U.S. Open Women's Preview

As I have already previewed the men's draw for the US Open in a previous post, it's time to preview the women's draw, which myself, and many experts agree is wide open for 2011. Defending champion Kim Clijsters is out of the tournament with an injury and top seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark had been bounced in her first match at 2 tournaments prior to winning in New Haven today for the fourth straight year.

Women's Draw

Top 4 Seeds:

1. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)

2. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)

3. Maria Sharapova (RUS)

4. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)

Others to Watch:

5. Petra Kvitova (RUS)

14. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)

28. Serena Williams (USA)

Favorite:

???

Wozniacki is coming off a win at the Yale Open in New Haven, CT today, which should mean she has a fair bit of momentum heading into the US Open. However, not sure that is really the case since she has won New Haven the past three years and is still looking for her first major title. Caroline is likely the best defensive player on the WTA Tour presently, however, her lack of a major serving weapon or go-to ground stroke has been her downfall as she encounters the Sharapovas and Williamses late in major championships. Her draw for the Open is good for her, in my opinion, to make the Round of 16 with relative ease. In that round, she has the potential to face a previous US Open winner in 15th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, who's experience I think can give Wozniacki all she can handle. While I do believe Caroline will win that match and make the semifinals of the Open, going through 6-seed Li Na in the quarterfinals, I would not be at all surprised if Svetlana won that match.

In the bottom half of Wozniacki's half of the draw is the 4-seed, Victoria Azarenka. Unfortunately for her, she was the unlucky person to be the highest seed in the same section of the draw with Serena Williams, who was given a 28 seed, even though she has won 2 hard court tournaments since returning to the circuit from injury and won the US Open Series as a result of those 2 tournament wins. The USTA chose not to bump Serena's seed up to the top 8 from her WTA ranking, even though they have the direction to do so and Serena is a three-time US Open champion and hard court is her best surface; where her powerful serve is even more amplified. Also in Azarenka's draw is 7-seed, and 2010 French Open champion, Francesca Schiavone of France and former world #1 in Serbia's Jelena Jankovic. I fully expect a Round of 32 Williams/Azarenka matchup and I do expect Serena to come out on top of that one and ultimately go through Shahar Peer of Israel and and Schiavone on her way to a semifinal matchup with Wozniacki.

On the other side of the bracket is 3rd seeded Maria Sharapova, fresh off an ugly win in the finals of Cincinnati 2 weeks ago against Jankovic. With Sharapova as the only woman of the top 4 seeds to have a grand slam title (3 in total), one would think she might be considered the favorite in this tournament. While I certainly feel that way, I think she has a very difficult draw, with a potential quarterfinal matchup against fellow Russian Kvitova, who defeated Maria in the Wimbledon final a few short weeks ago for her first grand slam title. Maria should be able to advance to the Round of 16, but a potential date with 12-seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland or 13th seeded Peng Shuai of China could pose a roadblock, especially if Sharapova piles up the double faults and unforced errors, as was the case in the Cincinnati final. Ultimately, I think Maria is fully back and will be able to limit the double faults to a reasonable amount to exact revenge on Kvitova in the quarters and reach the US Open semifinals again.

Opposite of Sharapova's draw is where you'll find 2nd seeded Zvonareva as the highest seeded player. Vera is still looking for her first major title as well and I just can't see her getting it in this year's US Open either. She is not particularly strong on the hard courts and the depth of the other women included in her draw is quite strong, including 9-seed Sam Stosur of Australia and 14th seeded Cibulkova, who has been quickly rising up the rankings over the past year. Additionally, an unseeded Venus Williams can be found in this section and one can never count out a Williams sister, even though Venus hasn't had a particularly great season thus far. While I don't expect Venus to make as deep a run in the tournament as her sister, I wouldn't be especially surprised if she made the 3rd round, or even the Round of 16 to face Cibulkova. I can see Cibulkova being a breakout star in this year's tournament and I really like her to take out Zvonareva in the quarterfinals and advance from this part of the draw to the semis.

My Picks:

Semifinals -

Wozniacki vs. S. Williams

Sharapova vs. Cibulkova

Finals -

Wozniacki vs. Sharapova

Champion -

Maria Sharapova

Sharapova has been knocking on the door of a grand slam title this season, with deep runs at the French Open and Wimbledon in the past few months. With hard courts being her best surface, I think it's time for her to finally get the job done and add to her three career grand slam titles. But with a field this wide open, I also wouldn't be shocked to see none of my picks even make the semifinals, much less win the whole thing. The unpredictability of this year's women's field is going to make the 2011 US Open one of the best in recent memory in my opinion.

U.S. Open Men's Preview

As we tend to write about the same sports over and over (e.g. football and basketball), I figured I'd add a piece previewing the U.S. Tennis Open since the men's and women's draws were set on Thursday afternoon.

Men's Draw

Top 4 Seeds:

1. Novak Djokovic (SRB)

2. Rafael Nadal (ESP)

3. Roger Federer (SUI)

4. Andy Murray (GBR)

Others to Watch:

7. Gael Monfils (FRA)

8. Mardy Fish (USA)

18. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG)

Favorite:

Djokovic

Djokovic has had an historic season, with only 2 defeats to this point (Federer - French, Murray - Cincinnati), he did have to retire with a shoulder injury in the Cincinnati final and looked extremely gassed throughout the tournament. I think the grueling schedule Novak has put himself through this season getting to #1 is finally catching up with him and he's not going to be taking home his first US Open title this season. The draw is good for Djokovic, until a potential quarterfinal matchup with Monfils, where I can see the charasmatic Frenchman taking out the #1 seed.

While Federer has a challenging section that includes solid players such as Philipp Kohlschreiber, hard-hitting Bernard Tomic, 11th-seeded Serbian Viktor Troicki, and Fish, I like R-Feds to get to the quarters of that draw relatively easily. American Mardy Fish has been hot on the hardcourts this summer, winning 2 tournaments and the Olympus US Open Series, and will pose a strong challenge to Roger in the quarters. While I like Fish's play this summer, R-Feds's history is too strong to go against him.

Murray has a loaded section of his draw with 5-seed David Ferrer, 6-seed Robin Soderling, 2009 US Open Champion Del Potro, and the hardest server on the ATP Tour in John Isner, all in his section. Murray did win Cincinnati when Djokovic had to retire, however, I just don't believe Murray is playing well enough or is skilled enough on the hard courts to make it out of this section. I'm going with Del Potro out of this section as he is now healthy and appears poised to make a run to another US Open title that he wasn't in top shape to defend last year.

Finally, the bottom half of the draw is all about Rafa. While Andy Roddick (seeded 21st) is in this section, he has been playing terribly all summer long that I can't see him making it past the 3rd round at Flushing Meadows this season. Nadal has no other single digit seeds in his section of the draw and appears to have a pretty easy and straight-forward path to the semifinals.

