Badger Features

Redemption Song

Last June in the Gold Cup Final versus Mexico, the United States men's soccer team came out of the gates looking like a team that WANTED to win... a team that knew how to distribute the ball and attack the pitch.

Before long, that energy dwindled, the American's blew a 2-0 lead and eventually lost the match to their arch rivals 4 to 2.  Something needed to change.

Then, with the blink of an eye, something changed.  The USMNT is under new leadership, having recently fired former manager Bob Bradley for German replacement Jurgen Klinsmann.  Klinsmann was hired in hopes of steering this club in a new direction with more emphasis on an attacking offense than in the past.  That style of play will definitely be tested tonight against the very aggressive and very talented Mexican squad.

Tonight marks a new page and a new chapter for this team.  In just three short hours, the United States will have an opportunity to salvage their dignity in an international friendly versus Mexico in Philadelphia, PA.

Sure, this is an exhibition match, so a loss technically means nothing in the grand scheme of things.  But in reality, this may be the biggest match that the United States has played this year.

The U.S. have something to prove if they want to even be recognized when it comes to the big names in soccer.  Qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil starts as early as next June, and the United States want to be finely tuned for those matches.  A win tonight would at the least show that Klinsmann's expectations for the future can be met.

The USMNT has the talent, they just need to put everything together when it counts the most.  With new management and a sour taste in their mouth, look for the U.S. to come out swinging.

...But it's only August!

That doesn't matter.  This upcoming series between the Brewers and Cardinals is going to be HUGE.  Milwaukee currently holds a three game lead on second place St. Louis, and the last time these two teams met, tensions were high and altercations were on the horizon.  Even the batboys were about to run out onto the field and start swingin' at each other.

The series will kick off tonight with the crew's Shaun Marcum (10-3) facing the Cardinal's Edwin Jackson (8-8) who was absolutely shelled by the Brewers the last team these two teams squared off, giving up 14 hits and 10 runs, 8 of which were earned.  The Brewers won the series, taking two of three from St. Louis.

This time around, the Brewers leave their humble abode where they have won a league tying best 41 contests, with the only other team with as many wins being the Phillies.  The Brewers however have plenty to prove on the road, having the league's worst away record of 24-35.

Having said that, the crew have rallied recently and have claimed eleven of their last twelve, making them the hottest team in the National League.

How have they done it? Quite frankly, they are smashing the ball all over the park right now with hot hitters Corey Hart and Yuniesky Betancourt leading the way.  Milwaukee was in desperate need of life after losing All-Star second basemen Rickie Weeks to a serious ankle injury, especially considering the crew's top utility player and backup Craig Counsell had been in a jaw-dropping 0-45 slump.

Since losing Weeks on July 27, Hart and Betancourt have combined for 33 hits, 12 runs and 19 RBIs in ten games.  They have been seeing the ball well and have really picked up the slack after both players had a slow start to the season.

But the next couple nights won't be easy.  Leaving Miller Park and winning is something that the Brewers, well, can't do.  Busch Stadium will be no exception, and it will be a hostile environment, no doubt.

St. Louis has been the class of the NL Central for some time now, solely due to the fact that they have won championships.  If Milwaukee wants to be a legitimate contender come October and show their true potential, now is the time to go out on the road and beat the best.

Lucky Number 7

I realize many of us Americans usually pass over any news that has to do with European football, but quite frankly this type of report AMAZES me.

This morning, Real Madrid of La Liga signed 7-year old Argentine prospect Leonel Angel Coira, who goes by "Leo", the same nickname of Barcelona standout Lionel Messi.  If the nickname is any indication of his future play, I'd say we're in for a real treat.

http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6843531/real-madrid-signs-7-year-old-argentine-prospect-leonel-angel-coira

NFC Favorites

Following up on my "Dream Team" post, I thought it would be interesting to look at it from a very fair, on paper approach.  Do not get me wrong, the Philadelphia Eagles are talented, dangerous, and potentially poised for a deep playoff run.  The Green Bay Packers come fully reloaded with all of last year's talent plus several key additions from the injury reserve list.  Let's break it down position by position.

Quarterback - These two teams have two of the best quarterbacks in the game.  Michael Vick is the most athletic player at his position, and he is able to make teams pay inside and out of the pocket with his great feet and lightning quick release.  Rodgers is not quite as athletic, but is deceptively fast and can make plays on the run while maintaining his accuracy.  Last season, their quarterback ratings were almost identical, with Rodgers posting a 101.2 rating and Vick with a 100.2 rating.  This is a tough call, but because of Rodgers decision making ability and pinpoint accuracy (not to mention a Super Bowl MVP), the edge goes Rodgers.

