Year: 2015

London Calling: Why the NFL should avoid England

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL ,

Money talks. It is as simple as that. No one ever wants to turn down an opportunity to make more money in a deal. The NFL is the embodiment of this sentiment, jumping at whatever opportunity they can to expand its revenue stream.

NFL_on_Regent_Street,_LondonThe latest idea for the league to broaden its financial horizons centers around the idea of placing an NFL franchise in London. Those in favor of the move overseas have pointed to the recent success of the NFL’s games held every year in the country’s capital city. Games tend to sell out quickly and have been wildly popular up to this point but I think it would be hard to create a dedicated fan base that would go to games regularly.

What makes the NFL London games such a hit is their novelty. Playing three or so games a year is good exposure on a different continent for the NFL but implementing eight games every year might begin to see the excitement dwindle. Once the experience is no longer quite as unique, the desire to attend these games starts to wear off.

There is some proof that NFL teams in Europe tend to fail to find support. NFL Europe is no longer around for a reason. The expansionary developmental league folded after the 2007 season. Most of those teams were based in Germany but the fan base was not there. Much of that can probably be attributed to the lower level of play in NFL Europe. NFL stars in their prime were hardly lining up to go play overseas.

Wembley_Stadium_NFL_Int'l_Series_2013To that point, I don’t think a London franchise would have much success attracting free agents either. Very few players, especially well established ones in the league, are going to want to uproot and move abroad if they can stay in the continental United States. London would have to shell out significantly more money than any current teams if it had any hopes of landing a top player. It is a hard sell for a team to convince a player that he should move to a different country to play football when he can easily find a job in the US already.

Moving past finding players, logistics would make this setup a nightmare. With a team player eight games a year across the pond, visiting teams would not be given the customary bye week following the game that they receive now. Right off the bat, that will be a hotly contested issue in planning.

Attempting to work out players becomes increasingly difficult as well. Teams now can easily fly in two or three prospects to work them out during a given week if they are in a bind before a game. However, a team would not realistically fly players overseas just to work them out. That definitely complicates things.

In talking with Bob Wischusen, radio announcer for ESPN Radio, I found out that the plan in place to solve that last issue could be to have the team’s home base be set in Orlando, Florida. All scouts and player personnel would be set up there and that would allow them to evaluate talent appropriately.

However, the time difference then comes into play as coaches and scouts then have to communicate across time zones. That complicates things even further when the team needs to make a quick decision about whether to sign a player. Other things like the trade deadline or the waiver wire could also come into play as being something the NFL needs to figure out.

Overall, the whole situation is beyond complicated. Setting up a team in London would be a mistake by the NFL because of all of moving parts that would need to be figured out and the general lack of interest from players and fans. If the NFL is truly intent on expanding it’s international approach then planning games in Toronto, Mexico City or Hamburg, Germany should be the next steps to take. The novelty of these games is what attracts fans and makes it a unique event.

Maybe one day, the league can look to put a franchise overseas, but for now, that simply isn’t something the NFL is capable of handling.

One Rule Soccer Must Change

Chris McGlynn Soccer, World Cup , , , ,

The deliberate handball. One of the dirtiest plays in all of sports and probably the dirtiest one in soccer. Yet players get off with a minimal punishment considering how much of a game-changer it can be.

This might seem like odd timing. Nothing happened recently in soccer that sparked this conversation. This is actually as a result of an argument I had with a buddy of mine recently about how one of the most controversial rules of soccer works.

Asamoah Gyan
Gyan finished the tournament with three goals but could not find a fourth to put Ghana through to the semi final.

For anyone looking for an example of what I mean, here is a perfect one. At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Uruguay met Ghana in the quarterfinal round. The game was tied and it was late into the second half. Ghana put together an attacking move that led to a shot that rebounded off the keeper. Another shot was blocked by an outfield defender and the ball careened into the air. One of Ghana’s players got their head to it and directed it towards goal. Luis Suarez, who was standing on the goal line, blatantly blocked the ball using his forearm preventing a sure goal for the African side.

