By Steve Giles, on September 27th, 2011 It’s late September in Baltimore and there is meaningful baseball being played at Camden Yards. Granted, it’s not the O’s who have their playoff hopes on the line, but rather their AL East rivals, the Boston Red Sox. I’ve only been here for about 15 minutes, but I already feel that the atmosphere here tonight is going to be electric. It’s sad to say, but this is the closest thing the O’s have had to being a part of postseason baseball in a long while. Even though the O’s aren’t the ones trying to play themselves into the postseason, it is still exciting to be able to witness what is going to transpire here tonight and give me at least a little taste of what it would be like if the O’s were able to someday make the playoffs again.
But we are here today because of what is becoming a historic Red Sox late season collapse. Back on Sept. 3, the Sox had what looked to be a stranglehold on the AL wild card as they led the Tampa Bay Rays by nine games with just under a month to play. Since then, the Red Sox have lost 20 of 27 games and have squandered their once comfortable lead with just two games left to play. The Sox are now tied with the Rays for the final wild card spot and, depending on what happens in the next two games, could possibly face each other in a one game playoff to decide who makes the postseason. The Rays, who have won 15 of 23 games since Sept. 2, face the Yankees at home tonight and tomorrow. READ MORE >>>
By Steve Giles, on September 27th, 2011
Oklahoma State is for real
In years past, Oklahoma State was one of those flashy teams who could score a lot of points, win the games they should win by big margins, but could never win the big game against a highly-ranked opponent. Well, that trend looks to be changing after last Saturday’s win against Texas A&M at College Station. The Cowboys rallied from 17 points down at halftime only to come out in the second half and score 27 straight points to take a 30-20 lead and eventually finish with a thrilling 30-29 victory. READ MORE >>>
By Steve Giles, on September 24th, 2011 Ravens players, coaches and fans can use any excuse in the book about why they were beaten in stunning fashion by the Tennessee Titans last Sunday. Some would say the cornerbacks couldn’t handle the size and speed of the Titans receivers. Some would say they didn’t put enough pressure on Matt Hasselbeck. Some would say Joe Flacco missed a few easy passes to open receivers. But whichever excuse you want to use must include the part about the Ravens being too overconfident after beating the snot out of the Pittsburgh Steelers the week before.
I know that these guys are professionals, but they are humans as well. You can’t tell me that the locker room wasn’t on an incredible high after absolutely destroying their hated rivals and that they didn’t come into the Titans game overlooking them at least a little. I know it’s hard for fans to admit that their team would ever overlook a fellow NFL opponent, but it happens from time to time, and it certainly happened last Sunday. But as they say, you live and you learn. And the Ravens will surely learn from what transpired last Sunday. READ MORE >>>
By Steve Giles, on September 18th, 2011
By Steve Giles, on September 13th, 2011
I LOVE that Brian Kelly and Notre Dame are 0-2
Call me cynical. Call me a horrible person. Call me what you will. But I thoroughly enjoyed the look I saw on Brian Kelly’s face last Saturday night after he watched Denard Robinson and Michigan drive 80 yards in 28 seconds and beat his Irish 35-31 with two seconds left. The game was pretty ugly, to say the least, but featured one of the best finishes I’ve seen in a long time. The Irish looked to have had the game in the bag after Tommy Rees threw a touchdown pass to Theo Riddick with 30 seconds left to put his team up three. Then, Robinson did what he did last season against the Irish, putting his team on his back and driving down the field to beat them in the final seconds.
I was happy for Robinson because he seems like a great kid and was so deserving of a win like that. But I was also elated that Kelly didn’t get the pleasure of celebrating the win simply because I don’t like him. I don’t like how he left Cincinnati before the Sugar Bowl last year when they were 12-0. I don’t like how he hung them out to dry. The young guys on that team, especially Zach Collaros, admired Kelly. Then, all of a sudden he decided to up and leave before the biggest game of their careers, a game in which they were blown out by Florida, 51-24.
