Author: Chris McGlynn

NBA Mock Draft

Chris McGlynn Basketball, Draft, NBA, NCAAM ,

by Matt Luppino

The NBA Draft goes live tonight at 7 pm. Here are my predictions for how the first round goes:

  1. Minnesota Karl-Anthony Towns, F/C, Kentucky

Best player with most upside and fewest flaws.  A sure pick for the Wolves.

  1. L.A. Lakers Jahlil Okafor, F/C, Duke

The Lakers need a big guy more than they need another guard.  Kobe Bryant, Jeremy Lin, and Nick Young are all still there, so grab the polished Okafor and have at it on offense.

  1. Philadelphia Mario Hezonja, G/F, Croatia

A classic “why the $*&%?” moment out of Sam Hinkie, but there is a method to the madness here.  Apparently, he can shoot the lights out, which will help a hapless offense in Philly.

  1. New York D’Angelo Russell, G, Ohio State

Finally, someone on the Knicks that can shoot!  Russell can run the offense and put up points too, perfectly fitting into Phil Jackon’s arsenal.

  1. Orlando Kristaps Porzingis, F/C, Latvia

If he’s here at 5, Orlando is ecstatic.  7’1” with a jump shot.

  1. Sacramento Emmanuel Mudiay, G, China

Kings need a guard to feed Cousins and hopefully make him happy enough to stay in Northern California.

  1. Denver Justise Winslow, F, Duke

Winslow is a strong defender and an athletic slasher, but he shot over 40% from 3 as well at Duke.  With those numbers, he could be a beast.

  1. Detroit Willie Cauley-Stein, F/C, Kentucky

So what if Greg Monroe leaves in free agency?  Cauley-Stein will be cheap and probably better by the end of the day.

  1. Charlotte Devon Booker, G, Kentucky

Another great shooter, he can step in alongside Kemba Walker to take the spot of the since-traded Lance Stephenson.

  1. Miami Stanley Johnson, F, Arizona

Johnson is another athlete, who can bring some life to the Heat, who are still reeling from the loss of LeBron James, and maybe now Dwayne Wade too.

  1. Indiana Cameron Payne, G, Murray State

Paul George is healthy, and the front court in Indiana is still pretty strong.  A point guard will put it all together for them.

  1. Utah Frank Kaminsky, F/C, Wisconson

Utah became a defensive stronghold last season, but lacked scoring.  Frank the Tank will not only slot right into the defense, but the big guy can shoot with the best of them.

  1. Phoenix Trey Lyles, F/C, Kentucky

He, like Okafor, is a skilled offensive big man, who could slot in alongside the big, lumbering Alex Len.

  1. Oklahoma City Justin Anderson, G/F, Virginia

The Thunder are only here because of injuries.  But in Anderson, they get a good outside shooter and a great perimeter defender – the last piece they might need to finally win a title.

  1. Atlanta Myles Turner, F/C, Texas

Fits in alongside the punishing defender in Al Horford and the skilled shooter in Paul Millsap.  Can fill in for either one off of the bench.

  1. Boston Sam Dekker, F, Wisconson

A good shooter and an above average defender, he boosts the Celtics immediately.

  1. PHILADELPHIA (Tony Wroten, 2 2nd rounders (35 and 37)) Tyus Jones, G, Duke

THAT’S WHAT HINKIE IS DOING WITH ALL THOSE PICKS!!!  In a shocker, and Milwaukee not seeing many players they need here, they take the back up point guard and more picks in a solid group of second round talent.  Meanwhile, the Sixers get the point guard they desperately need.

  1. Houston Bobby Portis, F, Arkansas

Portis is a big bruiser who went toe-to-toe with Kentucky a few times.  The dude can play.

  1. Washington Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, F, Arizona

With Paul Pierce and Trevor Ariza not getting any younger, a fresh infusion of defensive prowess and energy is a great fit here late in the first round.

  1. Toronto Kelly Oubre, F, Kansas

Oubre has a ton of potential, who will have the time to develop with the young, talented nucleus above the border.

