Courtesy of zimbio.com

Over the past eight years, Rafael Nadal has amassed a record of 52-1 at the French Open, the only Grand Slam tennis tournament contested on clay courts, a surface Nadal has mastered like no other player in history. Nadal’s seven titles at the tournament stand as one of the most impressive records in tennis and have helped the Spaniard to earn his nickname, the “King of Clay.” Despite his dominance over the years, this year’s French Open is far from a lockdown for Nadal, who is facing challenges that will make earning his eighth title perhaps too much to accomplish this year.
Nadal’s biggest obstacle in the way of a title is undoubtedly Novak Djokovic, the world’s number-one ranked player. The French Open is the only major title the Serb has yet to win, surely making him only hungrier to finally conquer the clay. While 2012 saw Nadal defeat Djokovic in the tournament’s final, the circumstances are quite different this year. Nadal only returned to the tour in February after taking a seven-month break to heal from knee injuries, and although he has already won three tournaments, he does not look as comfortable as he once did on court. While Nadal was out, Djokovic was tearing up the game, winning two of the biggest tournaments in the world, including the year’s first Grand Slam and the Australian Open. This success allowed Djokovic to further assert himself as the world’s top player, a title that simply cannot be argued against at the moment.
Another reason the 2013 French Open could spell trouble for Nadal is the fact that Djokovic beat him just a week ago at the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 tournament, a major clay court event that Nadal has won every year since 2005. Djokovic’s dominant, straight-set win, which was capped off with a massive inside-out forehand on match point, sent a message to Nadal and the rest of the tour of his readiness to dominate the clay this year. Additionally, one can’t help but wonder what the loss will do to Nadal’s confidence, especially considering the last time he lost in Monte Carlo was when he was 16-years old.
In addition to the threat posed by Djokovic, another factor that could prevent Nadal from grabbing his eighth French Open title is his ranking. Because of his seven-month absence, Nadal’s ranking dropped to fifth. Since the seedings for tournaments are based on the rankings, Nadal is currently slated to be seeded fifth in Paris. What this means is that he will potentially have to play one of the top four seeds in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals to win the event. The feat of beating just one of these top players, whether it be Djokovic, Roger Federer, or Andy Murray, is impressive in itself, while beating all three is almost unheard of. There is no question Nadal is capable of beating every player in the world on clay, but for him to beat three of the world’s top players in subsequent matches would be an extremely tall order, even for the King of Clay.
For all the adversity Nadal will face this year at the French Open, it remains difficult not to call him the favorite at the event he has won a record seven times. That said, 2013 has provided an unprecedented set of challenges for Nadal, making it perhaps the best opportunity for other competitors, most notably Djokovic, to grab the title. While we won’t know for certain what the tournament holds until the end of May, it is already clear that the 2013 French Open will be one to follow as close as ever.

 Shapiro is a member of the class of 2016.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in the worst position of any team, with the Gabbert project failing miserably. Taken as the 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Gabbert was supposed to be the Jaguars’ franchise quarterback that they would build from the ground up. The problem is he wasn’t at ground level; he was at the bottom of a deep pit. He has thrown nearly as many interceptions as touchdowns and has a sloppy 53.8 completion percentage. His overall career rating is 70.2, and I know the Jaguars aren’t the best franchise, but they have standards to meet. There is also backup quarterback Chad Henne, but he can’t really be considered anything other than a good backup, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns in the five years he’s been in the league.

West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith is a great pocket passer, with all of the skills you want to see in a quarterback. He can scramble if absolutely necessary, but he would much rather look for an open target, even if facing pressure from the pass rush. He rarely loses his cool and has the characteristics that you need to be a successful NFL quarterback. Smith is almost certainly going to be taken by the Jaguars as the second overall pick in this year’s draft… unless the Kansas City Chiefs trade their first overall pick to the Bills or some other needy team.

