Hello all! I hope you all have had a great summer full of air conditioning and shade. It's been awhile since I've written on here, and I'm sorry for that. I've taken the summer off to recharge my batteries so that I'm fresh when I begin covering the Oklahoma State football team this fall.
But worry not, as I am back! A lot of things happened while I was gone. First off, congratulations to MY World Champion Dallas Mavericks, I loved watching every minute and losing my voice after every game. Congratulations to Rory McIlroy, one of my favorite golfers, for his tournament wins as of late. And finally, congratulations to the United States Women National Team for their incredible World Cup run. Last summer soccer captured my attention, and now I love watching the sport, men or women. Unfortunately they ran out of time, but I look forward to seeing them in the future... And Alex Morgan.
But enough of that, let's focus on the future. Although the NFL Lockout is looming, we are promised one thing; College football will be there.
That being said, here is MY list of Heisman hopefuls this year.
Marcus Lattimore - South Carolina
I am convinced this could be THE GUY this year. Not only does he have a good offensive line, but he also has the one thing that will allow him to dominate- Distraction. Not a distraction for him, but for the defense. Lining up at receiver for the Gamecocks is Alshon Jeffery, one of the best wideouts in the nation. You cannot be in two places at one time, and Lattimore will thrive in that situation.
Andrew Luck - Stanford
You simply cannot leave the best pro prospect off the list. Luck is the most complete player in the NCAA, but sometimes that is not enough for a Heisman. He has weapons around him for a good year, as well as a good offensive line. Unfortunately, the Heisman committee only seems to look at numbers and highlight reels, so that may not be enough for Luck to hoist the trophy.
LaMichael James - Oregon
Last year's runner-up is looking to have another incredible year, and why shouldn't he? Oregon's dead spring offense wears defenses out, and makes them susceptible to giving up the big play. Darron Thomas (QB) will come back even better than last year, which makes the pass even more dangerous, and he also has the wheels to add QB Scrambling to the mix. James, the pass, and Thomas' running are enough to give the running back some elbow room, and that elbow room will be enough to give him another spectacular year, and another nail-biter Heisman presentation.
Landry Jones - Oklahoma
I saw first hand what Jones can do to defense last year at the Bedlam game. As much as I'd hate to see another Heisman go to Norman, I fear Jones has the tools to make that a reality. A great receiving corps, and a backfield that Stoops always seems to stock with talent will mean another year of big numbers from Jones. Let's just hope it isn't enough for the Heisman. I'm tired of driving through Norman on my way home and seeing the huge Sam Bradford blow-up in front of the car dealership, I can't take two of them.
Justin Blackmon - Oklahoma State
You knew it was coming, don't act surprised. Blackmon dominated every secondary he faced last year, not only with great hands and great routes, but also by simply being a better athlete than the man lining up across from him. He out-jumped, out-bodied, and simply out-played his opponents and he'll come into this year with the same quarterback and in even better shape. Look for another huge year, and another Biletnikoff conversation.
DARK HORSE: Geno Smith - West Virginia
The Mountaineer had a great season last year, and with Dana Holgerson's offense that lit up Big 12 defenses in 2010 in place, Smith's arm will do some major damage. But not only that but unlike Brandon Weeden at Oklahoma State, Holgerson's previous quarterback, Smith can run. That dual threat will be big for the Mountaineers this year, and will enter Smith into the conversation very quickly, just as it did for past winners like Cam Newton and Tim Tebow.
That's all I've got. My next post will be sometime after I attend Oklahoma State Football Media Day on August 6th. Gear up for another great College Football year, as this one will be as exciting as seasons in the past.
Go Pokes, Rangers, Cowboys, and MAVS!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Lebron James: Hero or Villain?
Growing up, I loved watching cartoons.
I was the kid who was up every saturday morning at the crack of dawn, clothed in nothing but underwear with my nose about a foot from the TV screen.
Now that you know that, and you know that most cartoons are based off of the typical "Good vs. Evil" trend, you know that I am an expert in that field.