  1. Dallas Jerian Grant, G, Notre Dame

Arguably one of the best scorers in the draft, Grant can play alongside either Rajon Rondo as the scorer, or Monta Ellis as the facilitator.

  1. Chicago Terry Rozier, G, Louisville

When Derrick Rose is off the court, the Bulls take a serious step back.  Here, they get their much needed asset at the point.

  1. Portland Montrell Harrell, F/C, Louisville

Now that Lamarcus Aldridge plans on leaving Portland, Harrell, skilled at both ends and the centerpiece behind another strong Louisville team, can begin his role as the successor.

  1. Cleveland Delon Wright, G, Utah

With how frail Kyrie Irving is and how inefficient the Cavs were without a true point guard this postseason, a ball handler has to be at the top of the list for them.

  1. Memphis Anthony Brown, G, Stanford

A 3 and D player, Brown fits in perfectly with the tough defense in Memphis, and Mike Conley will get him the ball.

  1. San Antonio Pat Connaughton, G/F, Notre Dame

Another great shooter and a really high energy guy on defense.  He is an excellent role player for Gregg Popovich.

  1. L.A. Lakers RJ Hunter, G, Georgia St.

Not just the star of the Cinderella Bulldogs, Hunter is a skilled scorer and ball handler, capable of stepping up for the now ancient Kobe.

  1. Boston Kevon Looney, F, UCLA

He might be really, really good at the stretch 4, so the Celtics can take that risk with Jared Sullinger proven in front of him.

  1. Brooklyn Michael Frazier, G, Florida

Deron Williams and Joe Johnson are getting up there in age, so this begins the new wave of Brooklyn talent.

  1. Golden State Nikola Milutinov, C, Serbia
    Scouting report: “Potential pick-and-roll monster that can protect the rim.”  Sounds like the champs to you?  He will be a bigger Draymond Green, alongside Draymond Green.

It is time to move on from Tiger

Chris McGlynn Golf

He ruled golf for over a decade. He notched the second most wins in golf history. He bested the competition in the second most majors ever. Tiger Woods was transcendent for the game of golf and potentially the greatest golfer to ever live.

However, his prime is over. The fist pump long gone. The wins have all stopped coming for Tiger. We all knew it would happen eventually and maybe we didn’t want it to come but it has most certainly arrived.

Tiger WoodsBut we haven’t embraced it. Many in the sports world are still clinging to the notion that he can still do it. ESPN regularly reports on Woods and tracks his play incessantly. Every commercial on still advertises Tiger as part of the main event. The media still hounds him and treats him as the king of his sport.

If you were an outsider looking at the amount of coverage Woods receives, you would still think he was performing at a high level, when in reality, Tiger is playing worse than ever. Forever, it was a formality that Woods would pass Sam Snead for the most wins on the PGA Tour in history. Tiger hasn’t recorded a win since 2013 though and has only two top-25 finishes in the last two years. It was presumed as well that Tiger would make a run at Jack Nicklaus’ record 18 major championships. However, 2008 was the last time Woods claimed a major title and he hasn’t finished even in the top five of a major since the 2013 Masters.

Tiger_Woods_2007Woods has hit a dead point. His game has failed him entirely culminating in the dumpster fire that was Tiger’s last place finish at this past weekend’s Memorial Tournament. He finished an atrocious +14 on the weekend including his third round score of 85. It was a pathetic performance from Woods, but the media ate it up and I continued to get updates about his play all weekend long on sources such as EPSN and Bleacher Report.

As sad as it may be to say it, it is time to move on from Woods. Maybe not permanently but for some time before he is relevant again. There is no reason not to follow his performance or cheer for him to recapture his greatness, but until the greatness is back, there is no reason for him to be plastered all over everything related to golf. Woods is not a good player right now. He sits 181st in the World Golf Rankings, the worst he has been ranked since September 21st, 1996, before his first career win.

If I remember correctly, no one was raving about Rory Sabbatini (I will be impressed if you actually know who that is) this time last year. Sabbatini was the 181st ranked golfer at the end of 2014. Sabbatini has since climbed to 127th spot in the rankings. Obviously, I am not comparing the two as golfers on a who was better level, but you get the idea.

