Send the Pro Bowl to sleep with the fishes

I despise the Pro Bowl.

This is not a new feeling, it's not something I've recently started to feel. I've never liked the Pro Bowl and I've never understood why it was even held.

For anyone reading this who may not be an expert on the Pro Bowl, I'll give you a basic summary of how it goes down. The NFL opens up the voting to fans, who may vote for a set amount of players at each position, from any team to "make" the Pro Bowl. Fans may vote as many times as they'd like for whomever they would like, and the players with the most votes (i.e the most popular players) get selected to the Pro Bowl.

Occasionally a player is picked as a form of recognition for having a career year, which would seem to be a service to the Pro Bowl. Typically, however, deserving players get snubbed in favor of popular players having a weaker season simply because of their popularity.

Due to the hype that typically surrounds teams that are leading the NFL in wins, the amount of players sent by each team is often skewed in favor of the teams with the best record. For example, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Fransisco 49ers both had eight players selected for the Pro Bowl, and both teams happen to be top tier teams in the NFL this season. Sadly, so that there was room for these two teams to send eight players, five NFL teams will have zero representation in a game that is meant to showcase individuals who perform well.

That's not the fault of the NFL, to be honest. Fan voting brought it upon us, fan voting decided that nobody from Jacksonville, New York (twice), Green Bay or Atlanta deserved individual recognition this season. Meanwhile everyone and their mother from San Fransisco and Kansas City "deserved" recognition, apparently.

Enough with the boring details of the fan voting/player selection process, let's get to the super exciting part of the Pro Bowl; the game.

Wait....why is everyone standing around? Aren't they playing a game? It looks more like a practice....are they even trying? and what the HELL are they wearing?!?

If you thought that by gathering all of these skilled professionals and asking them to play a meaningless game at full speed and risk injuring themselves during the postseason would work, then I applaud you, for you live in a fantasyland. The plain truth of the matter is, this game means nothing in the grand scope of the season. Winning the Pro Bowl is such a minor prize compared to winning the Super Bowl, so obviously players that are preparing for the Super Bowl won't risk injuring themselves, and rightfully so.

All you will see in a Pro Bowl game is about 5 passes thrown by each quarterback over a line that basically stands up once the ball is snapped and starts fraternizing with the D line before the play is even over. Defensively, players rack up more "attempted tackles" than tackles, as the game inevitably ends up in some ridiculous shootout to the tune of some 50-45 final score.

I'm tired of the Pro Bowl. I'd much prefer a coach voted "Pro Bowl" award similar to the All-American teams awarded in college football, and spare us the pain and unnecessary torture of having to watch, hear about or even thinking about a worthless Pro Bowl game. It's poorly timed, poorly organized and the play does not live up to the standard of football befitting the National Football League.

The need to change ones gym shorts

Last Sunday, the Detroit Lions were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention with their loss to the New York Giants, ending a season filled with promise but mired by a lack of discipline and an inability to finish games in which they led entering the 4th quarter of play.

As is typical with fans on any team in a string of disappointing seasons, the blame is tossed around like cheap beer at a college bar. Some blame the coach, Jim Schwartz. Others blame Matt Stafford, the talented yet inconsistent quarterback.

Putting the blame on the coach is no surprise to me, especially when you consider how poorly coached this team was in the 4th quarter in the second half of this season. Additionally, the team had a knack for committing penalties at very inopportune times on their way to becoming the 9th most penalized team in the league.  A lack of discipline on the field may have hurt the Lions more than any individual aspect of their play.

I don't pretend to know the environment inside the Lion's locker room, or what type of discipline Schwartz brings to the team, but the obvious truth is that the status quo is not working. Heading into this season, the Lions were a solid pick to win the NFC North, and their chances rose astronomically as injuries piled up for the Bears and Packers. After starting off 6-3 and in firm control of the division, the Lions fumbled away their chances of postseason play by finishing at best with an 8-8 record.

