John Rooke - Thinking Out Loud
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Thinking out loud…and wondering whatever happened to Super Dave Osborne?
• Well, that didn’t take long. Already, the hype for “16-0” begins for the Denver Broncos. Sure, the shootout win over Dallas last weekend was tremendous to watch, but has anyone noticed the Broncos’ defense is alarmingly porous? Van Miller’s return will help, so will Champ Bailey’s…but someone will get this team sooner or later. Maybe the Colts in Week 7, or New England by Week 12…
• Speaking of the Cowboys…can anyone remember a more star-crossed quarterback in recent memory than Dallas’ Tony Romo? He had a Cowboys’ franchise record 506 passing yards against Denver, with five touchdowns…the best effort EVER by a losing QB. He’s just the 5th QB to throw for 500+ with 5 scores in the history of the NFL. And he lost. He can throw and throw and throw. But what he can’t do is win and win and win…
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST• All of a sudden, it seems that the New York Giants are also suffering from Romo disease – they can’t win, either. And it’s getting downright depressing to the point that a noted strip club in NYC has instituted a “No Giants Game” TV policy on Sunday’s. The girls are saying the guys “take that football stuff too seriously.” Seriously…
• Hard for me to feel sorry for Tampa Bay pitcher David Price after his Twitter-fit last week, calling some of the media who criticize him “nerds.” A word of advice – which I’m sure he received already – from those around him…step away from the keyboard and social media, big fella. Especially after tough losses. You’re a big boy. Otherwise, you leave yourself open to criticism and potential “revenge of the nerds…”
• I thought Tampa Bay’s season – and post-season effort – was strong, all things considered. Joe Maddon is one of the best managers in the game. The Rays, however, will get another supreme test next year as Price becomes serious trade bait – can’t imagine TB will pay him what he can command down the line. Same for closer Fernando Rodney. He’s got a bigger payday coming. But he needs to fix the hat on his head...
• From the “where are they now” department…former Hendricken and Tampa Bay Rays (yes, Boston, too) star Rocco Baldelli is working inside the Rays’ organization in the GM’s office, as a talent evaluator, mostly scouting amateur players. And in case you didn’t notice – ex-Hawk (and Boston College) football star Will Blackmon has returned to the NFL as a starting CB for the Jacksonville Jaguars. It IS Jacksonville, however…so you may be excused for NOT noticing…
• Few around these parts will feel sorry for him…but former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling is holding an estate sale this week, which will include items from inside of his Medfield home up for sale. No baseball items are included, but you can buy the house (once also owned by former Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe) for a cool $2.9 million. That’s down from the initial price listing of $8 million. No one is immune to the real estate bust around here…
• How about this for a stat of the week? The Atlanta Braves have now failed to advance a round in their last seven playoff appearances. They last reached the NLCS in 2001…
• And after dumping the Braves out of the postseason, the LA Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig then dumped Gatorade (I think) on a very expensive TV camera…
• On the other hand, the impromptu bath might have improved the look of TBS reporter Craig Sager’s suit…just sayin’…
• Justin Verlander is still money. That is all…
• The Red Sox are playing with house money of their own at this point. But if they can somehow beat Detroit’s pitching to reach the World Series…I fear they might have a letdown. Unless it’s the Dodgers, of course…
• Tweet of the Week I – from @MassholeSports: “I found the jinx MT @JennyDellNESN #RedSox looking for 3rd ALDS sweep. Previous ALDS sweeps in 2004 & 2007, led to World Series titles!”
• As I have said repeatedly, I wasn’t a big advocate for Jake Peavy when he arrived in Boston during the season. But I will say this – he’s done exactly what the Red Sox needed him to do when he got here, and did it again against the Rays this week. Mea culpa…mea maxima culpa…
• You really think the Yankees want A-Fraud back next season? Here’s why they don’t, besides the obvious “distraction” reason…they’ll have approximately $80 million to spend on signing Robinson Cano…picking up another pitcher or two and there’s rumblings they’ll go after Boston’s Stephen Drew. Especially if the Sox decide Xander Bogaerts is their guy at short…
• The firing earlier this week of former Providence Bruins’ coach Peter Laviolette from Philadelphia was pure Philly. Panic Button City. 0-3 to start the season after getting a pre-season vote of confidence? Solve the problem, fire the coach – the earliest firing to start a season in NHL history. Thought the rumors of his demise began last year? And he still had a two-year contract extension in the off-season. Stupid is as stupid does…
• Laviolette was replaced by one of his assistants, Craig Berube – who was also once with him in Providence. This leaves Eagles’ coach Chip Kelly as the dean of pro head coaching in the city of brotherly love – with an astounding eight months of experience…
• UConn hoops will have a series renewed with old friend Rick Barnes and the Texas Longhorns starting next season. Word from around campus also suggests the Huskies are looking to schedule former Big Eastfoes Georgetown, Syracuse and St. John’s at some point…but strangely, not a word about scheduling the Friars. Hmmm…
• It would be a series that makes TOO much sense, if you ask me. For one, the distance between the campuses makes this a no-brainer. Two, Providence always needs quality non-league games on the schedule. Three, UConn WILL need quality non-league games to play, as they try to thrive in the post-Big East world they live in. Both programs should be good. If there’s any bad blood between them, time to let it go. They need each other...
