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      Cedric Benson already complaining about Bengals’ offense

      September 24, 2010 /
      Aug 8, 2010; Canton, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson (32) during the preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys at Fawcett Stadium. Photo by Image of Sport Photo via Newscom

      With as much trouble as Cedric Benson has gotten into over the course of his NFL career, one would think he would be happy to fall in line and allow his situation in Cincinnati to play out (on the field and off it, for that matter).

      But one would be wrong.

      While recently appearing on SIRIUS NFL Radio, Benson took the time to voice his displeasure about the Bengals’ offense and how the team has gotten away from running the football.

      From the Cincinnati Enquirer:

      Said Benson about the offense’s direction right now: “I don’t know. With all those players and names you brought up (Terrell Owens, Jordan Shipley, Jermaine Gresham) they’re all, except for one, directly involved in the passing game. So, I mean, if I had to guess, it seems that that’s kind of the route that we’re trying to go, which can be a bit frustrating because we were successful running the football last year and being a power team. Being that type of team got us where we ultimately wanted to be, which was in the playoffs. I don’t know what would be the reason the team would want to change their identity, unless in the past season it didn’t work. But that’s not the case here. And, I mean, I don’t know. I guess whoever’s making those shots, or calling those shots, you got to kind of roll with the punches.”

      In the first two games, the Bengals have called 85 pass plays to just 56 run plays. But they also trailed New England 31-3 early in the third quarter in Week 1 and were inconsistent running the ball against Baltimore last Sunday. So what is Benson looking for here?

      The Bengals were successful running the ball last year, but they also desperately needed to upgrade their passing game, which they did this offseason with the selections of Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley via the draft, and Terrell Owens in free agency. They lost to the Jets last year in the Wild Card round partly because they were too one-dimensional. And despite Benson’s claims, the goal isn’t to reach the playoffs – it’s to win in the playoffs.

      The teams that win in the NFL do so because every player accepts his role and executes the plays that are called. If one guy doesn’t accept his role and fails to execute, then the rest of the 10 players usually suffer.

      With that in mind, Benson should stop worrying about the distribution of run and pass plays and just concern himself with what he’s doing to help the team win. Going on SIRIUS radio and bitching about the offense isn’t helping his team win and doesn’t help the Bengals’ reach their ultimate goal.

      External Sports, NFL

      The time is now for Alex Smith to win

      September 24, 2010 /
      Aug 28, 2010; Oakland, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith (11) reacts during the preseason game against the Oakland Raiders at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The 49ers defeated the Raiders 28-24. Photo by Image of Sport Photo via Newscom

      For those that stayed up to watch the final two minutes of the 49ers’ loss to the Saints on Monday night, you were treated to a rare sight: Alex Smith on the verge of leading his team to victory.

      Granted, the 49ers could only tie the game when Smith led them on an 8-play, 82-yard touchdown drive that took only 53 seconds off the clock in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. But the key is that he put them in position to potentially win the game at some point by throwing the ball with pinpoint accuracy, scrambling for extra yards and making smart decisions to keep the chains moving.

      In the end, Drew Brees just had too much time on the clock not to lead the Saints to victory. That’s what Brees does – he finds ways to win. And now it’s Smith’s turn to do that very thing.

      The 49ers have to win the NL West this year, period. The Rams are rebuilding, the Seahawks are short on overall talent and the Cardinals don’t have a quarterback. Thus, it’s Smith and the Niners’ division to lose.

      That said, they’re already 0-2 and now have to go on the road this Sunday to face a 2-0 Chiefs team brimming with confidence right now. Furthermore, Smith is just 16-24 as a starting quarterback, which is why the time is now for him to step up.

      While some aren’t enamored with his arm strength, he proved on Monday night that he could throw the ball. Believe it or not, he’s also one of the smartest quarterbacks in the league and this season is the first time in his career that he’s had the same offensive coordinator (Jimmy Raye) and playbook for two years straight.

      But he has to win. That’s what great quarterbacks do and while Smith is far from great, he doesn’t have to be at this point. The 49ers don’t come without some glaring weaknesses (i.e. two rookies are starting on the offensive line and some of the decision-making by Raye and head coach Mike Singletary is questionable at best), but the ’08 Lions could win this division. It’s there for the taking.