The Tennessee Titans are also in a tough position. There are no good veteran quarterbacks on the market, and Geno Smith is probably not an option if the Jaguars make the right decision and take him with their pick. This leaves other rookie quarterbacks as a possible solution to their quarterback problem. Taken eighth overall in the 2011 draft, Locker has been plagued by injuries and has not shown consistency, even when healthy. The Titans picked up former Buffalo Bills starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick over the offseason, but if the Bills don’t want you, then that says something. This leaves two options, USC’s Matt Barkley and Florida State’s E.J. Manuel. Barkley makes adjustments at the line of scrimmage like a pro and is accurate at close range. Manuel can pick up six points with his feet due to amazing mobility and has shown his toughness by playing on a broken leg. They are both good picks, but Manuel seems to fit the Titans better than Barkley, especially since the Titans have running backs Chris Johnson and Shonn Greene. The option could become an option for the Titans’ offense if Manuel is selected in the draft.

If Manuel drops far enough in the draft, it may be smart for the Minnesota Vikings to take him. Though the Vikings made the playoffs last year, Ponder has not worked out too well, averaging a 77.1 passer rating over the two years he’s been in the league. Manuel backed up Ponder at Florida State and got to start when Ponder was injured, so it could be just like old times.

The Jaguars will take Smith if they are smart. If they pass him up, he will probably go to the Arizona Cardinals or the Cleveland Browns. In any case, that leaves the Titans with Manuel and Barkley as good potential picks. If either Manuel or Barkley is still available by the time the Vikings get to pick, they should invest in one of them, since they have two first-round picks this year.

               Ondo is a member of the class of 2014.

courtesy of sportige.com

This year’s free agency signings have not been as newsworthy as those of past years, but there are clear cut winners and losers. We’ll start with the bad news first because I’m in that kind of mood and also because it’s straight out of New York.

The biggest loser this year is the AFC East. With the exception of the New England Patriots, the rest of the division has performed abysmally this offseason.

The Patriots by no means performed admirably, but at least they replaced the players they lost with players of equal caliber. True, $31 million over five years may be a little steep for recently acquired wide receiver Danny Amendola, who played in only 12 of his last 32 regular season games due to injuries, but the Patriots also picked up former Buffalo Bills receiver Donald Jones as a form of insurance. Switching out change-of-pace runningback Danny Woodhead for former Seattle Seahawks running back Leon Washington was also an OK move. The Patriots weren’t brilliant, but they weren’t the Bills.

The Bills are the worst of the bunch. They lost guards Andy Levitre and Chad Rinehart to the Tennessee Titans and San Diego Chargers, respectively. They lost Donald Jones to the Patriots. They lost quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to the Titans, which leaves them with Tarvaris Jackson as quarterback. The only free agent they brought in was former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Manny Lawson, and that isn’t anything to celebrate. The Bills stink, as usual.

The New York Jets didn’t really come out of the free agent signing period any better off than the Bills, but at least they did something. Most of the actions I’m referring to were negative, like losing workhorse running back Shonn Greene to the Titans, safety LaRon Landry to the Indianapolis Colts, and tight end Dustin Keller to the Miami Dolphins, but they also picked up former Pittsburgh Steelers tackle Willie Colon and Oakland Raiders running back Mike Goodson.

Then there is Miami. Miami didn’t fight to retain veteran tackle Jake Long, who went to the Rams, or running back Reggie Bush, who the Lions added to their roster. They also let cornerback Sean Smith go to the Kansas City Chiefs even though he was coming off his best year. Miami also overpaid for receivers Mike Wallace and Brandon Gibson.

Now for the winners. The first-place team has to be the Denver Broncos. Besides strengthening their defensive line by signing the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, who racked up 32 tackles and two sacks last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars picked up Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who had three interceptions last season. However, the icing on the cake was, of course, the signing of former Patriots receiver Wes Welker.

