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NBC ‘versus’ ESPN
As of Jan. 2, 2012 Versus, a channel known for broadcasting NHL games and a number of outdoor and combat sports, became the NBC Sports Network. The transition and rebrand weren’t completely unexpected. When Comcast, the original owner of Versus, bought the majority stake of NBC February 2011 it started merging NBC’s own sports content into the channel, and started relaunching Versus as a sort of extension to NBC normal sport’s broadcasting. As the months progressed the executive decision made sense to rebrand Versus as NBC Sports Network.
The rebrand is expected to make Versus into a more creditable channel that would appeal to a more mainstream sport’s audience; essentially, a channel that could compete with ESPN’s sports monopoly. An advantage of the new NBC Sports Network is NBC Universal’s recent procurements of lengthy contract extensions of viewership rights with the NHL and Olympic Games, helping Versus with its initial step towards its vision.
Brightening for the future expansion of the channel was the announcement of a new TV deal next year with the growing MLS over its original broadcaster partner, Fox Sports Channel. The deal was even announced for less money than Fox was offering, because executives were convinced on the future direction of the sports network. With soccer gaining ground each year in the US, the MLS has been thriving more than ever, and should be able to continue growing exponentially if NBC Sports Network can continue growing along with it. Read More >>
College Football is Over… Now What?
During the evening commute home I like to tune into a talk radio station. The show’s hosts talk about a variety of subjects, but they always have at least one segment dedicated to sports. The other night they were talking about the conclusion of the college football season and the soon to be conclusion of professional football season.
What, they wondered, do we do every year when football is over? The end of summer, all of fall, and the beginning of winter is consumed by football, but the spring is wide open. The answer could be one of two things: jump on the baseball band wagon or start researching next football season while ordering new NCAA football jerseys ! I can’t remember which of the two I did last year, but I’m sure it will come back to me soon.
Thoughts on the Passing of Joe Paterno
Not many people will accomplish in a life time what Joe Paterno did for both a University and its football program. In essence, some people will say no college football coach again, in our modern BCS landscape, could accomplish what the affectionately nicknamed “JoePa” has been able to do for Penn State University.
From 1966 to the end of 2011, Paterno spent 46 seasons as the head coach of Penn
State’s football program going out with an overall record of 409-136-3, five undefeated seasons and a 24-12-1 college bowl game record; two of those bowl game wins going for National Championships in 1982 and 1986. Joe Paterno is the winningest coach in major college football history. It didn’t come down to just wins, losses and the money that comes from those accomplishments though. Read More >>
National Signing Day 2012: Alabama does the best – get your favorite’s new team jersey at Onthefield.com
It’s not uncommon for the College national champion to do well a month later when College national signing day comes around. With 27 quality recruits on board, Alabama is solidly atop the country in the No. 1 College recruiting spot. With less than a week until most recruits will sign their letters of intent, here’s a look at Sporting News’ top 10 College classes:
1. Alabama (27 commitments): The Crimson Tide have one of those well-rounded classes. They are most likely done, but the Tide coaches are still pursuing at least a couple top targets. Six of Alabama’s 27 recruits are Sporting News Top 125 members, and it’s a strong class top to bottom. Alabama should be especially proud of its defensive backs haul—all five are good enough to be early contributors.
Top SN 125 players: DB Geno Smith, DB Landon Collins
2. Michigan (23): Brady Hoke has made quite an impression with this group, and there’s an outside chance he might be able to pick up another top kid or two. Hoke went after tough players and got them. One of his crowning achievements has been attracting top-flight linemen from all over the country, and keeping Ohio State coach Urban Meyer from flipping them. The strength of this class is the middle of the group, not just the elite players. “(Hoke is) going back to the power running attack and needs guys who aren’t afraid to get in a three-point and run right at you … hit it up the gut,” SN 125 OL Kyle Kalis told Sporting News.
Top SN 125 players: OL Kyle Kalis, DB Terry Richardson
3. Texas (24): As usual, about 75 percent of this class was in place before last summer was over. In fact, the Longhorns are probably more focused on their 2013 class right now than worrying about what they might gain or lose before signing day. One thing is for certain: The Longhorns have a nice set of offensive skill players in QB Connor Brewer, RB Johnathan Gray and WR Cayleb Jones. Three played together at the Under-Armour game. “This class is great with all the guys we got,” Brewer said. “Cayleb is going to be a great guy to throw to and I can’t wait to play with him.”
Top SN 125 players: WR Cayleb Jones, RB Johnathan Gray
WHoosiers?
