 |
|
SportsGumbo.net Newsletter
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
THIS WEEK’S BROADCASTING SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, 7PM-8PM: THE High School Sports Show (from Fox’s Pizza Den)
Internet: SportsGumbo.net Radio: The Score, 1210AM, BR—Jon Fine, Robbie
Harrison, Steve Johnson, Chris Ledoux
FRIDAY, 7PM: Denham Springs HS at Central HS Boys Basketball
Internet: SportsGumbo.net Radio: The Score,1210AM, BR—Jon Fine, Jim McChristian
MONDAY, 8AM-9AM: MONDAY MORNNING QUARTERBACK (sports talk show)
Internet: SportsGumbo.net
Radio: KKAY, 1590AM, River Parishes/Baton Rouge…ESPN, 1560AM, New Orleans..
KEZM, 1310AM, Lake Charles—Jon Fine, Olin Berthelot
TUESDAY, 7PM: Denham Springs HS vs. Walker HS Boys Basketball
Internet: SportsGumbo.net Radio: The Score,1210AM, BR—Jon Fine, Jim McChristian
|
|
THE WIZARDRY OF OS
By Scott Osborne, Color Commentator, Central HS Football, SportsGumbo.net
The national media has lost their collective minds. Consequently, until the Super Bowl is over I am boycotting all national media (and I used to listen to ESPN and Fox Sports Radio all the time in the car). I just could not handle how one sided and ludicrous their discussions had become pertaining to the game. Actually, I stand corrected because I have hardly heard anyone in the national media talk about the game. Here are the some of the “points” I have heard, and I will counter them.
National media person: The Saints only beat the Vikings because they got all the calls.
Counterpoint: How are 10 penalties on the Saints versus 2 on the Vikings going into overtime getting all the calls? The Vikings had two of their scoring drives extended by penalties.
National media person: The Saints will just be happy to be in the Super Bowl, and might not be motivated to win.
Counterpoint: The Saints did have more pressure just to get to the Super Bowl. But anyone who actually watched the NFC Championship (I am wondering if the media just tuned in for the end), would recognize that the Saints offense was very productive and got tight in the 4th quarter and overtime. I believe they underperformed because of how much the game meant. It would stand to reason that the Saints offense will perform better with less pressure. But to say, they are not going to get after it because they are just happy to be there is crazy. I do not remember hearing the same thing about the Cardinals last year.
National media person: Gregg Williams is a wuss for “calling” out the Colts offense, and his comments were not appropriate.
Counterpoint: First of all, it is called a metaphor! Second, Rex Ryan has been praised for how open and honest (outlandish) he is with the media. Apparently, he is the only person with that privilege. Furthermore, it would be one thing if Gregg Williams’s comments were unsolicited, but he was asked how to stop the Colts. Peyton Manning is being praised as the greatest of all time. Only a buffoon would not think the key to slowing down the Colts is getting to Manning some way some how (whatever it takes).
National media person: The Colts are superior to the Saints based on their accomplishments this year.
Counterpoint: Both teams started 13-0. The Saints blew out their first playoff opponent (the #4 seed) as did the Colts (the #6 seed). In the championship game, the Saints had to play the #2 seed who most considered the 3rd best team in the NFL. The Colts played the 5th seed in the AFC, who started a rookie quarterback, and who got in the playoffs mostly because the last 2 teams they played did not try to win,. Whose accomplishment is more impressive? I am not sure, but it should at least be a discussion.
I could keep going, but here is my point. The Colts are great. The Saints are great. The Colts offense is very good, but the running game is suspect. The Saints are the top offense in the league. Peyton Manning and Drew Brees might be the best two quarterbacks in the NFL (finished 1 and 2 for MVP). The Saints defense is a high risk/reward defense. The Colts defense has some strengths, weaknesses as well. Both teams are well coached. There are a lot of very interesting aspects to THE GAME! Shouldn’t this be one of the more entertaining Super Bowls? Both teams started 13-0! There should at least be debate about the football. And, not debate about Peyton Manning being the greatest quarterback ever (save that for the off season). There should be back and forth about Colts versus Saints.
In addition, there are other great storylines. The Buddy D parade (men in dresses) should have been covered nationally. In the end, I am very appreciative of the internet and local radio. These days the videos on YouTube are better researched, more interesting, and more creative than the national media’s coverage.