Honorable mention goes to the Chiefs. They used the available free agents to begin the construction of a new offense. The smartest thing the Chiefs did was rid themselves of quarterback Matt Cassel and acquire former San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Alex Smith. Former Colts wide receiver Donnie Avery and former Dolphins tight end Anthony Fasano were added to give Smith some more reliable targets. The addition of former Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson also was not a bad idea.

The AFC West appears to be dominating the AFC East so far this offseason, but will that translate to regular season ass kickings? That is the question.

  Ondo is a member of the class of 2014.

Courtesy of union.sportsblognet.com

As a native of Upstate New York, I am a de facto fan of the Buffalo Bills. Year after year, early season victories fall prey to lengthy losing streaks. The rest of the National Football League views Buffalo as a team too pitiful to succeed.
I attended this year’s game versus the St. Louis Rams on Dec. 9, 2012. Mathematically, the team was still in contention for the post-season. With a small lead going into the fourth quarter, the entire stadium could sense what was to follow: a game winning drive by the visiting team. It was not the cold that left me disenchanted. Sure, I was frostbitten, but witnessing yet another collapse left me asking dangerous questions and proposing cynical solutions.
How can the team’s last playoff appearance be from the 1999 season? Many have speculated over the root cause of this phenomenon, citing poor quarterback play, perennial injuries, or poor personnel management. To them, I say yes. You are right. However, I do not think this accounts for enough of the hopelessness bearing down on the team. The often overlooked aspect I want to address is the debilitation of going to a losing, small market franchise in Buffalo.
Pretend you are a free agent. You get a call from two teams: the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills. One team has played in five Super Bowls in 12 years. The other can’t sell out its home games. For whom would you rather play?
Let’s pretend you end up choosing to uplift that hopeless franchise. Maybe they offer you the most money for your position in league history to play for them, which the Bills have done twice in six years (Derrick Dockery and Mario Williams). Your chinstrap is buckled, you take the field, but something is holding you back. You play on a team everyone expects to stink, and you buy into it.
Quarterback Drew Bledsoe, a Pro-Bowler who had led his former team to the Super Bowl, was at the beginning of this sad saga for the Bills. In 2002 and 2003, he was 8-8 and 6-10 respectively. For his third and final season, he entered the finale a win away from a playoff berth; instead, he lost to the second string of the post-season bound Pittsburgh Steelers, who were resting their starters. When it came time to follow through, he consistently came up short because the team should not and cannot win a big game.
Perhaps I was not clear about the debilitation factor of playing for a bad team. Pro-Bowlers Marcus Stroud, Terrell Owens, and Mario Williams had failed to live up to their hype after being signed by the Bills. Previous season statistics posit much more talent than what was shown here. What is worse, the phenomenon works both ways. Former draft picks Antoine Winfield, Nate Clements, Donte Witner, and Willis McGahee have had similar if not more success since leaving Buffalo early in their careers. Running back Marshawn Lynch went from above average in Buffalo to one of the league’s best in Seattle. I need not mention the numerous draft busts that further how a player cannot seem to reach peak performance for the Buffalo Bills. J.P Losman. John McCargo. Oops.
Are there exceptions to this rule? C.J. Spiller emerged this past season. Stevie Johnson has had back-to-back, 1,000-yard receiving seasons, a first in Bills history. The list is quite short. Mario Williams did have 10.5 sacks this season, yet three came in one game, and he failed to sack the quarterback in nine games. That is not the player that the team thought it brought in.
We can look toward revival efforts in similarly downtrodden franchises for a glimmer of hope amid the gloom of Upstate NY. The Cincinnati Bengals have made the playoffs two years in a row; the Detroit Lions went last year. Neither team won a post-season game. The Arizona Cardinals, of all franchises, went to a Super Bowl in Feb. 2009! They lost.
This isn’t limited to just the NFL. In the world of Major League Baseball, the Oakland A’s recently are allergic to playoff victories, the Chicago Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908, and the Kansas City Royals haven’t been to the playoffs in 27 years. Although these statistics make the Bills’ plight less embarrassing, the NFL has much more parody than the MLB.
I don’t have the answer to whether this debilitation factor comes from being surrounded by better talent elsewhere or suffocated by a lack thereof in Buffalo, although my instincts say it is neither. The stars the Bills choose refuse to be stars when the chips are on the table. It is the player, not the uniform, that decides who wins and who loses.
What can the Buffalo  Bills do to remedy this? I propose a few ideas.
First, the team has to get proven winners in charge at both head coach and quarterback. The Bills previous three head coaches, Mike Mularkey, Dick Jauron, and Chan Gailey have a combined zero playoff wins. Get a quarterback that demands the respect of his teammates, a guy who can make a play when the game is on the line. These players are few and far between, but instead of looking for superior athleticism or NFL combine talent, get a guy who delivers victories.
Second, execute. Bring in players who get the job done. Please prove to me that it is not some Buffalo curse. This is a franchise that made it to four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s.
They lost them all, though.

