Australian Open Preview

Tennis seasons’ first grand slam begins Sunday night in Australia. For the next two weeks, American tennis fans will be staying up late and waking up early to catch some of the top players on the blue hard courts down under.

Coming into the tournament, Rafael Nadal is the number one player in the world. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, who has won the last three Aussie Opens, looks to claim his 7^th career major title. Roger Federer has struggled mightily the last 6 months, losing early at Wimbledon, the US Open, and losing in the Brisbane final last week to Lleyton Hewitt. Anyone of the top 8 can make a run here in Melbourne.

Breaking Down the Chances of Top Players

Rafael Nadal- The unquestioned number one player in the world right now. He claimed two major titles last year, including the US Open, to cap off an excellent year. Last year, Nadal missed the Australian Open, and did not return to the courts until February. This year, he picked up his first title in Doha defeating Gael Monfils in 3 sets. Nadal is playing some of the best tennis of his career, and is going to be tough to beat. However, Rafa was handed a challenging draw. He opens with Bernard Tomic, a young Aussie player who gave Nadal a run in the 3^rd round in Australia two years back. Nadal will have to deal with a fairly strong first round opponent, and a crowd that will be rooting for Tomic to pull off the major upset. If Nadal gets past Tomic, which he should, he could see flamboyant star Gael Monfils, who is on the return from injury, in the third round. Monfils is a wild card. When playing his best, he can beat any player in the world. Later on, Nadal could see 2009 US Open Champion Juan Martin Del Potro in the quarterfinals. On his half of the draw, Nadal could face either 17-time grand slam champion Roger Federer or reigning Wimbledon champion Andy Murray in the semifinals. Nadal is going to have to bring his A game if he plans to run through the gauntlet and reach the finals.

Novak Djokovic- Novak is a big time fan favorite down in Australia. He has won 4 of his 6 majors here, and 3 in a row. Last year, Djokovic handled Andy Murray in the Aussie Final, and has had limited success, by his standards, since then. He lost two straight grand slam finals, to Andy Murray at Wimbledon, and Rafa Nadal in New York last summer. However, the Djoker has returned to his favorite major and looks to pull off a 4-peat. Unlike Nadal, Djokovic has been given a favorable draw. His first round opponent is Lucas Lacko, who should give him no problems. He could also see Dmitry Tursunov, Ernie Gulbis, Fabio Fognini, and Stan Wawrinka. The only player on that list who gives Djokovic any trouble is number 8, Stan Wawrinka. The and Novak barely pulled it out.

Andy Murray- Murray took time off after the US Open to have back surgery and get healthy. He had an outstanding year last year, making 2 grand slam finals, and becoming the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936. Murray is not the favorite, but few would be surprised if he won the tournament. He, like Nadal, was placed on the tougher half of the draw, and could see Roger Federer in the quarterfinals. In order to win, he will likely have to beat Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic back to back to back, which is quite the challenge.

Roger Federer- Federer suffered one of his worst years as a pro last season. No grand slam finals appearances, only made one semifinal, and it appears father time is catching up with him. He lost to players like Sergiy Stakhovsky, Tommy Robredo, and Frederico Delbonis. I am not ready to write off Federer for his career, but if he has anything left, this is the year. He may not win another major, but if he makes a final, or is in contention on the final weekend, he proves to the world he still has what it takes.

Dark Horses-

John Isner- Someone in American tennis needs to win big matches at a major. Has not happened since Roddick retired.

Philipp Kohlschreiber- Tough player to beat, could make a second week run in Melbourne.

Lleyton Hewitt- If Hewitt manages to beat Andreas Seppi, he has a legitimate chance at making the second week because his draw is favorable. Not to mention, he is playing on home soil.

Gael Monfils- This guy should be a dark horse at every major. He can beat anyone on any day, and before injuries, was 7^th in the world. But he has his work cut out for him, as he drew Rafa in the third round.