Suarez was given an immediate red card and was suspended for the ensuing match. Ghana was awarded a penalty, which Asamoah Gyan banged off the crossbar and over. Uruguay would go on to win the game on penalties and advance to the semi final round.

But there never should have been extra time or penalties. The game should have ended with Ghana in front 2-1. Ghana had essentially slotted home the winner until Suarez illegally prevented it from going in. The referee did what he was supposed to do, which is eject the player and award a penalty. Sure Ghana had more chances to score in extra time and during penalties but it should never have come to that.

However, that hardly seems fair. Ghana had a shot heading into the net that would have counted for a goal. They should have just been awarded the goal. Earning the penalty is nice, but then they still have to take a shot on goal again with the keeper prepared to defend it. Going from a goal scored to another shot on goal isn’t exactly an equal pay off.

I’m sure most people will say, “Well that’s just how it is.” I’m saying it shouldn’t be. Think about it from the standpoint of a basketball play. If a player is fouled in the act of shooting or before he even takes the shot but there was a clear path to the basket, they are awarded free throws. Their scoring opportunity was taken away and as a result, they have a chance to earn those points in a different way. They don’t just award the player the points though because there is still a possibility that he could have missed the ensuing shot even without the foul.

This is similar to in soccer when a player is taken down inside the penalty area. They are awarded a penalty. Logically, that makes sense, the defender committed a foul that prevented a goal-scoring opportunity for the offense and now they are given a chance to take another shot on goal from the penalty spot. Once again, it was not guaranteed to go in though, so the goal is not just given.

Going back to basketball, there is an instance in which a team is awarded a basket even if the ball does not make it through the netting. Goaltending is called when the ball is knocked out of the basket illegally. Rather than award free throws, the referee simple awards the points the shot was worth because it was already going into the basket when someone wrongfully interfered.

Luis Suarez
Suarez missed the semifinal loss against Netherlands.

Soccer does not have that. In the case of Suarez’s handball, Ghana was not awarded a goal despite the ball heading into the net. It is the exact same concept as goaltending in basketball, but it is called very differently.

That is just how the rules of the game work for soccer. It shouldn’t be though because it promotes cheating. Uruguay won that game because Suarez broke the rules. That should not be allowed. It tears down the very integrity of sports. It allows the cheaters to win because of the way the rules are written. They might be penalized, but in that instance, the cheating paid off. That should never be the case. A team that deliberately breaks the rules should be not be given a second chance to make up for the situation.

I think soccer should introduce a goaltending rule, similar to what happens in basketball. If an outfield player illegally prevents a ball with a clear path to the net if he is the only player in between the ball and the net, as it was in Suarez’s case, then a goal should be awarded. The ball was going into the net. There is no question about. It would have been a goal had it not been for an illegal play.

That rule would boost the integrity of the game of soccer. There would be no reason for players to deliberately block the ball with their hands to save a game because it would not save the game any more. The goal would still count and the player would still be ejected. It would not benefit his team in any way to make that play so players would stop making it. It is a logically change for FIFA to make.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 7

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings ,

Patriots Logo

1. New England Patriots (Last week: 1)
The score line from last week’s game with Indy is not indicative of how in control of this game New England was. The Colts finally made God (I mean Brady) bleed though as they picked him off early and returned it for a touchdown. A big test against the division rival Jets this weekend could just about put the division out of reach for everyone else if the Patriots win.

Bengals Logo2. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 3)
While it doesn’t guarantee playoff success, the Bengals have been one of the best teams in the NFL so far this year. Andy Dalton has been nothing short of dominant and the defense has held it together. Cincy looks like a really tough team to beat going forward.

Packers logo3. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 2)
Two straight weeks of less than stellar play from the Packers has to be a little worrying. They still won both games but Aaron Rodgers looked mortal against the Rams and now the running game seems to have vanished. Eddie Lacy is averaging fewer than four yards per carry and has only scored one touchdown.

Denver_Broncos4. Denver Broncos (Last week: 4)
Seriously, this is starting to get really concerning. What happened to Peyton Manning? Even the beat up version of the future Hall of Famer we saw last year wasn’t this bad. Leading the league in interceptions and owning a completion percentage only slight better than Jay Cutler is what you would expect of Eli, not Peyton.