I also don’t like his mannerisms on the sidelines. He always seems like he’s whining about something and he gets far too upset with his players when they make mistakes. I understand football is a big boy’s game and all, but come on man. There are better ways of getting through to your players than yelling and screaming at them all the time. Needless to say, I think it’s fitting that he’s struggling at Notre Dame. And an 0-3 start isn’t out of the question, either, as Michigan State heads to South Bend Saturday afternoon.
Auburn keeps finding ways to win without Cam Newton
I’m still not sure just how good Auburn is, even after their thrilling win against Mississippi State last Saturday. But I do know one thing – they sure as hell know how to deliver exciting football games. Backup safety Ryan Smith stopped Mississippi State running back Chris Relf at the goal line as time expired as the Tigers held on for a 41-34 victory over the visiting Bulldogs. It was the second straight poor defensive effort by the Tigers, as they have allowed 72 points in their first two games. Their offense, however, made up for their defensive woes and continues to get the job done, tallying up 82 points so far this season.
But despite their shaky play on defense and their unconventional way of doing things, Auburn still continue to win. They currently have the nation’s longest winning streak at 17 and know what it takes to win games in dramatic fashion. They are doing it with different players, but nonetheless, they are doing it. They moved up four spots in my poll this week, and hope to move up even further after they face a tough road test at Clemson this Saturday.
National title implications highlight the Oklahoma/Florida State game
I know this post is supposed to be a reflection on what happened last week in college football, but I can’t help but talk about the biggest game of the season thus far. There is no way of overstating the importance of this game, especially for Florida State. This is by far the biggest game of head coach Jimbo Fisher’s career, as he has the chance to take down the top-ranked team in the land and make his mark at a university that has had it’s fair share of success. Former FSU head coach Bobby Bowden had one of the most improbable runs in college football from 1987 to 2000, as his teams won at least 10 games and were ranked in the top five of the AP poll every season.
It seems impossible for Fisher to achieve that level of success, but he sure could help his cause with a win Saturday night. Oklahoma will be more than ready, though, as they have a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender in quarterback Landry Jones and an All-America receiver in Ryan Broyles, who led the nation with 131 receptions last season. Not to mention, Oklahoma boasts one of the most stifling defenses in the nation. The atmosphere in Tallahassee is going to be electric Saturday night and this one should shape up to be one of the best games in recent memory.
Submitted by Steve Giles
By Steve Giles, on September 8th, 2011 The O’s already spoiled the Yankees only day off for the remainder of the regular season and now they hope to spoil their chances, at least a little, of winning another AL East title. The Yankees are currently 2 1/2 games up on the Red Sox in the division and have a playoff spot all but locked up. They will be sending Ivan Nova (15-4, 3.89 ERA) to the mound as he looks to become the first Yankees rookie in 72 years to win nine straight starts. He will be pitching opposite Alfredo Simon (4-8, 4.64 ERA), who was roughed up in his most recent outing against the Rays giving up six earned runs and seven hits in just five innings. We’ll see how far this game goes before the rain decides to show it’s ugly face, as scattered thunderstorms are in the forecast for this afternoon.
1:11 pm
Simon started off the day very nicely, retiring the side in order. He’s going to have to have his best stuff today, especially with Nova on the mound for the Yankees.
1:16 pm
Six up, six down. Hopefully the rest of the game goes this quickly so we can get it in before the inevitable downpour starts again. I don’t think the players on either team want to delay this one any more than they have to. READ MORE >>>
By Steve Giles, on September 6th, 2011
The 2011 college football season is underway, which means the SB Nation College Football BlogPoll will once again be a weekly feature on BSR. I will be representing our site again this year and posting my rankings every Tuesday morning along with some thoughts about what occurred over the weekend. Above are my rankings after the first full weekend of college football. Oklahoma still gets the top spot as they blew out Tulsa, 47-14 and Alabama stays right behind them at No. 2. LSU made their way to No. 3 after handling business against previously ranked No. 3 Oregon, who slipped down to No. 10. Feel free to throw your two cents in and let me know how you think I did with the rankings. Here are a few observations I made after the first full weekend of college football. READ MORE >>>
By Steve Giles, on August 30th, 2011  I’m sure the question of how Jimmy Smith will pan out as a professional has been asked multiple times since the Ravens drafted him back in April. And even though it is yet to be answered, at least we have a few glimpses of live footage, albeit preseason, that have given us something to work with. Like any rookie, he has struggled at times, but has looked good at times as well. There’s no doubt this guy has the most raw talent of any young cornerback in the NFL, which will shine through immediately and hide some mistakes he may make as a result of being inexperienced at the professional level.
