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Pro Sports Wrap - by Sam Ruesler

A.J. Smith on hot seat

December 4th 2011 15:16
I wrote up a player profile on Nnamdi Asomugha a few days ago, and Nnamdi might be suffering from a concussion that was sustained in the second quarter of Thursday's game. The Eagles are hoping that he will recover before the team takes on the Miami Dolphins next week. Asomugha landed awkwardly and hit Seahawks wide receiver Mike Williams with his head, and Nnamdi is already suffering from a knee injury.


The healing process is moving ahead for Peyton Manning, and Dr. Robert Watkins said the surgery was a success; Manning will be able to increase the length and intensity of his workouts. The Colts have been vague about their plans for the future concerning Manning and a certain draft-bound quarterback.

Chargers GM A.J. Smith's job security is quite low right now, and he will likely be fired along with head coach Norv Turner. In fact, the Chargers will almost certainly fire their head coach who has been notorious for leading underperforming squads. The Chargers haven't quite made a decision on Smith's future, but there is more of a chance that he will be fired than the chances of him sticking around with the team in the future.


Cedric Benson's foot injury has been keeping him out of practice, but he is expected to play against the Steelers. Losing the consistent back would hurt the team, and Benson's style of running is a good counter-attack against the Steelers stout defense. The injury does not seem to be serious, so consider Benson to be good to go today.

Mike Martz used to work at Arizona State as their quarterbacks coach, receivers coach, and offensive coordinator before working with the Rams. Dennis Erickson was deservedly fired, and Martz's contract will run out after this season. Martz has expressed interested in a reunion with the team, and he actually turned down an extension from the Bears in the offseason.

There are rumblings that Rob Ryan will have head coaching offers next offseason, but Ryan will wisely remain focused on what he can control; this season. The Cowboys are currently the leaders in the NFC East, but it is true that Ryan will be a big candidate for a head coach position soon. He has been linked with a move to the Jaguars already, and Ryan has stated that he is prepared for the duties of being a head coach.

Before the Houston Texans went ahead and signed veteran Jake Delhomme, they expressed interest in former Jags quarterback David Garrard. However, it should be noted that pretty much every team who endured an injury to their starting quarterback contacted Garrard. But Garrard is still out with a back injury, and he is still a few weeks away from being fully healthy; he'll have to wait until the offseason until a team will sign him.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been awful on defense this season, and most of that has to do with their inability to tackle. Although safety Tanard Jackson's horrible technique has been the biggest culprit, the fact that the linebackers are playing as poorly as they are means that this is going to be a position of need next offseason. Mason Foster was a good find in the draft, but the overrated Quincy Black's ill-advised, hefty contract is starting to look that much worse. Black has been nothing short of poor this season, and fellow outside linebacker Geno Hayes has taken a step back in 2011.

Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is one of the best in the business, and teams with head coaching vacancies should definitely take a good look at Koetter. The Jaguars are in turmoil right now, but Koetter says that he isn't feeling the heat. It's obvious that the Jags aren't going to do anything with Koetter, because Blaine Gabbert's struggles- and I emphasize the word "struggles"- aren't his fault in the least.
GM and HC feeling the heat
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Duke Dominates Maui Invitational

November 24th 2011 16:00
Duke took down Kansas to win the Maui Invitational in a 68-61 win that was huge for them in many different ways. Duke showed that it doesn't need to be carried by stalwarts Austin Rivers and Seth Curry, as one of the Plumlees (Mason) had a huge game with 17 points and 12 boards. No. 6 Duke was able to overcome a great showing on the boards from No. 14 Kansas's star Thomas Robinson. The big man corralled 15 rebounds, although he did shoot just 6-15 (16 points).

The baffling stat-line award goes to Kansas star guard Tyshawn Taylor who had 11 turnovers and a team-high 17 points. Those 11 TOs were costly, and he had only one less turnover than Duke did the entire game. Taylor needs to be more consistent and had only four assists. The assists total is so low because of those putrid turnovers.

Tyler Thornton definitely had the clutch play of the game, as he hit a decisive three-pointer with about one minute left to put the game out of reach. It was a tough shot to say the least, and it seemed like Thornton could barely see the rim. However, that was the most clutch play of the game, and Thornton was valuable off the bench (21 minutes, 2-4 from the floor).