My picks:

Semifinals -

Federer vs. Djokovic

Del Potro vs. Nadal

Finals -

Federer vs. Nadal

Champion - Roger Federer

I'm going with Roger Federer adding to his all-time major record with another US Open title in 2011. I expect another epic Federer-Nadal battle in the final on 9/11/11, but I have R-Feds winning in 4 sets to once again be the King of New York in the tennis world.

Welcome to the new Deuce High Sports!

Hello everyone and I'd like to welcome you to the new Deuce High Sports!

Slowly we will have more updates to make this place a better experience for all our followers!

If there is anyone who is interested in contributing let us know! Please email contribute@deucehighsports.com . Please give a brief background of your sports knowledge and what you think you can contribute to our site. We look forward to starting up a podcast in the near future as well.

Steve Spurrier: Pay Players?

After writing my last article I realized I needed to elaborate more on this subject.

For a while I was really on the fence about paying players, but as things go on and on and we see more and more issues crop up it becomes obvious; those following the rules are at a disadvantage. Couple that with the fact that the NCAA has absolutely no way to actually police its own rules and that's a big issue.

Spurrier came out the other day and said he thought that players should be paid $300 per game out of the coaches salary. It's an interesting idea, with an arbitrary number. I absolutely get where he is coming from and agree with the principle of his idea, although I don't think he has the correct answer it is a great place to start.

In my opinion, NCAA President Mark Emmert is asking the wrong question, just like the city of Iowa City is while they go through their 21 only downtown legislation. They are asking the wrong question. The city continues to ask the question "How can we stop underage drinking?" Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating underage drinking, but anyone with any sort of sense realizes you can't do it. If a kid wants to drink they will find a way. The question the city should be asking is "How can we keep our students safe?" What this ordinance has done is it has taken kids away from well lite, downtown Iowa City where they are police-able and sent kids on mile hikes to house parties on dimly lite streets. As a parent that would scare me.

I feel Emmert is in the same boat, he is continuing to ask how the NCAA can make the most money and how players can't be paid and the biggest one, how we can police it. The real question he should be asking is how the playing field can be competitive for everyone. Right now it's not. If you follow the rules you're at a disadvantage.

How to level the playing field? First and foremost Football needs a playoff. without question in my mind that is one huge step towards making things equal. I outlined here my thoughts about that last year. I still think that idea holds a lot of water. Once NCAA has a playoff I think at that point they can logically address paying players. The idea has been thrown around that some players would feel they deserve more then the players that don't play. So then why not do it? Give incentive for players to work harder. Have a base pay system of $100 per game and add in $x per snap a player plays or $y for a start. Additionally, if Emmert is so concerned about smaller schools not having enough money to pay, why can't x% come off the top of playoff (err I mean bowl) revenue, that seems logical and keeps schools on an even ground.

I don't have an answer for the problem, but the NCAA needs to start asking the right questions or things will not get better.

Tresselgate: How does it affect the B1G?

In what seemed an inevitable conclusion to a situation that spun more out of control than Pearlgate down in Knoxville, Ohio State coach, Jim Tressel resigned on Memorial Day. He resigned over five months too late and likely as many lies. The back story, as I am sure everyone knows, is that many players, over the course of his entire career at Ohio State had been trading memorabilia for cheap or free tattoos.While sources have said that this has been going on for years, it came to light this past December when, among others, star QB and former #1 recruit, Terrelle Pryor was found to have been driving numerous cars and having traded signed memorabilia to Fine Line Ink when a federal probed the parlor on drug charges.

What gets me the most was some of the revelations in this SI article, Tressel claims to know nothing about any of this, well at least until last spring when he received an email about Pryor, yet anyone on campus could have told you what was going on?

I don't care if you are Buckeye faithful, college enthusiastic or a Buckeye hater - There is an issue here. Is some of it outside of the coaches control? Maybe partially, but that doesn't mean they can't try to fix the issue. Can Tressel stop every booster from thinking or trying to give out money and cars? Maybe not, but if he had the integrity that he preached than the issue should never have gotten to where it is today.

How hard will the Buckeyes be hit by the NCAA? I think it will be hit worse than the Trojans were. The reason being that USC had issues, over a very short time involving two players, mostly Reggie Bush and some what O.J. Mayo. The NCAA had barely any evidence, specifically evidence that would be permitted in court, and they hit USC with a multiple season postseason ban as well as a loss of scholarships.

And the Buckeyes? They have multiple years of issues and actual 'evidence'. If any of the Pryor car deals is true, that only spells the doom for the Buckeyes program for the next 3-5 years. And I don't care what anyone around the Ohio State University says; they will be searching for a new President and Athletic Director in the near future.

So how does this affect the rest of the B1G?

For starters it helps Wisconsin. The Badgers move ahead as the favorite to win their half of the B1G and PSU also gets a small boost as well as Ohio State could be hurting big time the next few years. Illinois could be a sleeper team if they ever get rid of Zook and try to compete. A new AD might make this a make or break year for Zook, which could help lead the Illini football program in the right direction.

And for the other half? Nebraska might become the leading candidate to win the conference this year and be their BCS representative in their first year in the league. If I had to bet today, Pryor won't see the field next year for the Buckeyes, either because of an extended suspension or because, more likely, he enters the NFL's supplemental draft.

On a side note I really did enjoy Steve Spurrier's thoughts on paying athletes. Yes it is a very slippery slope but the fact is it already happens. Those that play the game right are at a disadvantage to those that don't. And for all the whine and fuss about how BCS schools would have a clear advantage over non-AQ conferences, I offer you this. When the NCAA finally does the right thing and institutes a playoff (see my prior thoughts on this here) that given advantage would become much less then everyone assumes.

While I agree that the $300 number that Spurrier through out is arbitrary, it is a starting point. There is a way to make this work Mark Emmert. The NCAA makes too much off these kids to not try to find a way to make it work.

The Deron Williams Theory

The Nets made a huge splash prior to the deadline, sneaking in and grabbing All Star point guard Deron Williams from the Jazz. Thing is there is no way that Deron stays with the Nets after next season (if there is a season). I don't care about any of the reports that he is close with King and that he is helping decide which players to bring in. The fact of the matter is Dwight Howard will not come to the Nets via trade next year unless he 'Melos it and forces his way there and I just don't see that happening. The Magic can get more back from the Bulls, Lakers and even the Knicks. Yes some of the potential trades require the Magic to take on brittle knees, but something is better then nothing.

Which team will end up with the Team USA PG?

This trade will end up making one of the worst trades ever articles and setting the Nets back a few years. The Nets gave up Derrick Favors, who I disagree with many and feel his upside isn't quite as high but he could be a solid rotation player, the number 3 pick in this years draft, which will likely be Derrick Williams, Brandon Knight or Enes Kanter. All three of those could be really good players to help build in Brooklyn. A Favors/Lopez/Knight team could be one that makes the playoffs in a few years.

Oh and don't forget they gave up another one next year.

So where does that leave the Nets? Just think Denver Nuggets, with less drama and you wouldn't have to hear quotes about it on Sports Center after every game, more likely only two or three updates a day on ESPN Insider Rumors, with nothing to back them but a random tweet form a sports writer, usually somewhere within the lower 48.