Never has someone so buried in the rankings been so hotly discussed. I am not trying to take away from what Woods has accomplished but the reality is that he is no longer that same player. He is a 39-year old man with chronic back pain in a sport deemed terrible for your back. He has battled wrist and knee pain separately in the last few years and continues to look lost on the golf course. His game has regressed considerably to the point where he can barely compete at the top level at times.

Don’t take this the wrong way. Tiger Woods was an incredible golfer and athlete. He might be the best golfer of all-time but he has completely lost that form. I think it might still be possible for him to regain it with some more work. Woods has spent way too much time trying to find the perfect golf game and has over analyzed his game to a fault. He can slowly chip his way back into relevance. Until then though, it’s time to stop follow Tiger’s every stroke and let golf go on without the once great Woods at the center of attention.

New home for 2022 World Cup should be obvious

Chris McGlynn Soccer, USMNT, World Cup ,

The FBI took down FIFA, the US Men’s team shocked the Netherlands in an international friendly and US Women’s team landed in Canada for the 2015 World Cup. It’s been a good week for soccer in the United States. It could get even better than that too if the FBI finds that the bid allocations that FIFA gave for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were under the circumstances of a bribe or payoff. That would likely mean that both of the World Cups would be reallocated. 

Russia_2018_World_CupWhere exactly the tournaments would be reassigned is still up for debate. A reasonable case can be made for England hosting the 2018 edition because the preparation required is minimal. Sure scheduling might take a little while but the reality is that England is the soccer hub of the world at the domestic level. Britain has 12 stadiums that have a seating capacity of at least 38,000. It also has the historic Wembley Stadium, which would be an excellent site for a World Cup final if you ask me and seats 90,000 fans. The seating capacity is pretty comparable to what Brazil had last summer as well. On top of all of that, England hasn’t hosted a World Cup since 1966.

The reassigning of the 2022 edition is a little trickier. There were several nations that were in the mix and shockingly Qatar was selected. Beyond any tampering that might have gone on with the voting, Qatar shouldn’t be hosting the World Cup anyway. Summer temperatures can reach a startling 120 degrees Fahrenheit and in preparations for the tournament roughly 1,200 migrant workers have died. That number is sure to climb higher as well as we are seven years away from kickoff.

So it makes only too much sense to change the site of the 2022 World Cup. The question that remains is where would it be moved to. The logical answer here would be the nation that finished second in the voting, which was the US.

World Cup StampOn a lot of different levels, a move to America makes sense. From a monetary standpoint, the US would be the best option. The 1994 tournament held in the United States still ranks as the most lucrative one in history. You have to wonder a bit why FIFA would avoid returning to the US in favor of Qatar. Sure, FIFA officials might have been bribed but America would have generated infinitely more revenue for FIFA than Qatar could ever dream of.

There are plenty of critics who claim that soccer is not a big deal in the United States. However, the 1994 World Cup remains the most heavily attended tournament ever. Over the course of all 52 games played that year, the USA brought in over 3.5 million fans. The US still has the highest attendance average as well at roughly 69,000 fans per game. For some reference, the average attendance of a World Cup match if you remove the numbers from the year the US hosted is around 43,250 and the average in Brazil last year was only 53,600.

Preparations for the US wouldn’t be overly difficult either. They have more than enough stadiums to compensate all of the games that need to be played. I went through and found the top 12 stadiums that America could use as host fields. The Citrus Bowl, the Rose Bowl, Ohio Stadium, Bank of America Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, LP Field, Sanford Stadium, University of Phoenix Stadium, Sports Authority Field at Mile High, the Cotton Bowl, Arrowhead Stadium and Soldier Field would all work well for hosting the 64-game schedule.

1280px-The_U.S._Embassy_in_Pretoria_Glows_at_NightThat would bring World Cup matches all over the country and let everyone enjoy the action. Florida, California, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Georgia, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Missouri and Illinois would all have the opportunity to host a game. All of the fields use grass as the playing surface as well so there can be no complaints about the awful conditions of playing on FieldTurf. Travel might be slightly difficult but as long as there is as little coast-to-coast movement as possible, it should work out fine.

