You’ll probably hear plenty over the next few months about
the top returning QBs in college football.Guys like Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Braxton Miller, and Bryce
Petty will probably grab a lot of headlines, but a QB in Huntington, WV may be
as good as any of them.Rakeem Cato is a
name you’ll want to watch in 2014.
Marshall University is no stranger to great quarterback play
having produced first round draft picks Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich as
well former NFL QB Eric Kresser.Pennington and Leftwich are in a class of their own in the minds of
Marshall fans as well as in the school’s record books.Cato is well on his way to joining those two
on the Mount Rushmore of Marshall quarterbacks.Statistically, he is on pace to break school records, held by Pennington
and Leftwich, for TD passes, completions, and passing yardage.Considering the gaudy stats those two put up
in Marshall’s pass heavy offense around the turn of the millennium, that’s not
bad for a skinny kid from inner city Miami that had only two college
scholarship offers.
OK, so school records for a Conference USA school do not
impress you?Well, Cato compares
favorably to many of the aforementioned stars in college football.Cato produced more total touchdowns last year
than Mariota, Miller, Winston, and recent first round NFL Draft picks Blake
Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater.Speaking
of Bridgewater, he and Cato go way back having played against each other
growing up in South Florida.Rakeem Cato
has never lost to Bridgewater including beating Louisville on the road as a
true freshman where he threw a game winning touchdown pass inside of two
minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
Two years ago, Cato was a one-dimensional player in a
one-dimensional offense.He had an
outstanding year, but he was called on to throw on nearly every offensive
play.He put up huge passing numbers but
was not a threat to run the ball.In
2013, Cato made huge strides in his game.As he got stronger and more comfortable with the offense, he was
unafraid to run the football when the pass wasn’t there.As a result, he added nearly 300 yards on the
ground and six TDs to go along with his almost 4000 passing yards and 39 TDs
despite being relied upon to throw the ball less.Cato was also given increased responsibility
in the offense.The coaches have allowed
him to call plays at the line based on what he sees in the defense, and the
coaches have praised his decision making in that regard.
2014 is shaping up to be a big year for Cato and the
Thundering Herd.Unfortunately, they
lack a big name opponent after Louisville had to reschedule their date in
Huntington after they moved to the ACC.On the plus side, a real possibility exists for Marshall to run the
table.Something Marshall hasn’t done
since Pennington led Marshall to a number 10 national ranking after the Herd’s
second undefeated season in four years in 1999.A little preseason Heisman buzz has started for Cato in the national
press.It would be a near impossibility
for him to win, but if his team can get the job done this year he may join
Pennington and Randy Moss on Marshall’s list of Heisman Trophy Finalists.He may not generate a great deal of NFL buzz,
but keep on eye on Cato this year.He’s
the best QB you’ve never heard of. -Andy
It is official! After the live-streamed press conference from Charlotte, the name change is complete. Nothing news worthy here, we have known this was coming for months. Why then have a press conference? I mean, it must serve some use other than showing off their cool Hornets video, right? Right! Here are the 5 things you should take away from today:
5) The city and the fan base for the team are excited! Social media has exploded, merchandise sales are through the roof, and the turn out for low level events such as color announcements, like there was any doubt purple and teal were coming back, has impressed. So when the season opener hits, there will be no shortage of purple and teal in North Carolina.
4) It may take some time to get used to calling them the Hornets again. At the end of the program, the moderator ask anyone wanting more information to visit "Bobcats-dot-com" but quickly caught himself.
3) The team "alumni" will be back. Look for many appearances from greats like Larry Johnson, Alonzo Morning, Dell Curry, and many others!
2) The Hornets lead the league in new season ticket sales since the name change, and in season ticket sale retention from last year. The excitement is back!
1) Through the Pelicans and the NBA, the Hornets have retained their team history. Wait, team history? I thought we wanted to erase the Bobcat history and start fresh? This is really a good thing! This will link the old Hornets to the new Hornets, which is ultimately the goal. The franchise that had sell out games, a thriving fan base, and won playoff series is back, almost like they never left. Think of it as a long break, and now they are here again!