As for me, hopefully I can get one more prediction correct. Give me the Saints by 4. Who Dat!
________________________________________________________________________
FINE IDEAS
By Jon Fine, Producer, SportsGumbo.net
The antithesis of Saints Football—2009 season? LSU Basketball—2009-10 season.
I’ve heard and read a number of explanations of why the Tigers have performed so poorly this year (9-12, 0-7 in SEC, 7 straight losses, 5 by double figures): youth, inexperience, lack of depth, 8 scholarship players, injuries, loss of so much talent/experience from last year’s team, not enough talent to accompany “The Big 3”, slim pickings available in last year’s recruiting class, saving scholarships for the 2010 recruiting class, the low APR (player graduation ranking) inherited from the prior staff.
Very rarely is the real reason expressed why LSU basketball is abysmal this season. It’s real simple. LSU has a pronounced lack of talented basketball players.
Tasmin Mitchell is a wonderful player. He’s multi-faceted—could probably play all 5 positions on the floor. He’s very unselfish. He’s done a nice job assuming a leadership role. He’s a great kid (People just rave about him in his home town of Denham Springs.)
He has a tremendous work ethic. He will be a strong candidate (with Jarvis Varnado of Mississippi State, Patrick Patterson of Kentucky, DeMarcus Cousins of Kentucky and a few others) to join John Wall of Kentucky and Devan Downey of South Carolina on the All SEC team. He is only 1 player.
To say LSU has a Big 3—one writer claimed prior to SEC play that any team in the SEC would be happy to have Mitchell, Bo Spencer and Storm Warren as their top 3 players—is ridiculous. Mitchell, sure. Warren, at this stage of his development, might be a strong rebounder coming off the bench, as a role player, for many SEC teams. I’m not sure if Bo Spencer could make the rotation of any of the other SEC clubs.—He is not a creator as a point guard and turns the ball over way too much. Spencer, at times, can be an offensive threat at the 2-guard. Yet, he is way too inconsistent and at 6’2” (?, his listing) is very small to be a starting SEC off-guard.
The rest of the team? If you had a selection of the best Intramural basketball players on campus, put them with some of the football/basketball HS stars that are on LSU’s football team, took the best 5 and gave them a month of coaching, they would beat a team comprised of the other players on the LSU team.
In all fairness to Aaron Dotson and Eddie Ludwig, they are true freshmen. Sometimes it does take time to develop on the “next level”. Dotson has been somewhat hampered by injuries and was fairly highly touted out of high school. Yet, in this day an age, players of Dotson’s high school credentials are supposed to make an immediate impact in college. Along those lines, Dotson has, so far, been a major disappointment. Dennis Harris could be a late bloomer.—There’s some athleticism there. Chris Bass sees the floor fairly well, but is tiny. Maybe, a big maybe, with much better supporting players, he could be an effective SEC point guard.—He showed some signs of such as a freshman last year.
Maybe the best player at LSU outside of “The Big 3”? Head coach Trent Johnson. And he’s in his early 50s. Now, if you could team Johnson with LSU Women’s assistant Travis Mays and “The Big 3”, maybe you could win a game or 2 in the SEC.
My writing style is usually ripe (or is that ridden) with hyperbole. Yes, there are some elements of exaggeration in the above, particularly in the last paragraph. But, LSU basketball talent is really that bad. And, it’s not unforeseen. Although not discussed in SportsGumbo.net Newsletter, this was a major topic on our radio show prior to the season. And, as many people will testify, I’m no sports genius!
So, how did it get so bad? Horrible recruiting during Johnson’s tenure.
--In a certain sense, Johnson gets a mulligan for his first class. He came in late, replacing the fired John Brady well after the 2007-2008 season. Yet, you would think that he could do much better than a role player in Warren and very little else. A goodly portion of the blame rests with LSU. Why it took about 2 months after John Brady was fired to hire Johnson is inexcusable.
--A redshirt season. This sports terminology normally applies to a player who sits out a season at a university, but is on scholarship. Here, it applies to Johnson for the class of 2009. You had so much to sell last year. First and foremost: PT.—playing time.