The Good vs. Evil approach that most fans have taken with the Lebron James situation, the "Good" crowd being the ones that hate him, and the "Evil" crowd still liking him.
But with Lebron looking like he has a legitimate shot at winning a ring for the first time in his career, I felt as if I needed to evaluate the situation again, and think through my feelings on "The Decision."
Now, for length's sake, I'm going to pretend that Lebron only had two choices, to stay in Cleveland or go to Miami.
What if he had stayed in Cleveland?
Lebron in Cleveland was a perfect fit. A city that I consider small-market with a hometown hero that took over every game that he played in. Cleveland hasn't had a championship since... Well, I don't want to take my shoes off to count that high, but it has been awhile. If Lebron had somehow crowned the Cavaliers, he would have been thought of as a savior in Ohio, and in my mind would have put himself JUST behind Jordan with one Finals win.
Yes, I said it. He would have been up with Jordan. I recognize that Jordan had more rings than one hand could hold, but he had Pippen, Rodman, Paxson, etc. Lebron had... Zydrunas Ilgauskas? The thing that is even more sad than that, Cavalier management never even showed a hint of a sign in helping to get him more help. If Lebron had just ONE above average player in Cleveland with him during his tenure, I guarantee he would have had one ring by now, if not more.
But he chose the latter of the two, going to Miami
In the beginning, I lost all respect for Lebron. I banished him to the dark corner of the NBA with other players I can't stand: Chris Andersen, Tracy McGrady, and the entire Golden State Warriors squad from when they beat the Mavs in the first round a few years ago... That's all I have to say about that.
But now that I think about it, maybe I was completely wrong with Lebron. If he had stayed in Cleveland, he would have been seeking personal greatness. He would have wanted to be the best player in the game's history, and never left a doubt that he was the best player on the court.
By moving to Miami, he showed that he would rather have success with a team by trying to win championships. Although both obviously have traces of selfishness, maybe Lebron is not on as high of a pedistool as I thought he sat himself upon. Obviously, he thinks highly of himself (his twitter name is @KingJames), but I've arrived at the conclusion that the confidence is what you need to be one of the best.
I don't know if I will be able to cheer for him, as Dwyane Wade is still the only image that appears in my head when I think of the Mavericks and the NBA Finals, but I think that I will eventually be able to redeem my membership in the Lebron James Fan Club.
That's all I've got on that subject, predictions for the playoffs are...
Although I can't stand all the "Thunder Up!" tweets and shirts I see in Oklahoma, I think Durant will pull out this series against Memphis, but it will go to seven games. I have to agree with Barkley when he spoke on the situation in Oklahoma City and think that Durant should simply stand up in the locker room, look Westbrook in the eye, and say "If you, or anyone else shoot the ball without it touching my hands, I'm going to beat the mess out of you."
But unfortunately, the run ends in the conference finals. Sorry Westbrook. Kidd, Barea, and Terry make your 40 shots a game look arrogant, and the Mavs win in 5 games.
In the East, it will be the Heat and the Bulls. In a total unbiased opinion, I think that the Bulls will pull it out. I think Chicago's back court will be enough to cancel out Lebron, and Rose can cover Wade, but the real win will come out of Chicago's front court, which will expose Chris Bosh's inability to play the game of basketball. But it still will be an exciting series, with the Bulls winning in 6.
Finals
All superstition and bias aside, Mavs in 6. The guards will keep Rose in check, and Dallas has enough in the paint to keep him from driving and dishing like he has done all year. Combine that with Dirk playing out of his mind, and solid contributions from Jason Terry and Jason Kidd, and I don't think Chicago can keep up.
Up Next: What is going on with the Rangers? How to fix the AL Champions.
Follow me on Twitter: @brendon_morris
AND the new Morris Sports Blog Twitter: @Morris_Sports
I was the kid who was up every saturday morning at the crack of dawn, clothed in nothing but underwear with my nose about a foot from the TV screen.