World Cup season is rolling around, which means I'm more excited than a polar bear at the zoo on fish day. Here are 5 things you need to know about the US Men's national team heading into the tournament.
5) Coach Jurgen
Klinsman is the best coach the USA has ever had.
Two things I know about Germans: a) They all drink good
beer, and b) they can ALL play soccer. Klinsman is a former German striker, and
one of the best players that country has ever produced. Since becoming the
coach of the US men's national team two years ago 21-10-7 (Yes you can tie in
soccer, get over it). That’s a pretty incredible record, albeit against lesser competition than you will see in the World Cup.
Still pretty much the same guy as a coach
Klinsman was tasked with changing the culture around soccer,
and for the most part he has succeeded. He brought in some new players and got
more out of the old ones. With Klinsman at the helm the US is beating the teams
they are supposed to beat, and surprising a few teams they have no business
beating. Make no mistake, we are still underdogs going into this world cup, but
right now the US has a puncher's chance to play with and beat the best.
4) This team starts
and ends with Michael Bradley.
There are a few big names on the team even casual observers
will know: Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Tim Howard. Without question though this team’s most
important player is midfielder Michael Bradley. Bradley has been on the team
for several cycles and took some shit last tournament because he is the son of
former National team head coach Bob Bradley. Make no mistake about it, Bradley
is one of the most talented players the US has ever fielded.
Bradley’s role is that of central midfielder, and he’s the
engine that makes this team go. He’s the team’s best passer, best ball handler,
most creative player. On top of that he’s the most tenacious and disciplined
defender on the US squad. As far as sports analogy goes, the closest I can come
is that of the point guard in basketball. He keeps his team organized,
transitions from defense to attack, and he’s the one guy on the team where you
know if the ball is at his feet good things are going to happen.
Check out his highlights from a recent game at Mexico-this
is one of the best individual games I’ve ever seen played. Disregard the Coldplay?
3) Intriguing talent,
depth-
We are only a few weeks out from the world cup and the final
roster-or starting 11 is still not set. This is due in part to the culture of competition
that Klinsman has installed, but also due to the depth of talent the US has
available.
Can I use the hot girl scale here to keep your interest? Of course
I can, you're welcome. We have one 10 on our roster, and that’s the aforementioned Michael
Bradley.
Michael Bradley is Kate Upton, flawless.
We have several 8’s on our roster-Dempsey, Howard, the bedredlocked Kyle Beckerman-guys that are very good in their roles, but not good enough to be
stars.
These guys are the Jennifer Lawrence of our team(who I love by the way, but I’m trying to keep this as superficial as possible)
The rest of the guys on our squad fall somewhere between 5’s
and 7’s. Unspectacular, hard workers who on a given night you would still probably
go home with.
Who works here-Pink? Could get weird and might be fun.
I'm losing focus-but this is the girl from those Nationwide Commercials, because. Did you know she also sings the little "Nationwide is on your side" jingle at the end? This has nothing to do with soccer, but if she had a TV show I'm watching.
Anyway.
Point is there are a lot of
good-but-not-great guys on this team and that lends to a lot of options. Tactically
speaking it can be a very difficult to defend, and plan your defense if you don't know WHO you're going to be defending. Players like Graham
Zusi, Fabian Johnson, Mix Diskerud and Jermaine Jones-these are talented players that not a lot of people know about from around the world. Could easily see one of them pulling some heroics and shocking people come tournament time.
2) The USA actually
has some goal scorers-
The US this year has a few attacking options if (when) Jozy
Altidore starts to suck. Altidore is exactly the kind of forward you would
expect the US to have. Heck of an athlete: big (for a soccer player) strong,
fast and admittedly not much of a soccer player.