Only 2 rotation players returned from last year. One of them, Spencer, could have/should have been unseated by a “stud” incoming freshman. Secondly, you had a Tiger team that received all sorts of national publicity: 27 wins, SEC regular season champion, up by 5 in the second half against eventual national champion North Carolina in the second round of the NCAAs—by far the closest anyone played the Tar Heels in their championship run, a premier player in Marcus Thornton. And all you can recruit is (so far a) major disappointment in Dotson and no one else who presently contributes?
Holding scholarships for next year? Unless there is some sort of probation that limits your overall scholarships and you have some studs lined up for the following year, this is
nonsensical.
APR? So, you mean you can’t get 3 or 4 kids who can play basketball and stay eligible?
Ironically enough, this is not a Stanford—Johnson’s last coaching position—we’re talking about.
--The local gene pool running out. If you look at the great players that made LSU basketball an intermittent success story this past decade, much of it can be attributed to some major home-grown talent. Look at last year’s team: Mitchell (Denham Springs, right outside Baton Rouge), Thornton (from Baton Rouge), Garrett Temple (Baton Rouge). Others from the immediate past include Baton Rouge’s Brandon Bass, Glen Davis and Tyrus Thomas. This was an anomaly. Certainly, there’ve been great players in the past to come out of the capital city. Yet, the level of talent and great numbers that we’ve seen emerge in the last 6 years is, I believe, unprecedented.
Certainly give credit to Brady and assistant Butch Pierre for convincing this talent to stay at home. Just because a city produces a great player doesn’t mean he’s going to State U. Yet, it definitely gives you a major home-field recruiting advantage—one which Johnson did not have the benefit of, which Brady did.
--LSU is a football school. That’s not to say that basketball is totally neglected. It’s just not a major priority like LSU football. In fact, one could reasonably argue that it is third on the depth chart, trailing LSU Baseball too. The top-notch commitment to win and win big in LSU Basketball is not there from the LSU administration. (Major example: How many years did it take LSU to get Top 5 football facilities after Nick Saban arrived? Answer: A number slightly larger in years than the amount of time in decades that LSU’s Basketball facilities have been antiquated.)
It’s harder to win, consistently, at LSU. It’s much easier to re-load at your North Carolinas, Dukes, U Conns, Indianas (oops, doesn’t apply at present, but, mark my words—they’ll be a Top 10 program within the next 5 years), Kentuckys, Lousvilles. Notice anything about all these programs? They struggle in football for the most part. Why? They’re basketball schools. It’s much harder for them to win in football.
Can you win in basketball at a football school? Yes. Consistently? Very, very difficult. Texas and Oklahoma might be 2 examples of programs that can excel at both on somewhat of a sustained basis. Ohio State, Florida maybe. I think that’s about it.
This is not to excuse Johnson for what has happened with LSU recruiting the last 2 years.
It is, however, very much an understated factor.
--Fans just don’t care. Because football is so culturally ingrained down on the Bayou, it’s a lot easier to have a big tailgate party for LSU football than LSU basketball, or inherent prejudice amongst a portion of LSU fans (Whether subtle--“Basketball is too much one-on-one—street-ball” to moderate--“LSU needs more white players on their team” to the David Duke mentality--I have no interest in that Nigger ball”, I’ve heard this from LSU sports fans throughout the years. A majority of fans? No. A substantial amount? Yes.), TigerBaitors just don’t have the passion for LSU Basketball…unless the biggest obstacle is overcome. And, this biggest hurdle? LSU basketball does not win consistently. When Dale Brown’s Tigers made 2 Final 4’s and 2 Elite 8’s within an 8-year period of time (’80-’87), when Shaq and CJ (now MAR?) were rocking the house a few years later, LSU basketball was really, really big. Since then, support has been erratic at best.
In football at LSU, there is only a moderate correlation between winning and attendance/fan interest. In basketball, winning is everything if you want to sustain fan interest.
If fans cared (to clarify, I’m talking about fans on a per-capita basis), it becomes easier to recruit. Plus, I don’t believe that in the major spot-light, Johnson could take a redshirt year in recruiting, especially after a meager yield in his first recruiting class. This would be unacceptable in basketball hotbeds.