      Smith doesn’t have to be a Pro Bowler and he certainly doesn’t have to live up to his draft status (No. 1 overall). He shouldn’t have to worry about what Aaron Rodgers (who was taken 23 spots after Smith in 2005) is doing in Green Bay either.

      But he does have to start fulfilling some of the expectations that have been laid out for him. He has plenty of weapons around him and he’s comfortable in the offense; thus, there are no more excuses. Win now.

      External Sports, NFL

      Ichiro becomes first player with 10 straight 200-hit seasons

      September 23, 2010 /
      Seattle Mariners fans hold up signs for Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki as he trots out to right field in their MLB American League baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto September 23, 2010. REUTERS/Fred Thornhill (CANADA - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      In what can only be described as a horrific year for the Seattle Mariners, at least Ichiro Suzuki gave them something to celebrate on Thursday…albeit in another loss.

      Ichiro became the first player with 10 straight 200-hit seasons in a 1-0 loss to the Blue Jays today. He reached the milestone with a single (how fitting) to center in the fifth inning off Shawn Hill, which was the first pitch he saw in the at bat.

      Ichiro now has more 200-hit seasons than any player in American League history, which breaks the record he shared with the Tigers’ Ty Cobb. Pete “Tha Gambla” Rose is the only other player to record 200 hits in 10 seasons.

      Baseball fans will always love the long ball, but it’s easy to appreciate what Ichiro has done over the years when you look at his numbers. He’s led the majors in hits in each of the past four seasons and has done so a total of six times in his 10-year career. He’s been the model of consistency since he came over from Japan and his stats don’t waver too much from year to year.

      Too bad the M’s can’t field a better lineup behind him so all of those singles stop going to waste.

      External Sports, MLB

      David Wells calls Joe Torre a “coward” and a “liar”

      September 23, 2010 /
      17 Oct 1998: Pitcher David Wells #33, catcher Joe Girardi #25 and manager Joe Torre of the New York Yankees walk off the field during the 1998 World Series Game 1 against the San Diego Padres at the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. The Yankees defeated the Padres 9-6. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Laforet /Allsport

      While appearing on a recent podcast for Y! Sports Blogs’ “Why Is This News?” David Wells called his former Yankee manager Joe Torre a “coward” and a “liar.”

      “I had [Yankees pitching coach] Mel Stottlemyre come up to me in ’97 and tell me they were going to sit me out in the first round against Cleveland,” Wells told us. “I said, ‘If you’re going to sit me out the first round, you might as well just send me home.’ That pissed me off because I won like 15, 16 games for them. […] That’s pretty degrading when you have your manager tell your pitching coach to tell you, ‘Hey, you’re going to sit out,’ rather than telling you himself. That’s what Joe Torre is to me, a coward.

      “I don’t like him at all. As a manager, I think he’s terrible. He wasn’t a fair manager. He didn’t treat people the same. He definitely didn’t treat me the same. […] If he tells you anything else, he’s a liar.”

      Joe Torre isn’t immune to criticism for some of his managerial decisions and trust me, I’ve questioned some of the moves he’s made over the years. But he’s won four World Series titles in his career and is a two-time AL Manager of the Year. He may have had some great times while in New York, but they won under his direction.

      Wells has the right to his opinion and hey, maybe everything he’s saying is true. That said, I find his complaints about the Stottlemyre-Torre situation in ’97 a little childish. After all, Wells was a pitcher and Stottlemyre was the pitching coach. Maybe Torre should have told Wells himself after making a big decision like that, but I’m sure managers have done much, much worse than tell their pitching coach to deliver a message to one of their pitchers.

      Besides, isn’t Wells the same clown who left Game 5 of the 2003 World Series after just one inning because of a bad backache and stuck Torre with having to use his bullpen for the rest of the game? (A game the Yankees eventually lost in a Series they eventually lost.)

      Again, Wells has the right to his opinion but people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. He comes off looking like a baby here.

      External Sports, MLB

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