Jets logo5. New York Jets (Last week: 7)
The first half wasn’t pretty. Actually it was really ugly. I had a chance to watch the Jets game from MetLife this weekend and the team that showed up in the first half was horrendous. And yet, New York was only down three at halftime. If the same Jets that played in the second half show up again this week, don’t be surprised if they give New England a run for their money.

Panthers logo6. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 8)
A stunning comeback in Seattle means that the Panthers stay perfect for another week. With the Falcons falling last week too, Carolina now has the outright lead in the NFC South. The Panthers are quickly closing in on their win total from 2014.

Falcons logo7. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 5)
The Falcons came back down to Earth this past week with a pretty big thud. Atlanta laid an egg against the Saints on Thursday night and now sit behind the unblemished Panthers in the division. The good news? Atlanta has two cracks at Carolina left on their schedule.

Pittsburgh_Steelers logo8. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 9)
No Ben Roethlisberger? No Michael Vick? No problem for Pittsburgh. The Steelers got a big win over the Cardinals this weekend with Landry Jones playing some critical minutes late in the game. LeVeon Bell continues to carry this team who, despite all the injuries, sit at 4-2.

Arizona_Cardnals_logo_(1994-2004)9. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 6)
Alright I can’t seem to figure this out. Arizona started hotter than anyone else in the league. Since then, they have been a roller coaster. The ride hit a new low this week as the Cardinals were soundly beaten by a combination of Michael Vick and Landry Jones. They still lead the division but this would be a good time for the Cards to develop a cushion for themselves.

Colts logo10. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 10)
It was a loss but that was the best game Andrew Luck played all season. He avoided turning the ball over and the Colts were in this matchup with the Pats until that bizarre fake punt call. They might be only 3-3 and but this team is slowly trending up.

Bills logo11. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 11)
The Bills looked very outmatched against the Bengals this weekend. Without Tyrod Taylor the offense was not quite as dynamic. Now with Taylor, Sammy Watkins and Percy Harvin all looking like they will be out against Jacksonville, the Bills are in trouble.

Vikings logo12. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 13)
It was far from their best game of the season but Minnesota still hung on for the win. They might not be a Super Bowl contender but this team has the talent to make it to the playoffs as a wildcard team.

Eagles Logo13. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 20)
Two weeks ago, the Eagles looked down and out having lost to Washington in disappointing fashion. Now, Philly is back on top of the division looks to be the team to beat in NFC East, for right now. When the Cowboys get healthy, that could be a different story.

Seahawks logo14. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 12)
For the second straight week, the Seahawks had a commanding fourth quarter lead and it quickly evaporated. Seattle looks like a team trying to find its way on both sides of the ball. At 2-4, the only chance the Seahawks realistically have of making the playoffs is by winning the division.

Cowboys logo15. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 13)
Somehow, the Cowboys are only one game out of the division lead despite not winning in almost a month. A huge game with Giants could vault Dallas back to the top. They already have two division wins this season, including one against New York. Dez Bryant could be back as well, which should aid Matt Cassell immensely.

Giants Logo16. New York Giants (Last week: 14)
After looking like the Giants’ had found their stride and were destined to run away with the NFC East, they fell flat on their faces in Philadelphia. Now New York finds themselves sitting at .500 tied with the Eagles for the division lead. Once everyone is healthy, this team could make a push but with Tony Romo and Dez Bryant coming back in the next few weeks, they must have a lead in order to weather the storm.

Chargers logo17. San Diego Chargers (Last week: 16)
Can someone please give Phillip Rivers some help??? He threw the ball 61 times for 503 yards this week and the Chargers still lost to the Packers. Obviously, Green Bay is a very good team but when Rivers plays that well and San Diego still loses, something needs to change.

Raiders logo18. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 17)
This week could make or break the Raiders season. A divisional game against San Diego will determine if Oakland claws back to .500 or if they drop into the bottom half of the AFC again.