Championship Prediction-

Novak Djokovic

Djokovic loves playing here. Australia loves him; he has a favorable draw, and will be fresher than Nadal when the two meet in the final. Djokovic over Nadal in the final- 7-6 6-3 5-7 6-4

The Colts' Problems

The Andrew Luck era has been a total success thus far in Indianapolis. The Colts are now 19-10 under Luck in two seasons, and have clinched their division already.

The Colts and their fans should be pleased to have this much success early in the Luck era. After a 2-14 season without Peyton Manning, the Colts went out and selected Luck, first overall from Stanford. Few people expected the Colts to do anything, including make the playoffs last year.

In his rookie season, Luck led a team that had gaping holes on both sides of the ball to an 11-5 record and a wild card spot. This season, Luck and the Colts have defeated three top NFL teams, Denver, San Francisco, and Seattle. After sitting at 6-2, the Colts have dropped three of their last five, leading to a cause for concern from most Colts fans.

Before jumping to criticize the front office, the coaching, or even the team’s star QB, you have to look at things from a different perspective. Indianapolis was the worst team in football two seasons ago. During a crazy season last year, fueled by the story of head coach Chuck Pagano’s leukemia recovery, Indianapolis was starting six rookies on offense at one point in the season.

The Colts were getting out of this world production from WR LaVon Brazill, a 6^th round pick, and WR T.Y. Hilton,  a 3^rd round pick. Tight ends Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener were successful rookies. Additionally, due to injury and lack of production from starters, the Colts were starting RB Vick Ballard, yet another rookie alongside Luck.

This season, the story has been injuries. The Colts are down reliable veteran and team leader, Reggie Wayne. Dwayne Allen and Vick Ballard are out for the season. Continuing, the Colts are playing without free agent Ahmad Bradshaw and LG Donald Thomas. Right now, the Colts are missing so many offensive weapons, it would be challenging for any team to be successful on the offensive side of the ball.

Looking ahead, the currently 8-5 Colts appear to be in trouble. They will most likely finish with 10 or 11 wins, which should get them the four seed in the AFC. This sets up a first round game with Kansas City at home. A win there sets up a road game at Denver or New England.

The Colts may not win a playoff game this season. However, before anyone jumps on head coach Chuck Pagano, offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, or QB Andrew Luck, do not forget that this very young Colts team has been decimated by injuries all over the field. In the future, the Colts will be a force to be reckoned with, once they fill some holes on the offensive line, get everyone healthy, and mature as a football team. 

Image Link:

Helmet2helmet.com

Is Ruben Amaro Jr. Crazy for Wanting to Deal Domonic Brown?

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported earlier today that Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. was looking to deal All-Star Domonic Brown, and would plan to sell high. What would make Amaro want to deal arguably the best hitter on the Phillies, at a time when the Phillies need young talent? Is he crazy for wanting to do this? For once, I actually agree with Amaro Jr., especially if he deals Brown in a package that includes Jonathan Papelbon, as was reported by Jim Salisbury, a CSN Philly Insider.

If Brown is indeed the Phillies best hitting option, that means a guy that had a .272 batting average with 27 homers and 83 runs batted in will be the heart of the Phillies for the future. That is pretty good for a years span, but consider that half of Brown's homers came in that three week stretch at the end of May and beginning of June where he was arguably the best player in baseball. What does that mean? It means that Dom Brown was great for three weeks last year, and was average the rest of the season. 

The Phillies do not need to have an average player as their best option when they could trade him for more than he is worth. If Amaro Jr. could trade an average player in Dom Brown along with Jonathan Papelbon and can actually good prospects/young talent in return, he would be insane not to do it. Get rid of Brown while his stock is high, and if the Phillies have to eat money with Papelbon, Amaro Jr. should not hesitate to do so.

It is evident that the Philadelphia Phillies will not be good for a couple of years, maybe more, as they have an aging core and a horrific farm system. There is no point in keeping your best player, who is average, if his talent will not be contributing towards success. Trade him while his stock is high as he's entering his prime, and eat the money on Papelbon if he's a part of the package. 

