November 17th, 2008
Unfortunately I didn't get to see the whole game live yesterday, but I followed the stats on my computer and got to watch the very end on Fox. As the fourth quarter went along, I kept wondering to myself: "Where is Adrian Peterson?" I just watched some analysis on the game and it was just what I had suspected - zero touches for Peterson in the fourth quarter. It's not as if he was getting shut down, he was averaging 4.5 yards per carry, not freakish but certainly solid.
There was plenty of blame to go around but when you do not give someone like Adrian Peterson a single touch in the fourth quarter (a 13-13 game at the end of the third), there is absolutely no excuse, It is a major coaching error that probably cost us the game. And in our final offensive possession, it is Chester Taylor, not Adrian Peterson who gets the ball and fittingly, fumbles to effectively end the game. Now I'm not an anti-Taylor guy, I think he's a solid back. But as everyone knows, no matter the sport, you get the ball in your best player's hands in crunch time and Peterson is not only our best player, but one of the top few in the game. You don't see the Lakers giving the ball to Lamar Odom for the final shot.
Here's our spot right now: We have six games left, only 2 against sub-.500 teams. One of those games is against the 9-1 Giants. Based on tie-breakers and the general makeup of the NFC right now, I think we can only afford to lose one game the rest of the way out. If we lose two, we still could be in but a lot of other factors will be in play.
I've given Childress the benefit of the doubt his entire way along so far, but his actions in the fourth quarter of that game are unacceptable - that, along with convincing the state of Minnesota that Tavaris Jackson was NFL-ready this year. If he loses next game, I want him gone. Over the last couple years I have seen us piss away a number of games because of bad coaching decisions and that is no reason to be losing games. We have the personnel right now, we are right on the cusp of being an elite NFL team, but I don't know if it can happen with Childress as coach. I hope Zigi keeps Childress on a very short leash, if he waits for one loss, the season can still be salvaged. If he delays, it will be another depressing year to be a Vikings fan.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Really Sid?
October 26th, 2008 (Loaded from e-mail)
You like Brewster now?
http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/33312799.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsX
There's a lot to like about this team. Weber is a very solid QB, good physical tools and he makes good decisions. Decker's got great hands and quickness. There's a number of guys I like on the defense including VanDeSteeg who is an absolute animal.
Are we 7-1 good? I don't know about that. What I do know is that we have four games left and they're all winnable. We have probably over-achieved a bit this year, but I think we should finish the last four at least 2-2. We should definitely beat Iowa. Michigan is down this year and so is Wisconsin. Northwestern is the best of the four but they did just lose to Indiana.
If nothing else, what this season will mean is big recruits. Brewster had a great recruiting class last year coming off of a one win season. Imagine what he will do with a season like we are having right now. Exciting stuff for Gopher nation.
You like Brewster now?
http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/33312799.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsX
There's a lot to like about this team. Weber is a very solid QB, good physical tools and he makes good decisions. Decker's got great hands and quickness. There's a number of guys I like on the defense including VanDeSteeg who is an absolute animal.
Are we 7-1 good? I don't know about that. What I do know is that we have four games left and they're all winnable. We have probably over-achieved a bit this year, but I think we should finish the last four at least 2-2. We should definitely beat Iowa. Michigan is down this year and so is Wisconsin. Northwestern is the best of the four but they did just lose to Indiana.
If nothing else, what this season will mean is big recruits. Brewster had a great recruiting class last year coming off of a one win season. Imagine what he will do with a season like we are having right now. Exciting stuff for Gopher nation.
Closing Thoughts on the 2008 Season
October 1st, 2008 (Loaded from e-mail)
Well, I'm going to think back on this Twins year for a long time. We defied all odds and earned ourselves a one-game playoff to decide whether we would make the post season. We were 2-7 in Chicago, they were 1-8 in the dome. Rather than deciding where the game would be played in a logical manner (i.e. Winner of the season series gets home-field), our post-season hopes rested on the flip of a coin. And we lost the toss.
Sure, we could have done better than 1-2 in the last series with the Royals. Or perhaps the Tigers could not have laid an egg on Monday. But those events did not rob us of the chance to be watching the Twins and not the White Sox face the Rays tomorrow. A coin toss robbed us. Home field was the deciding factor. Anyone who watched that last series against the White Sox, where we swept them, knows we would not have lost in the Dome. I'm done making excuses. That rule needs to be changed and I would not be surprised at all if the issue is brought up at off-season rule meetings. This whole thing is silly.
I'm a bitter baseball fan right now, but bitter for good reason.
Well, I'm going to think back on this Twins year for a long time. We defied all odds and earned ourselves a one-game playoff to decide whether we would make the post season. We were 2-7 in Chicago, they were 1-8 in the dome. Rather than deciding where the game would be played in a logical manner (i.e. Winner of the season series gets home-field), our post-season hopes rested on the flip of a coin. And we lost the toss.