Unless you’re from Indiana or a college basketball fanatic,
the Indiana Hoosiers might be little more than an inspirational college
basketball movie you watched on any particular Saturday or Sunday Afternoon. A
school filed beyond your usual March Madness pick repertoire of NCAA men’s
basketball schools… Kentucky, Kansas, Duke or any of the NBA-lite, media-frenzy
schools of the Big East. What’s been going on this year at Indiana could be
nothing short of the sort of basketball exorcism that occurred at Kentucky a
few years ago.
During the 1971 to 2000 Bobby Knight coaching era the
Indiana Hoosiers men’s basketball team appeared in 24 NCAA Tournaments, won 3
NCAA Championships, 11 Conference Championship titles, and in 1976, became the
last undefeated NCAA men’s basketball champion finishing with a perfect 32-0
record. This was a program that in the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s had come as
closely synonymous with “winning” as Charlie Sheen, and as recent as even 10
years ago eyed a possible NCAA tournament title in 2002, has finished 11th,
9th and 11th respectively in the Big Ten Conference the
last three years. With the 2002 loss to
Maryland in the NCAA title game aside, Indiana has not seen a Sweet Sixteen
appearance since 1994. Indiana is indicating it wants that changed though in
2012.
Read More >>
Go Big or Go Home
Years of College basketball experience have taught Kansas power forward Thomas Robinson to respect the guards who are his teammates the way a quarterback values his offensive linemen, or a singer treasures that perfectly tuned accompanist. One cannot shine without the other.
“The ball has to go through them first,” Robinson says, “before it comes to me.”
Playing last season with College All-American center Jared Sullinger taught Ohio State’s shooting seniors how much easier their jobs could become with more room to operate. Jon Diebler and David Lighty saw their 3-point accuracy grow dramatically as defenders drifted inside, fretting about the damage Sullinger might inflict in the post.
“Honestly, Jon and Dave, they always said thank you,” Sullinger says. “What made us special — it really didn’t matter who shot the ball, who was the leading scorer. We wanted to succeed.”
It is easy to see how all of this works in harmony, how North Carolina big men Tyler Zeller and John Henson rely on Kendall Marshall the way Mick Jagger and Keith Richards rest on the foundation provided by bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts. So why do we hear every March that college basketball is all about guard play?
If ever there were a season in which that “March is for guards” theory should be discredited, it is this one. If a team must rely on superior guard play to win the 2012 NCAA championship, the title might be left vacant.
There is no more Kyrie Irving, Jimmer Fredette or Kemba Walker in Division I, and no reasonable facsimile. The teams that appear to be most powerful are built around big men.
College Basketball Top Programs
Kentucky, the only College team in last week’s top four not to lose over the weekend, is back on top of The Associated Press’ college basketball poll.
The Wildcats, who were ranked No. 1 for two weeks earlier this season, moved up one place Monday after receiving 61 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel.
Missouri, which got two No. 1 votes, jumped from fifth to second, while Syracuse, which was in first place for the last six weeks, dropped to third after losing at Notre Dame, its first loss this season. The Orange were No. 1 on two ballots.
Ohio State and Kansas moved up two places to fourth and fifth and were followed by Baylor, which fell three places after losing two games last week, North Carolina, Duke, Georgetown and Michigan State. Duke dropped four places after losing to Florida State at home.
The top 25 College teams in The Associated Press’ college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Jan. 22, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking:
Full list
Record Pts Prv
1. Kentucky (61) 19-1 1,620 2
2. Missouri (2) 18-1 1,532 5
3. Syracuse (2) 20-1 1,506 1
4. Ohio St. 17-3 1,411 6
5. Kansas 16-3 1,383 7
6. Baylor 17-2 1,234 3
College Players On Display For NFL
The East-West Shrine College Game, which kicks off Saturday, marks the beginning of spring scouting travels. Every year a few players greatly improve their draft status in this showcase with a strong week.
Examples? The St. Louis Rams’ Rodger Saffold, the first pick of the second round in 2010, and Mike Kafka, a 2010 fourth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles, enhanced their profiles for NFL scouts last year.
After evaluating players on film and talking to scouts, we compiled a list of 10 College players NFL teams are interested to see this week.
In projected draft order:
Micah Pellerin, CB, Hampton, 6-0, 185 pounds
Despite his height, Pellerin has the foot quickness and smooth speed to stay with any receiver he faced. Now he must prove he can handle the speed of professionals. Pellerin is raw and must improve his backpedal and transition. This week will be a good test to see if he has the burst needed to catch up a receiver gets separation. If Pellerin shines, he could get a last-minute invitation to the Senior Bowl. PROJECTED: Late first round.
