandford, later came up from behind and attacked his then-teammate in an athletic building meeting room, injuring him enough to require hospitalization. The article said that Louis went ahead and played the Aztecs final three games, as Long tried to handle the matter internally and protect Louis' chances to move on to professional football. When Athletic Director Jeff Schemmel found out about the incident and aftermath two weeks later, that's when he went to school President Stephen Weber with the recommendation that Long be fired, the article read.
There are so many problems that come out of this episode. Remember that SDSU was mired in an injury-plagued 2-10 season and was getting absolutely crushed by teams both good and mediocre. The preparation for the season and individual games by the coaching staff was some of the worst I've seen in my decades of watching college football.
An attack like this shows two things:
1. Morale among the players must have been horrible. Even in a losing season, Louis must have recognized that he had NFL potential (and is now in the Bears training camp), which should have given him light at the end of the tunnel. That he didn't see it and studiously avoid confrontation, even if provoked, is a sign of how bad things must have been in the locker room.
2. The coaches completely lost control of the players, and the players had no respect for the coaching staff. When you have a group of 100 people in close proximity nearly year-round, things are going to happen. Guys will confront each other somewhere, usually after drinking, throw some punches, and teammates will break it up. Happens. Not in a meeting room of the athletic administration building. No way.
Clearly, Long had a problem and should have taken it to higher-ups. I understand his reasoning in wanting to cut Louis a break. The kid suffered a terrible injury early in his career and spent the last two seasons playing out of position, sacrificing himself for the good of the team. You want someone like that to leave school with a chance for a career, not as a criminal. He should have gone right to Schemmel and incorporated his concern for Louis into a plan of action.
I think that the ultimate blame goes to Schemmel, who supported Long through all the horrible losses until he learned about the alleged assault. It's his job to determine how well things are going for any Aztecs team, and for him to back Long and completely miss the inner turmoil among the football players is absolutely inexcusable. I've never thought much of him as an athletic director, was not surprised when Weber led the effort to fire Long, and I now think that Schemmel needs to go, too.
The bottom line for management students: you have to draw the line in the sand early. I have a hard time believing the alleged assault came out of nowhere. As a manager, coach, administrator, you have to recognize problems in their early stages and solve them immediately or they will snowball. Enterprises go bad, God knows we've seen that in the current economy. The big wigs in the failing entities still have to maintain some discipline, amongst themselves and their employees. Frustration needs to be taken out elsewhere, in some other manner. Respect has to be maintained and recognition has to be made that despite everyone's best efforts, sometimes the best-laid plans don't work. If you're in middle management and a situation is spiraling out of control, you take it to upper management. You can't hide the problem, you'll be found out. If you're in upper management, your focus can't just be on the one level below you. You have to go all the way to ground level and see how life is for the line employees. Taking interest in their welfare doesn't mean you're passing up middle management. Eyes open, all the time. It's called diligence.
---
No surprise that they brought in a disciplinarian like Brady Hoke, huh?
And also, congrats to Sandford for staying the course for his senior year. I don't know whether he's a good guy or a bad guy, but the easy thing would have been to leave and point fingers at everybody. Not only is he back, but he won a starting role in the new rover position in defensive coordinator Rocky Long's 3-3-5 scheme.
---
I can't tell you how thrilled I am that Chula Vista's Park View Little League baseball team made it to the Western Regionals this week. There was so much excitement from recent Little League World Series appearances by Oceanside and Vista, and the anticipation of Solana Beach making it to the regional final, that I'm glad we're able to experience it again. My own son has played LL ball the past two years, and I find those games and the kids far more interesting than major league ball. Good luck.
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Kyle Banks sucks! There's the dose of karma, go have a big weekend.
According to Friday's edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune, former offensive lineman Lance Louis, apparently annoyed by being poked with a stick by safety Nick Sandford, later came up from behind and attacked his then-teammate in an athletic building meeting room, injuring him enough to require hospitalization. The article said that Louis went ahead and played the Aztecs final three games, as Long tried to handle the matter internally and protect Louis' chances to move on to professional football. When Athletic Director Jeff Schemmel found out about the incident and aftermath two weeks later, that's when he went to school President Stephen Weber with the recommendation that Long be fired, the article read.
There are so many problems that come out of this episode. Remember that SDSU was mired in an injury-plagued 2-10 season and was getting absolutely crushed by teams both good and mediocre. The preparation for the season and individual games by the coaching staff was some of the worst I've seen in my decades of watching college football.
An attack like this shows two things:
1. Morale among the players must have been horrible. Even in a losing season, Louis must have recognized that he had NFL potential (and is now in the Bears training camp), which should have given him light at the end of the tunnel. That he didn't see it and studiously avoid confrontation, even if provoked, is a sign of how bad things must have been in the locker room.
2. The coaches completely lost control of the players, and the players had no respect for the coaching staff. When you have a group of 100 people in close proximity nearly year-round, things are going to happen. Guys will confront each other somewhere, usually after drinking, throw some punches, and teammates will break it up. Happens. Not in a meeting room of the athletic administration building. No way.
Clearly, Long had a problem and should have taken it to higher-ups. I understand his reasoning in wanting to cut Louis a break. The kid suffered a terrible injury early in his career and spent the last two seasons playing out of position, sacrificing himself for the good of the team. You want someone like that to leave school with a chance for a career, not as a criminal. He should have gone right to Schemmel and incorporated his concern for Louis into a plan of action.
I think that the ultimate blame goes to Schemmel, who supported Long through all the horrible losses until he learned about the alleged assault. It's his job to determine how well things are going for any Aztecs team, and for him to back Long and completely miss the inner turmoil among the football players is absolutely inexcusable. I've never thought much of him as an athletic director, was not surprised when Weber led the effort to fire Long, and I now think that Schemmel needs to go, too.