The US needs to play through Altidore because are they not
talented enough to possesses the ball in pretty triangles like Spain. The way
around this is to play through a holding forward- back to the goal, stop the
ball and keep it there until the other attacking option (Dempsey, Bradley) come
underneath for a more creative play. Kind of like playing inside out in
basketball-the defense has to adjust to pressure the ball and that leaves openings elsewhere. This makes Altidore important because he’s the most physically
equipped to handle this sort of role. Problem is he’s prone to bouts of disappearance-he’s
either brilliant or you won’t be able to tell he’s on the field.
In years past it has been Altidore, and little else. This
year however, the US grabbed a few kids with dual citizenship- from Iceland
Aron Johannson, Germany’s Terrance Boyd and Jullian Green. The type of creative attacking talent the US has just not been able to produce. We also may bring
American Chris Wondolowski-who is unspectacular but does nothing but score
garbage goals-kind of like a guy who is really good at offensive rebounding and put back buckets. If Altidore stinks expect Klinsman to pull the plug quickly.
This guy comes off the bench, and may turn out to be a star. Shhh. Don't tell Germany.
1) Question marks
remain along the back line-
Attacking talent aside, coach of the year and a genuine
super star in tow, if the US concedes easy goals they don’t have much of a
chance. Definite starters in the back include Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler in
the center-and two still yet to be named backs on the outside. I’ll compare the
back four in soccer to an offensive line in football. Chemistry and
communication are absolutely vital. Is it unsettling to still not have this
figured out two weeks away from the cup? Absolutely it is.
Besler and Gonzales are huge-Gonzalez especially stands at 6’5-so
you would figure they are going to dominate in the air. On the flip-side both
these players are very young and playing in their first world cup, and have
seen lapses in concentration cost their squad. These two will have to raise
their games and limit mistakes in order for the US to have any hope of beating
the top squads this year.
You see the problem with being big in soccer is those dang little fellas...
As a side note defending will be so important because the
Americans are in the “Group of Death”-featuring Germany, Portugal, and Ghana.
Germany is the second ranked team in the world and immensely talented at every
position. Portugal is less talented, save Christiano Ronaldo who is like the
Lebron James of soccer right now. Ghana is not as tough, but is always a
problem for the US for some reason.
In conclusion this one of the most talented US sides to ever
take the field for a world cup. Question marks remain, but the talent and coaching is there.
Stay tuned for world cup coverage brought to you by Hammertime Sports!
This has to do with soccer. You know Alex Morgan, but may I introduce you to Sydney LeRoux, US forward. Super talented goal scorer, tattoo-babe who could probably kick your ass. You're welcome, again.
I’ve been conspicuously absent from the blog lately, and for that, I apologize. To make it up to you I’m treating you with two helpings of the best sports analysis on the Internets. I’m also going to give you a little teaser about what you can expect from me next (I’m really excited about it)!
"You couldn't manage a bowl of Jell-o"
I think it’s pretty clear that we have bold opinions at Hammertime, and I’m about to express a bold one. Michael Jordan is the worst owner in the NBA. Michael Jordan is the best basketball player of all time. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is certifiably insane. I thought that the move from the court to the front office would be a nice one for His Airness. Who better to evaluate talent and assemble a team than the most talented and decorated player of all-time?
Jordan has demonstrated a propensity for drafting players who suck and putting together teams that suck even worse. Let’s take a look at some Jordan’s drafting blunders. Jordan took control of the Bobcats basketball operations in June of 2006 so we don’t have to look far for his first mistake.
If THIS guy can go #3 in the NBA
Draft, I have hope!
1) Adam Morrison: Make no mistake Morrison was a great college player, but was a major bust in the NBA. The 2006 Draft was remarkably weak, but the Cats certainly could have done better in this spot.
2) D.J. Augustin: Augustin never provided much during his time in Charlotte, and there were plenty of other good players on the board at the time.
3) Bismack Biyombo: The Bobcats traded for Biyombo, but that was a waste. Cleary Jordan thought enough of him to acquire him, but he has been nothing more than a project. The verdict is still out on this player but the Bobcats need proven commodities, not guys they hope will pan out down the road.
Bismack block shot!