If Ruben Amaro Jr. can trade Dom Brown for top prospects along with Jonathan Papelbon, it would be a genius move (Ruben Amaro Jr. and the word "genius" in the same sentence, you won't see that too often). I would actually like to see Papelbon go before Brown, but no team will take him unless they get Brown, which I would not be upset with either. 

To sum things up, Ruben Amaro Jr. is not crazy for looking to trade Domonic Brown, the most average All-Star I have ever seen; and he especially is not crazy for wanting to deal Brown along with Papelbon. But, if Ruben cannot trade Papelbon in the same package as Brown, I would not trade Brown at all. Take it for what it's worth Ruben, I am with you on this one. 

Image Source: CSN Philly (http://www.csnphilly.com/sites/csnphilly/files/062513_domonic-brown.jpg)

The Philadelphia Eagles Continue to Fly

On Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles continued their winning ways with a 34-20, in a game that will go down as the "Snow Bowl". This was the Eagles fifth win in a row, three of which have been in Philly, where the Eagles could not buy a win earlier in the year and in the latter part of last year. The offense is clicking on all cylinders, and the defense continues to make key stops along with forcing turnovers. Chip Kelly critics are now struggling to come up with ways to blather his apparent "college offense" that put up 34 points in a blizzard, and ran for 299 yards against the NFL's second best rush defense in Detroit.

What more do people need to see from Nick Foles? The dude is an efficient, scoring machine. It took eight inches of snow and horrific conditions for Foles to throw his first interception; and he would not have thrown an interception on that specific play if Mother Nature had been favorable yesterday. Foles is plowing through the checklist that all young quarterbacks need to go through in order to prove that they can be a franchise quarterback. Have consistent play for an extended period of time? You can check that off (I'd say a five-game winning streak and a 7-1 record in his starts is consistency). Play well against a respectable defense? Check (Cardinals and Lions). Battle in a tough environment and get the win? Check (Won at Green Bay and in yesterday's blizzard). If you rode Foles off after his horrendous start against Dallas, he has proven you wrong; and if you still think Foles has something to prove, you're insane.

LeSean McCoy along with the rest of the Eagles offensive weapons have proved why they should be considered one of the best in the NFL.  McCoy personally is not only making a case for MVP, but he is also making the case to be considered the best running back in the NFL. He has the most rushing yards in the NFL with 1,305, and has the most yards from scrimmage with 1,744 (439 receiving yards). DeSean Jackson and Riley Cooper are emerging as a dominant WR combination; and lets not forget that Jeremy Maclin is out. When Maclin comes back next year, the Eagles WR core will extremely dangerous with Foles throwing to them. These past two games against the Cardinals and Lions, the Eagles have shown that teams should not sleep on tight ends Brent Celek and Zach Ertz. With Shady McCoy doing Shady McCoy things, Jackson and Cooper continuing to light it up, and Ertz along with Celek emerging as a respectable TE combination, the Eagles offense will be tough to stop for the remainder of this year, and for years to come.

The Eagles defense is finally starting to get the respect that it deserves around the league. They only gave up eight points to an explosive Lions offense (12 of the Lions 20 points came off of punt and kick returns). People may use the weather as an excuse for the Lions only scoring eight points, but the Eagles offense had to function in the same conditions, and they put up 34 points. No excuses. The Eagles defense has not given up 21 points or more since they went up against Peyton Manning in week 4 back in September. One of the main arguments bashing the Eagles defense is that they give up "too many yards". Who cares? Last time I checked, the score board counts points, not yards.

Both the offensive and defensive line units have been the unsung heroes of this Eagles team. Evan Mathis, the Eagles right guard, is one of the most underrated players in the NFL. He was left in a horrible situation last year when the rest of the Eagles offensive lineman got hurt, and Mathis was stuck blocking with a bunch of scrubs, which made him look bad. This year, with All-Pro tackle Jason Peters along with All-Pro guard Todd Herremans and center Jason Kelce returning from injury, the Eagles offensive line has been one of the best units in the NFL, needless to say they also have a rookie in Lane Johnson at right tackle. The Eagles defensive line has also done a tremendous job causing havoc at the line of scrimmage with their blitz schemes. Bennie Logan, Fletcher Cox, Cedric Thornton, Vinny Curry, Trent Cole, Brandon Graham, and Connor Barwin deserve a tremendous amount of credit for their pass rushing abilities along with how they've slowed down opponents rushing attacks, which is something the Eagles could not do at the end of the Andy Reid regime.