Brady is a member of the class of 2015.

Courtesy of spokeo.com

When asked by “NFL AM” which NFC East quarterback he feared the most, New York Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas, who is not at all lacking in talent, answered: “Dennis Dixon.”
Dixon was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 18 and is expected to compete with Michael Vick for the starting job. But neither Dixon nor Vick are guaranteed to start. Oregon coach Chip Kelly also has second-year quarterback Nick Foles and a veteran quarterback, and I use that term loosely, in Trent Edwards.
Dennis Dixon isn’t very well known and you’d probably be surprised if I told you that he earned a Super Bowl ring earlier this month. He never played for the Ravens but was signed to their practice squad last year. Before that, he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, which drafted him in the fifth round of the 2008 draft.
Dixon has only started three games in the NFL, but those three games do a good job exposing his strengths and weaknesses. He is a big yet fast quarterback, able to run a 4.49 40-yard dash despite his 209 lbs., 6’3” frame. So it should come as no surprise that he ran 59 yards and a touchdown on eight attempts in just three starts.
Between his speed, long strides, agility, and ability to find holds and make cuts like a running back, it is clear that Dixon could become a great dual-threat quarterback. He is also very good at throwing on the run and has a big arm. However, in his three NFL starts, he threw for 399 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, indicating that his passing skills could use some improvement.
Dixon is also kind of rusty since he hasn’t played in a single NFL game since 2010. His major advantage over Vick, though, is that Kelly was his offensive coordinator during his senior year at Oregon.
While on the topic of Vick, I think that having him there to compete with Dixon is a great idea. Maybe Dixon can learn a few tricks from Vick and feel some pressure to improve. Vick is a viable number-two option at this point, but I can’t see him starting 16 games and doing well. His production has decreased drastically over the past two years, and he is going to turn 33 over the summer. Kelly won’t invest too much of his time in Vick if he’s smart.
As for Edwards and Foles, they are third-string quarterbacks at best. Taken 88th overall last year, Foles won one of the six games he started. As for Edwards, he never played a full season, and the only year that he started more than 10 games, the Bills came in fourth place in the AFC East. He also has a 26-30 career touchdown-interception ratio. If that’s not enough, the Oakland Raiders cut him after the preseason… and they let JaMarcus Russell start 25 games before finally getting rid of him. To put it bluntly, neither of these quarterbacks looks like a winner to me.
Coach Kelly has assembled a good team of mediocre quarterbacks, but can he craft one to be playoff quality? Foles and Edwards can serve as okay backups, winning a few games here and there, but I can’t see either having an 11-5 season. However, with Vick and Dixon learning from each other and competing with each other in practice, both can become viable threats. Dixon is younger and less injury prone, though, so I would start developing him if I were Kelly.

    Ondo is a member of the class of 2015.