4) Cody Zeller: Zeller hasn’t yet taken the court so I could be wrong on this one. I believe that Alex Len or Ben McLemore have games better suited for the NBA and would have addressed the teams needs better.
On top of the team’s drafting problems, Jordan has also demonstrated a propensity for being cheap. The Bobcats have not paid a penny in luxury tax since the team’s inception. I know high spending does not always correlate to wins, (i.e. the New York Knicks for the better part of the last decade) but it is certainly disappointing to see the group of no names the Bobcats run out there from game to game.
The NBA is filled with poor owners, but Michael Jordan has taken a bad franchise and basically stuck it in neutral. It is going to take a lot more than changing the team’s name back to the Hornets to rejuvenate this team. Winning a few games would help and for that to happen, the approach from the top needs to change.
TEASER: College Football season is nearly upon us, and I could not be more excited. This is my favorite time of year, and I’ll fill you in on everything you need to know to prepare for the season. We’ll have some bold predictions and highlight the teams and players to watch this season.
As I
previewed in the previous round, we’ve got a rematch of one of the greatest
NCAA tournament games of all time here.
The Elite Eight game in the 1992 tournament was one for the history
books and I’m excited to revisit this great matchup.
Kentucky vs Duke, historical match up
Kentucky
and Duke are two of the Bluest of Blue Bloods (pun intended) in college
basketball. To refresh your memory, I’ll
list the starting five for each team again.
DUKE:
Lineup: Christian Laettner, Mike Gminski, Shane Battier, J.J. Redick, Jay
Williams
Duke’s lineup laid waste to Florida in the first
round so they are fresh for the second round game.
KENTUCKY:
Lineup: Anthony Davis, Antoine Walker, Jamal Mashburn, Goose Givens, Rajon
Rondo
Kentucky grinded out a nice win against a game Syracuse
team in the first round. They are
looking to avenge the loss in the aforementioned Elite Eight game.
The Matchup:
I think Kentucky is the better program of the two
here. I’m a firm believer that National
Championships speak for themselves, and Kentucky has a boatload of them. However, I believe this Duke starting five is
superior and carries them over the top in this matchup.
Laettner is not able to replicate the perfect
performance he had in 1992, but he does chip in a solid 18 points and 8 rebounds. Gminski’s size poses a problem for Walker,
and he does some damage down low.
Kentucky is able to score the basketball with
Mashburn leading the way with 24 and Walker adds 19.
A back and forth game finally falls in Duke’s favor
after Rondo turns one over late and Redick sinks two free-throws to ice it.
Historic match ups are going to start coming in bunches in this tournament. The Tar Heels (which ESPN just titled the College Program that has the best pedigree for turning out the best NBA players since 1989, which was the beginning of the modern draft era) are a school with loads of talent that has translated to the next level. Indiana, not so much. Let's take another look at the teams in this match up for those of you keeping score at home:
UNC: Phil Ford, James Worthy, Michael Jordan, Tyler Hansbrough, Lennie Rosenbluth
Indiana: Indiana: Isaiah Thomas, Scott May, Steve Alford, Calbert Cheaney, Alan Henderson
Ford and Thomas would be a dream match up. Imagine Sean May on the Heels roster guarding his dad. There is a lot of potential here.
After the UCLA upset, Carolina is the highest seed remaining in the field, but this Indiana team has the chops to take them down. Let's look at the game!
This guy is playing...
This guy!
Indiana has an advantage on the inside as May and Henderson have the size on Hansbrough and Worthy. Is it enough to cause an issue?
I think not. Here is how I see the game playing out...
The first half is a lot of back and forth with Alford's shooting keeping the Hoosiers in the game and keeping the Heels, on the shoulders of Jordan and Rosenbluth, from pulling away. Heels lead 38-33 at the half.
The second half becomes a different story. As the Heels turn up the physical play and the defensive intensity, Indiana gets frustrated and hurt. Hansbrough outworks May inside, Jordan keeps Alford off balance, and Ford frustrates Thomas into a couple costly turnovers. In the end, too much Worthy and Jordan.