Now that you know that, and you know that most cartoons are based off of the typical "Good vs. Evil" trend, you know that I am an expert in that field.
The Good vs. Evil approach that most fans have taken with the Lebron James situation, the "Good" crowd being the ones that hate him, and the "Evil" crowd still liking him.
But with Lebron looking like he has a legitimate shot at winning a ring for the first time in his career, I felt as if I needed to evaluate the situation again, and think through my feelings on "The Decision."
Now, for length's sake, I'm going to pretend that Lebron only had two choices, to stay in Cleveland or go to Miami.
What if he had stayed in Cleveland?
Lebron in Cleveland was a perfect fit. A city that I consider small-market with a hometown hero that took over every game that he played in. Cleveland hasn't had a championship since... Well, I don't want to take my shoes off to count that high, but it has been awhile. If Lebron had somehow crowned the Cavaliers, he would have been thought of as a savior in Ohio, and in my mind would have put himself JUST behind Jordan with one Finals win.
Yes, I said it. He would have been up with Jordan. I recognize that Jordan had more rings than one hand could hold, but he had Pippen, Rodman, Paxson, etc. Lebron had... Zydrunas Ilgauskas? The thing that is even more sad than that, Cavalier management never even showed a hint of a sign in helping to get him more help. If Lebron had just ONE above average player in Cleveland with him during his tenure, I guarantee he would have had one ring by now, if not more.
But he chose the latter of the two, going to Miami
In the beginning, I lost all respect for Lebron. I banished him to the dark corner of the NBA with other players I can't stand: Chris Andersen, Tracy McGrady, and the entire Golden State Warriors squad from when they beat the Mavs in the first round a few years ago... That's all I have to say about that.
But now that I think about it, maybe I was completely wrong with Lebron. If he had stayed in Cleveland, he would have been seeking personal greatness. He would have wanted to be the best player in the game's history, and never left a doubt that he was the best player on the court.
By moving to Miami, he showed that he would rather have success with a team by trying to win championships. Although both obviously have traces of selfishness, maybe Lebron is not on as high of a pedistool as I thought he sat himself upon. Obviously, he thinks highly of himself (his twitter name is @KingJames), but I've arrived at the conclusion that the confidence is what you need to be one of the best.
I don't know if I will be able to cheer for him, as Dwyane Wade is still the only image that appears in my head when I think of the Mavericks and the NBA Finals, but I think that I will eventually be able to redeem my membership in the Lebron James Fan Club.
That's all I've got on that subject, predictions for the playoffs are...
Although I can't stand all the "Thunder Up!" tweets and shirts I see in Oklahoma, I think Durant will pull out this series against Memphis, but it will go to seven games. I have to agree with Barkley when he spoke on the situation in Oklahoma City and think that Durant should simply stand up in the locker room, look Westbrook in the eye, and say "If you, or anyone else shoot the ball without it touching my hands, I'm going to beat the mess out of you."
But unfortunately, the run ends in the conference finals. Sorry Westbrook. Kidd, Barea, and Terry make your 40 shots a game look arrogant, and the Mavs win in 5 games.
In the East, it will be the Heat and the Bulls. In a total unbiased opinion, I think that the Bulls will pull it out. I think Chicago's back court will be enough to cancel out Lebron, and Rose can cover Wade, but the real win will come out of Chicago's front court, which will expose Chris Bosh's inability to play the game of basketball. But it still will be an exciting series, with the Bulls winning in 6.
Finals
All superstition and bias aside, Mavs in 6. The guards will keep Rose in check, and Dallas has enough in the paint to keep him from driving and dishing like he has done all year. Combine that with Dirk playing out of his mind, and solid contributions from Jason Terry and Jason Kidd, and I don't think Chicago can keep up.
Up Next: What is going on with the Rangers? How to fix the AL Champions.
Follow me on Twitter: @brendon_morris
AND the new Morris Sports Blog Twitter: @Morris_Sports
Monday, April 11, 2011
A Role Model or Good For The Sport?