Sure, we could have done better than 1-2 in the last series with the Royals. Or perhaps the Tigers could not have laid an egg on Monday. But those events did not rob us of the chance to be watching the Twins and not the White Sox face the Rays tomorrow. A coin toss robbed us. Home field was the deciding factor. Anyone who watched that last series against the White Sox, where we swept them, knows we would not have lost in the Dome. I'm done making excuses. That rule needs to be changed and I would not be surprised at all if the issue is brought up at off-season rule meetings. This whole thing is silly.
I'm a bitter baseball fan right now, but bitter for good reason.
AL MVP Considerations
September 11th, 2008 (Loaded from e-mail)
Don't look now, but Justin Morneau is making a serious case for his second MVP award in three years. From what I can see, the AL MVP is a three-horse race right now - Josh Hamilton of the Rangers, Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox, and Morneau. I suppose Cliff Lee and K-Rod merit consideration as well but I am of the belief that the pitchers shouldn't be winning the MVP unless they have a truly extraordinary season, the Cy Young is their award. That said, K-Rod could be having a truly extraordinary season, but that's beside the point.
Josh Hamilton beats Morneau in some very important statistical categories. He has 31 homers to Morneau's 23 and 124 RBIs, which leads the AL, to Morneau's 120. The two are tied in runs and Morneau has a slight edge in average and OBP. Here are the knocks on Hamilton: he was on fire early and has been cooling off over the last couple of months. It's pretty unlikely his team will make the playoffs. My buddy Olerio showed me his home-road splits. At home, he has been incredible, hitting .350 with 73 RBIs. On the road, he hits a meager .255 with 51 RBIs. He plays in a hitter's ballpark, so that could explain some stat inflation there.
Pedroia has been the best player on the Red Sox this year. He's batting .328 with 78 RBIs and 112 runs (which leads the majors). The Red Sox are starting to seem like a lock for the playoffs and are making a strong push to win the East. It's hard to find many flaws with him at the moment. While his average is 20 points higher than Morneau's, Morenau holds a slight edge in OBP.
Runs created is a stat that allows you to compare a runs guy vs. an RBI guy in an MVP race. The stat is Runs plus RBIs minus home runs. Homers are subtracted because an HR only counts for one run in a game but counts as a run and an RBI. This stat show the total number of runs that you have supplied for your team. Hamilton's runs created is 124+89-31=182. Pedroia's runs created is 78+112-17=173. Morneau's runs created is 119+89-23=185, which leads the AL.
It looks like there is a good chance the AL MVP will hinge on the AL East and AL Central playoff races, if the Twins win the Central, I think you gotta give it to Morneau.
Don't look now, but Justin Morneau is making a serious case for his second MVP award in three years. From what I can see, the AL MVP is a three-horse race right now - Josh Hamilton of the Rangers, Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox, and Morneau. I suppose Cliff Lee and K-Rod merit consideration as well but I am of the belief that the pitchers shouldn't be winning the MVP unless they have a truly extraordinary season, the Cy Young is their award. That said, K-Rod could be having a truly extraordinary season, but that's beside the point.
Josh Hamilton beats Morneau in some very important statistical categories. He has 31 homers to Morneau's 23 and 124 RBIs, which leads the AL, to Morneau's 120. The two are tied in runs and Morneau has a slight edge in average and OBP. Here are the knocks on Hamilton: he was on fire early and has been cooling off over the last couple of months. It's pretty unlikely his team will make the playoffs. My buddy Olerio showed me his home-road splits. At home, he has been incredible, hitting .350 with 73 RBIs. On the road, he hits a meager .255 with 51 RBIs. He plays in a hitter's ballpark, so that could explain some stat inflation there.
Pedroia has been the best player on the Red Sox this year. He's batting .328 with 78 RBIs and 112 runs (which leads the majors). The Red Sox are starting to seem like a lock for the playoffs and are making a strong push to win the East. It's hard to find many flaws with him at the moment. While his average is 20 points higher than Morneau's, Morenau holds a slight edge in OBP.
Runs created is a stat that allows you to compare a runs guy vs. an RBI guy in an MVP race. The stat is Runs plus RBIs minus home runs. Homers are subtracted because an HR only counts for one run in a game but counts as a run and an RBI. This stat show the total number of runs that you have supplied for your team. Hamilton's runs created is 124+89-31=182. Pedroia's runs created is 78+112-17=173. Morneau's runs created is 119+89-23=185, which leads the AL.
It looks like there is a good chance the AL MVP will hinge on the AL East and AL Central playoff races, if the Twins win the Central, I think you gotta give it to Morneau.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)