• Basketball players getting favorite treatment at big-time schools? Nah, can’t possibly happen. Yet, North Carolina star guard P.J. Hairston was arrested and charged with driving without a license, possessing marijuana and carrying a hand gun. And he’s still on the Tar Heels’ roster. 23-year UNC academic tutor Jack Halperin sent a letter to coach Roy Williams, protesting Hairston’s status. And then he resigned over it. Better to lose a tutor than a talent…right, coach?
• Congrats to St. Andrews forward Bonzie Colson, Jr., who verbally committed to Notre Dame earlier this week. Colson is the son of the former URI star, and chose ND over Pitt, Miami and UConn, among others…
• Tweet of the Week II – from @ESPNStatsInfo: “Geno Smith: 1st rookie in the Super Bowl era to go on road and throw for 3 TD passes, 0 INT, with an 80% completion rate.” Uh oh, here come the J-E-T-S…
• Not for nuthin’…but could last Monday night have gone any worse for Atlanta sports fans? It’s one thing to have a two-run HR beat you in baseball, and send you home for the season…but to suffer the ignominy of having the NY Jets – and a rookie QB – take out your one-time Super Bowl-contending NFL team almost simultaneously? That’s tough to take…
• Former Miami and New Orleans running back Ricky Williams won’t win many friends in the NFL with his statement this week that smoking pot for him was “like spinach for Popeye.” Oh. So THAT’S how Popeye kicked Bluto’s butt all those years?
• Be concerned. Be very concerned. Drew Brees is completing almost 70% of his passes on 3rd down. 62% in the red zone, with no picks. Passer rating well over 100. Remember when we used to have a QB like that?
• Tweet of the Week III – from @jeffphowe, Boston Herald Patriots’ beat: “Brady is now 96-4 as a starter when Pats surrender less than 20 points in a game. It was his first ever loss when they’ve allowed 15 or less…”
• Ok, I got killed this week by Patriots fans – not all of them, mind you – when I actually uttered the “we need to look at QB’s” in talking about some of the troubles concerning the current offense. I love Tom Brady. I hope he’s able to play into his 40’s. He is a hall-of-famer. But right now, the team does not have the skill players suited to his talents. Running and moving around in the pocket have never been Brady’s strong suit – and the wear and tear of his career is beginning to affect his play. He can’t step up quickly into the pocket. His releases aren’t as quick, and when they are, they’re into the ground. With the athletic defensive fronts these days, he’s rushing things – a sure sign of wear. If the decision is made to stay with the younger receivers, primarily…my thoughts are to go out and find a QB that can get them the ball. Like these two guys…
• From the “wow” department…my good friend Russell Baxter (ProFootballGuru.com) shared this tidbit about the Denver Broncos “offensive” start to the NFL season – “You will be hearing all kinds of numbers regarding the 5-0 Denver Broncos this season, who have now scored an astounding 230 points thus far. To try and put that in some kind of perspective, the 2012 Kansas City Chiefs scored 211 points during their woeful 2-14 campaign. This week, John Fox’s club faces the 0-5 Jacksonville Jaguars, who have scored 51 points in five games (Denver’s total on Sunday in their 51-48 win over the Dallas Cowboys)…
• Didn’t we have an offense like Denver’s around here not too long ago?
• The way I see it, the Patriots’ primary offensive problem is converting on 3rd down, even with pitiful red zone numbers (31st out of 32 teams). Or rather, not converting on 3rd down. 1-for-12 against Cincinnati? Maybe Rob Gronkowski’s return will help in this department, but the guess is here he’ll be spoon-fed once he returns to active duty, rather than be expected to go all-out. This is at the heart of the entire “is he playing, or not?” issue, anyway…
• Some in Gronk’s camp are a little reluctant to let him get back out there…seeing as the Patriots may have pushed him perhaps a little too soon last year. And as we know, he suffered a new break of his arm, even though it didn’t directly correlate with the old break. But it did precede the infections, five subsequent surgeries (including his back) and his delayed reappearance in the lineup. The Gronk camp (brothers, father, family), knowing he has a new, long-term deal in hand, has likely been instrumental in holding him back thus far…
• That win against Atlanta doesn’t seem like such a big win now, does it?