Matt Reynolds, T/G, BYU, 6-4, 310 pounds
What’s Next For The SEC?
Every College program enters the offseason with a to-do list, even in the SEC. Here are the top issues for each College team in the country’s best conference.
Alabama
Who will quarterback Auburn in 2012? Clint Moseley completed 61.1 percent of his passes in 2011 for 800 yards and five touchdowns—when he had time to throw. (AP Photo)
The Tide’s bone-crushing defense loses a who’s who of SEC stars including linebackers Courtney Upshaw and Dont’a Hightower, safety Mark Barron and cornerback Dre’ Kirkpatrick, but coordinator Kirby Smart believes he has similarly outstanding puzzle pieces at his disposal as he had coming back from his 2009 championship unit.
The bigger job will fall on whoever replaces new Colorado State coach Jim McElwain as offensive coordinator. Quarterback AJ McCarron needs to mesh in the coming months with a virtually all-new group of receivers. No more Marquis Maze or Darius Hanks at wideout; no Brad Smelley stretching the field at tight end. Of course, no Trent Richardson, either; the Tide will turn to Eddie Lacy, whom Richardson said “can handle the load—no doubt.”
The new OC will have to hit the ground running.
Arkansas
In Bobby Petrino’s Orange Bowl season at Louisville, his top three rushers ran for more than 1,700 yards and 25 touchdowns. That was still a pass-oriented offense but with the sort of balance the Hogs didn’t have in 2011, when they ranked 81st in rushing and had no one with more than five TDs on the ground.
Knile Davis’ return from an ankle injury that cost him the entire 2011 season should give the Hogs great options at running back, with Dennis Johnson and Ronnie Wingo Jr. also expected back. Another reason Petrino may want to re-emphasize the run: His team ranked in the 70s with 28 sacks allowed. With the right balance, this could be the SEC’s best offense in 2012 by plenty.
Auburn
Speaking of sacks allowed, Tigers quarterbacks were dumped 32 times for an embarrassing FBS ranking of 91st. It’s an especially pitiful number given how seldom—and poorly—Auburn threw the ball, with a passing offense ranked 105th.
Needless to say, Gene Chizik is in desperate need of an offensive coordinator. The direction this program goes offensively will dictate a quarterback pecking order among Clint Moseley, Kiehl Frazier and, not to be forgotten, Barrett Trotter, who came off the bench in the Chick-fil-A Bowl and played terrifically.
Florida
Frankly, it can’t hurt to have Charlie Weis out of Gainesville. Although injuries played a big part, the Gators ranked 105th in total offense in 2011—an absolute train wreck of a season. Brent Pease assumes the position he held at Boise State, which at least sounds mighty promising. He inherits one of the most significant building jobs in the country, with an impatient fan base and a head coach, Will Muschamp, who’s under enormous pressure to prove he can win. The competition between young quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel could not be more on.
Georgia
Mark Richt is one of many FBS head coaches who doesn’t have a full-time special teams coach. Still, he might be overdue in rethinking that policy. You saw how the Bulldogs imploded in the third phase vs. LSU in the SEC title game and in their Outback Bowl loss to Michigan State. Kicker Blair Walsh, who kind of fell apart as a senior, must be replaced. So must punter Drew Butler, who booted the ball pretty well but had a poor net average partly because of the direction of his kicks but more because the Bulldogs were awful at covering all kicks. It’s all a mess Richt has to address in a big way.
Kentucky
Wildcats fans, if there are any of them left, are pumped for the arrival of top quarterback recruit Patrick Towles. But Towles will have a hard time beating out sophomore-to-be Maxwell Smith, assuming Smith has a good offseason. UK was abominable offensively, ranking 118th, but Smith was almost heroic the way he stood in the pocket and withstood massive hits after he took over for ineffective Morgan Newton. See? We made it this far without mentioning Joker Phillips and “hot seat.”
LSU
Maybe the best thing that could’ve happened to the program was losing the way it did to Alabama—with utter hopelessness on offense despite a terrific stable of running backs, explosive receivers and a big, tough (well, at least we thought they were) offensive line. Yes, it’s about the quarterback(s) in Baton Rouge.
“We’ll address that,” Les Miles said. An understatement.