"It's a dream shot," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "People will say it's a lucky shot, but I'll say I'm lucky to have him on my team. Sometimes you're on a bus with a guy who deserves and for that moment we were on his bus. Thank goodness he knew how to drive it."

Ryan Kelly was tournament MVP, and he scored 17 points (but on 6-17 shooting). Duke won by seven points (their largest lead), but Kansas's largest lead was also seven points in a game that lived up to the hype. Although the scoreline doesn't look very close, the game really was.

Kansas shot better than Duke from the floor, but the difference maker was the fact that Duke was considerably better downtown. The shot from Thornton illustrated this, as Duke shot 44% from three-point land. Seth Curry, Andre Dawkins, and Thornton all hit at least half of their threes in this contest.

Center Jeff Withey had a surprisingly strong game, as his double-double (14 points and ten rebounds) was crucial for the Jayhawks. Withey also hit all six of his free throws and went 4-7 from the floor with a team-high two blocks. The Blue Devils were out-rebounded 32-27, outshot, and lost the battle at the charity stripe (Kansas shot 85% from the line). However, they hit more threes and forced more turnovers (Tyshawn Taylor).

At 7-0, Duke is already a formidable foe and will continue to improve as Austin Rivers gains more experience. UNC is the best team in college basketball right now, but Duke is right in the thick of it and will be even better once Rivers becomes more inconsistent. I can't wait for the next matchup at Tobacco Road.

Kansas looks better than I thought at the beginning of the season, and give some credit to Bill Self for that. The Jayhawks can never be counted out, but I don't know if they'll be a top ten team at the end of the season due to a lack of talent and an awful bench. In this game, the three players on their bench played a combined 30 minutes. All they ever did was commit seven fouls (five from Justin Wesley), miss a three (guard Conner Teahan), and turn the ball over (Naadir Tharpe). If they want to go deep in the tourney or get a top ten ranking, their bench will need to step up big-time. Either that, or Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson have to put together seasons worthy of John Wooden Award discussion.
Led the way with a double-double
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I continue my recent string of Jaguars-themed Historical Player Profiles with their former star quarterback; Mark Brunell. The now-bankrupt backup Jets quarterback is probably shaking his head at the team's most recent loss. The lefty has lost most of his former glory, so I'm just going to focus on his notable seasons with the Jags and Washington Redskins.

Brunell is currently in his 17th season, and the three time Pro Bowler was a 5th round pick in the 1993 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. The Seahawks made a mistake in taking highly-regarded Notre Dame product Rick Mirer instead of waiting for Brunell to tumble. The Packers already had their answer in Brett Favre, and Brunell and the Jaguars struck gold when he was traded for a 3rd and fifth rounder.

The greatest quarterback in team history, Brunell would be named to the '96,'97, and '99 Pro Bowls. He was simply sensational in 1996, as he led the league in passing yards (4,367) and also led the NFL with 7.8 yards per attempt. This was made all the more impressive when you consider he was sacked a league-leading 50 times. It was the best season of his career, and he even had a league-leading three fourth quarter comebacks to show for it. Despite the 63.4 completion percentage, Brunell did throw 20 picks that year.

A season later, Mark Brunell still made the Pro Bowl- and was the game's MVP- on the strength of just seven interceptions. He also averaged 7.6 air yards per attempt and had a 91.2 QB Rating.

A devout Christian who is known as one of the nicest players and best mentors in the league, Mark Brunell threw for under 3,000 yards in 1998 but came back in 1999 with 3,060 yards and another Pro Bowl appearance (the last one of his career). Only two percent of his passes were picked off, and Brunell had another solid season.

Two interesting statistical streaks emerge when looking at Brunell's career, and these are his six straight seasons of at least 200 passing yards per game (1996-2001) and his streak of eight consecutive seasons with a QB Rating of at least 82.0 (1995-2002). Brunell has a career AV of 120, a QB Rating of 84.0, 6.9 yards per attempt, and 22 game-winning drives. Pro-Football Reference's Fan EloRater has him as the 374th best player in NFL history as of November 9th.

Known as a good scrambler, Mark Brunell was dealt to the Washington Redskins after the 2003 season when Byron Leftwich was named the Jaguars new starting quarterback.