Courtesy of fanpop.com

The NBA All-Star game is coming up this weekend, providing a nice reprise for players to get their legs back and recover from the grind of a long regular season. A lot is made of teams’ records heading into the All-Star Break, but the current standings in the East and West are by no means the only litmus test of how teams will perform in the playoffs.
This year, as is the case with most seasons, a surprise squad or two will undoubtedly make some noise in the postseason, while some of the upper-echelon teams in both conferences could be set up for an early exit.
Here’s an uncommon situation: a team enters the All-Star break ranked seventh in its conference, having recently lost a point guard to injury who had been leading the league in assists, and they’re just starting to look like a contender. This is exactly the case with the Boston Celtics, the best dark-horse bet in this year’s playoffs.
Whether Rajan Rando’s absence really makes the Celtics a better team is debatable, but right now, they’re  certainly playing like one; they just reeled off a seven-game win streak, beating the likes of the Heat, Clippers, Lakers, and Nuggets in the process. Both Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are outstanding passers at their positions, helping the team maintain great offensive continuity in Rondo’s absence.
Several other factors also point toward a resurgent Boston team heading into the playoffs, including outstanding leadership, the emergence of Jeff Green to provide a desperately needed boost in youth and athleticism, and Pierce’s still remarkable ability to get his shots in isolation situations.
Out west, everyone seems to be doting on the Thunder and the Spurs, relegating the Clippers to “that team that’s just missing something.” Well, something was missing, and his name is Chris Paul. He’s back in the lineup now, and the Clippers are looking great.
Defense truly does win championships, and the Clippers are one of the best at it, to the tune of ranking fourth in the league in opponent points per game and best in steals per game. Offensively they can be dynamic as well, especially when Paul and Blake Griffin are both passing at their best. Jamal Crawford is a highly underrated weapon and one of the best sixth men in the league, averaging 17.1 PPG off the bench.
Don’t make the mistake of writing the Clippers off. If Chauncey Billups can return to form, they just might be the best in the West.

Speaking of the West, the Nuggets have been taking it by storm of late, if you haven’t noticed. They’ve risen to fifth in the conference by losing just two of their last eleven games. They’re the best rebounding team in the league, they have great athleticism, and Ty Lawson is possibly the most underrated player in the league. And it would be an absolute shock if they made it out of the second round.
Great as they’ve been looking, two main aspects of the Nuggets scream postseason bust. For one, they lack a go-to-scorer, which is essential against postseason defenses. Second, they’re awful when they’re not at home. The Nuggets have only lost three home games all season, but for whatever reason, they’re simply a different team on the road.
Which, sadly, brings me to the Knicks. Considering the host of problems with this team, it’s remarkable that they’re still ranked second in the East, but their style of play simply cannot be sustained through a deep postseason run. First and foremost, they play way too much one-on-one with Carmelo Anthony (and occasionally J.R. Smith). Of course ’Melo is great at it, but when his shot is off, the offense gets stagnant and otherwise effective role players like Steve Novak and Jason Kidd seem to lose their way.
The Knicks also struggle defensively when their two best scorers, Melo and Amaré Stoudemire, are in the game together. As a lifelong fan, I take no pleasure in saying this, but too much inconsistency on both sides of the ball could spell a first or second-round exit for the Knickerbockers.

    Fleming is a member of the class of 2013.

Courtesy of nytimes.com

The National Football League (NFL) surged a wave of excitement across the nation as Super Bowl XLVII commenced to the ringing of pizza-place phones on Sunday, Feb. 3. Football fans, donned in their favorite team jerseys, huddled around the television while a dramatic game enfolded between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers.

Two brothers, Jim and John Harbaugh, faced off on the sidelines and coached the 49ers and the Ravens respectively, remaining firm until the game’s dying minutes.

