The Carolina Panthers selected Cam Newton with the first pick in the NFL draft. I've written about Newton several times on this blog. But today I'll say it was a good pick because even though there is probably a 50% chance he'll be a bust, he could be an all-time great like nothing we've ever seen.
Think of Payton Manning's game. He stands in the pocket and throws the ball. He has an adequate arm but really no mobility. He's tall, accurate and has a quick release. He's big and can take a hit but is never injured. But what really separates him is his work ethic.
Think of Micheal Vick's game. He moves around in the pocket and about half the time he throws outside the pocket but he's got a great arm...maybe better than Manning's. He's short for a QB and only about as big as a running back but he's one of the fastest guys in the NFL. He's borderline accurate and he does get injured from time to time. He makes about as many plays with his feet (whether avoiding the sack or running for yards) as he does with his arm. His work ethic has always been questionable.
Now what if you could take a big, tall quarterback like Payton Manning and give them Micheal Vick's speed and agility? If you take what Cam Newton did at Auburn, Guz Malzahn used him as a running back half the time. But in the NFL he is going to be a pocket passer. Mike Vick has to move around so he can see the open man, and when he moves outside the pocket he eliminates half the field to throw to. But Cam Newton is big and tall and can stay in the pocket. He's also got a great arm with pretty good accuracy to deliver the ball. When a play breaks down Manning throws it out of bounds, Cam Newton can run with the ball with speed and force. And he should be able to avoid injury due to his stature.
Bottom line, I think if Cam Newton puts in half the work Payton Manning does he could become an all-pro, maybe even a Hall of Famer. That's because he can be the full fruition of what a quarterback can be: stay in the pocket and look for the open receiver, and if there's nothing there then take off on the ground and pick up positive yards...and that could result in big plays at times.
JB
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Interesting Day in ATL Sports
Last night, in the span of about two hours some big things happened for Atlanta sports teams. Seeing as how I only root for my local teams here in Atlanta, I was intrigued by them.
First, the Falcons traded their first round, second round, and fourth round draft picks and next year's first and fourth round picks to move up 21 spots in the draft to get Julio Jones. I didn't even turn on the draft until about the 8th pick because I knew the Falcons weren't picking until late in the first round, and when I saw what they had done I was shocked. My initial reaction was that they gave up too much for a WR, and their offense is already really good. Then I thought, maybe adding an explosive playmaker like Julio Jones is enough to get a really good team to become a great team. And then I thought about why they probably made the move. Matt Ryan is young, Roddy White is in his prime, and Julio Jones is coming in as a rookie. For the next 5 years you'll have a pro bowl type QB and two pro bowl type WRs, and for the next 10 years you'll have Matt Ryan throwing to Julio Jones so it makes pretty good sense...the chances he'll be a bust based on his time at Alabama are about 3%, the guy is a stud. I think it was a pretty good move.
Then about an hour later the Hawks beat the Orlando Magic to close out the series and move on to the second round. After being demolished by the Magic in 4 games last year I am shocked they did what they did. I was kind of just hoping they would last 6 games let alone win it in 6 games. The Hawks have improved every year record-wise until this year, but this is the first time since '08 they came out in the playoffs with guns blazing ready to play. Hopefully they will continue the good effort in the next round vs. the Bulls. I don't expect them to win the series, but pushing them to the brink would be nice.
Then on a downer note Derek Lowe of the Braves got a DUI. This comes on the heels of Roger McDowell poking fun of a Giant's fan in San Francisco who is calling for an apology. I hope Friedi Gonzalez has got a grip on the team because Bobby wouldn't go for this kind of stuff. I think they are just isolated incidences and they will probably fine both guys and nothing more will ever happen, but I like my clean-cut Braves..I'm disappointed in Derek Lowe.
It was an eventful night for Atlanta sports. Somehow on the talk radio this morning they talked about the Falcon's move for an hour and the Hawks for 5 minutes, but football is king...even in the off-season and after the Hawks won a playoff series.
JB
First, the Falcons traded their first round, second round, and fourth round draft picks and next year's first and fourth round picks to move up 21 spots in the draft to get Julio Jones. I didn't even turn on the draft until about the 8th pick because I knew the Falcons weren't picking until late in the first round, and when I saw what they had done I was shocked. My initial reaction was that they gave up too much for a WR, and their offense is already really good. Then I thought, maybe adding an explosive playmaker like Julio Jones is enough to get a really good team to become a great team. And then I thought about why they probably made the move. Matt Ryan is young, Roddy White is in his prime, and Julio Jones is coming in as a rookie. For the next 5 years you'll have a pro bowl type QB and two pro bowl type WRs, and for the next 10 years you'll have Matt Ryan throwing to Julio Jones so it makes pretty good sense...the chances he'll be a bust based on his time at Alabama are about 3%, the guy is a stud. I think it was a pretty good move.