However, Brunell got off to an awful start with his new team in 2004. In 2005, he turned up the heat to the tune of an 85.9 QB Rating and was third in the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award voting. He came up big with two key touchdown passes in an MNF game against the 'Skins most hated rivals; the Dallas Cowboys. His two bombs to the elite Santana Moss in the final four minutes gave them an incredible 14-13 victory. Although they were knocked out in the playoffs, they were able to take down the Tampa Bay Bucs in the Wild Card game.

Brunell set the record for the most consecutive complete passes in a game (22) in a game against the Houston Texans in 2006. However, eight weeks later, David Carr tied that record. What makes this all the more interesting is the fact that those 22 passes were his first attempts of the game.

That game was the only high point of a poor season for Brunell, as he was surprisingly benched in favor of first round pick Jason Campbell. Although Campbell would go on to have a decent career- up until his unfortunate injury this season- many people believed that this was an imprudent move and that the usually classless Redskins made Mark Brunell their scapegoat.

The Whataburger owner and Madoff/Dykstra investor signed on with the New Orleans Saints to back up superstar QB and franchise savior Drew Brees. This turned out to be a great move for the holder, as he won a Super Bowl ring thanks to the prolific play of Brees under center in 2009. The former Ed Block Courage Award winner and "Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year did play a role as one of the main advisers to Drew Brees that season.

Mark Brunell signed a two-year deal with the New York Jets in 2010 to back up and mentor Mark Sanchez. Although a solid backup, Brunell was released after the 2010 season and was forced to take a reduced pay cut. He did, and Brunell has filed for bankruptcy since; mainly thanks to some ill-advised investments. It is a somewhat sad story, but at least he has that ring and those 11 Whataburgers won't be closing either.

Although Mark Brunell wasn't a great quarterback by any measure, he was a solid player and is a great person. Everybody will tell you that he is one of the best mentors around, and he is a very religious person whose attitude made him an ideal leader. The problem is that his life has been ridden with bad-luck, and it has costed him what would have certainly been a better career. However, Brunell was able to win a Super Bowl with the Saints and has had a nice 17-year career thus far.
108 AY/A-plus for his career



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In the last Football Talk column, I spent the majority of the article defending Tony Romo. Before I get into this piece, I want to say that the song "Innocence" by Disturbed is a great one to listen to if you are angered by the men who did nothing at Penn State. I can't believe six grown men completely ignored what happened, but I'll leave it at that without going on to a rant. As a PSU fan, I just don't want to talk about it. I also have a rap-related question for you all, and it concerns Big L's "Put It On". Is the dude with the Jamaican accent really Kid Capri? Thanks in advanced to those of you who will attempt to answer this baffling- to an idiot like me- question.

Eli Manning doesn't have Steve Smith anymore and has been playing with inexperienced receivers who are talented, but they aren't very good route-runners. Manning has been an MVP candidate thus far, because he has basically led his team to the top in the NFC East and led an amazing comeback to take down the Pats. Deja vu aside, Manning has the second highest air yards per attempt, and this is a testament to his elite play and downfield proficiency. In fact, Aaron Rodgers- perhaps the greatest quarterback of all-time by the end of his career- is the only player higher in AY/A with an insane 8.3. Yeah, you read that right; 8.3.

What makes Eli so special is his ability to play well under pressure- pass rushing and clutch play- and he can make basically any throw. The guy is one of the elite quarterbacks from a scouting perspective, it's just that he makes bad decisions from time to time. Or at least he used to. This season, Eli has dramatically cut down on his turnovers, and that makes him all that more dangerous when you look at his terrific arm strength and underrated accuracy.

This next subject has a lot to do with efficiency and other geeky concepts that may one day be well-known across the NFL; going deep is more efficient. We can all agree that yards per carry and yards per attempt are the basic efficiency statistics for running backs and quarterbacks alike, and the receiving equivalent of these two statistics is yards per target.

When looking at the top ten leaders in the NFL for yards per target in the 2010 season, I noticed that all but one of them had a Deep% over 30. This theme is still apparent when looking at the top 25 receivers in yards per target, and thus this makes YPT a flawed statistic due to this. However, it does tell us that offenses would be more efficient on a per play basis by going deep. Even when you factor in the chance for a turnover, it is still worth it because the increase is only a few percentage points. This pales in comparison to the consistent uptick in efficiency.

I'm not saying that teams should bomb it out there all the time, but I am saying that most teams are far too complacent. Just look at Aaron Rodgers and Packers, or even the aforementioned Eli Manning and the Giants passing attack.
Those comments were foreshadowing, huh? He's having as good of a season as Brady.