That being said, there is still quite a learning curve for him as it pertains to understanding certain defensive plays and schemes. Both were evident in the Ravens most recent game against the Redskins in a few plays . Smith made an excellent play in the end zone against Santana Moss, using his speed and awareness to break up a potential touchdown catch. But a few plays later, Smith blew the coverage and followed Jabar Gaffney to the flat instead marking Moss, who was already behind him catching a touchdown pass from Rex Grossman. Smith immediately threw his arms up, either recognizing he screwed up or complaining that Ed Reed should’ve been there. I’m sure someone eventually told the rookie it was his fault. READ MORE >>>
By Steve Giles, on August 23rd, 2011  The speculation about whether or not Peyton Manning will be on the field for the season opener against Houston Texans is one of the big stories leading up to the 2011-12 season. And why wouldn’t it be? Manning has taken every snap (excluding the preseason) for the Colts over the past 13 seasons while being one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks in the league over that time period. He currently has 208 consecutive starts, which is good for second in NFL history behind Brett Favre’s 297. But Manning’s streak could be in jeopardy come Sept. 11.
It is unknown at this point whether or not Manning will be healthy enough to start the regular season after undergoing surgery to repair a bulging disk in his neck this past May. To add insult to injury, Manning wasn’t able to work with team trainers in the offseason because of the lockout, which has slowed his recovery considerably. But even with the setbacks Manning has encountered, I don’t see any way he doesn’t play in the season opener. I can say this with confidence because, well, he is Peyton Manning. READ MORE >>>
By Steve Giles, on August 20th, 2011 When you mix the first Ravens preseason game with anxious, excited, over-the-top Ravens fans and alcoholic beverages, wagers about the upcoming season will be made. I may or may not be speaking from experience here, but I know it happens. For the past four years, a popular conversation piece around Baltimore, mostly bantered back and forth within bar walls, has been about Joe Flacco’s on-the-field performance. There are both Flacco supporters and Flacco haters out there, but despite which side you’re on, the arguments for both are nothing short of interesting.
One of those interesting discussions arose during last Thursday night’s game between the Ravens and Eagles. The Flacco debate began and the overly confident predictions followed. To make a long, expletive story short, a wager was made about how Flacco’s statistics last season will compare to that of this season’s. The wager, which was brought on by the “uncertain” Flacco fan, consisted of the following stipulations – Flacco would have lower numbers this season in two of the following three statistical categories (yards, completions and passing touchdowns) than he did last season. The “confident” Flacco fan quickly complied, the two shook hands and the deal was sealed. READ MORE >>>
By Steve Giles, on August 16th, 2011
The Ravens will feature a lot of young players on both sides of the ball this season and, as a result, there will be some growing pains, especially early in the season. The offensive line is full of rookies, as is the receiving core, and the two projected starting tight ends are in just their second year. The defense has a good deal of experience, but will most likely need a few young guys to step up if they want to continue to be one of the best units in the league. Needless to say, the Ravens are in a transitional stage, which is a scary place to be heading into a regular season with so many unknowns.
The sad reality is that not all of these young guys are going to be successful at the professional level. Some will be busts, some will become average players and a select few have the opportunity to become superstars. It’s hard to tell exactly which of these players will succeed and which will fail, but here are two second-year guys I think will make the Ravens happy they drafted them. READ MORE >>>
By Steve Giles, on August 9th, 2011  As the regular season inches closer, the jury on how the 2011-12 Baltimore Ravens will finish is starting to emerge. The first edition of ESPN’s preseason power rankings have the Ravens at No. 9, which looks relatively accurate as it stands right now. There’s no way of having a spot-on assessment of the team so far considering our only analysis of the team is from training camp. Even the preseason games won’t give us much of an answer as to how the Ravens will fare in the regular season. So all we can do right now is guess how they will do using the little bit of information we do have.