The Nets will have to trade Deron Williams, as much as it will hurt Mikhail Prokhorov's ego to admit he was wrong, there is no way they can sit idly and watch him walk away like Cleveland did with King James and Toronto did with Baby Bosh.

So Deron is on the market, who calls?

Glad you asked! I think there will be quite a few teams that would be in on the mix, and actually I think these teams would have discussed a trade with Utah this last season had they known he was available. Still can't believe Utah didn't shoot a text over to the Clippers and ask what they'd give up.

Would Kevin Durant drool over getting to play with Dwill? A point guard that can create, score when needed and doesn't think he is DRose with half the skill and a worse shot selection (Yes I'm talking to you Westbrook) and, ironically, wouldn't Westbrook fit well in New Jersey when he'd be the star of his team? (I can't believe I just called him a star). Wouldn't it make sense for the Thunder to throw Westbrook and a few other players at New Jersey for Deron? Westbrook, Nate Robinson and Nick Collison's atrocious contract and a 1st for Deron and Travis Outlaw? ESPN Trade Machine tells me this works number wise. I think it makes total sense for both teams as well, Westbrook is likely the single best player that the Nets could come away with, and in New Jersey he wouldn't be tearing out Durantula's heart with every shot. Additionally, Westbrook gives the Nets a player they can get away with calling a star.

Atlanta Hawks SF, Marvin Williams

Would Atlanta finally admit their obvious mistake of taking Marvin Williams over both Deron and Chris Paul? Could he be the missing link that makes Joe Johnson worth that unbelievable contract he got last year? Honestly I don't think anyone could do that, but Deron has a better chance then Kirk Hinrich does. I mean really? The Hawks consider themselves one of the best teams in the East and Hinrich starts at point? Alright back to Deron, The Hawks could give up a package including Josh Smith and Marvin Williams plus picks and/or Pape Sy and Jeff Teague? Trade Machine tells me the numbers work on this one as well. I can't see why the Hawks wouldn't want to put their faith in Deron, he would likely be the best point to ever wear their uniform and if any player can get that jumbled mess going I'd put my money on Deron. For the Nets they get Smith who is a great defender and could help, Williams is a solid player at the three and Sy/Teague and draft picks could be useful considering New Jersey traded their picks away.

We all know that they want Dwight Howard, but after making a poor head coaching decision maybe the Lakers would realize the best way to keep Kobe healthy is to have someone else set him up and handle the ball? No they prolly won't, but they could offer a decent package. Bynum could be shipped with draft picks and Luke Walton (because I hate him) or maybe Ron Artest or Lamar Odom, actually I like that trade a lot, let's get the Kardashian's all in New Jersey. Wouldn't Lamar love to play with Kris? Just think we could have a new show! But Deron makes almost too much sense for the Lakers not to pursue. This trade makes a lot of sense if the Nets feel they have a cure for Bynum. Even more, if the Nets wanted to get tricky they could try to finagle something like this, wouldn't every Lakers fan love to see Gasol go, only to find out that Lopez is more of a girl than Pau could ever try to be? Deron gives the Lakers something they have lacked for quite some time, a point that can set Kobe up, thing is they would have to break up their team even more then other teams to try and get him because I don't think the Nets would want anything to do with Odom or Artest (and rightful so, unless Prokhorov is planning on having games where he needs the stands rushed in Brooklyn and who knows, maybe he is?). For the Nets it could get them Gasol, who would be a worthwhile addition to the team, although I'm not sure he could last in Brooklyn.

And here is one of my kickers, we all know that Conley played well enough to get the Griz a few wins in the postseason, but wouldn't Deron fit really well in Memphis? I think so. The Griz have enough pieces that they could make a solid offer, although obviously lacking star power. They could rid themselves of Conley's contract, although the asking price would likely include Rudy Gay. The trade is interesting as the Griz give up three starters, but overall I think it improves both the Griz and the Nets, Gay would be a good player for the Nets and Williams would have a better supporting cast then he has ever played with.

And what about the team that I truly feel that Deron will end up with? Yup you heard me right, the LA Clippers!

Doesn't it make too much sense? So much sense that not even David Kahn, let alone Donald Sterling couldn't mess up?

This trade basically means that the Clips would have to do the same thing they did when they paid the Cavs to take Baron Davis, destroy their draft for the next few years. This would likely take at least two first rounders to get it done. But seriously, is there a better point guard to pair with Blake? C'mon don't kid yourselves, there isn't.

What about this? Kaman, Bledsoe and Aminu (plus picks) for Deron. Is it star studded? Absolutely not, but it has two players who I think could be good players given the right chance in Bledsoe and Aminu and gives the Nets, basically, the two picks they traded away for Deron (in Aminu and Bledsoe) along with two future 1sts and a solid big man in Kaman.

LA is really the only destination I could see Deron forcing himself to, his summer home is in San Diego and LA is a big market, they have talent and Deron would have the best team around him he ever has. But do the Blakers have enough to land him? If it becomes a bidding war I don't think so.

One more team I think needs to be mentioned and that is the Trail Blazers. With Roy's worse-knees-in-the-league-behind-only-teammate-Oden's the team really needs to address the point position if they want to contend.The problem is that Roy's trade value rivals Bynum's. The trade would have to revolve around Wallace and draft picks to make sense. But a combo of Aldridge and Williams could be a title contender, especially if Roy can regain some former self and give them 20-25 minutes of that a game, I think, like Kobe, getting the ball out of Roy's hands would only benefit him. If the trade revolved around Wallace, Oden and a player like Babbit and a few firsts, I think we could have a solid offer for the Nets here. (replace Miller with Oden) Oden could still be a good player if managed properly (and if he gets away from the Portland curse) and Wallace is a good scorer who would fit well in New Jersey.

And lastly, can you ever count out Cuban? Absolutely not! Wouldn't Deron fit in well with Dirk, save Kidd some wear on his knees? Again this is a trade that lacks star power but could pay off on a well managed and coached team. Trade Machine wouldn't let me do this trade with JJ Barea, But if you put together a deal of Jason Terry, Rodrigue Beaubois and Barea and a few picks for DWill straight up I think you have a trade that could really help each team. Deron and Drik would be a fearsome duo, especially have Marion, Kidd and Chandler as secondary players.

Here's what we know, Deron being with the Nets is only slightly more believable then the rapture we all just lived through on Sunday. Could it happen? Yeah sure, a 'getting Dwight miracle could have huge ramifications for Deron and the Nets, but I just don't see it happening. When this is all said and done I think we're going to end up with one big pseudo three team trade that took place over the course of a year and whoever ends up with DWill ends up coming out on top by a hair.  Could things change if the next CBA is ever signed? Sure but I don't see the Nets keeping Deron, and I still believe the Jazz made a bad choice by trading him away.

University of Connecticut Huskies Win the NCAA Championship!