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To continue my NFL historical player profiles that take a look at some noteworthy former players, I take a stop to the Chicago Bears teams of the 80's to write about their quarterback; Jim McMahon.

The fifth overall pick by the Bears in the 1982 NFL Draft out of BYU, McMahon began slinging passes the year Mike Ditka became head coach of the Chicago Bears. In fact, the coach and injury-prone QB were known to have clashes. We all know the whole headband story when he wore a headband under his helmet that said "Rozelle" to irk then-commissioner Pete Rozelle
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1. Pujols injury update

Albert Pujols will be out for about six weeks with a fractured left wrist in a season filled with ups and downs for Puj. He sustained this injury after colliding with Wilson Betemit of the Royals in a baseball play gone wrong. The Cards have had to deal with many injuries this season to their stars. Matt Holliday has missed time, David Freese is still out, and Adam Wainwright has missed the entire season


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6/19 Daily Rundown: Crawford on DL

June 19th 2011 05:53
1. Hamstring Sends Crawford to DL

Carl Crawford was put on the 15-day DL for a minor hamstring injury. The injury happened in a 10-4 win over the Brewers, and the hamstring was viewed as a Grade 1 strain. The medical staff thought it would be best for him to rest up his hamstring. Crawford was injured after beating it out for an infield single


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2010 NCAAB PSW Player of the Year

April 6th 2011 15:28
Connecticut Point Guard Kemba Walker

Jimmer Fredette doesn't deserve this award. Jimmer is the best offensive player in the country, but he is a subpar passer that does nothing else but score. He is also one of the worst defensive players out there, and he doesn't even try at that half of the game. Kemba is ultra-clutch, and nobody has anywhere near the number of tough, crucial shots that Walker has hit this year. He is easily the National Player of the Year


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Kentucky Shooting Guard DeAndre Liggins

The official award went to Kenneth Faried, but my pick goes to DeAndre Liggins of Kentucky. He is a lock down defender that can also get boards, and that's a nice bonus from a guard. He is an unselfish player that leads by example and can also play at shooting guard


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2010 PSW NCAAB Coach of the Year

April 4th 2011 14:54
I already did my conference picks for the Big Six conferences, and it is time for me to unveil my major awards. I will name my Coach of the Year, Player of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year. These awards are only based on the regular season. I also released my three All-American teams earlier, so you might want to check those out. I am ready for a great finals matchup tonight against Butler and UConn. I have no idea who is going to win, and I am inching over to the Butler side. No matter how you look at it, this game is going to be one to keep tucked into your memory for the rest of your life.

Coach of the Year Louisville Rick Pitino


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Wow, it's come to this already. I am psyched. Butler is back and as good as ever, even without Gordon Hayward who was the team's best player on last year's squad. Shelvin Mack pushed Butler over VCU, and they find themselves facing the best player in college basketball. However, UConn is about more than just Kemba Walker. Jeremy Lamb, Shabazz Napier, and Alex Oriakhi are also solid players. Lamb is a great sidekick for Walker.

Brad Stevens and Jim Calhoun will be pitted against each other in a matchup that won't disappoint. It's Butler's stingy defense against Kemba's show. Connecticut was able to get by Kentucky, but Butler is going to be an even bigger challenge. For all the talk about Calhoun vs. Calipari, Butler have the youngest coach to ever get to 2 Final Four appearances. While Cal is better than Stevens, Stevens will find a great scheme to try and slow down Walker


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2010 PSW NCAAB Conference POYs

April 2nd 2011 13:57
It is time for me to unveil my picks for Conference Player of the Year for each of the Big Six conferences (Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, SEC, and PAC-10). After the National Championship, I will announce my Player of the Year. Are you fired up?

Big East Connecticut Point Guard Kemba Walker


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2010 NCAAB PSW All-Americans

April 1st 2011 19:10
First Team

PG Kemba Walker Connecticut


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2011 Final Four Previews

March 28th 2011 14:51
This is it my readers. It's the games we have been waiting for since the start of the college basketball season. Before the season started, who would have guessed that Butler would return to the Final Four, and VCU and UCONN would join them? Before the tournament began, who thought a First Four team that most people thought didn't deserve a bid would make it all the way to this point? Who though a team that barely made it past the Horizon League would put themselves into the Final Four? The answer to all of those above questions are "almost nobody". But that's what makes the tourney so exciting. You never know.