Andy Reid did not leave this team in shambles when he got fired, the players themselves were just literally in shambles. There was talent on this team, but Reid's philosophy and ways of doing things were just no longer working. Chip Kelly and his coaching staff's fresh approach to football is both effective and entertaining.

The Philadelphia Eagles will win the NFC East this year, there is no doubt in my mind. If week 17 at Dallas means anything, the Eagles will go down there and take of business, clinching a playoff spot for the first time in three years. Football is meaningful in Philadelphia again, and it is fantastic to watch.

Image Source: USA Today (http://usatq.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/ap_lions_eagles_football_60412752.jpg?w=640&h=426)

Dexter's Labratory Moves To Houston: Analysis

On Tuesday, the Houston Astros acquired 27-year-old outfielder Dexter Fowler and a player to be named later in a trade with the Colorado Rockies. In return, Colorado received 23-year-old right-handed pitcher Jordan Lyles and a great defensive outfielder in 27-year-old Brandon Barnes. However, I think the Astros have gotten the better part of the deal. Fowler is a switch-hitting speedster with a .365 career on-base percentage. His ability to get on base and swipe bags is something that the Astros lacked dearly in their lineup last season. They were caught stealing 61 times in 2013 - more than any team in the majors. Fowler was caught stealing 32% of the time in his 28 steal attempts last season. Given the fact that he was dealing with a string of injuries and only played 119 games in 2013, I think if Fowler can stay healthy he'll definitely be more productive for the Astros on the base pads. 

Another upgrade that the Astros have gotten by acquiring Fowler is that they'll have a more consistent center fielder at the plate. Brandon Barnes - who was Houston's everyday center fielder in 2013 - slashed .240./.289/.346 with 8 homers and 41 RBI in 2013. Fowler on the other hand slashed .263/.369/.407 with 12 homers and 42 RBI. The big difference between Fowler and Barnes - from a hitting standpoint - is their ability to get on base and not strikeout. With the speed that they both posses, putting the ball in play could be the difference between a strikeout or an infield single. Barnes struck out 31% of the time in his 408 at-bats in the 2013 season - compared to Fowler striking out 25% of the time in his 415 at-bats last season. They had about the same amount of at-bats in 2013 and the numbers speak for themselves - Fowler is an upgrade from Barnes in center field for the Astros. Fowler's numbers at the plate may decrease a little bit now that he's not playing half of his games in a hitter friendly park like Coors Field, but I still think he'll be a productive bat in Houston's lineup playing in Minute Maid Park. With the Crawford Boxes in left field, Fowler will be a threat to go yard when he's batting right-handed. Take a look at his hot zones as a right-handed batter:

Even though the hot zones only show contact statistics, I think his contact will lead to more than 12 homers in 2014 - especially if he plays more than 119 games. His hot zones are in slightly better areas than Brandon Barnes. Fowler has hot zones in more areas as opposed to Barnes' limited ability to drive the ball when thrown in certain locations. Here's a look at Barnes' hot zones:

Barnes may have been an everyday starter with the Astros, but I doubt he'll be an everyday starter for the Rockies. I see him being a forth outfielder for Colorado, as the outfield will probably look like this: Micheal Cuddyer in left field, Carlos Gonzalez moving back to center field and Charlie Blackmon in right field. With Barnes' inability to be a consistent hitter, I think being the Rockies forth outfielder is a more realistic position for him in 2014.

So the fact that the Rockies gave up Fowler and a player to be named later for a forth outfielder and a pitcher in Jordan Lyles who has yet to figure out how to be consistent at the major league level shows that the Astros will be benefiting more from this trade than the Rockies. I expect Fowler to have a bigger impact for the Astros than Lyles and Barnes will for the Rockies in 2014, as it should be exciting to see Fowler in an Astros uniform this upcoming season.