One of my favorite places in the world (besides a seat at the Ranger game) is sitting by the pool at my dad's house. Something about the water, the sun, and the Texas country music that is always playing usually has the makings for a perfect day.
In the latest chapter of pool hangouts, dad and I were talking about the Masters. Watching golf has never been one of my interests, but golf to my dad is like baseball to me. He absolutely loves it.
Even though I don't watch it much, my favorite golfers have always been Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. If I had to guess, I'd probably have to say those two are near the top of my dad's list as well.
As we sat out by the pool, he started talking about Tiger, a golfer who has a crazy amount of controversy that will probably surround him until the end of his career. Most of the talk was about his game, but my dad said something that would stick out to me a few hours later.
"I don't care about his personal life. Everyone has their weird things in their life, the fact is that the sport needs Tiger to win again."
Fast forward a few hours. I was heading back to Stillwater, listening to the Rangers double-header with Baltimore when it hit me.
Is Josh Hamilton in the same boat as Tiger Woods?
Both have a pretty recent controversial past; Hamilton's being more documented than Tiger's, but both have it nonetheless.
But as I listened to the play by play of Colby Lewis throwing batting practice to the Orioles lineup, I quickly came up with a solution that calmed me down a little bit.
The difference between Hamilton and Woods is that Hamilton isn't ashamed.
But obviously, anyone would love to erase drug and alcohol abuse from their past, and I'm sure Hamilton is the same way. But the difference is that Hamilton has always been open about his faults, while Woods has never wanted to talk about it.
Hamilton's character and strength with the subject is something that even a rival has to respect. He's never once tried to hide any of his past, and has instead worked with multiple people on getting out of the same hole he was stuck in.
Maybe that's why I have always been happy about "The Great Hambino" being a usual sight in the Ranger outfield. Maybe that's why Hamilton gets mostly positive a positive reception from fans on the road (as seen here ).
And to reinforce my opinion, I can honestly say that Hamilton has been one of my favorite players long before he ever hit the record 28 home runs in the 2008 Home Run Derby. Ever since he came to Texas, I've been a fan.
Who knows what the real reason for that is, maybe I'm a no good bandwagoner of good players, scooping them up as often as alcohol abuse is shown on ESPN. Maybe I'm just glad he's doing well, and as soon as he falls off I'll despise him like Boston fans and Manny Ramirez.
I doubt it. I believe that even if, heaven forbid, Hamilton ever takes up residence in the Yankee dugout, I'll still be a fan.
All in all, I see it this way: Tiger Woods can enjoy his "First-Class Plane" attitude and his trophy case. I'll take the "Regular Guy" attitude of Josh Hamilton any day.
And Mr. Hamilton, if you're somehow reading this, you're always welcome next to the pool with me and Dad. I just hope you like Texas country music.
In the latest chapter of pool hangouts, dad and I were talking about the Masters. Watching golf has never been one of my interests, but golf to my dad is like baseball to me. He absolutely loves it.
Even though I don't watch it much, my favorite golfers have always been Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. If I had to guess, I'd probably have to say those two are near the top of my dad's list as well.
As we sat out by the pool, he started talking about Tiger, a golfer who has a crazy amount of controversy that will probably surround him until the end of his career. Most of the talk was about his game, but my dad said something that would stick out to me a few hours later.
"I don't care about his personal life. Everyone has their weird things in their life, the fact is that the sport needs Tiger to win again."
Fast forward a few hours. I was heading back to Stillwater, listening to the Rangers double-header with Baltimore when it hit me.
Is Josh Hamilton in the same boat as Tiger Woods?
Both have a pretty recent controversial past; Hamilton's being more documented than Tiger's, but both have it nonetheless.
But as I listened to the play by play of Colby Lewis throwing batting practice to the Orioles lineup, I quickly came up with a solution that calmed me down a little bit.
The difference between Hamilton and Woods is that Hamilton isn't ashamed.
But obviously, anyone would love to erase drug and alcohol abuse from their past, and I'm sure Hamilton is the same way. But the difference is that Hamilton has always been open about his faults, while Woods has never wanted to talk about it.