Rams logo19. St. Louis Rams (Last week: 18)
A week off hopefully gave Jeff Fisher some time to figure out how to fix this offense in St. Louis. Nick Foles ranks 29th out of 34 qualified quarterbacks in completion percentage. Overall, it seems like handing the ball to Todd Gurley and Tre Mason should be a big part of Rams’ gameplan going forward.

Dolphins logo20. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 21)
Dan Campbell is already wildly more popular in Miami than Joe Philbin after a huge win over Tennessee. The Dolphins still have a ways to go to climb into playoff contention again but they are headed in the right direction so far under their new head coach.

Washington made up logo21. Washington (Last week: 20)
Washington led in their game against New York this weekend at halftime, then they proceeded to score seven points in the second half, all of them coming from a blocked punt recovered in the endzone. Washington fell apart in the third quarter and never recovered.

Texans logo22. Houston Texans (Last week: 27)
Houston got a huge win over the Jaguars this weekend. Despite a very slow start to the season, the Texans are only one game out of first place in the AFC South. With Arian Foster back and healthy with DeAndre Hopkins terrorizing secondaries, Houston might just be a part of the 2015 playoff hunt after all.

Saints logo23. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 32)
I dropped them into the cellar and the Saints responded in a big way with a major win over the Falcons. New Orleans is still a couple of wins away from being a competitor in the NFC but this was a huge step in the right direction.

Bears logo24. Chicago Bears (Last week: 23)
Losing to the winless Lions probably doesn’t do much to boost morale but the offense looked very good in the process. Unfortunately, the defense failed to hold up on its end of the bargain. Chicago needs to decide soon if it is going to hang on to its aging core or hit the reset button.

Browns logo25. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 24)
Cleveland came so close to pulling off what would have been the upset of the season. A second straight overtime game for the Browns went the other way this week. The Browns ground game is among one of the worst in the league. For them to have any shot of challenging this season, they need to take the pressure off Josh McCown.

Titans logo26. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 26)
After playing a very close game against Buffalo just the week before, the Titans were blown out by Miami. Marcus Mariota turned the ball over four times and exited the game with a knee injury in the second half. Easily the worst game of his short professional career.

49ers Logo27. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 29)
San Francisco got a solid win over the struggling Ravens. It was a hallow victory, but with Seattle and Arizona losing this week, San Francisco is very much in the conversation for the NFC West crown. In order for that to happen though, the 49ers need to find some offense.

Lions Logo

28. Detroit Lions (Last week: 30)
Winless no more means that the Lions will not repeat their 2008 fate. The defense has been awful thus far and was again even in the win. Detroit has allowed the fourth most points per game this season. With that kind of output, are you surprised that the Lions only have one win?

Buccaneers logo29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 31)
Tampa took its bye week to hopefully get healthy. That mainly applies to second year wideout Mike Evans, who has been hampered with injuries. That has contributed to a very quiet start to this season. With a quarterback as raw and inexperienced as Jameis Winston, having all the help he can get is key.

Ravens logo30. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 25)
I was pretty sure Baltimore was in for a down year, but even I didn’t predict this. The Ravens are 1-5 and sit at the bottom of the AFC North. There is just about no hope for them to turn this season around with the Bengals five games ahead of them.

Chiefs Logo31. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 22)
Well the defense put up a valiant effort this weekend against Minnesota but got no help from the offense. Managing only a meager 10 points, Kansas City put up its worse scoring total all season. It seems like life without Jamaal Charles will not be pleasant.

Jaguars logo32. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 31)
Gus Bradley’s seat has to be getting warmer as the weeks go by. That win over the Dolphins seems like it happened a long time ago and now Jacksonville has four straight losses. The Jaguars have allowed 31-plus points in three of their last four games. That is probably the root of the problem.

Fournette is exposing larger NCAA problem

Chris McGlynn Football, NCAAF, NFL , , , , , ,

For most college football players, the best thing for them to do to improve their draft stock is to perform at the college football level. That will usually punch their ticket to the NFL. Doing it at an SEC school is even better. That shows scouts that you can perform against college football’s best.

LSU LogoLeonard Fournette is doing everything right so far at Louisiana State University. He is dominating the NCAA field at an SEC school and drawing comparisons to some of the best in college football history. Already, we’ve heard names like “Emmitt” or “Herschal” thrown around when describing the phenom running back.

