Author: Gerardo Orlando (Page 10 of 75)

      Officiating controversies dominate this week’s NFL games

      November 19, 2013 /

      The photo on the right has everyone talking today, though the one on the left shows how holding is out of control with offensive linemen as officials will only call it from time to time when it’s blatant. The call at the end of the Patriots-Panthers game last night is highlighted in the photo on the right. Tight end Rob Gronkowski was mugged by Luke Kuechly in the end zone but the refs picked up the flag as the pass was intercepted in a spot where the refs said Gronk couldn’t get the ball. But Gronk had zero chance because Kuechly was all over him. At the very least there should have been a holding call.

      The call in the photo below was also controversial, as the roughing the quarterback call against the 49ers helped Drew Brees keep a drive to win the game. I agree with many who feel the NFL is ruining the game with some of the pathetic personal fouls calls, particularly when defenders just barely touch the quarterback. But here, the defenders bicep directly hit the neck of Drew Brees. Brees could have been seriously hurt on that play, and it’s precisely the type of hit the NFL is trying to penalize, so I understood that particular call.

      NFL

      Chiefs run into reality

      November 18, 2013 /

      The Kansas City Chiefs have had a great season so far, but as many predicted they’re not quite as good as their record. The hard truth is that there’s a ridiculous amount of parity in the NFL these days, and a couple of breaks through the season can dramatically impact a team’s record. That’s been the case with the Chiefs, a much-improved team with an excellent defense and a risk-averse quarterback. But a 9-0 record built on weak opponents, timely turnovers and cautious quarterback play doesn’t help that much when you’re facing Peyton Manning. For example, KC was leading the league in sacks as they teed off on NFL backups, but they didn’t sack Peyton Manning once. Also, an offense led by Alex Smith suddenly looked like a liability when the Chiefs were down by several scores. You can’t dink and dunk your way to a comeback that often.

      This doesn’t mean we should completely count out the Chiefs. Again, they’re good enough to win a lot of games if some breaks go their way. But let’s not pretend they have the same margin of error as Peyton Manning and the Broncos.

      NFL

      Andrew Wiggins vs Jabari Parker: Round One

      November 13, 2013 /

      Round one goes to Wiggins, but get used to this matchup as we’ll be seeing it for years in the NBA. Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker have taken turns being crowned the inevitable top pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, but now we’ll have a year of college basketball to settle the matter, though Kentucky’s super freshman Julius Randle may have something to say about it as well.

      Both Wiggins and Parker were magnificent last night. Parker dominated in the first half and finished 27 points. He’s an all-around great player who can do everything very well from rebounding to draining three-pointers. Then in the second half Wiggins and the Jayhawks took over as Wiggins showed off his incredible athleticism that has people comparing him to Jordan and Lebron. The highlight above gives just a glimpse of what he will be capable of. Wiggins ended up with 22 points.

      I had the opportunity to interview both Wiggins and Parker in the past as both of them won the Gatorade High School Player of the Year Award for basketball (Wiggins won the overall award as well). Both are great kids and have a bright future ahead of them.

      Jabari Parker

      Jabari Parker at Gatorade awards

      Andrew Wiggins

      Andrew Wiggins Gatorade POY

      With these two and Julius Randle, it’s hard to imagine any team in the top three of next year’s NBA Draft being disappointed. In the meantime they can fight it out for the National Championship.

      College Basketball

      Texas loses running back Jonathan Gray for rest of season

      November 12, 2013 /

      I interviewed Jonathan Gray last year as he accepted the award for the Gatorade High School Player of the Year. He was a great kid and based on his high school career Texas fans had every reason to be excited. He exploded this year in his sophomore season with 790 yards and a 4.9 YPC average. His running helped Mack Brown and Texas salvage a season that looked like a potential disaster.

      Unfortunately, Gray suffered a right Achilles injury that will require surgery and he is lost for the season. Texas also lost defensive tackle Chris Whaley for the season as well. Hopefully both players will recover fully for next season.

      College Football

      Scott Fujita breaks down Trent Richardson deal

      September 20, 2013 /

      There’s has been a very wide range of opinions on the trade of Trent Richardson by the Browns to the Colts. As a Browns fan I was shocked at first like everyone else, but when I thought about it the deal made a lot of sense. Richardson is a good back and he’s a physical specimen, but he has not lived up to the hype of the third overall pick and he’s very injury prone. He dances way too much behind the line and often either doesn’t hit the right hole or doesn’t hit a hole at all.

      On the other hand, it also can make sense for the Colts, who have a franchise quarterback and now add a running back to the mix with a high ceiling. It just remains to be seen if Richardson can improve. Most great NFL backs are great right away. It’s not like the quarterback position where experience is critical.

      One very interesting take comes from Scott Fujita, who is already establishing himself as one of the most honest and insightful NFL commentators out there.

      I can’t speculate about what’s in any one person’s head, but when a player enters the league wearing headphones incessantly, shows up late for treatments, and makes little effort to engage with his teammates, he can quickly develop a reputation for being insular and high-maintenance.

      It can be perceived that he isn’t happy and that he’s not making an effort to buy in. I’ve seen this happen countless times, especially in today’s head down, keep-things-to-yourself culture.

      Generally, you hope the player grows out of that coming into his second season, especially when there’s been a complete regime change and everyone is expected to prove themselves all over again. Some players buy in, and some don’t. Buy-in, even if it’s just perceived, goes a long way. You have to be willing to show you want to be part of the team.

      I have no idea what took place during Thursday morning’s team meeting in Berea, the first since the trade was announced the previous afternoon. But my sense tells me a message was sent, loud and clear, even if nothing was spoken: No one is guaranteed a spot on this team. No one is bigger than the team. If you don’t buy in, you don’t belong on this team.

      Maybe it’s just a personality thing, but was Richardson the type of player to work hard and improve? The new coaching staff gave up on him two games in a row in the second half after he had trouble in the new offense.

      NFL

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