I think best case scenario for the Ravens this season is 11-5 and a playoff berth. Worst case is 8-8, which in the AFC means they miss the postseason. So naturally I think they finish somewhere in the middle of the best and worst cases, which puts them at 10-6 with a possible playoff berth. They could easily win the division considering the Bengals and Browns will both probably be below .500 and the Steelers are susceptible to a mediocre season every few years. But the Ravens outcome this year really falls on how effectively Joe Flacco can lead his young offense. READ MORE >>>
By Steve Giles, on August 6th, 2011 For once in the past three years, Brett Favre made a good decision. Amidst the rumors of returning to the NFL for his 47th season, Favre denied that he was making yet another comeback. Thank the Lord. Don’t get me wrong, I like Favre and all but there comes a time where you just need to hang it up despite every competitive bone in your body telling you to come back for one more season. He probably should’ve just stayed retired after leading the Packers to a 13-3 record and a playoff berth in the 2007-08 season or after he took the Vikings to the NFC championship game in the 2009-10 season. But what fun would that have been?
I was worried for Favre’s legacy when I heard the Dolphins were interested in bringing him out of retirement. But thankfully he addressed the situation and made it clear he wasn’t coming back. I just hope he sticks to his guns this time. If he decides to give it another go, he will begin to erase the legacy he worked so hard to build. READ MORE >>>
By Steve Giles, on August 2nd, 2011 It’s difficult to root for a team that isn’t good. It’s especially difficult to root for a team that hasn’t been good in over a decade. But us loyal fans keep coming back time and time again even though the O’s continue to break our hearts every season, usually by the All-Star break. What keeps us rooting for the O’s, besides the promise of every new season, are the players we have grown to love. Obviously, we want to like every player on the team, but for whatever reason, there are always a few guys that we like more than others. It could be the position they play, how well they perform on the field, how they conduct themselves off the field, or for you girls out there, how cute you think they are.
We get attached to these guys and we hate to see them leave even if it is in their best interest to play somewhere else. And with free agency being what it is today, it’s nothing to see a guy play for four or five different teams throughout his career. This season the O’s have traded away first baseman Derrek Lee and reliever Koji Uehara to the Pirates and Rangers, respectively. Lee wasn’t here long enough for us to create any type of fan-player relationship, but Koji became somewhat of a fan favorite over the two-plus years he was with the club. He was noticeably upset when he found out he was being traded to Texas and said that even though it was gratifying that a contender wanted him, he was going to miss Baltimore. READ MORE >>>
By Steve Giles, on July 26th, 2011  As you all know by now, the Ravens have released four fan favorite, veteran players that will free up about $18.6 million in cap room. The news saddened both teammates and fans of Derrick Mason, Todd Heap, Kelly Gregg and Willis McGahee, but in the salary cap era it’s clear that personal relationships don’t factor in when it comes to taking care of business. I know that for some of you this is tough to hear. But you need to have faith in Ozzie Newsome and the organization that while these aren’t the most popular moves, they are in the best interest of the team. Nobody likes getting rid of quality players and leaders like they’ve done here. It’s tough for everyone affected by the moves, but the organization is looking at the bigger picture here, believe me.
Many Ravens have already made their outlook on the situation clear. They don’t necessarily agree with or like the decisions that have been made over the past few days, but they do understand the business aspect of the game. Some guys, such as Ray Rice and Terrence Cody, feel like they are losing their mentors. But I think it’s about time for the young core of Ravens, guys like Rice, Cody, Joe Flacco, Michael Oher and Lardarius Webb, to step up and become the new leaders of this team. Ray Lewis only has a couple years left at best and who knows how much longer Ed Reed’s health is going to hold up. So judging from this recent departure of leaders like Heap, Mason, McGahee and Gregg, I think it is clear the Ravens are putting the fate of this team’s future in the hands of their younger players. READ MORE >>>
|
|
|
1
-1
Recent Comments