As the teams took the field, there was a sense that fans were in for a memorable game. The Ravens were fresh from redeeming themselves against an agonizing loss to the New England Patriots, the same opponent they faced in the AFC Championship a season ago. This season, the AFC Championship win against the Patriots excited Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, who waltzed off the field shouting, “Have fun at the pro-bowl!”

Suggs’ confidence was indeed warranted, as the Ravens initiated the game with a formidable effort and an evident stride in their step. Joe Flacco delivered a pinpoint pass to Anquan Boldin early in the first quarter for a quick touchdown. There was back-and-forth play for while, and the 49ers managed to chip in a 36-yard field goal towards the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter consisted of sheer domination on the part of the Ravens, whose determined defensive play led to disproportionate ball possession and many missed opportunities for the offense to enter the red zone. The effect was two touchdown passes threaded by Joe Flacco, including a 56-yarder to Jacoby Jones in which the 49ers secondary performed an uncoordinated read on the ball that would serve better in a scene from “The Three Stooges.” Both teams left for halftime with prospects looking dismal for the 49ers as the Ravens marched to a 21-6 lead.

However, all was not lost, as San Francisco was given more than enough time to evaluate their play and assess strategies to exploit holes in a seemingly unyielding Ravens defense. Following halftime, the Superdome experienced a power outage. After a 34-minute game delay, the outcome of the stoppage became quite apparent as the game’s momentum shifted sides to the 49ers. Duel-threat quarterback Colin Kaepernick used both his accurate arm and speed on the turf to chip away at the Ravens’ defense. Frank Gore, who had 110 yards on 19 carries in the game, displayed unmatched instinct in picking his holes and fighting his way through the Ravens defensive line. The outcome was a third quarter that saw the 49ers come back to put 17 points on the board.

The game reached a late climax in which the Ravens were able to claim the Vince Lombardi trophy due to a single goal-line stand. The Ravens were losing grip on a 34-29 lead in the dying minutes of the fourth quarter as Kaepernick led the 49ers down the field in a drive that had them knocking on the Ravens’ door. The Ravens repeatedly made defensive efforts to block entrance to the end zone from first in goal, all the way to a fourth-down effort that sailed over Michael Crabtree. After gaining possession, the Ravens were able to eliminate enough clock to ensure their championship, partly due to a surprise intentional safety that set the final score at 34-31.

Super Bowl XLVII will be remembered as the game in which brothers faced off on the sidelines and a power outage left fans eager for action to resume. However, it will also be recalled as a closely fought game that left many nails remarkably short. Nevertheless, the Ravens demonstrated that strong defenses build championship teams, and Baltimore will remain a dominant force in the AFC. But for now, fans whose teams did not make the playoffs can look forward to the next big football event: the 2013 NFL draft.

Colman is a member of the class of 2015.