Then about an hour later the Hawks beat the Orlando Magic to close out the series and move on to the second round. After being demolished by the Magic in 4 games last year I am shocked they did what they did. I was kind of just hoping they would last 6 games let alone win it in 6 games. The Hawks have improved every year record-wise until this year, but this is the first time since '08 they came out in the playoffs with guns blazing ready to play. Hopefully they will continue the good effort in the next round vs. the Bulls. I don't expect them to win the series, but pushing them to the brink would be nice.
Then on a downer note Derek Lowe of the Braves got a DUI. This comes on the heels of Roger McDowell poking fun of a Giant's fan in San Francisco who is calling for an apology. I hope Friedi Gonzalez has got a grip on the team because Bobby wouldn't go for this kind of stuff. I think they are just isolated incidences and they will probably fine both guys and nothing more will ever happen, but I like my clean-cut Braves..I'm disappointed in Derek Lowe.
It was an eventful night for Atlanta sports. Somehow on the talk radio this morning they talked about the Falcon's move for an hour and the Hawks for 5 minutes, but football is king...even in the off-season and after the Hawks won a playoff series.
JB
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Pay for Play in College Football
A lot of people always talk about whether or not college athletes should be paid. Well I don't really care either way but there aren't many people offering up solutions that both parties agree on.
I think the whole issue arises from universities making tons of money off football and the football player only gets a scholorship...which some players don't even care about because they're in preperation for the NFL. So they take improper benefits which leads to suspensions and probation.
I've heard the arguments about how an engineering student is encouraged to work with professional engineers and do whatever he/she can do to enhance their opportunties when they graduate. But then we hamper football players (and other sports) by prohibiting them from interacting with agents and other people associated with professional sports. And we don't want them to accept money from boosters, but if an accounting firm paid for an accounting student's rent or car payment in exchange for work later we wouldn't have a problem. I guess the easy solution there would be to have a 'football' degree. But that is sort of dumb since players with no chance of the NFL would take the 'football' degree and have a pretty useless degree.
But my solution to the pay for play in college football isn't a monthly paycheck or a debit card they can use around town. I say that players should get a percentage of the money from jersey sales. It's easy to figure, send a player a check for 2-3% of the money earned off jersey sales bearing that player's number while they are in school wearing it on Saturdays. That way we avoid the question of, 'if we pay the stars then we have to pay the scrubs' and 'if we pay the men we have to pay the women'. The big time athletes will get a little spending money because that's whose jersey sells. And cap the total amount a player can earn at $5,000 in a calandar year to prevent schools like Texas and Ohio State from recruiting a player promising possible $30-40K years while playing there while Marshall can only promise their stars $3,000.
And really, it's only the first round talent getting into the trouble with money and agents. The guys would leave school after 3 years because they are just so good...they are the 5 star guys out of high school who are incredible talents. Those are the guys who know they're headed for the NFL and they don't need college for anything other than a stepping stone.
All the other guys, that scholorship their getting is payment enough. Those players are getting a degree in another field and they won't be playing in the NFL. They are making money for the school, and the school is paying them with a scholorship. I don't feel sorry for them, they agreed to it. College is expensive and they are earning their pay (which comes in the form of a scholorship).
So if a player is good enough that fans want to buy his jersey at the bookstore, then give him that money...after all those sales are made directly off the back of his star status. But for the other guys, a scholorship is payment enough.
JB
I think the whole issue arises from universities making tons of money off football and the football player only gets a scholorship...which some players don't even care about because they're in preperation for the NFL. So they take improper benefits which leads to suspensions and probation.
I've heard the arguments about how an engineering student is encouraged to work with professional engineers and do whatever he/she can do to enhance their opportunties when they graduate. But then we hamper football players (and other sports) by prohibiting them from interacting with agents and other people associated with professional sports. And we don't want them to accept money from boosters, but if an accounting firm paid for an accounting student's rent or car payment in exchange for work later we wouldn't have a problem. I guess the easy solution there would be to have a 'football' degree. But that is sort of dumb since players with no chance of the NFL would take the 'football' degree and have a pretty useless degree.
But my solution to the pay for play in college football isn't a monthly paycheck or a debit card they can use around town. I say that players should get a percentage of the money from jersey sales. It's easy to figure, send a player a check for 2-3% of the money earned off jersey sales bearing that player's number while they are in school wearing it on Saturdays. That way we avoid the question of, 'if we pay the stars then we have to pay the scrubs' and 'if we pay the men we have to pay the women'. The big time athletes will get a little spending money because that's whose jersey sells. And cap the total amount a player can earn at $5,000 in a calandar year to prevent schools like Texas and Ohio State from recruiting a player promising possible $30-40K years while playing there while Marshall can only promise their stars $3,000.
And really, it's only the first round talent getting into the trouble with money and agents. The guys would leave school after 3 years because they are just so good...they are the 5 star guys out of high school who are incredible talents. Those are the guys who know they're headed for the NFL and they don't need college for anything other than a stepping stone.