The bottom line for management students: you have to draw the line in the sand early. I have a hard time believing the alleged assault came out of nowhere. As a manager, coach, administrator, you have to recognize problems in their early stages and solve them immediately or they will snowball. Enterprises go bad, God knows we've seen that in the current economy. The big wigs in the failing entities still have to maintain some discipline, amongst themselves and their employees. Frustration needs to be taken out elsewhere, in some other manner. Respect has to be maintained and recognition has to be made that despite everyone's best efforts, sometimes the best-laid plans don't work. If you're in middle management and a situation is spiraling out of control, you take it to upper management. You can't hide the problem, you'll be found out. If you're in upper management, your focus can't just be on the one level below you. You have to go all the way to ground level and see how life is for the line employees. Taking interest in their welfare doesn't mean you're passing up middle management. Eyes open, all the time. It's called diligence.
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No surprise that they brought in a disciplinarian like Brady Hoke, huh?
And also, congrats to Sandford for staying the course for his senior year. I don't know whether he's a good guy or a bad guy, but the easy thing would have been to leave and point fingers at everybody. Not only is he back, but he won a starting role in the new rover position in defensive coordinator Rocky Long's 3-3-5 scheme.
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I can't tell you how thrilled I am that Chula Vista's Park View Little League baseball team made it to the Western Regionals this week. There was so much excitement from recent Little League World Series appearances by Oceanside and Vista, and the anticipation of Solana Beach making it to the regional final, that I'm glad we're able to experience it again. My own son has played LL ball the past two years, and I find those games and the kids far more interesting than major league ball. Good luck.
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Kyle Banks sucks! There's the dose of karma, go have a big weekend.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Short Stuff
This has been a good year for young local baseball players, with Sean O'Sullivan of Valhalla HS being called up to the Angels for a few successful starts and Adam Jones of Morse HS making the American League All-Star team for the Orioles. Add now Brian Matusz of USD, who will be making his first big league start for the O's tonight. Who is next? ... The down side was the Padres releasing Mark Prior of USDHS, who just couldn't overcome his shoulder injuries. Another year or two of rest and rehab might give him another chance, but by then he's going to have to do an awful lot of talking to get a team to give him a minor league roster spot over a deserving youngster. That said, I think the Padres made a reasonable move in signing him. He was a great pitcher at one time and wow, what could have been ... I think the Padres recent winning ways have mainly come against teams -- Reds and Brewers -- heading into the tank, yet the success of young starters Mat Latos and Tim Stauffer is encouraging ... Weekly rant against Kyle Blanks for the sole purpose of keeping up the karma which has improved his hitting: against struggling Brewers starter Braden Looper Friday, he twice missed on a couple straight fastballs so we all knew what was coming next, a breaking ball in the dirt. He swung like he was fooled. Why? I guess that's a young player for you. I do like how he knocked one of those lifeless fastballs 428 feet in his next at bat -- I hope the nice word doesn't send him into a slump.
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Tough crowd! QB Alex Smith gets booed on the first day of the 49ers camp. This is what happens when people don't read newspapers, because there's tons of news reports out there saying the Helix HS product has been sensational during off-season practices and may be ready to reclaim the starting position ... Kevin O'Connell of La Costa Canyon and SDSU suddenly has competition for the backup QB spot for the Patriots, who signed big-armed former Raider Andrew Walter. There had been talk of the Pats signing less-threatening Cleo Lemon, but Walter is a former (not-too-successful) starter ... Reggie Bush of Helix not only no longer has no GF but his surgically-repaired left knee is proving balky, so he's going to sit out a couple practices for the Saints ... Kellen Winslow Jr. of Scripps Ranch is missing a couple practices for the Buccaneers with an ankle sprain ... Remember Teyo Johnson, who came down with Amon Gordon from Washington state to play at Mira Mesa HS for their senior seasons before going on to Stanford? He's now a slotback for Toronto in the CFL. Gordon was recently waived from the Eagles after rupturing his Achilles tendon.
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If SDSU's mens basketball team jells and becomes as good as it could be, the Mountain West Conference schedule appears favorable, at first glance. The Aztecs last two games are against Colorado State at home and at Air Force, a school that Coach Steve Fisher's bunch has taken to physically dominating. The week before is a potential match to determine the league title at BYU.
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Tough crowd! QB Alex Smith gets booed on the first day of the 49ers camp. This is what happens when people don't read newspapers, because there's tons of news reports out there saying the Helix HS product has been sensational during off-season practices and may be ready to reclaim the starting position ... Kevin O'Connell of La Costa Canyon and SDSU suddenly has competition for the backup QB spot for the Patriots, who signed big-armed former Raider Andrew Walter. There had been talk of the Pats signing less-threatening Cleo Lemon, but Walter is a former (not-too-successful) starter ... Reggie Bush of Helix not only no longer has no GF but his surgically-repaired left knee is proving balky, so he's going to sit out a couple practices for the Saints ... Kellen Winslow Jr. of Scripps Ranch is missing a couple practices for the Buccaneers with an ankle sprain ... Remember Teyo Johnson, who came down with Amon Gordon from Washington state to play at Mira Mesa HS for their senior seasons before going on to Stanford? He's now a slotback for Toronto in the CFL. Gordon was recently waived from the Eagles after rupturing his Achilles tendon.
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If SDSU's mens basketball team jells and becomes as good as it could be, the Mountain West Conference schedule appears favorable, at first glance. The Aztecs last two games are against Colorado State at home and at Air Force, a school that Coach Steve Fisher's bunch has taken to physically dominating. The week before is a potential match to determine the league title at BYU.
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