Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 338 of 1503)

      Big Ten to reveal alignment – Michigan, Ohio State split

      September 1, 2010 /

      While the conference has yet to make an official announcement, ESPN.com is reporting that the Big Ten will be split this way for the 2011-12 season:

      Division #1
      Michigan
      Nebraska
      Iowa
      Michigan State
      Northwestern
      Minnesota

      Division #2
      Ohio State
      Penn State
      Wisconsin
      Purdue
      Indiana
      Illinois

      There are always crossover games every year in conferences with two divisions and the Big Ten won’t be any different. Michigan and Ohio State will still play each other every season and with the way the divisions are set up, they have the opportunity to square off in the conference championship game too, if the Wolverines ever become relevant again, that is.

      The same goes for Wisconsin and Minnesota when they battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe every year.

      Some of the rivalries had to stay intact (i.e. Michigan and Michigan State for one example), and I think the conference decision makers did well with this realignment. There’s no question that there’s a sense of balance between the two divisions.

      College Football, External Sports

      Why would any team trade for Matt Leinart right now?

      September 1, 2010 /
      Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart stretches during warmups before a preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago on August 28, 2010. UPI/Brian Kersey Photo via Newscom

      Apparently nobody wants quarterback Matt Leinart.

      Well, that’s not true. The Cardinals, Giants, Raiders and Bills don’t want him. I’m just assuming nobody else does either – especially in his current state.

      This morning, there was a report released by ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the Bills, Raiders and Giants had discussed trading for Leinart, although it has been denied here, here, here, here, and here by various sources connected with those three teams.

      But whether or not Schefter’s report holds any water (normally they do), the question is: Why would any team trade for Leinart right now? Everyone knows that the Cardinals want nothing to do with him (any team that chooses Derek Anderson over Leinart clearly doesn’t believe there’s much hope for the former No. 1 pick) and are likely on the verge of releasing him anyway.

      So why not just wait?

      The other issue here is Leinart’s contract. He’s set to earn $2.485 million in 2010 and $7.36 million in 2011, which isn’t something that another team wants to absorb right now if they don’t have to. And seeing as how he’d likely be a backup no matter where he lands, there’s no reason for any team to pay him that much just to watch him ride the pine.

      If anything, Leinart will be cut and then he’ll catch on as a backup someplace else. The Giants and Bears would love to add insurance at the quarterback position and the Bills make sense just because they don’t know what they have in Trent Edwards.

      But none of those teams, or any team that is even reportedly interested in him for that matter, is going to trade for Leinart right now. It just doesn’t make any sense.

      External Sports, NFL

      Why would BYU leave the Mountain West and become independent now?

      September 1, 2010 /
      PROVO, UT. - SEPTEMBER 19: Brigham Young Cougars flag bearers run around the field after a touchdown against the Florida State Seminoles at La Vell Edwards Stadium on September 19, 2009 in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/Getty Images)

      Following the lead of Utah (which is headed for the Pac-10 next year), BYU will leave the Mountain West for the 2011-12 season and become an independent in football according to ESPN.com’s Andy Katz.

      Speaking purely from a competitive standpoint, I hate the idea that Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada are coming into the Mountain West next year right as Utah and BYU are leaving. A conference featuring TCU, Boise State, Utah, BYU, Fresno State and Nevada would be incredibly fun to watch over the next couple of years, assuming of course that all of those teams stay relevant.

      From a football standpoint (all other sports are joining the WCC, most notably basketball), I don’t quite get BYU’s decision here. Utah’s move to the Pac-10 makes sense because they’ll be guaranteed a seat at the BCS table. But because BYU is becoming independent, they won’t.

      It feels like BYU is opting out at the worst possible time, unless I’m overlooking something here.

      College Football, External Sports

      NCAA being hypocritical when it comes to Jeremiah Masoli

      September 1, 2010 /
      Dec 29, 2009; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli at press conference for the 2010 Rose Bowl at the Marriott Los Angeles Downtown. Photo via Newscom

      I don’t feel bad for Jeremiah Masoli that the NCAA has denied a waiver that would have allowed him to play at Ole’ Miss this season without having to sit out a year like most transfers.

      The kid has had his chances and he has blown every single on of them. But that doesn’t mean that the NCAA wasn’t hypocritical in its ruling.

      In a press release following the announcement, the NCAA said: “The waiver exists to provide relief to student-athletes who transfer for academic reasons to pursue graduate studies, not to avoid disciplinary measures at the previous university.”

      On the surface, I agree with the statement. Masoli didn’t transfer to Ole’ Miss to further his education – he transferred so he could play one more year of college football in hopes of getting drafted into the NFL.

      Don’t forget that after he plead guilty in January on a felony burglary charge, Oregon suspended him for the entire 2010 season. So essentially, the waiver allowed him to leapfrog the suspension at Oregon and play at Ole’ Miss without facing any discipline.

      But while I agree with the rule in principle, how is Masoli any different than Darius Barksdale or Ryan Perriloux?

      Barksdale never suited up for the Rebels, but was charged with DUI and driving without a license in August of last year, then, when enrolled at Ole Miss for the spring semester, Houston Nutt suspended him for an undisclosed violation. Finally, just before practice began this year, Barksdale was kicked off the team entirely.

      Continue reading »

      College Football, External Sports

      Secondary pitches will keep Chapman in big leagues – not 105 mph fastball

      August 31, 2010 /
      LOUISVILLE, KY - APRIL 16: Aroldis Chapman #51 of the Louisville Bats is pictured before the game against the Columbus Clippers at Louisville Slugger Field on April 16, 2010 in Louisville, Kentucky. The game was cancelled due to bad weather (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

      I love the Reds’ decision to call up Aroldis Chapman for the stretch run. Why not bring him up? First of all, the kid has posted a 2.40 ERA and 49 strikeouts in the minors over 30 innings after being converted into a reliever. Cincinnati also gave him a six-year, $30 million contract last winter so let’s see what he can do.

      But while his fastball (which was reportedly clocked at 105 mph last Friday) has garnered the most attention, it will be his secondary pitches that will help the Reds now, and subsequently keep him in the big leagues for good.

      It doesn’t matter how hard a pitcher throws – major league hitters are going to catch up at some point. If a hitter doesn’t have to worry about a player’s secondary pitches, then they’ll just sit dead red on the fastball and drive it into the gap.

      That’s not to suggest that a fastball isn’t important because it is, of course. But when hitters have other pitches to worry about, then a 105 mph fastball may as well be 205 mph.

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      External Sports, MLB

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