If you went to Storrs, CT last October, and told them that one of the Basketball teams would win the Title, very few would have picked the Men's team to win it. But that is precisely what has transpired in the past season, culminating tonight with the Men's team capping off a 14-0 season in single elimination tournament play, Maui invitational, Big east tournament, and now the NCAA Championships.

Congratulations to Uconn, all the players and to Jim Calhoun for his 3rd title with the Huskies! You earned it!

Off to the Final Four!

I'd like to take a minute and let you all know that both our charter members, ConnZag3 and Zhawks are in Houston this weekend for the Final Four!

Check out the Twitter page(s) for relatively live updates during the weekend. I think Zhawks has already started updating, as I believe they are at practice today.

I also had the chance to join them at the All American Game at the United Center two days ago, which was quite enjoyable. Hopefully I didn't scare them too badly with my rush hour financial district driving getting us over to the game.

NFL Mock Draft 1.0

Alright Todd McShay, move over Mel Kiper. Let's get a real mock draft in here. Seriously? We still have Fairley going #1? Give me a BREAK.

Without further ado... here's my Mock Draft 1.0

1.       1) Carolina Panthers

Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson

This is a no brainer, even before Fairley weighted in small this was my pick. They lost franchise end Julius Peppers last year in Free Agency and can address that loss here. Bowers has the ability to be a 4-3 end or 3-4 rush linebacker. Bowers will immediately step in and help the Panthers pass rushing.

2.       2) Denver Broncos

Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU

This was almost as easy as Bowers at #1; can someone please explain to me why I’m not a GM? I don’t care that the Bronco’s overpaid for one more year of Champ Bailey, the contract is only guaranteed this year; no way they bring him back at 15 million next season. Peterson is a freak of an athlete at 6’1” 211 and adds not only a shutdown corner but a dangerous return game.

3.       3) Buffalo Bills

Cam Newton, QB, Auburn

Exhibit A of why I should be a GM. Newton screams “QB I don’t want to take, especially very high with a team that has needs at every position” louder than every quarterback this side of Jake Locker. The Bills need to make a splash/sell tickets. The franchise needs to show direction and clearly they feel Fitzpatrick isn’t the future. Cam could be good but he is not NFL ready and really needs work; watching his combine tape I wonder if he can succeed in a pro-style offense. The Bills made a luxury selection last year with Spiller and this feels the same way.

4.       4) Cincinnati Bengals

Quintorris (Julio) Jones, WR, Alabama

Seriously? Your name is Quintorris and you change that? Name rule A) don’t change your name if it starts with a Q. Ok back to the selection, did you see his 40? ON A BROKEN FOOT?? Cincinnati needs a new identity now that we’re out of the Chad Ochocinco/Johnson and Carson Palmer era. Cincinnati has a chance to add the best WR in the draft and with a potential Palmer trade another pick this year or next year to get someone to throw to him or maybe in the second round if a top tier QB slides (Hey Aaron Rodgers!) or develop one of the second tier QBs.

  

5.       5) Arizona Cardinals

Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M

Pretty sure a Larry Fitzgerald will not be happy about this pick. The Cardinals have so many needs you could draw a name from a hat and likely find a good fit. Even Green would make sense here if they don’t envision themselves making Fitz happy (we’ll gladly take him from you in Jacksonville!) Miller shined at the combine and continues to show why he’ll be a stud in the NFL and would be a great edge rusher in Arizona’s 3-4.

1.       6) Cleveland Browns

Adriel Jeremiah (A.J.) Green, WR Georgia

Colt McCoy will have someone to throw near next year. Hope you’re happy Cleveland, another star to leave you crying and/or burning jersey’s when he leaves town. Enjoy him while he lasts. (Insert Michael Scott joke here). But really this is a great pick for Cleveland, they need help everywhere but if they ever want to see if Colt is a future starter or not he has to have someone to throw to. Green is a good route-runner with size, would have liked to have seen a faster 40 but not too worried about it.

1.       7) San Francisco 49ers

Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama

Jim Harbaugh gets a solid piece to his defense in his first draft. I’m not buying the one year hype of Fairley. Harbaugh flirts with Amukamara, just like he flirted with the Miami Dolphins and John Elway but settles on a tackle to improve his defense. I could see the 9ers go many different directions with this pick, including Blaine Gabbert of Missouri but I’m sold that Harbaugh wants a veteran QB.

1.       8) Tennessee Titans

Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri

How bad must this be for Bud? Divorced both Vince Young and Jeff Fischer in the same month and then gets turned down by his next crush, Cam Newton. Tragic, I almost feel for the guy. So Gabbert comes off the board. Still not sold on Gabbert at the next level and while I’m pretty confident Bud Adams is desperately hoping to draft his next bromance in Cam Newton here I highly doubt he falls. Sorry Bud.

1.       9) Dallas Cowboys

Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

I fully anticipate the Cowboys leaving this spot and trading back for an offensive tackle, most likely either Solder of Colorado or Carimi from Wisconsin. Unless they want 4 more months of misery watching Tony Romo be overrated while being injured. Wait what am I talking about, let’s worry about having football before we worry about Tony Romo getting old. Amukamara is a good corner who can help transition the team from Terence Newman who is also getting old. Hopefully Jerry gets all the seats inline so people can actually watch him play.

1.       10) Washington Redskins

Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn

         

Looks like Washington fans (they have those right?) get to struggle through another year of Rex Grossman and/or Donovan McNabb. If Shanahan doesn’t take him someone would be calling at this point trying to get the pick for Fairley (or already did one spot up). If Newton/Gabbert are gone, which is highly likely, they could reach on Mallett/Locker or wait til the second round to get a QB.

1.       11) Houston Texans

Aldon Smith, OLB, Missouri

Might be a bit of a reach but there isn’t a safety or corner that is worthy of the pick here, Smith is athletic and can help out in the new 3-4, which by the way was a horrible decision by the Texans. Their personal does not fit a 3-4. Looks like we’ll be looking at another 5-7 win team, mid 1^st round pick, getting more ‘talent’, not developing it (wait am I still talking about Houston or am I talking about my Jaguars now???) and somehow Gary Kubiak still has a job? If this were NBA would LeBron be talking about contraction? (I’m just kidding Houston, don’t kill me!)

1.       12) Minnesota Vikings

Jake Locker, QB, Washington

                                          

This is a “I want this kid off the board before my team picks” pick. Minnesota needs to move on from the TJack era and Webb isn’t the future. Maybe somewhere else but not in Minnesota, Webb seems like one of those QBs that you convince everyone else they are better than they really are so you can get a 2^nd or 3^rd rounder for him in the future. Yeah exactly, just like Kevin Kolb. This pick makes perfect sense, Vikings fans are already use to horrible interceptions that shouldn’t have ever been thrown which will lessen the difficulty of the Favre to Locker transition.

1.       13) Detroit Lions

Nate Solder, OT, Colorado

I think Solder will make an excellent LT in the league, but for all of you who are going to say “this is a reach” answer me this: Do you want Stafford to survive another year? It’s not a reach because currently Matt Stafford will be going down the Ryan Carr path if you don’t get someone to protect him. Plus did you SEE this kid run? You’ll thank me later.