Certainly, my ties as a former journalist make me well aware of the rules when talking about a crime yet to be tried, about a defendant yet to be found guilty. The lessons from J school 101 resound in my head: don't convict someone with a headline (like I just did) and be sure to build layers upon layers of outs into your sentences when talking about someone convicted of a crime. See: allegedly, alleged, charged with, etc.
Now though, I'm a blogger, and as such my facts don't exist, my medium is speculation. So there's a lot out there about former (he was released as soon as he was charged) Patriots tight end Aaron Hernanez, and allow me to summarize:
Hernandez is charged with murder 1. That's not the crime of passion, get out on bail in 7 years, killed someone on accident murder. That's the pre-planned, calculated, cold and remorseless go to jail for the rest of your life murder.
Facts are now surfacing that the reason he (ALLEGEDLY) killed this guy was possibly to cover up two other gun murders he previous committed.
Here's my question. If we are looking at three murder 1 charges, in addition to the bevy of lesser gun charges, at what point do we start talking about capital punishment? If he planned to kill and carried out three murders, one of them execution style like it was from some bad mafia movie, it speaks to a serial killer with a remorseless conviction that he is above the law.
Why would he feel that way? Because there's a lot of precedent for it.
Let's face it, when it comes to high profile murder cases, the judicial branch of government in this country has egg on its face over the last several years. Add to the fact that this is escalated even more so with professional athletes, particularly football players that seem to receive special treatment under the law.
Obviously that starts with O.J. Simpson. We all know the story and I don't feel the need to rehash it, but what it basically came down to was someone dropped the ball, or Johnny Cochrain is a wordsmith genius, or something happened where this guy who was clearly guilty got away with killing his wife and her associate. He came out with a book that was literally titled "If I did it," Detailing how he 'would' have killed his wife 'if' he had in fact killed her.
Ray Lewis, for all his great speeches and squirrel dances over the last 15 years started his career in a similar circumstance as Hernandez: the victims blood was in his limo and he got away with little more than a slap on the wrist. (Fascinating details about this case, by the way, Grantland did a phenomenal job of this recently, check that out here: http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/47958/remembering-the-ray-lewis-controversy).
Lesser known, but Leonard Little, a defensive end for the Rams in the 2000s, killed a woman while driving drunk and, received a second DWI not only was allowed to continue playing but was rewarded with multi million dollar contract extensions. Cowboys DT Josh Brent killed a teammate last year in a drunk driving car wreck, failed a drug test LAST WEEK and is still on the roster.
Need I mention Casey Anthony (who represents a different issue of America's obsession with pretty woman killers, but that's another rant that I go on sometimes), it would have seemed, killed her little girl and got away with it.
The point is I believe the justice system, a system designed specifically around finding the truth and pursuing justice in light of that truth, has been made a mockery of with these murder cases. The precedent says we will find the truth and get to the bottom of the issues under due process of the law.
Unless you've been to a pro bowl. Unless you're a millionaire.
Over my career I've known a few a judges, a few state prosecutors. These are some of the most intelligent people I know. Ego isn't the right word, and I wouldn't necessarily call it pride either, but when you think about it, in that line of work it is your job to think about, argue for, decide, and ultimately be right. I think whoever is going to deliberate on this case is very, very aware of the current history in the NFL regarding murder trials.
Without all the if's, and including all the assumption on the other side of those if's. We are dealing with the most serious law we hold as a society. If Hernandez is guilty of all three premeditated murders, he deserves to be punished to the maximum extent of the law. The precedent needs to be corrected, no more loop holes, no more clever word games, set that regardless of your talent or your money, you do not get away with killing another human being in this country.
**The preceding is the personal opinion of Joel Gerber and Hammertime Sports.
You’ll probably hear plenty over the next few months about
the top returning QBs in college football.
Guys like Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Braxton Miller, and Bryce
Petty will probably grab a lot of headlines, but a QB in Huntington, WV may be
as good as any of them. Rakeem Cato is a
name you’ll want to watch in 2014.