So, how do you extricate yourself from the mess that is LSU basketball? The obvious answer is to recruit much better players.
A start possibly took place with the early signing class of 2010. Led by (Rivals.Com) Top 150 players, (#71) Matt Derenbecker , (#93) Andre Stringer and (#144) Ralston Turner, LSU signed 4 players and is ranked by many as having a Top 20 class. Although there is no one I’d consider a “blue chipper” in this class, it is a major step up from the prior 2 classes. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that this class is somewhat overrated. Many of the top players in the country did not sign in the early period. LSU is not on the list of any of these players. When these players do commit elsewhere in the next couple of months or sign with other schools in the second signing period, it will elevate the ranking of their classes, while LSUs will descend. For example, Rivals had LSU as #18 in the late fall. Two weeks ago, that ranking fell to #20. It should further decline.
Important note: Recruiting rankings are not the gospel by any stretch of the imagination. Yet, all things being equal, the championship caliber teams generally have championship caliber recruiting classes. You’re much better with 5 star recruits than 1 or 2 stars. According to Rivals, Derenbecker and Stringer are 4-stars, Turner is a 3-star recruit. LSU signee Jalen Courtney is also a 3-star prospect.
Better yet, long-term, there are a lot of positives for Johnson to work with:
--Playing time: If they live up to expectations, unless there is an unforeseen monumental improvement amongst the returning LSU players, all 4 recruits should be in the rotation next year, with 3, possibly 4 starters. Warren should start. That might be the only guaranteed starter from this year’s roster. Let’s hope so. If not, it means that LSU is in a lot of trouble. Or, it means Johnson has adopted the Les Miles philosophy of (not) playing Freshmen.. There will be plenty of more room for players in subsequent classes to get playing time, if not start.—Remember, there is no big-time stud in this upcoming year’s class.
--Hooping in the SEC. No, the SEC is not the Big East. But, who is?
SEC Basketball is still big-time. After playing time, kids want exposure. They want a chance to be on television. Playing in the SEC affords kids with this opportunity.
--LSU to the League: Last, but not least, virtually every kid recruited to a big-time university dreams of playing in the NBA. Well, we’ve seen numerous LSU players advance to the NBA in the last decade. Glen Davis, Tyrus Thomas and Marcus Thornton all start or play prominent roles on their teams. (Brandon Bass sits in obscurity in Orlando for some reason.) Oh yes, that Shaq fellow is still around, dancing and prancing with LeBron in Cleveland. Plus, see below for a list of other players that Johnson has coached who have played/who play in the NBA.
(An interesting ironic note that has no relevance to present recruiting: Long-term, 3 of the top 50 players in the history of the league hail from LSU: Bob Pettit, Shaq and (an overrated) Pete Maravich. Give me a list of top 50 NFL players and no one from LSU would make most lists.--Jim Taylor and Steve Van Buren would be on the outskirts of most lists. Top 50 in major league baseball history?—No one close from LSU. Top 500 Honorable Mention might include Alvin Dark, Joe Adcock and Albert Belle.)
--There are some incredible players from Louisiana that are playing high school basketball. Most of them are sophomores or younger. Several come from New Orleans or the New Orleans area. LSU has been spotty in WhoDatsVille (can I use that Mr. Goodell ?). See Greg Monroe at Georgetown as a recent example. Yet, LSU, 60 miles away, should have a better shot than most in recruiting this talent. Again, it is 2+ years away.
--Trent Johnson as a coach. He is a proven winner. He built a Nevada program. Johnson sustained a successful Stanford program, a commendable task. He has produced a number of standout college players who all had at least a cup of coffee in the NBA. They include: Kirk Snyder and Nick Fazekas (both from Nevada) and Stanford twins Brook and Robin Lopez. With talent (see LSU: 2008-2009), he has shown he can win big.
He appears to do things the right way. There is not a sniff of scandal or probation surrounding his programs. The thing you hear most often about Johnson is that he does things “the right way”. He’s an intense competitor, a basketball junkie.
He’s an African-American head coach, who, if he is to win big, will need to recruit largely African-American talent, often from the inner city. Statistically, most standout college basketball players are men of color. This can only be advantageous. (Interestingly enough, 2 of his recruits, Ludwig and Derenbecker are white…as are most of his walk-ons that are getting way too much playing time for a team in the SEC!)