1.

1.       14) St. Louis Rams

Robert Quinn, DE, UNC

The Rams would likely trade out of this spot if they can’t get a WR or OLB. They’ve been hoping to upgrade Sam Bradford’s supporting cast with a WR but I highly doubt either Green or Jones drops to them, they’d have to go up to get them and this draft is deep enough they don’t really need to do that. I expect Quinn to be off the board before here if he falls this far but rightnow he is clearly the best talent available.

1.       15) Miami Dolphins

Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois

Miami needs a RB and Leshoure will deliver. Ingram may be the household name but Leshoure is a better RB. And he’ll cost substantially less than Stephen Ross offered Jim Harbaugh a few months ago. While Harbaugh did his best college girl impression and flirted with South Beach while he really had no interest in leaving California.

1.       16) Jacksonville Jaguars

Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado

Apparently Rashean Mathis is old and what’s better than bringing back the best WR in franchise history? Oh this is a different Jimmy Smith? F. Ok. Jags need help on the corner and while Smith played for a poor team he can help out. He’s a tall kid, 6’2” 211 and runs well. Jags could go with Watt here as well.

1.       17) New England Patriots

Tyron Smith, OT, USC

Thanks for the pick Al! Patriots nation has to be pretty happy to have as many picks as they do. Not sure if they are happier with having the picks or knowing they no longer have to deal with Randy Moss. The Patriots need to worry about protecting Brady as he gets older more than they need anything else. Smith is a big quick tackle and can help protect Brady’s blind side.

1.       18) San Diego Chargers

Cameron Jordan, DE, California

Chargers seem to like taking players from California in the 1^st round. Jordan has good speed/athleticism combo and will work well with veteran ends Castillo and Cesaire. The team could go with a linebacker or a wide receiver to replace Vincent Jackson, but I don’t see them getting a top tier guy at either position in this spot.

1.       19) New York Giants

Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College

                                 

New York is getting old on the offensive line, especially at tackle. Castonzo isn’t ready to step in and be a starting LT day one but they need to get some protection for younger and worse Manning. Speaking of protection, if Plaxico comes back as a Giant they also need someone to protect him from himself, easier said than done.

1.       20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin

Jaaaaaash Freeman! Let’s go back to the 2009 Draft, you’ve got your choice: Matt Stafford, Mark Sanchez or Jaaaaaash Freeman. Who do you take? Now I’m not saying Freeman should have been the 1^st selection (or maybe I am?). The only other QB picked in rounds two and three? Pat White to Miami at 44. We’ll come back to that argument at some point. A year after drafting McCoy and Price the Buccs add another young player to their defensive front. The Buccs continue to get better each year, I expect to see them in the Playoffs next year.

1.       21) Kansas City Chiefs

Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA

I think I’m going to start #FreeJamaalCharles is there any other coach in the league who is more detrimental to a player’s fantasy value than Todd Haley? Seriously give me one. We need to come up with Fantasy Laws, where we can have coaches arrested for knowingly hurting their player’s fantasy value. Maybe we need a Fantasy Lockout? Part of me thinks Todd passed up Charles in his leagues draft and was trying to ride Thomas Jones to the title. Ok back to the draft; Akeem is a perfect fit here, great athlete and would complement Tamba Hali. OLB is a huge weakness for KC so they absolutely need to get one in this draft.

1.       22) Indianapolis Colts

Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin

Peyton Manning can’t last forever, right? If he keeps getting hit his legs will go Kobe on him, right? I’m not one to wager against Peyton but I’d be shocked to see Indianapolis go anywhere other than offensive line with this pick. Then again I was sure Saffold was going to be their pick last year. Carimi would be a great fit in Indy, just like Balaga was a good fit in Green Bay last season.

1.       23) Philadelphia Eagles

Mike Pouncey, G/C, Florida

The Eagles lose Jean-Gilles into Free Agency, assuming there is a Free Agency this year and the clubs right side struggled last year. Pouncey is a good interior blocker and could help shore up Mike Vick’s protection quickly.

1.       24) New Orleans Saints

Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa

What an up and down roller coaster last year seemed for the Saints after winning the title last year, injuries to basically every man labeled a running back hurt the team a lot. Still the team ended up 11-5. Another factor limiting the Saints was their inefficient pass rush. Clayborn is a physical pass-rusher who can hold up against the run and should give both Alex Brown and Will Smith some pressure early to start.

1.       25) Seattle Seahawks

Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas

Sorry Clipboard Jesus, you’re not the next Seattle star. Oh and Matt, you’re old. Wait, how did these guys not only make the playoffs but WIN a game?!? Ok Pete, you’ve still got it, good thing you can legally pay your athletes now. Mallett is an interesting prospect, he is the last of the top tier of QB’s, and could be taken by numerous teams before this position. There have been numerous character issues that many bring up, mainly potential drug use. I’m not sure how much this hurts him but he can look like the best QB in the world one play and thirty seconds later Mike Vick a ball right into a DBs hands. It baffles me. If he goes somewhere where he can sit for a few years he could be good, if he is forced to play day 1, I’m not so optimistic. (too bad this isn’t the 24^th pick or I’d throw out an Aaron Rodgers reference).

1.       26) Baltimore Ravens

Brandon Harris, CB, Miami (FL)

The Ravens are losing a trio of DBs to Free Agency and need to add another body in the secondary. Aaron Williams of Texas and Ras-I Dowling of Virginia are other possibilities if they stay with a DB. They could also go with a defensive end or wide receiver if one appeals to them, Housh and Mason are getting old and the team doesn’t have a vertical threat.

1.       27) Atlanta Falcons

Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland

Roddy White… and who else catch passes from Matt Ryan? Yeah, thought so. Smith gives Matt Ryan a vertical threat and helps diversify the offense. I almost went RB here; I really could see the team pulling the trigger on Mark Ingram or Mikel Leshoure if either are available. Michael Turner is getting old and adding miles to his odometer and either could help lessen his load and keep him around longer.

1.       28) New England Patriots

Justin Houston, OLB, Georgia

Didn’t the Pats already draft? Doesn’t that mean they are guaranteed to trade out of this pick? Someone? Alright I’ll calm down. I’ve never seen the pats draft for need, and I’m not sure this would count because Houston is worthy of a late 1^st rounder. Many feel he is a tweener between 4-3 end and 3-4 lb, but if anyone can find a way to maximize his talent its Bill Belichick.

1.       29) Chicago Bears

Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois

Paging Jay Quitler, how’s your knee? Better than your decision making yet? No? Ouch. Don’t let Chicago down… They’ll blame a goat. DT isn’t a glaring need in Chicago but Liuget is a serious talent who was overshadowed by playing on a piss poor team. He  could be the best DT in the draft and because he choose to be coached by Ron Zook he might not be a 1^st round pick. Liuget needs to figure out his bench, if he improves on that at Pro Day, which I expect, you can expect his stock to fly sky high.