Running Backs - Green Bay will look forward to the dilemma of finding a starting running back between the proven Ryan Grant and standout rookie James Starks.  Grant went down with a season-ending ankle injury last year in week one, and the Packers struggled most of the year to find a suitable replacement.  By the time the playoffs had rolled around, Starks exploded onto the scene with 123 rush yards versus the Eagles while only having 101 total yards during the regular season.  The Eagles face a similar challenge, having two solid backs in LeSean McCoy and recent pickup Ronnie Brown.  These two backs are different from Grant and Starks in the sense that they can make plays outside the backfield hauling in passes, one of the most valuable traits of a modern day tailback.  McCoy averaged 5.2 yards per carry last season while hauling in nearly 600 yards receiving.  Brown also has nice hands and will most definitely be a productive third down back.  Advantage: Eagles

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends - Philly has one of the biggest downfield threats in the league with DeSean Jackson, and he is complimented nicely by the very young and talented Jeremy Maclin.  After these two standouts, there is not much for Vick to work with.  Jason Avant is a decent third option, and Brent Celek at tight end hauls in his share of passes, but their production is not nearly like that of the talent found in Green Bay.  The Packers have the best top to bottom receiving corps in the NFL.  Greg Jennings and Donald Driver are the cornerstones of this offense, and James Jones and Jordy Nelson at the three and four spots could be number one or number two starting options on any other team in the league.  With Jermichael Finley coming off the injured reserve and the addition of the explosive Kentucky standout Randall Cobb, the Packers have a significant advantage on the offensive side of the ball.

Offensive Line - Both the Eagles and Packers are in a very similar scenario when it comes to the trenches, with both sides having a solid mix of proven veterans and young talent from the draft.  If all goes to plan for Green Bay, the Pack will have two draft selections on the starting line including first round pick Derek Sherrod of Mississippi State.  Sherrod played tackle throughout his collegiate career, but upon arriving in Green Bay the staff moved him to left guard given his athletic stature (6'5 321).  Another player that experienced a move from tackle to guard is Philadelphia's first round pick Danny Watkins (6'3 310).  Watkins is a bit undersized, but his raw talent and strength should make his move from tackle to guard a smooth one.  Anytime you spend your first round pick on an offensive linemen, that guy is going to get some playing time at some point, regardless of what team you are.  It will be interesting to see how these young guns contribute to their respective teams.  Advantage: Push

Defensive Line - The Packers have been able to consistently stop the run the past few years due to a formidable defensive line that was spearheaded by the dominant play of Cullen Jenkins.  With that talent now relocated in Philadelphia, the Eagles have harnessed a significant gain while the Packers have suffered a significant loss. Without Jenkins, the Packers still have skill along the front, with pro bowl caliber tackle BJ Raji leading the way.  Howard Green and Ryan Pickett are also big bodies that will get plenty of reps during the regular season.  The defensive end spot is a question mark with young guys like Mike Neal and Jarius Wynn trying to fill the void.  Neal was thought to be a steal in last year's draft, but injury has held him back thus far.  Bottom line, Green Bay has some spots to fill.  The Eagles made improvements with the signing of Jenkins along with Jason Babin. Advantage: Eagles

Linebackers - The Eagles made strides this offseason to improve their defensive play by using five of their eleven draft picks on defensive players.  Ernie Sims is the most recognizable returner at outside linebacker, but after that the talent is somewhat aloof.  The Packers have proven starters with AJ Hawk and Desmond Bishop, and the play of Clay Matthews is head and shoulders above anyone in the National Football League.  As long as the guy with the great hair is on the field for the green and gold, look out.  Advantage: Packers

Secondary - For both teams, this is the position group with the most talent on the team. The Eagles made a big splash this offseason by acquiring the prize of the NFL free agency in Nnamdi Asomugha.  Philly also traded for Antonio Rodgers-Cromartie, making a tandem only comparable to that of, well, the Packers.  Green Bay has always prided itself on its cornerbacks playing smash mouth football and getting in the wide outs face right at the line of scrimmage.  Having players like Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams make offensive coordinators sweat.  These cornerback tandems talent wise are nearly equal.  The kicker here is Philly's ace in the hole: Asante Samuel.  Having a player of this caliber as your third defensive back, boasting four pro bowl appearances and two super bowl rings is a rarity.  Green Bay does have other talent with pro bowler Nick Collins and the post season favorite Sam Shields, but both are vulnerable to getting beat deep.  Teams are going to have some troubles throwing against Philly due to their recent acquisitions, and for that I give the advantage to the Eagles.