• Nice little note from Patriot Football Weekly’s Andy Hart this week…in last Sunday’s loss to the Bengals, the Patriots’ offense was without every player who touched the ball in last year’s playoff win over Houston – except Tom Brady…
• Will these new uniforms help the Pro Bowl next year? All together now – “nothing will help the Pro Bowl…”
• Loved seeing this quote this week, from Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon: “"It would be really hard to buy a national championship in college football." Brandon oversees one of the largest and richest athletic departments in the country. "There are a lot of other things that drive success in football. There's tradition and culture and momentum and luck and skill in recruiting and consistency." He left out the “there’s a lot of money in it, too,” and “we’re sure as hell going to try to buy one…”
• But it’s that money…and the subsequent boost in enrollment…that has schools of all sizes building up their football programs. And in some cases, starting them. In recent years, more and smaller colleges and universities are starting football programs or restarting those that were dumped long ago. In an era when many major colleges are troubled with increasingly bloated athletic budgets, between 2008 and 2012, 29 smaller colleges started lower-level football programs. In Division III alone, 10 schools have started football programs in the past five years…
• Ask Salve Regina in Newport what the football program might mean to their male enrollment. It’s currently at around 31%...would anyone be there without the sport? And be sure to ask Bryant about launching a football program that has helped the entire school create a regional – if not national – profile…
• Whoa. Those are pretty good odds if you’re a male going to school in Newport…
• My buddy “Big E” sez he really misses the college life. He leaves parties these days knowing he’s got a huge day at work the next day…and not because the EMS tech has him strapped to a gurney…
• Who says sports and politics don’t mix? Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice – a HUGE football fan – has been asked to serve on the first College Football Playoff selection committee. She works with Stanford athletics and attends games…while also serving as a volunteer golf coach. Also on the committee – former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese…
• Of course, ESPN college football analyst David Pollack – a former QB at Georgia – promptly inserted foot-in-mouth when he declared “women don’t belong” on the committee. Good stuff, David. For your next act, let’s repeal their right to vote?
• The former Big East football league actually has a marquee team this season. Louisville is a legit Top 10 team – even though they’re headed to the ACC next year – and is 6-0 to start the season in back-to-back years for the first time in school history. Oh yeah, the hoops team is getting ready to defend their national title, too…
• In the latest edition of the ESPN Class of 2014 basketball recruiting rankings, Providence is in the 16th spot nationally, with their current commitments from Jalen Lindsey, Paschal Chukwu and Ben Bentil. Transfer Junior Lomomba is not part of the group, which is perhaps part of the reason why the Friars’ class currently sits outside of the Top 10…with another potential addition or two being considered. Seton Hall’s class is ranked 4th, Georgetown is 5th and Xavier 10th nationally…followed by PC at 16 and Villanova rounding out the Top 25 at 25th. That’s a pretty good start for the first recruiting classes in the new Big East – half of the schools have nationally ranked classes. Now, they just need to win with them…
• Count me as one of several who believe URI will finish better than 9th out of the 13 teams in the Atlantic-10 this season. The Rams are poised to surprise, once the new personnel gets used to each other. The trip to Italy over the summer should prove to be huge in this department…
• Same for PC, which should get the nod for about 7th out of the 10 Big East teams next week in New York. Marquette is the likely top team, followed by Creighton and Georgetown. That will be a good spot for Ed Cooley to work from, especially to motivate a team that could be very dangerous – when motivated…
• Not much room for improvement needed, however, for Bryant – the Bulldogs are slated for 2nd in the NEC, with senior Alex Francis getting the nod as pre-season player of the year…
• It’s going to be a LOOOOONG basketball season at the TD Garden this winter. Ok, maybe it can be entertaining in spots – like Wednesday night at the Dunk when a spirited comeback against the NY Knicks fell short. But unless someone shows they can shoot with any consistency, oh my. Can Chris Babb make this team? He may be the only one who can drain the trey…
• Saw someone make a statement on a message board about the Celtics’ broadcast from the Dunk Wednesday night…that the guy doing “color” sounded like Super Dave Osborne. Really? That was former Seton Hall/NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo, who is ticketed to work some games with Mike Gorman for this season. But it got me thinking about “Super Dave,” who was pretty funny as a wanna-be stunt man back in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, and modeled after the renowned Evel Knievel. Actor and comic Bob Einstein played “Super Dave,” whose often garish stunts would usually backfire and cause a grievous injury. There was a “Super Dave” movie in 2000, and even an animated series at one point. Einstein is now 70, but he hasn’t retired the character. He’s still considered a cultural icon, once being mentioned in a Tupac Shakur song. Now THAT’S super…
• From the mailbag this week – Ryan from Denver, CO writes via Facebook: “Not sure if you read Facebook messages or posts…one of my favorite Pats to ever play was (Dan) Koppen and I never truly understood why the Patriots eventually chose (Ryan) Wendell over him…” Ryan: Ryan, there were a couple of reasons you touched on that are accurate here. One, Koppen was the only guy on the line that really couldn’t/didn’t play another position. The Patriots value versatility over all other skills on the line, and that pretty much cooked him…knowing his contract was also going to come up. They simply didn’t feel his skill set matched what he might command in salary elsewhere. And yes! I read FB messages and posts…
• Interested in having your questions on local RI sports (including the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? Send ‘em to me! It’s your chance to “think out loud,” so send your questions and comments to [email protected]. We’ll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/Tweets right here! Follow me on Twitter, @JRbroadcaster…and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke ...
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