1.       30) New York Jets

Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue

Kerrigan is a great value pick for the Jets, while filling a need. He led the nation in tackles for loss last year. Is a tweener between OLB/DE but Rex can find something for him to do. Worst case scenario I’ve heard he is good at karaoke and we all know Rex loves some Footloose!

1.       31) Pittsburgh Steelers

Muhammad Wilkerson, DT, Temple

Who gets to punch Roethlisberger in the face next? Apparently that spurs him to Super Bowl’s, so maybe next time you want to punch Campbell Seymour. It’s really a win win, if you end up inspiring him to a Super Bowl, win. If you knock him out and he can never play again… Win. And in the end Al Davis will still pay you because he can’t remember what happened twenty seconds ago. Oh, this is the Steelers pick? My bad. Steelers don’t need a DT but Wilkerson is a great value here. He can help give the d more depth and maybe he’ll punch Campbell next year? I’m sure Raiders fans would appreciate that.

1.       32) Green Bay Packers

Christian Ballard, DE, Iowa

Congrats Packers, as I have apparently been told you are completely lucky because Ted Thompson is “lucky as S**t”. Hey I’m not a Packer fan and I defended you. Nothing makes me smile more than telling Brett Favre to sext himself. Errr something like that. And I feel pretty confident in saying that Aaron, congrats you’re more popular among Packer fans than Favre ever was. I just decided that. The Packers defense was good last year and they don’t need anything particularly. Ballard is the best player available and, well when you’re the defending champs you can have the luxury of drafting whoever the hell you want. I could see the Pack going a few different ways here; they could use any offensive line help if it’s available. I could see them jumping on Mark Ingram or Mikel Leshoure as well. Also keep an eye on Daniel Thomas from Kansas. I don’t think he is a 1^st rounder, but he is a flyer who is a good pass catcher and could add another dimension to the Packers vaunted offense. I could see ‘Nova OT Benjamin Ijalana going off the board here too. Hell I’d spend every single draft pick protecting Aaron Rodgers if he was my QB.

Deuce High Mock Draft Challenge



Who will go #1 in the 2011 NFL Draft?

Deuce High will be having a Mock Draft Challenge this year. details coming soon. If you are interested please email us at deucehigh2h@gmail.com to get on the list for announcements.

 Mock Draft deadline will be 24 hours prior to the draft and hopefully I can get them uploaded to google docs so that they will be visible throughout. I will have Twitter updates of scoring so be sure to follow us @deucehigh!

There will be scoring for correct picks as well as trades.

Let's enjoy the last football we might have for a while!

It would be great to get twitters from anyone who participates, this way we can continually tweet leader boards!

Arena Adventures: Consol Energy Center

Arena Adventures: NHL #1
December 28th, 2010
Atlanta Thrashers vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA (opened Fall 2010)
www.consolenergycenter.com
(Click any photo for larger view)


AE Gate view from 5th Ave & Iceberg, the mascot, being badass.

Upon Arrival to the hotel and completed with check-in, we embarked on a venture to find lunch. After reviewing several locales around town, we settled on a small (seats about 40 maximum) bar near Consol Energy Center named “Tailgaters.” Lunch was very good, with a menu typical to most sports bars, and we were the only occupants other than the cook/bartender as it was 3pm local time, but would be extremely crowded during game-day. Overall a very nice place on the same block as the arena. Definitely recommended.

The trip for lunch required a walk past the Arena, which is absolutely stunning, built into the hill between 5th ave and Centre Ave. (For those who've been in Pittsburgh in the past, directly across Center ave is Mellon Arena. Despite the address as listed on 5th ave, the best entrance is up top, directly across from Mellon on Centre Ave (Trib Total Media gate)). I did not venture to the Verizon gate. The TTM entrance is immediately greeted by the Pen's Gear Store dead ahead, Lemieux Wall to the right, and their version of the 'Wall of Fame' to the left. Arena seating is up the stairs/escalators immediately right, and angled left. These take you to the lower concourse, with many of the premier food stalls. There is a set of escalators that go down, WAY down, to the 5th ave American Eagle entrance as well. Not recommended unless you parked on 5th ave or south of the arena. Nestled in next to the PensGear shop is the indoor Will Call window.

Upon arrival on the arena for game-day, all guests are subject to search entering the building, which is a minor inconvenience, but went quickly. The concourse is very easy to get turned around in, as the Captain Morgan Club and First Niagara Club flank each side of the rink, providing a sort of 'gated entrance' to the 100 level center ice sections on each side. In reality, these two 'clubs' block off easy access to nearly two thirds of the lower bowl, sprawling between both goals on each side of the arena. Upon peeking into these areas after the game, they are very nicely finished and rather elegant. This leaves only the corner and end seating sections open for easy access to the concourse, and made for an interesting trek upstairs to get the center ice picture (which is very crowded between periods).

The Lower bowl is stepped like a normal stairwell, which I guess to be about 35-40 degrees, and has truly perfect views no matter where your chair, or standing, vantage point is. I can picture this being equally as good for the B-Ball games held here, or for any other event in the building, as there was a WWE Wrestling taping the night prior. Overhead is a giant, HD scoreboard, with excellent picture, color, and thankfully, the proper brightness level, as that type of board could have been quite blinding. Notable food vendor includes Primanti Bro's, the Pitt staple mega-sandwich, and a 'smokehouse' vendor upstairs. I cannot comment on food, as I ate prior to the game. Beer was going for about $7 each.

Upstairs is quite a bit more compact, as the seating spreads wider out cramping the concourse greatly, with 34 sections up vs 22 down. The stairs are also much steeper, and could be treacherous after a few imbibing beverages. View from the tip top was strained, but clear, and felt roughly like standing on a high-dive over a frozen pool. Definitely not for the faint of heart or unsteady on the feet in the 200 level. As a rough reference point, the main-frame rafters are about 20-30 feet above the top row of seating, and the top row is above the top of the scoreboard. The television angle is from the Lowest points of the Upper level.

View from the top:


After scalping a ticket in, which I do NOT wish to repeat, the lighting over the rink was dimmed about 2/3, with various 'Pens' wordage and logos about the rink during the first intermission. The immediate impression I got was how close the top row, even being some 30 rows up, actually was to the rink, due to the aforementioned lower bowl slope.

Coming out of the 1st intermission, the Pens quickly took over the flow of the game, which was a 2-2 tie after 20 minutes. Atlanta rarely got the puck into their offensive zone by Fluery, even during their Power Play time. In fact, Pittsburgh's goal was shorthanded. The pens could not convert on several great chances, and left the 2nd with a 3-2 lead.

Into the 3rd period, the Thrashers pushed hard early to make a comeback, but they failed to properly take care of defense right out of the gate, and gave up a goal 9 seconds in. This proved to be the final blow for the loss, but not the game, as they were out-hustled throughout much of the 3rd despite some valiant attempts to get back into the game once it was completely out of hand. Pittsburgh had scored all 6 of their goals before Atlanta notched their 3rd of the night with just over 3 minutes to go in the game.