Special Teams - The Packers proved time and time again why they have some of the weakest special teams play in the league.  Green Bay averaged a measly 20.1 yards per return, and the when the game was on the line it seemed as if the Pack always blew it with poor special teams play, such as week 12 versus the Atlanta Falcons.  Rodgers had just put together a game tying drive after a strike was delivered to Jordy Nelson in the corner of the endzone.  On the ensuing kickoff, the coverage team allowed a huge return which setup a late field goal for the Atlanta victory.  Late game heroics are something that the Eagles are no stranger to, having the most dangerous return man in the game with DeSean Jackson.  See week 15 versus the Giants for more information.  Because of the sole fact that DeSean Jackson makes teams game plan around his ability, the edge here goes to the Eagles. 

 

There is no way to truly measure teams against each other on paper, that is why we play on Sundays.  Last year, Green Bay took two from Philly in week one and in the first round of the playoffs (both in Philly).  This year, the teams are not scheduled to play, unless of course they meet again in the playoffs.  With all of this loaded talent, how could they not?

"Haters"

So I'm sitting here listening to Scott Van Pelt, excuse me, THE Scott Van Pelt, and I can't help but side with him and his definition of 'haters' in this day and age.

To apply this in a sports sense, given where we are in the NFL offseason, it is only natural for the media to pick apart certain issues/players until they are 100% exhausted.  Being picked apart is something that former Florida standout and current quarterback for the Denver Broncos Tim Tebow has experienced first hand.  To be blunt, Tebow has quite the barrage of "haters."

 On Wednesday via Twitter, NFL analyst Merrill Hoge pointed out very clearly how poor of a quarterback Tebow is due to his lack of accuracy and mechanics.  Hoge did credit Tebow's accomplishments as a collegiate athlete, but he also acknowledged his lack of ability as a NFL starter.  An uproar soon followed as many were quick to point out how harsh the comments were towards Tebow, including all-time hater victim LeBron James.  Hoge tweeted, "Sitting watching tape off bronco offense from last year! Orton or Tebow? It's embarrassing to think the broncos could win with tebow!!"

Harsh?  Yes.  Inaccurate?  That's up for debate.

Hoge quickly responded with a rebuttal saying how he only critiques from a football standpoint, and that the comments were nothing personal.  I wholeheartedly agree with Hoge's comeback.  What was he supposed to do?  He's an NFL analyst... his job is to... analyze.

It's a tough world out there, Mr. Tebow.  My advice to you is to use it as fuel... go out and prove the man wrong by using your talents and strengths to make a difference and put those criticisms to bed.  As the great Scott Van Pelt once said, everyone has haters.  But there is nothing wrong with a little criticism once in a while.  Use it constructively.

Dream On.

So here we are in early August, with several NFL teams doing some serious damage in the free agency market.  One of the most notable teams to make some big-name signings following the CBA was most definitely the Philadelphia Eagles, who have been recently coined as this year's "Dream Team."

This nickname brings two thoughts immediately to my head:

1)  The 1992 gold medal winning United States men's basketball team, which included ten hall of fame players.

2)  How this nickname could mean anything for a team that has proved nothing.

It is August 4th.  The teams just got their pads.  And you're calling the Philadelphia Eagles, a first-round playoff exit squad... a dream team?  This notion just does not sit well with me.  You can tell that it's early in the season and there is absolutely NOTHING to talk about in the sports world right now (except the red-hot Brew Crew).  Everything at this point is all talk, and quite frankly the only team in the National Football League that has ANY bragging rights are the World Champion Green Bay Packers.

But all 32 teams, including the Packers, have something to prove this year.  It's a new season.

In a nutshell, I'm ready for the season to start.  It's starting to get a bit ridiculous with how much "talk" is surrounding the league, such as Merrill Hoge ripping into Tim Tebow (see next post) or the next biggest news being Plaxico rolling his ankle (cue Rex Ryan foot fetish joke).

Let's just hope we all can start our Fantasy Football leagues in the near future to get our minds on some real competition.