Hamilton's character and strength with the subject is something that even a rival has to respect. He's never once tried to hide any of his past, and has instead worked with multiple people on getting out of the same hole he was stuck in.
Maybe that's why I have always been happy about "The Great Hambino" being a usual sight in the Ranger outfield. Maybe that's why Hamilton gets mostly positive a positive reception from fans on the road (as seen here ).
And to reinforce my opinion, I can honestly say that Hamilton has been one of my favorite players long before he ever hit the record 28 home runs in the 2008 Home Run Derby. Ever since he came to Texas, I've been a fan.
Who knows what the real reason for that is, maybe I'm a no good bandwagoner of good players, scooping them up as often as alcohol abuse is shown on ESPN. Maybe I'm just glad he's doing well, and as soon as he falls off I'll despise him like Boston fans and Manny Ramirez.
I doubt it. I believe that even if, heaven forbid, Hamilton ever takes up residence in the Yankee dugout, I'll still be a fan.
All in all, I see it this way: Tiger Woods can enjoy his "First-Class Plane" attitude and his trophy case. I'll take the "Regular Guy" attitude of Josh Hamilton any day.
And Mr. Hamilton, if you're somehow reading this, you're always welcome next to the pool with me and Dad. I just hope you like Texas country music.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Chuck Morgan's Voice; The Most Welcomed Sound Of Spring
Random beginning: For those of you who don't know, Chuck Morgan is the Stadium Announcer for the Texas Rangers, and also holds the job that I could only wish to do one day.
But that's beside the point. What IS important is that Chuck Morgan's voice is blaring through my television once again, which only means one thing. I will use the phrase that Morgan has coined over the years to let you know what that thing is: "It's Baseball Time In Texas!"
It is indeed time. I'm done listening to baseball games on my MLB At Bat app on my phone and not caring what the final score is. That's all over, and now it means something.
After one game in the book, you have to wonder what the players and coaches are thinking.
"All we have to do is do that 161 more times."
I doubt that's what is on their mind, but the beautiful thing about this blog is that I can at least tell you what's on mine.
Number 1: Mike Napoli
Napoli's performance was impressive to say the least. Obviously, his 2-3 opening day that also had him dropping a 3 RBI bomb to left field was awesome, but with a lineup that not only may be the strongest in the American League, but may be the best in the entire league, what is important is what ninety percent of the fans probably didn't see.
I'm pretty sure there were two, if not three, grounders that came Napoli's way that he fielded beautifully, all the while showing some incredible range. On top of that, there wasn't a single moment where I was worried about his fielding on throws, and he even dug out a terrible throw from across the infield twice, which I can assure you as a former first baseman, is the hardest thing to do.
Number 2: CJ Wilson
All year, the knock on the Rangers will be their starting rotation. Every other team in their division took steps forward in the category, while the Rangers took a step back in losing Cliff Lee. I'm excited to see Brandon Webb, and hopefully watch his comeback season go great. I'm excited to see Tommy Hunter once he gets over this injury. I'm just still not convinced with this rotation, that obviously killed the Rangers in the World Series this past fall.
With that being said, all last year the rotation had an elastic feel to them. Whenever they'd get down, they'd bounce right back and recover quickly. CJ showed that characteristic again yesterday. After a rough first inning in which his defense didn't help him out, he bounced back and held a tough Red Sox lineup in check, which is all the Rangers needed to grab a win. If the pitching staff can give up 5 runs and still grab a semi-comfortable win, then it will be a great year.
Number 3: The Fan Base
The crowd was electric yesterday, and I could even tell that by watching on TV. What's even more important than that, there is another sellout for the second game of the year... Last year the attendance dropped from 95% full on opening day to 65% for game 2, but in both of the first two games this year, they're at 97%. In my mind, the greatest crowd to ever gather at the Ballpark was when I went to Game 2 of the ALCS last year. Even when I watched the World Series on tv, I still don't think they were anywhere near the passion the crowd had for Game 2. Yesterday was close though, the fans were going crazy and very into the game, which is exactly what you need after a year like last year.