The final blow to the the momentum that Atlanta had came when #9 Evander Kane was KO'd on the side boards chasing down an iced puck in the middle of the 3rd. He registered the first goal of the game, just 47 seconds in, but was stuck on defense for most of the rest of the game. He spent several minutes on the ice w/out moving, so it was excellent to see him leave the ice on his own Power, albeit slowly and with help.


Broken defense was the story of the night, with the Thrashers not recovering all game long, and the Penguins making the needed changes after the first period to put this game away with a final tally: Thrashers 3 Penguins 6.




The hat trick that wasn't:


Thrashers on the Power Play:


Faceoff in the 2nd period:

Arena Adventures: Daniel-Meyer Coliseum

Arena Adventures: Entry #11

Arena: Daniel-Meyer Coliseum
City: Fort Worth, TX
Date: January 5, 2011
Teams: TCU vs. #6 San Diego St.

Day 2 of my Texas basketball adventure took me to the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on the campus of Texas Christian University to watch the Horned Frogs take on the sixth-ranked and undefeated San Diego State University Aztecs. I picked this game from 3 options when planning my trip simply because I wanted to see SDSU play as I expected them to be a solid team this season having returned all 5 starters from last season’s NCAA Tournament squad. I did not anticipate them being undefeated and in the top 10 in the country at this point, however. The Aztecs, led by D.J. Gay, Kahwi Leonard, and Billy White have been impressive thus far, including recording wins at Gonzaga and over Missouri Valley Conference favorite, Wichita St. As such, they might have been a bit overrated, but based on their body of work thus far and their unblemished record, they deserve to be ranked sixth until proven otherwise in my opinion.

As for TCU, they entered the game with a 9-6 record, with a solid win over an ever-improving USC squad. The Horned Frogs are led by Fort Worth native, Ronnie Moss, who was the team’s leading scorer entering the game. Heading to Fort Worth, I expected the thrill of the TCU football team’s victory over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl to carry on through to campus and energize the fans to knock off another top 10 team, this time in a different sport. Well, apparently that isn’t the case as the DMC was quite empty at tip-off and the arena didn’t really fill up throughout the game either. The sparse crowd that was there was loud and proud, especially as the Horned Frogs jumped on the Aztecs early to lead by as many as 6 points at 25-19 late in the first half. San Diego St. was terribly inept on offense early on in the game; not sure if that was a result of overlooking the Frogs being that they are projected to be one of the lower-tier teams in the Mountain West, or if TCU’s defense was really shutting down the Aztecs. In any case, the Frogs looked extremely competitive throughout the first half and only a late 10-1 run by the Aztecs to end the first half turned the tide in SDSU’s favor and carried them to a 29-26 halftime lead.

In the first half, SDSU was not led by Gay, Leonard, or White, but rather Malcolm Thomas. This stat goes to show the sheer depth of the Aztecs and why I think they will be a different out of the NCAA Tournament come March. Unlike a Connecticut team for instance which is led mainly by a one-man band in Kemba Walker and some role players who contribute very inconsistently, SDSU has no shortage of players who can carry the team and put the ball in the basket on a given night. For instance, when the Aztecs travelled to Spokane to take on Gonzaga, Billy White was the leading scorer and carried the team to victory. In this game, it was Thomas, but he was also complemented nicely by the rest of his teammates in starting conference play on a positive note with a 66-53 Aztec win in Fort Worth. I commend TCU on playing hard throughout the game and not being intimidated by a team as experienced and highly-ranked as SDSU. Head Coach Jim Christian has the Horned Frogs going in the right direction, but with a move to the Big East Conference starting in the 2012-13 season, it’s going to be extremely difficult for TCU hoops to have anywhere near the success of TCU football.

In the end, I enjoyed watching a game at the DMC. You can definitely tell it is set up for basketball and basketball only as the sight lines appear to be great throughout. Additionally, the building is set at just about the right size, with a maximum capacity of approximately 8,000 people. Knowing that most of the students are on winter break and big alumni were still probably in California celebrating the Rose Bowl victory, the sparse crowd didn’t look quite as bad as it would have in a 15,000 seat arena. It would seem that this should have been the game Horned Frog nation circled on its calendars to attend and create an electric atmosphere to bring a huge home victory to fruition. Apparently, TCU basketball fans are not as prevalent and dedicated as its football fans are, and that’s ok, until the basketball team starts putting up results like Gary Patterson’s football team has been recently.

Arena Adventures: Ferrell Center

Arena Adventures: Entry #10

Arena: Ferrell Center
City: Waco, TX
Date: January 4, 2011
Teams: Baylor vs. Morgan State

Being the college basketball fan that I am, and the huge Connecticut fan that I am, I try to find a game or 2 each year where I can watch my Huskies play that I haven't been before. As previously documented, I started the Big East season by going to Pittsburgh to watch UConn play Pitt. However, I also wanted to add a non-conference contest to my schedule and it just so happened that my work schedule coincided with UConn's non-conference game in Austin against the University of Texas Longhorns on January 8. As I have never been to Texas before, I decided to head down a few days early and enjoy the warm weather and try to catch a couple additional college basketball games while in the state since there are so many Division I teams in Texas. The first team I decided to watch was Baylor as I really wanted to see both top recruit Perry Jones III and senior guard, LaceDarius Dunn, play in person. The only Baylor home game during my visit was a contest against the Morgan State Bears. Coming from the MEAC, it would seem like this game should have blowout written all over it, however, Morgan St. was coming off an NCAA appearance last season and was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the MEAC again and represent the conference in the NCAA tournament. Obviously the Baylor fans also thought this wasn't going to be much of a game as the Ferrell Center was probably close to 2/3 empty making for a less than energetic atmosphere for the home Bears.


For the first 25 minutes of the game, Morgan St. was impressive, holding a lead of as many as 6 points over Baylor as Baylor appeared to be sleepwalking through much of the first half of the game. The most impressive of Morgan State's players was DeWayne Jackson, who was scoring almost at will against the long defense of Quincy Acy, Anthony Jones, and Perry Jones. Jackson had 19 first half points, but also picked up 2 fouls with about 8 minutes to go in the half and Morgan St. leading. Once Jackson went to the bench, Baylor was able to better contain the Morgan St. offense and eventually Baylor was able to turn the deficit it was facing for much of the first half into a 42-40 lead.


In the 2nd half, Baylor was able to jump on Morgan St. early and often, mostly lead by Dunn, who was absolutely on fire from three point range in the 2nd half. It seemed like every time down the court, Dunn was open for 3 and would hit. By the time the final horn sounded, Dunn had dropped 43 points on Morgan St., including a school-record 10 3 point baskets in Baylor's 89-72 victory. Not only did Dunn hit 10 3's, but he hit those 3's on only 18 attempts, and Dunn's attempts were the only 3 point field goals attempted by Baylor all evening. Along with Dunn's shooting prowess in the second half, Jones III looked significantly better on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court, showing why he is tabbed by most prognosticators as the #1 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft if he decides to go pro. In my opinion, he still looks too raw to be a significant contributor right away and he could end up being an Anthony Randolph-type player if he leaves Baylor after only 1 season.