Courtesy of deadspin.com

The National Hockey League (NHL) has finally made a celebratory return. A 103-day lockout has ceased, leaving disgruntled fans to doubt that their loyal respect for the game is shared amongst wealthy players and owners. Throughout those long days of fiscal negotiations, as fans continually monitored the news for glimpses of hope, a charade was played out in their minds akin to a circus show with Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr as the ringleaders.
The drama included finger pointing, name-calling, exasperated press conferences, and Gary Bettman’s “Golden Boy” Sidney Crosby defiantly biting the hand from which he is fed. Tempers flared and failed to be contained; federal mediators stepped in to calm the storm, only to hopelessly exit the battlefield without progress.
Inherent to the conflict and throbbing within the hearts of fans were mixed emotions of comedy and futility. Although the lockout festivities were entertaining in their own right, fans across the world simply wanted to watch hockey.
Feelings of betrayal leftover from the lockout in 2004, which resulted in the shutdown of an entire NHL season, are still fresh within their memory. Those passions resurfaced in the form of columns, Facebook posts, and Twitter rants expressing criticism concerning the apparent indifference towards fans demonstrated by players and league executives. As the old saying goes, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.”
Hockey fans rallied in opposition to having their interests once again trounced by an unstable and markedly adverse labor-management affiliation.
To be fair, the owners truly made an honest effort to restore sanity to a process that seemed stagnated by the players’ insistent demands. They conceded a generous 50-50 split of hockey related revenue in mid-October, only to be met with surprise disputes regarding maximum contract lengths. With reason, the league made an attempt to limit run-away contract lengths that constrain players’ motivation to work hard on years when they aren’t facing Free Agency at the end of the season. Those who cringe at the contemplation of Rick DiPietro’s 15-year, $67.5 million deal and lack of output may feel such restrictions are just. Nonetheless, the moment concessions were made on the part of the owners, Donald Fehr and the National Hockey League Players’ Association fired new attacks from different positions. The result was a vicious cycle that repeated itself in discussions on nearly every stipulation that could be debated within the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
As nearly two weeks have passed since the opening day of the 2013 NHL season, there is an apparent divergence among hockey fans in regards to their response. Resentment towards the league has overpowered love for the sport in the minds of some fans. There are Facebook pages pledging an allegiance to boycott the NHL — the largest of such groups has managed to collect 1,765 bitter cohorts.
Nevertheless, the majority of the NHL’s loyal fan-base is still strongly intact. For these fans, a type of separation anxiety has been gaining momentum with each restless day of the lockout. Shortly following the agreement, over 10,000 Buffalo Sabres fans flocked to a free team scrimmage held at the First Niagara Center. The season opened with 13 sold-out games and was broadcast with record ratings. Sell-out crowds weren’t exclusive to Canadian cities, as a surge of southern American fans rushed to games in cities like Nashville, Dallas, and Sunrise, Fla. Canadian fans have loyalty to hockey from birth, yet it appears as if the “Don’t Tread On Me” nature within American blood has been diluted by a relatively newfound love and appreciation for the game.
NHL players and league executives would learn considerably by simply observing the unwavering loyalty of their fans. There were simpler times when players felt gratified to play the game that they love, and owners were content in turning a marginal profit.
However, in an age of multi-billion dollar professional-sports industries, those days are long gone. Looking to the future, one can only hope that a sport with such a rich history and tradition will fail to be enshrouded by the mists of greed. But for now, hockey fans worldwide finally have something to cheer about.

Colman is a member of the class of 2015.

Courtesy of wivb.com

The Buffalo Bills recently hired Doug Marrone as their new head coach and Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator. This is a great pairing since Marrone hired Hackett to be his offensive coordinator at Syracuse University in 2010, so the chemistry is already there. The reason I am so interested in these two hires is quite simple – Marrone has included a read option in his offenses before and is great at designing blocking schemes.

Now, the Washington Redskins have Robert Griffin III, the San Francisco 49ers have Colin Kaepernick, and the Carolina Panthers have Cam Newton, all of whom are great at running the option. So here is what the Bills need to do. First, they need to get Joe Webb, the Vikings backup quarterback, and name him their starter. Then they need to find him a backup, preferably a younger player, and a mentor, preferably a veteran, and hire them.

The reason Webb would be a good fit is that he is a physical athlete with great speed. This means that defenses would not only have to prepare for running backs C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson but also Webb. In his three seasons as a backup, Webb rushed for 341 yards and four touchdowns, losing just two fumbles. The best part of the trade is that the Bills wouldn’t be breaking bank, since Webb’s salary next year is projected to come in just under $600,000.

Michael Vick would be my pick for a mentor for Webb if the Bills were to build around the read option. When Vick was with Atlanta from 2004 to 2006, he ran for 2,535 yards, 11 touchdowns, and lost 15 fumbles using the read-option. Now, over the past two seasons, Vick has scrambled for 921 yards, two touchdowns, and lost nine fumbles. Due to this decline in production, I wouldn’t start him, but he would make a good mentor and backup to Webb. However, there are three problems with Vick. The first is that Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly may keep Vick since he used a read option offense when he was the head coach at the University of Oregon. The second is that Vick is 32 years old. The last is his hefty price tag of $15 million.