8 Butler and 11 VCU


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3/2011 Elite Eight Game Previews

March 27th 2011 13:39
1 Kansas and 11 VCU

It's up to Shaka Smart to find a way to make sure that his team doesn't become the second team from Richmond to get trounced by Kansas. Standing in his way are the Morris twins, Tyshawn Taylor, Josh Shelby, Thomas Robinson, and Brady Morningstar. Together, they have obliterated teams all season and have finally proven that they are the best


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2011 Sweet 16 Preview

March 22nd 2011 15:48
1 Ohio State and 4 Kentucky

Brandon Knight and Terence Jones are the two best players, but DeAndre Liggins is the guy to watch out for. Can he help close of the perimeter? The answer is no. Liggins is great, but OSU have too many shooters. Jared Sullinger will destroy UK down low. Kentucky will put up a fight- Cal is too good to go down without one- but OSU is just so darn good


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George Mason had what was probably the biggest Cinderella team in history. Villanova are a team that people make fun of because of their perennial collapses. Both teams will square off with one number between eachother (9 Nova, 8 George Mason). Villanova made it alive- albeit with some wounds- out of the ravenous Big East. George Mason had a less treacherous road to the NCAA Tourney as they are in the much less competitive- but still decent- CAA.

George Mason have been led by guard Cam Long, who is a solid shooter and the team's main source of buckets. He is also a good rebounder that plays tough defense. The latter will be much needed against a rugged Villanova team. After all, the guys from Philly hail from the bloody Big East. Big man Ryan Pearson is a steady source of points in the paint, and he is probably their best player. He also racks up the boards. Mike Morrison is George Mason's inside presence. Small forward Luke Hancock moves the ball around and shoots pretty well too. He can also get boards, and that's a testament to his versatility


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You know, it was only about a month ago when Tennessee's AD maintained that school icon Bruce Pearl was sticking around even amid allegations against him. Pearl is a great coach that has turned this program around over the years, and it seemed like Hamilton was definitely going to keep him as coach. The creamsicle jacket-wielding coach was a fan favorite, but the allegations are just stacking to the point where Tennessee Athletic Director Mike Hamilton just won't have a choice. However, he isn't going to fire him. Hamilton just isn't sure about Pearl's future with the team. In my opinion, they need to keep Pearl. Even though he made some pretty bad mistakes, he's still a great coach and means everything to this basketball team.

Former Kentucky coach Billy Gillespie is being interviewed by Texas Tech for the job. I would be surprised if Gillespie took their offer, considering he could get an offer from a better program given his pedigree. TT is a poor basketball program and is one of the many schools that have football as their chief concern. Gillespie is a solid coach that has great recruiting experience. Pat Knight was their former coach. If Texas Tech can snag Gillespie, this would be a huge win for their program. They might actually become competitive with Gillespie. I bet a deal is going to happen though. Even though Gillespie can get a better job, he fits Tech well. Besides, he might be able to recruit his way into the tournament. We'll see


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2011 Bracket Preview Round of 64

March 14th 2011 16:08
One Game Playoffs

University of Texas-San Antonio over Alabama State


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3/11: NCAAB Team Talk

March 11th 2011 16:04
Kemba Walker put up a crazy and amazing shot, as he has done all year, to win it for UConn. They beat my favorite team, Pittsburgh, but the Big East Player of the Year's team's victory doesn't make Pittsburgh any worse. Buzzer beaters are really unlucky for the opposing team, and I thought Pitt outplayed Connecticut during that game. Ashton Gibbs had 27, and he is an incredible scorer especially when you factor in his team's style and his conference's style.

Pittsburgh is one of the best rebounding teams in the nation, and they are the toughest. If people start to sleep on Pitt just because of this loss and the Louisville loss- and St. John's too, although that was due to more horrible officiating- they must be reminded that those teams are extremely difficult conference teams that barely survived right at the wire. Pitt isn't going to lose those kinds of games all the time, and they will definitely step it up in the tournament. Nasir Robinson is solid, Brad Wanamaker is the team's heart, Gary McGhee can defend, Gilbert Brown is a nice scoring option, and Dante Taylor is solid too. This is a deep team that is the third best team behind OSU and KU respectively


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