All in all, it was an interesting experience in Waco. I wish that Big XII conference play started earlier in the season so that I could have caught a conference game where the Ferrell Center crowd might have been a little more enthusiastic, but Baylor has a very nice arena with great sight lines from everywhere in my opinion. Whether you're sitting in the 3rd row or the 30th row anywhere in the arena, you would have a great view of the action. I'm sure when Texas or Kansas comes to town, the place is sold out and loud, but to be a top tier sports school, the fans need to come out and support their teams against all opponents. It was a little disappointing to see so many empty seats both in the season ticket section and the general public sections, but I give credit to the Baylor fans that were in attendance. They saw a show by Dunn and were very engaging and enthusiastic when their team needed them when Morgan St. was playing their hearts out.

The Granddaddy of Them All...97th Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO

Game: 97th Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO

Location: Pasadena, CA

Stadium: Rose Bowl

Date: January 1, 2011

Teams: #3 Texas Christian (12-0) vs. #5 Wisconsin (11-1)

For years I've watched the Rose Bowl Game on television every New Year's Day, one day hoping to be able to watch the game in person from legendary Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. Being a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and having lived in Wisconsin all my life, I remember the excitement that the Rose Bowl generated when Wisconsin played in 1994, 1999, and 2000 under former head coach, and current AD, Barry Alvarez. This is of course "The Granddaddy of Them All" as former ABC announcer Keith Jackson so vividly would describe each year on the broadcast. However, in this era of the BCS, the 97th edition of the Rose Bowl Game would not have the traditional Big Ten vs. Pac-10 matchup as Pac-10 Champion, Oregon, is playing in Glendale, AZ for the National Championship. As such, and due to a little known addition to the most recent BCS contract with ESPN, the Rose Bowl was obligated to take the top non-AQ (Automatic Qualifying) school if it lost one of its traditional participants to the title game. Therefore, instead of the Rose Bowl taking Stanford to preserve the Big Ten/Pac-10 matchup, the Rose Bowl was forced to take the TCU Horned Frogs. I mean no disrespect to TCU in using the term forced, but I think without this clause, the Rose takes Stanford to preserve tradition and TCU ends up going to the Orange Bowl to play Virginia Tech. Due to this completely non-traditional matchup, and the fact that my alma mater was playing, I dropped the cash to buy a ticket and fly to California to watch the Granddaddy in person.

Without having ever been to Pasadena before, I did not realize how the stadium itself is a few miles outside of city center where the Tournament of Roses Parade is held annually on game day. I arrived at the stadium about 2.5 hours before kickoff and was thoroughly impressed by all the people already on site for the game. The bowl committee does a great job of making game day an experience with a food court set up outside the stadium for patrons to buy some of the local area's best foods. Additionally, the alumni associations for each team hold gigantic parties in parking lots surrounding the stadium providing the perfect lead up to kick off. The aura of tradition and prestige just permeates the entire stadium site.

Upon finally entering the stadium itself, the senses are just completely engulfed with the sweet smells of hot dogs and soft pretzels as well as the sights of 90,000+ seats to be eventually filled with screaming fans supporting their team. Heading to my seat in row 5 of the north endzone, I was thoroughout impressed by the views and the grandure present in the stadium. I had to see what the view was like from the top of the stadium though. Thus, I walked up all 72 remaining rows all the way to the top and wow, was the view impressive. Anticipation built in the stadium as the top 20 all time Rose Bowl Games were counted down from ESPN's top 20 series from a few years back. Of course, the #1 game was the 2005 national championship game held as the Rose Bowl between Vince Young's Texas Longhorns and Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush's USC Trojans.

As the game approached kickoff and all the seats in the stadium were filled, it was a sea of red with the exception of the corner to my right which was the designated TCU section filled with fans covered in purple and white. Before kickoff, I was asking most of my friends whether or not the game was more likely to be a 21-20 game or a 45-42 game as both teams have very potent offenses averaging over 43 ppg, but what Wisconsin didn't have that TCU did is the #1 ranked defense in the country. The question though, was whether TCU's defensive stats were inflated having played in the Mountain West against cupcakes like New Mexico and UNLV, with some solid teams such as Air Force and Utah mixed in. I personally expected a shootout and in the first quarter, it appeared as though that was exactly what the fans and viewers were in for as no punts were required and the Horned Frogs scored 2 touchdowns to the Badgers' touchdown and a field goal.

As the 2nd quarter progressed, Wisconsin kept pounding the ball on the ground and running clock, but again failed to get into the endzone and settled for a missed Philip Welch 39 yd FG and a made Welch FG to end the half and trail 14-13. Wisconsin's ground game was racking up the yards, but TCU's defense, led by LB Tank Carder, was up to the challenge in the key moments of the Badgers' drives. Andy Dalton, TCU's QB, was extremely efficient in the first half methodically driving the Frogs down the field for a TD pass as well as a rushing TD.

In the 2nd half, the scoring subsided significantly, but the action and drama did not. Coming out of halftime, TCU received the kickoff as they deferred the opening kick, and drove right down the field for another touchdown to take a 21-13 lead. As the Badgers looked to answer and hopefully take the lead in the game, Wisconsin's offense sputtered on numerous drives. Wisconsin could get a first down or two behind the legs of Montee Ball or John Clay or the arm of Scott Tolzien, but never enough in a row to drive down the field. Additionally, the lack of big plays by both teams in the 2nd half allowed the defenses to keep both offenses out of the endzone until late in the 4th quarter. Wisconsin forced a TCU punt with about 5 minutes to play and quickly matriculated the ball down the field behind a 40+ yd run by Clay as well as another 20+ yd run by Clay. Eventually, Ball capped the drive with a 4 yd TD run to the right corner of the endzone to cut the Frogs lead to 2 with about 2 minutes to play. Wisconsin called a 2 pt conversion play that resulted in a wide open Jacob Pedersen in the endzone, however, Carder managed to get his hands up just in time and knock the ball down for TCU to preserve the 2 point lead.

Wisconsin poorly executed an onside kick that was recovered by TCU and with only 2 timeouts remaning for the Badgers, TCU only needed 1 first down to seal the game. On 3rd down, Ed Wesley broke through the line for 8 yards and the game-clinching first down for the Frogs. As time ticked away, the Horned Frogs exploded in celebration, which included a Gatorade bath for head coach Gary Patterson. So much for the Frogs and their "Little Sisters of the Poor" schedule according to Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee. If memory serves me, this win by TCU makes non-AQ schools 5-1 in BCS games against AQ schools, as well as Boise State's win last year in the Fiesta Bowl over TCU. If these outcomes don't prove the need for a playoff to let everyone have the opportunity to play for a championship, I don't know what other kind of proof exists. As a University of Wisconsin alumnus, I would have preferred a Badger victory, however, TCU outplayed the Badgers for 55 minutes of this football game and proved they were the better team in the end. Congrats to TCU on its undefeated season and I hope this outcome further supports US Senator Orrin Hatch's case against the BCS to further FBS football via a playoff system.