NFL scouts have already seen enough of Fournette to justify taking him when he is eligible to come join the NFL. Through five games this year, he has amassed 1022 yards on the ground on 8.6 yards per carry. Pair that with his 12 touchdowns and you have a solid season for a lot of college backs. Fournette has reached those marks in only half a season.

The issue is though, Fournette isn’t eligible to jump to the NFL until the 2017 NFL draft. He looks pro-ready today but NFL rules state that he must wait until after his junior season to apply for the draft. So now Fournette faces a very tough decision. Should he continue to play for the Tigers, or should he sit out his junior season to cement his draft status?

Fournette could probably sit out the entire 2016 college season and still go in the top half of the first round if he continues to stay in shape and performs well at the combine.

Many have called Fournette selfish for thinking that way but honestly can you blame him? NFL first round picks sign contracts worth millions of dollars. Todd Gurley, a former running back from Georgia, signed a contract this season after being drafted 10th overall that was worth up to $13.8 million over four years. The contract guaranteed $9.3 million over the four years and Gurley received a $2 million signing bonus upon signing the contract.

All of that is probably pretty comparable to what Fournette would stand to make and honestly it is probably below what he is worth. Many are viewing the LSU back as the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson. He would likely go higher than 10th overall and with the increase over the next two years, his contract would probably be even a little larger.

So we are talking probably upwards of $20 million on the line here for Fournette. All he has to do is stay healthy and avoid a drop off heading into the draft. The only problem is that there is no easy way to avoid injury other than to sit out. Fournette has nothing financially from the NCAA to fall back on if he blows out his knee or develops a hernia. His draft stock would plummet and he might not even make it to the NFL.

Marcus LattimoreThinking for the future makes too much sense at this point. We see it happen to players, especially running backs all the time. A couple of years ago, Marcus Lattimore suffered a gruesome knee injury that derailed his promising college career. Lattimore was a lock for a first round pick but the October injury where he tore every ligament in his knee and dislocated it obviously set him back. He had surgery and began rehab as soon as possible. He declared for the NFL draft in December knowing that it was his best shot at going pro. He fell all the way to the fourth round to the 49ers. He signed a four-year deal worth up to $8.5 million but with only a $300,000 signing bonus. Lattimore spent two seasons on San Francisco’s reserve roster before finally retiring when he realized he would never be able to play again.

Obviously, that is an extreme example but it is not the only one. Just a week ago, Nick Chubb suffered a serious knee injury where he tore several ligaments and damaged cartilage. His ACL was not one of the ligaments torn, which gave doctors hope at first, but now reports have surfaced saying that the injury could be career ending. He will have surgery soon but the outlook is less than positive. Heading into this season, Chubb was a projected first round pick for 2017, just like Fournette.

Matt BarkleyThen there are players who avoided injury but still saw their draft stock plummet due to poor play. Matt Barkley is the perfect example of a player who was deemed NFL ready, but who decided to stay in college another year. He seemed to be a certain top 10 pick in the 2012 draft but Barkley decided to stay at USC for his senior year. Barkley muddled through an up and down season and then fell to the fourth round of the NFL draft in 2013.

It is hard to shame Fournette for considering sitting out and it will be harder still if he decides to skip his junior year. He has every right to and he would be protecting his future, which is completely uninsured by the NCAA.

Each NCAA athlete has a health insurance policy of $90,000 for medical expenses. They are willing to cover other costs such as in-home care if it is required but there is no way for students to ever recoup any of the money they might have made.

There is no sure-fire way to solve this situation and I won’t pretend to know what it is. It might be to compensate athletes. It might be to provide some sort of insurance if athletes are unable to continue to the professional level due to injuries sustained while playing in college. All I know is that it needs to change. If the NCAA can profit as much as it does from these kids, then there should be a way for the kids to get compensation for a major career-altering or ending injury.