It also leaves a few options available for where the final could be played. It could once again return to the Rose Bowl, which is where it was played in 1994, or it could be hosted in Ohio Stadium, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes. What makes Ohio Stadium appealing is its capacity of 102,000 fans. The smallest stadium I selected was Soldier Field and that still has a capacity of 61,500. Based on the average attendance back in ’94, I don’t think there should be an issue with filling these stadiums.

At this point, it seems to be a matter of when not if regarding changes of location. FIFA is in turmoil right now and if the new brain trust that takes over has any hope of avoiding corruption being tagged to their name, they will start fresh. I might be a little bit biased in wanting the USA to be chosen as the 2022 host but the selection would make a ton of sense. It would be another step forward for the growth of soccer stateside. Hopefully, the US gets the chance to make it happen.

NFL Cornerstones: Running Back

Chris McGlynn Cornerstones, Football, NFL , , , , ,

Cornerstone players will be a recurring theme on Second Look Sports where I look at each position in a certain sport and I choose a cornerstone player to build my franchise around. I have a couple of parameters for this selection though. I will factor in age, potential, injury history, experience, reputation and production. I think this should be a fun and interesting topic to discuss on here. I hope you all agree.

The selection: LeVeon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
Honorable Mentions: Jamaal Charles, LeSean McCoy, Eddie Lacy, Jeremy Hill, Matt Forte

Adrian Peterson made some headlines yesterday by finally returning to the Minnesota Vikings and acting like he wants to play football. It got me around to thinking who the best running back to build a team around could be. Peterson is now 30 and likely will start to see some of his wear and tear really bring him down. His off the field issues are definitely not too appealing either. Needless to say, Peterson is not the selection. A couple of other injury prone runners in DeMarco Murray and Arian Foster also find themselves missing from this list.

LeVeon_BellInstead, the selection is the one and only LeVeon Bell from Pittsburgh. He is not perfect but in terms of what he is capable of, this is a no brainer. He only has two seasons under his belt and at 23 years old, Bell looks like he is going to be a bell cow running back in the NFL for quite some time.

He might not always be racking up 100 yards, but when he gets the ball, he consistently produces. Bell ranked in yards per carry this season with 4.7 per attempt. The Steelers’ superstar put up incredible totals as well ranking second in the league with 1,361 rushing yards. Bell is one of the NFL’s best backs when it comes to picking up yards on the ground.

But this is a passing league now, so rushing is no longer as heavily valued. That doesn’t matter for Bell because he is incredible as a receiver. The Michigan State product hauled in 83 receptions last season, second to only Matt Forte among running backs. His 854 yards receiving also ranked first among all backs. These weren’t dink and dunk plays either as his average per reception was 10.3 yards, good for second in the league for running backs. He continue to move after the grab as well, finishing second in the league in yards after catch.

Bell is a dual threat back. He had the second most yards from scrimmage this past season and had an unreal 5.94 yards per touch, which, excluding kick and punt returns, was tops in the NFL. For some reference, DeMarco Murry, who led the league in yard from scrimmage, averaged only 5.03 yards per touch. Bell was the most effective offensive player in the league this season when he had the ball, and I expect that to continue.

On top of all of his success, Bell also continues to show his sure hands. In two seasons, Bell has only one career fumble, including none this past year. On 662 career touches, Bell has lost the ball just once.

There are a couple of downsides with Bell though. He has a poor track record with drugs and has been suspended for three games because of marijuana use. Not having your best player on the field is not something you want to occur regularly. Additionally, he has no playoff experience, having missed Pittsburgh’s only game this season due to injury. Bell is also not much of a scorer, tallying only 19 total touchdowns in his first two years. Only LeSean McCoy has scored fewer touchdowns in that timespan among the players I considered.

Despite that, Bell is likely the best all-around offensive weapon in the NFL right now. He will continue to grow in the coming years and hopefully mature to the point where he is not getting suspended for drug use. There is no doubt in my mind though that Bell is the premier running back going forward and will be for years to come.