So, Who Dat Sey Dey Gonna Beat Them Saints? The answer can only be one team: Indianapolis. Who Dat Sey Dey Gonna Beat LSU Basketball? In the SEC, the answer so far this year is: Everybody. Why? LSU, outside of Mr. Mitchell, has no talent. Mr. Johnson, we can only hope you can change that by continuing to bolster recruiting, or your program will continue to struggle, the LSU fandom will continue to dwindle, and you’ll be ex-LSU coach Trent Johnson.
************************************************************************
I’m so disillusioned with the NFL: price of Super Bowl tickets, limited amount made available to Saints fans, Archie Bunker getting credit for the Saints success, and the unfathomable Who Dat fiasco, I will devote hardly any time to the Super Bowl. Please see THE WIZARDRY OF OS above for Scott Osborne’s take on the Who Dats.
The Colts will win unless the Saints knock out Peyton Manning. They almost KO’d Kurt Warner, came close with Brett Favre, they need to take down—for the count—Home Boy Peyton. He’s too good. Other factors: The Colts defense is underrated. The Saints have never been here before—that could be real important. Who Dat?—Hoosier Dat.
This is good news for Saints fans, joyous news in fact. Historically, I’m about 20% correct when predicting the outcome of games!
________________________________________________________________________
HEY REF
By Dennis Dearie, Veteran Louisiana High School Referee
If my editor will allow me, I’d like to take this week’s column to address a comment that was made to me during a visit to my local “Wally-World”. I’ve always been told to “consider the source” when someone says something that doesn’t sit too well with you. Most of what was said we could both agree, to some extent, as to the causes and effect on a particular subject. But then came the statement of how “low the quality of today’s sport’s officials has sunk”. Trying to stay cool and cordial, I did agree in part that there has been a decline with the individuals calling today’s local high school games. While my friend couldn’t believe that I agreed with him we couldn’t find common ground as to the reasons “WHY”? Now I know many of my fellow officials will be upset with me not only for saying this but to actually put it in print. I’m sorry if I hurt some feelings but I’m from the old school and I always “call ‘em like I see ‘em”. Back when I started my officiating carrier, 1979, my mentors instilled upon me the mind-set that it’s (officiating) a JOB, first and above everything else. That we’re there to WORK the games and not the other way around. No one pays to watch us officiate! I made the point that its much easier to sit back and criticize those individuals on the field making split second decisions compared to the guy sitting back in his Lazy Boy, sipping suds and watching replay after replay in super slow motion. Being able to grab the remote and have the opportunity to watch a play or plays from six or seven different camera angles and frame by frame. Just isn’t what I call a guy that can handle a challenge. And that’s where I believe much of the blame lies. To bring the level and quality of officials back up to speed its going to take more individuals getting out of the stands, off their collective butts and down on the fields and courts. Some of the best candidates and/or prospective officials are sitting down with their favorite drink of choice and taking the easy way out. I ended our “talk” by saying “you can’t expect the quality of your local officials to be exceptional and of the highest quality without more involvement from the fans of each sport getting involved”. That’s one of the main reasons for the decline of today’s officials. The stands and bars are full of the greatest talent available to the officiating profession. But the lack of personal responsibility will continue to strain those associations attempting to recruit the very best candidates. I guess it’s true; those that can’t handle the heat stay out of the kitchen. Hey, it’s only the integrity of the games/sports that are suffering. Some of those enjoying the ride need to get off the couch and help pull the wagon! Till next week when we’ll get back to what’s of interest of you, the fan, let me remind everyone to send in your questions to HeyRef@SportsGumbo.net.
________________________________________________________________________
SPORTSGUMBO.NET NEWSLETTER, DENHAM SPRINGS HS AND CENTRAL HS BROADCASTS, THE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS SHOW AND MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK ARE A JON FINE SPORTS PRODUCTION. FOR MORE INFO, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.SPORTSGUMBO.NET. PRIOR EDITIONS OF SPORTSGUMBO.NET NEWSLETTER CAN BE ARCHIVED AT WWW.SPORTSGUMBO.NET.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Posted by: admin on Thursday, February 04, 2010 - 10:08 AM
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