If the NCAA refuses to pay athletes, guarantee insurance fund for those who cannot continue to the pros because of injury or some combination of the two, it will continue to see Leonard Fournettes in the future. If Fournette sits, he will set a precedent. There will be players who believe that they have shown enough talent and ability to make the jump to the league and will refuse to continue playing in college. It will hurt the college game in terms of the level of play and could begin to undermine college football as a whole.

This development would be many years down the line but it is not unrealistic if the NCAA does not find a solution. Players who have serious aspirations of playing in the pros view college as a stepping stone and if they can find a way to minimize the risk that comes with that stepping stone, you can bet they are going to take it.

Land of 10,000 Mistakes

Chris McGlynn Basketball, NBA , , , , ,

Not every NBA draft pick turns into a Hall of Famer, a five-time all star or even a starter. A lot of making these picks is just luck. However, there seems to be one team who just cannot seem to get it right. The Minnesota Timberwolves seem to manage to blow the draft worse than anyone else in the Association. You might think I’m crazy but hear me out.

Shaquille O'Neal
O’Neal won three straight championships in LA.

The Wolves were founded in 1989 in the heart of the Twin Cities. In the past 26 years, they have found some spectacular ways to strikeout when it comes to the NBA draft. Some of it was bad luck, some of it was stupidity.

Fast forward to 1996, when the T-wolves found themselves on the clock with the fifth overall pick. They drafted a guard out of the University of Connecticut who looked like a promising shooter. However, they were enamored with the player who went the selection before them, a kid named Stephon Marbury. So they swung a trade with Milwaukee to get Marbury, which included the UConn guard. Marbury left Minnesota after three years when he said he wanted to sign somewhere else so the team traded him. Oh and the guard they sent to Milwaukee turned out to be NBA all-time three point leader Ray Allen.

Ray_Allen
Allen joined forces with Paul Pierce and fellow Timberwolves draft pick Kevin Garnett to win a title in Boston.

The year Marbury left, 1999, Minnesota owned the sixth pick and selected Wally Szczerbiak. Szczerbiak was by no means a bad player, but some other notable names that went that year include Elton Brand, Lamar Odom, Baron Davis, Richard Hamilton, Andre Miller, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry, Steve Francis and Metta World Peace. Yet somehow, Minnesota ended up with the kid from Miami University.

After several years of avoiding the lottery altogether, the Timberwolves found themselves with the sixth pick in the 2006 draft. They selected Brandon Roy and sent him to Portland. That ended up being the right move because Roy spent six injury-marred season in the league before retiring. However, the Wolves missed out on Rudy Gay, J.J. Redick, Rajon Rondo and Kyle Lowry. All of those players were drafted after Roy.

Stephen_Curry
Curry is the league’s reigning MVP.

The 2000s just got worse for Minnesota. In 2007, they drafted Corey Brewer. Brewer has had a solid career, carving out a role as a reliable bench player Joakim Noah went two picks later and the Wolves missed out on another All-Star.

2008 went pretty well for Minnesota as they gave up O.J. Mayo and got Kevin Love in return. That small bright spot was quickly forgotten in 2009 when the Wolves managed to have their worst draft ever. The Timberwolves had four first round draft picks. They selected Johnny Flynn, Ricky Rubio, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington. On draft night, they sent Lawson to Denver, where he became a star point guard. They kept Rubio and Flynn, whom they selected with consecutive picks. Flynn flamed out of the league after three years and Rubio has never developed into a reliable shooter. The player that went after those two: Stephen Curry.

Kevin Garnett
Garnett made it past the first round once in eight years with the Wolves.

The following year wasn’t much better. The Wolves took Wesley Johnson fourth overall and he ended up being a dud. Players who were picked in the top ten after Johnson included DeMarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, Gordon Hayward and Paul George. Cousins and George have both been All-Stars while Monroe and Hayward have been the cornerstones for their respective franchises for the past few years.

The last two years have brought some optimism to the franchise with the selections of Zach LaVine and Karl-Anthony Towns. Underscored in all of that is the return of the one true draft success Minnesota has in its history. Kevin Garnett was the face of the franchise for the Wolves for many years, becoming one of the league’s best players. Unfortunately, even Garnett’s greatness is not enough to wipe out all the years of draft failure from the Minnesota ledger.