What that does is not only give the players even more confidence in their game then they already have, but it also gives someone else confidence. If you look back to one of my earlier posts about Bandwagon fans, you will get the full jist of what I'm talking about here. More fans means more money, more money means more payroll, more payroll means better players. It's an easy math equation that even I understand, and I barely passed algebra. As much as it kills me that I couldn't get tickets to Opening Day, I know that those fans are boosting the team in more ways than just one, so I'll make myself comfortable in my recliner and enjoy the air conditioning until I can get back for a game.
That's all I've got, and just in time because I'm missing the game!
Go Rangers, Pokes, and UCONN HUSKIES!
But that's beside the point. What IS important is that Chuck Morgan's voice is blaring through my television once again, which only means one thing. I will use the phrase that Morgan has coined over the years to let you know what that thing is: "It's Baseball Time In Texas!"
It is indeed time. I'm done listening to baseball games on my MLB At Bat app on my phone and not caring what the final score is. That's all over, and now it means something.
After one game in the book, you have to wonder what the players and coaches are thinking.
"All we have to do is do that 161 more times."
I doubt that's what is on their mind, but the beautiful thing about this blog is that I can at least tell you what's on mine.
Number 1: Mike Napoli
Napoli's performance was impressive to say the least. Obviously, his 2-3 opening day that also had him dropping a 3 RBI bomb to left field was awesome, but with a lineup that not only may be the strongest in the American League, but may be the best in the entire league, what is important is what ninety percent of the fans probably didn't see.
I'm pretty sure there were two, if not three, grounders that came Napoli's way that he fielded beautifully, all the while showing some incredible range. On top of that, there wasn't a single moment where I was worried about his fielding on throws, and he even dug out a terrible throw from across the infield twice, which I can assure you as a former first baseman, is the hardest thing to do.
Number 2: CJ Wilson
All year, the knock on the Rangers will be their starting rotation. Every other team in their division took steps forward in the category, while the Rangers took a step back in losing Cliff Lee. I'm excited to see Brandon Webb, and hopefully watch his comeback season go great. I'm excited to see Tommy Hunter once he gets over this injury. I'm just still not convinced with this rotation, that obviously killed the Rangers in the World Series this past fall.
With that being said, all last year the rotation had an elastic feel to them. Whenever they'd get down, they'd bounce right back and recover quickly. CJ showed that characteristic again yesterday. After a rough first inning in which his defense didn't help him out, he bounced back and held a tough Red Sox lineup in check, which is all the Rangers needed to grab a win. If the pitching staff can give up 5 runs and still grab a semi-comfortable win, then it will be a great year.
Number 3: The Fan Base
The crowd was electric yesterday, and I could even tell that by watching on TV. What's even more important than that, there is another sellout for the second game of the year... Last year the attendance dropped from 95% full on opening day to 65% for game 2, but in both of the first two games this year, they're at 97%. In my mind, the greatest crowd to ever gather at the Ballpark was when I went to Game 2 of the ALCS last year. Even when I watched the World Series on tv, I still don't think they were anywhere near the passion the crowd had for Game 2. Yesterday was close though, the fans were going crazy and very into the game, which is exactly what you need after a year like last year.
What that does is not only give the players even more confidence in their game then they already have, but it also gives someone else confidence. If you look back to one of my earlier posts about Bandwagon fans, you will get the full jist of what I'm talking about here. More fans means more money, more money means more payroll, more payroll means better players. It's an easy math equation that even I understand, and I barely passed algebra. As much as it kills me that I couldn't get tickets to Opening Day, I know that those fans are boosting the team in more ways than just one, so I'll make myself comfortable in my recliner and enjoy the air conditioning until I can get back for a game.
That's all I've got, and just in time because I'm missing the game!
Go Rangers, Pokes, and UCONN HUSKIES!
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