With a less expensive salary of $2.5 million, Tim Tebow makes the list as a potential backup. Now, I don’t like Tebow, but if the Jets release or trade him, he wouldn’t make such a bad backup in a read heavy offense. He is undoubtedly one of the best dual threat quarterbacks that college has ever seen, making the most of the Urban Meyer’s spread-option offense while down in Florida. Furthermore, in his only season as a starter in the NFL, which was in 2011 for the Denver Broncos, Tebow racked up 660 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. However, his accuracy was a dismal 46.5 percent due to his poor throwing mechanics, and you have to have a viable passer or else the defense will just focus on the run and shut you down in a run-heavy, read option offense.

On that note, I think that Vince Young, who the Bills cut before last season even started, could be a good mentor and backup if the Bills brought him back. Young ran an option offense in his 2006 and 2007 seasons while playing for the Tennessee Titans, picking up 947 yards, 10 touchdowns, and losing six fumbles in that time. His accuracy is also better than the other quarterbacks listed above and he is extremely mobile. Moreover, his last contract was for a mere $350,000, so he is quite affordable.
The most cost-effective combination of quarterbacks would be to get Webb as a starter, use Tebow as a backup, and employ Young as a mentor and third string quarterback. However, because Webb probably won’t be too much of a financial burden, the Bills may be able to take Vick as a mentor and second string quarterback, and add Tebow or Young to the roster as a third string quarterback.

In any case, building a team around the option may make the Bills a real playoff contender in the near future.

Ondo is a member of the class of 2014.

Courtesy of zimbio.com

I took my roommate to a Buffalo Bills game for his birthday this past Sunday, Dec. 2, because he had never attended an NFL game before. Despite having to stand in the cold, rainy weather that Buffalo seems to be plagued with, we both had a good time because attending a live NFL game is one of the most exciting things a sports fan can do.

 
We got lucky enough to attend a game the Bills actually won. When the home team runs all over the other team’s defense ­— literally in our case, with running backs C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson combining for 39 carries  against the Jacksonville Jaguars — the atmosphere at most NFL stadiums is amazing. People are in a frenzy — chanting, cheering and booing the refs — until their team is about to run a play. At that moment, the whole stadium quiets down. Every team has its own chants, so it is refreshing to go to games outside of your hometown. Before last Sunday, I’d only been to Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs.

 
It also doesn’t matter if you’re not a fan of either team — I could care less about Buffalo and their opponents, the Jacksonville Jaguars — because, if you are a football fan, you most likely have players you like on other teams.

 
For me, those players were Jackson, Spiller and Bills defensive end Mario Williams. As a bonus, the Jaguars had picked up former Eagles defensive end Jason Babin the week before, so I got to see one of my favorite Eagles players, too.

 
If you have players on your fantasy team, it is also fun to cheer them on live — instead of yelling at the TV screen, I was able to yell directly at Spiller when he was on the sidelines.

 
Some may be hesitant to attend a game because of the cost, but if you play your cards right, it can be fairly inexpensive. Eat and drink before and after the game, because $12 burgers just aren’t worth it. Also, unless you plan on tailgating with others, it is best to park away from the stadium in driveways that private individuals rent out on Sundays. That cuts costs down by $15 to $20. Finally, buy the tickets over the summer. I got fifth row, 20-yard line tickets for $70, partly because of the match-up, but also because I bought December tickets in August.

 
If $70 is too much, you can always buy $25 nosebleeds and walk down to the sidelines and stand at the railing. My point is, live NFL games are affordable and fun, so there is no reason not to attend them.

 
If you’re still not convinced, consider this: There are no commercials at live games. Yep. I don’t know about you, but that’s reason enough for me.

 
Ondo is a member of the class of 2014.