FIFA is falling apart

Chris McGlynn EPL, MLS, Soccer, Social Issues, USMNT , ,

If you are having a bad day, just think about how FIFA’s day has gone. You wake up in your hotel in Switzerland room preparing for a big conference full of board elections and then the FBI comes crashing in to arrest 14 of your members. That’s how FIFA’s day started today.

Yup, the United States made it all the way to Zurich, Switzerland to arrest nine FIFA officials and an additional five board members on counts of corruption, conspiracy and racketeering. The issue calls into question the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and business surrounding CONCACAF and CONMEBOL.

Of those arrested is FIFA Vice President Jeffrey Webb, which is definitely not a good sign for the organization. Surprisingly, Sepp Blatter’s name has yet to come up as one of those arrested.

Sepp_BlatterWith how easily athletes seem to get off today for breaking the law and such, you might think this will blow over soon. It doesn’t seem like it though, as US attorney general Loretta Lynch was quoted when speaking about the charges in a statement from the Department of Justice. She explained that the charges indicate “corruption that is rampant, systematic and deep rooted both abroad and here in the United States.”

She went on to add that “it spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.” How many millions you might ask? Lynch mentioned $110 million in bribes just surround the 2016 Copa America tournament.

So no, this is not just going to blow over. FIFA has a gun to its head at the moment and is definitely starting to sweat. Reportedly, already two corporations and four individual defendants have pled guilty and more are sure to come.

“Today’s announcement should send a message that enough is enough,” said Acting U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of New York Kelly T. Currie.  “After decades of what the indictment alleges to be brazen corruption, organized international soccer needs a new start.” It seems like the US government is intent on reworking FIFA.

And Currie has a point. Sepp Blatter’s being up for election as President for the fifth consecutive time, FIFA’s treatment of Brazilian laws in the months leading up to the 2014 World Cup and the rumblings of corruption surrounding the next two World Cups dictate enough cause to start fresh.

World Cup StampAnd you can expect more from this too. Currie added at the end of her statement, “Let me be clear: this indictment is not the final chapter in our investigation.” That is a daunting prospect for FIFA. And the pressure isn’t just coming from the US either. Swiss officials were the ones that made the physical arrests in Zurich on behalf of the FBI. Following that, the Swiss Office of the Attorney General announced that it would conducting a separate investigation of the voting process for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Two different countries investigating you for corruption. Yikes. Definitely not a good sign. But FIFA continues to go on as if nothing is wrong. FIFA’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs Walter de Gregorio held a press conference earlier today at which he announced FIFA’s plan to proceed with preparations for both World Cups. FIFA also issued a press release, which details the many ways that FIFA is cooperating and reiterated its excitement at energy surrounding the investigation.

The funny thing is that what FIFA has done in response only makes me hate them more. Rather than acknowledge that yeah, this is an issue, it is content to sit back and act as if nothing is wrong. FIFA doesn’t even react to say that it is surprised by the arrests and will do whatever it can to help. It includes a line that indicates that it feels the investigation is redundant. And what organization announces its excitement that it is being investigated for corruption?

The whole situation is insane. It was only a matter of time before FIFA fell. Foreign governments have been on their heels for years and the ugly side of FIFA continues to be revealed. Corruption is part of its DNA at this point. There is no denying it with the number of scandals that have broken into the news that involve one FIFA executive or another. This seems to be the day of reckoning for FIFA but will it be enough?

There is no doubt in my mind that FIFA needs a fresh start. The problem is that it needs to start with the replacement of Sepp Blatter, who is widely expected to win reelection. Here’s to hoping that the Department of Justice comes up with some damning evidence against him in the next 24 hours or that these new allegations are enough to taint Blatter’s name (because somehow it’s not tainted enough) to the point where he would lose the election. Unlikely, but one can dream. Just imagine what FIFA without Sepp Blatter could be. I think it needs to happen as soon as possible. Even if Blatter isn’t behind all of this, holding on to an old regime rampant with it is not a great way to begin moving forward.