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End Of The Kubiak Era

I've been thinking ever since last night what to write about that concerns the Texans. Should I write a game recap? Since Matt Schaub replaced Case Keenum last night, should I write a comparison between the two and give my opinion who's better? Should I write about what I think the Texans should do in the draft? I was left clueless until something this afternoon happened, and it was like The Good Lord was speaking to me saying "Steven, the world needs this".

This afternoon, Texans owner Bob McNair announced that the Texans have fired 8th year head coach Gary Kubiak.

In his tenure with the Texans, Kubiak had a record of 61-63, including back-to-back AFC South division championships and two victories in the playoffs, although both trips were cut short in the Divisional Round by Baltimore, and New England respectively. And ever since 2007, Kubiak had tried to cement Matt Schaub as the Texans franchise quarterback and make him this teams legacy. Isn't it fitting that the play that sealed last nights game, and Kubiak's career, was a Matt Schaub interception?

Bob McNair announced that the Texans are now in the hunt for a new coach, and that he has no vision to rebuild a team with all the talent on it. And Bob is right. You got talent like Andre Johnson, Deandre Hopkins, Owen Daniels, Garret Graham, Duane Brown, J.J Watt, Brian Cushing, DJ Swearinger, and Shiloh Keo. This team is one of the most loaded rosters in the AFC, and probably the entire NFL, but the system was awful. The reason why the Texans lost to Seattle was because the Seahawks knew what play was going to be ran in this oh so predictable offense, and turned everything around, giving Matt Schaub his then 3rd straight game with a Pick-6.

So who's the answer?

I never thought that Jon Gruden would come back, but I've never been in a situation where the Texans really needed a coach (I was just 8 during the 2005 season and didn't know much about sports yet), but now that I see this problem, it's sorta real. But I believe the real answer will come in the form of Lovie Smith. But in the mean time, Wade Phillips will fill in as Interim-Head Coach, and these last three games of the year between Indy, Denver, and Tennessee will determine if Phillips will get a real job as Head Coach.

But personally, I think it was too early to kick out Kubiak anyway. The Texans will still have to use his offense unless they have some sort of emergency system that Offensive Coordinator Rick Dennison had just in case, and if that is the case, label him a magician and tell him to start reading minds, because Houston might need that.

Bowling Green Falcons: Northern Illinois's Nightmare?

The Bowling Green Falcons. 

The other MAC team in the MAC Championship game.

But first lets talk about

Jordan Lynch.

Heisman contender. All around great athlete and quarterback. Shattering his own records. Lynch and the NIU Huskies have made a major impact in the national spotlight.  They've ravaged defenses with their running attack and Lynch himself has single handedly picked apart defenses running and throwing like a surgeon. However, the best defense he has faced all year was the Iowa Hawkeyes, a team who ranks 49th in Total Defense.  Sure NIU is a MAC team and by all means are impressive going 12-0 and running wild on the conference.  The team he hasn't played yet is Bowling Green.

Lets talk about some of the Falcons statistics defensively.

6th in the nation in Total Defense. 

5th in the nation in Scoring Defense at just under 14 points a game

............... and the NUMBER 1 Red Zone Defense in the nation as teams are only scoring just over 50% of their red zone opportunities against the Falcons.

It's arguable that Bowling Green may have one of the best front-7's in college football, even after losing one of arguably their best defensive players in LB Gabe Martin.   This is a team that plays with a ferocious defense that pursues the ball better than most people have ever seen at the MAC level, a conference known with a reputation of speed, spread offense and scoring.  And although people would argue that its just the MAC so BGSU's defense isn't stopping high caliber teams, this defense held SEC schools like the Florida Gators and Mississippi St. Bulldogs to 27 and 21 points respectively in 2012 and 2013.

All that is being said here is don't crown Jordan Lynch and the NIU Huskies MAC Champions and BCS busters too fast.  They have to beat BGSU and the most elite defense they will have seen all season.

I expect a great MAC Championship game at Ford Field and one that likely will be remembered for the ages.