All the other guys, that scholorship their getting is payment enough. Those players are getting a degree in another field and they won't be playing in the NFL. They are making money for the school, and the school is paying them with a scholorship. I don't feel sorry for them, they agreed to it. College is expensive and they are earning their pay (which comes in the form of a scholorship).
So if a player is good enough that fans want to buy his jersey at the bookstore, then give him that money...after all those sales are made directly off the back of his star status. But for the other guys, a scholorship is payment enough.
JB
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
French Toast
A couple months ago I was watching the movie Kramer vs. Kramer. It was pretty good. A couple times in the movie Dustin Hoffman's character makes French toast. I had never made French toast so I decided to try it. It was both easy and good.
Beat an egg and put some milk it it like you would for scrambled eggs. Lightly dip both sides of a piece of bread (Texas Toast is best) in the beaten egg. Place the bread in a skillet (which has vegetable oil in it) over medium heat. Go about 2 minutes on each side and you are done. Sprinkle a little cinnamon, some confectioner's sugar, maybe some syrup...whatever and there you have it.
JB
Beat an egg and put some milk it it like you would for scrambled eggs. Lightly dip both sides of a piece of bread (Texas Toast is best) in the beaten egg. Place the bread in a skillet (which has vegetable oil in it) over medium heat. Go about 2 minutes on each side and you are done. Sprinkle a little cinnamon, some confectioner's sugar, maybe some syrup...whatever and there you have it.
JB
Monday, April 25, 2011
Chipotle Cream Dipping Sauce
This is a good one.
1/2 cup of sour cream
juice of 1/2 lime
one tablespoon of chipotle chili powder
one teaspoon of heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Mix it all together and dip something in it. I did pizza crust the other day and it was quite tasty.
JB
1/2 cup of sour cream
juice of 1/2 lime
one tablespoon of chipotle chili powder
one teaspoon of heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Mix it all together and dip something in it. I did pizza crust the other day and it was quite tasty.
JB
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Government Shutdown
When our federal government was debating the budget, there was talk of a government shutdown...which would put 800,000 non-essential government employees temporarily out of work. My question is: why do we have 800,000 NON-ESSENTIAL government employees?
Our government has so many layers of useless crap. And what do they produce...squat. They are all overhead. The mailman...at least he does something. The police...excellent use of money. Military...terrific government employees. The guy who makes $50,000/year to collect $2 to enter the public park - WASTE! The four guys who drink coffee and talk all day at the permit office, getting two hours of paperwork done per day - WASTE!
Our tax dollars pay for all these 800,000 non-essential government employees. Complete waste of our hard-earned money.
JB
Our government has so many layers of useless crap. And what do they produce...squat. They are all overhead. The mailman...at least he does something. The police...excellent use of money. Military...terrific government employees. The guy who makes $50,000/year to collect $2 to enter the public park - WASTE! The four guys who drink coffee and talk all day at the permit office, getting two hours of paperwork done per day - WASTE!
Our tax dollars pay for all these 800,000 non-essential government employees. Complete waste of our hard-earned money.
JB
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
NBA Playoffs
I enjoy the NBA playoffs. I'm not a huge NBA fan and who wins it all is not really a big deal to me. But I like how there are games on every night and it is exciting to watch all the great players.
My favorite team is the Hawks. I like how I can watch one playoff game and then there is one or two days until the next playoff game. In baseball, Game 1 is played, then Game 2 is the next day. There was no time to digest what just happened. In basketball, Game 1 was on Saturday, now Game 2 is on Monday or Tuesday, enough time to digest the previous game and then get ready for the next one.
The best part of the NBA playoffs is the conference championship round. That's because there are two series and they rotate the games. Western Conference Game 3 on Friday, Eastern Conference Game 4 on Saturday, Western Conference Game 3 on Sunday, Eastern Conference Game 5 on Monday and so on. Every night there is a great game on.
To me, the best professional playoffs are in the NBA. I guess basketball has that won in college and pro. I wish the Hawks could make a run, but I won't hold my breath.
JB
My favorite team is the Hawks. I like how I can watch one playoff game and then there is one or two days until the next playoff game. In baseball, Game 1 is played, then Game 2 is the next day. There was no time to digest what just happened. In basketball, Game 1 was on Saturday, now Game 2 is on Monday or Tuesday, enough time to digest the previous game and then get ready for the next one.
The best part of the NBA playoffs is the conference championship round. That's because there are two series and they rotate the games. Western Conference Game 3 on Friday, Eastern Conference Game 4 on Saturday, Western Conference Game 3 on Sunday, Eastern Conference Game 5 on Monday and so on. Every night there is a great game on.
To me, the best professional playoffs are in the NBA. I guess basketball has that won in college and pro. I wish the Hawks could make a run, but I won't hold my breath.
JB
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