But who’s going to be the guy? Will it be junior Zach Mettenberger or super-recruit Gunner (love that name!) Kiel? Either way, you’re looking at a Tigers offense that will be back to pro-style basics. Let’s face it, the option thing just didn’t work out very well.
Mississippi
The good news is the Rebels beat Southern Illinois last season. The bad news is everything else imaginable. If there’s a worse FBS team out there, we don’t want to know about it.
So what’s Job One for Ole Miss? Not sure we can narrow it down, but the Johnny-on-the-spot is Monte’s son and Lane’s little brother, Chris Kiffin. He’s Hugh Freeze’s new defensive line coach and defensive recruiting coordinator—and he inherits an ineffectual group that couldn’t slow the run or pressure the quarterback in the slightest. Good luck, Kiff.
Mississippi State
Everybody has a kind word for Dan Mullen, whose reputation is nearly intact despite his program’s on-field performance in 2011—which was, in a word, disappointing. And maybe that’s being kind. You don’t go from nine wins to seven, despite having returned pretty much all your best players, and thump your chest.
So what has to happen in Starkville is simply this: Mullen must figure out how to restore some mojo. Because when you’re sliding backward in the SEC West, it’s a slippery slope indeed.
Missouri
SEC fans, if you didn’t know it already, get to know it: There’s a new James Franklin in town. Well, another Franklin, anyway. He’s the Tigers rising junior quarterback, and he’s good enough to play in his new league. Franklin rushed for 981 yards and 15 touchdowns, and threw for 2,865 and 21, out of the spread in 2011. He’s a sturdy 6-2, 225 pounds, but he’ll have to get stronger in the coming months to withstand the pounding that Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama will bring in the first four league games. Franklin will set the tone for his team; if he dedicates himself to this immense physical challenge, the Tigers might be surprisingly competitive.
South Carolina
Now this is what Steve Spurrier signed up for in 2005. This is where the pressure and expectations finally get real. Coming off an 11-win season, the most in program history, the Gamecocks are hard on the recruiting trail again—but hope to have built enough depth not to have to fill a few glaring holes with freshmen.
Who will pick up where Melvin Ingram left off harassing opposing passers? Also, who’ll be Connor Shaw’s go-to receiver in the red zone? Ace Sanders and Bruce Ellington will be important pieces at receiver, but they’re little guys; perhaps 6-5 Rory Anderson will develop a rapport with good-looking quarterback Connor Shaw? Don’t forget about Alshon Jeffery’s little brother, 6-1, 210-pounder Shamier, who redshirted in 2011.
Tennessee
“I imagine things are really tough for him there,” Lane Kiffin said a month and a half ago of successor Derek Dooley. Yes, they’re tough. But does Dooley have any chance to succeed in Knoxville?
His best offensive players were injured in 2011, and without them the Vols ranked in the 100s in total offense and scoring; the worst of it came in the running game, which produced 90 yards a game. This offseason is about near-total regime change, though, with Dooley hiring someone new seemingly every other day—yet staying in place himself. For now.
Texas A&M
New coach Kevin Sumlin’s Houston team led the nation in total offense and scoring last season—arguably with better skill talent than Sumlin inherits in College Station, but that’s not necessarily an easy call. A&M’s defense staggered into the offseason, but it’s undoubtedly the offensive side of the ball that represents the Aggies’ only chance to be competitive in 2012. The quarterback battle in the spring between redshirt sophomore Matt Joeckel and redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel should be riveting.
Vanderbilt
All Vandy needs now is Jay Cutler and it’ll be set. Seriously, for a group that went to a bowl game—never to be taken for granted in Nashville—the Commodores, 6-7 after a bowl loss, left a lot to be desired. And they left a lot on the table, losing five games by seven points or less. That overtime defeat at Tennessee still stings.
Coach James Franklin’s biggest task this offseason is developing a passing offense to replace the one that ranked 97th at 174.6 yards per game. Maybe 2012 senior Jordan Rodgers will be the guy to make it happen, but he hardly looked the part in the Liberty Bowl.
Lady Terrapins Basketball Impresses
Since Coach Brenda Frese took over the women’s Maryland basketball team, the Lady Terrapins have shown year after year that they are true contenders. They have had an impressive season thus far. They were ranked number five in the country and romped past UNC, another powerhouse.
Although Miami recently handed them their first loss, I’m still incredibly proud of the achievements of the Lady Terrapins. I’ll be attending one of their home games fairly soon. In order to show my support, my friends and I are going to show up wearing new Maryland NCAA basketball jerseys with our faces painted in Maryland colors.
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