Despite the inconsistent play of former No.1 pick Matthew Stafford, which has drawn the ire of many Lions fans, I feel it is not the quarterback spot that most needs changing for the Lions. Amidst his struggles with accuracy this season, people seem to have forgotten that Stafford is just two seasons removed from a 5000 yard season, and he has surpassed 4000 yards passing in each of the past three seasons. It is not the physical skills of Stafford that should be called into question, but his decision making.

When I was a young, budding tennis star earlier in my life I would watch a lot of professional players to try and gain useful tips for my own play. Through careful observation of female tennis players, I picked up the habit (briefly) of grunting while hitting the ball. Surprisingly, this didn't help my play, and somewhat less surprisingly didn't make me into a professional female tennis player (for which I'm grateful).

This sort of novelty move is what Stafford has gotten himself into trouble with, as he tends to fall into the habit of side-arming his throws, resulting in weak, wobbly passes. The ability to repeat his 2011 campaign is still there, but the lack of overall team coaching is holding the offense, and team, down.

The change the Lions need is at the coaching position, and by acquiring talent through the draft. The team has many valuable pieces as is, but need to overcome their issues with discipline, and that starts with a more authoritive coach. Jim Schwartz, or Gym Shorts, as he has become known has overstayed his welcome in Detroit and doesn't appear to be the right man for this coaching job.

If the ownership in Detroit is serious about contending for the NFC North title, then they need to overhaul the coaching staff and make changes in the right direction. Until then, the Lions won't seriously challenge for the top spot in the North.

A system of entitlement

A college education.

Whether it be an associates degree or a Ph.D, a college level education is one of the world's most sought after commodities, right after things like food, water, shelter, you know, the small things.

For many people, even in a country like America, the idea of a college education is unattainable, a very distant thought. Some are not motivated to get one, some will never have the opportunity.

The NCAA and all of the Division I and II schools it contains have given countless under-privileged or impoverished high school athletes the ability to play the sport they excel at and receive a free (or discounted) college education while they are at it.

With that sort of offer on the table, it's really no wonder that recruits seem so eager to take scholarship offers. Put yourself in their shoes and you'd probably do it too.

So why then, when so much value and potential is at stake, are some college athletes in such a rush to screw it all up?

It's hardly a new concept. Young, cocky athletes recruited from low income neighborhoods, suddenly treated like kings and queens on a big stage, and the temptations to party and live the high life seem too powerful to ignore. Every year this same situation plays out at a handful of big schools, and an even bigger number of mid-major programs. Oftentimes, it's alcohol or drug related, DUI's, underage partying, possession, etc. Sometimes it's a seemingly innocent snowball fight.

The scenarios vary slightly, the names change, the schools cycle, but the behavior hasn't changed. It's a dizzying parade of poorly disciplined ball players acting out in the stupidest of ways, and the blame lies solely with the lack of recruiting for character and a lack of adequate supervision by university staff.

In a day and age where a debate has been started on whether or not college athletes should be payed, there exists a culture in which some of these athletes are barely respecting the terms of their scholarship, much less deserving additional pay. I myself have no sympathy for scholarship athletes claiming they need to be further compensated. If the promise of a free college education (around $88,000, on average) plus other amenities is not enough to be worth your while, then you have issues beyond the ability of money to fix.

Unfortunately, change is slow in the world of sport, and as long as schools can make more money from an athlete with subpar character than one who is less skilled but with stellar character, they will do it. The tragic reality of the situation is that too many student-athletes don't take the student half of the equation seriously enough.

CMU keeps on rolling in rout of UMass

I had a good friend back in high school. Ok, I might have had more than one. But as my best friend, it was him that I spent the most time around, and as a result, ended up watching a fair amount of sports on TV with him and his father.

The two of them were avid Michigan State fans, and due to my father's alma mater being Indiana university, there was a fair amount of friendly banter when the two would play each other, which for those of you who have no knowledge of college sports, happens quite often.

Now aside from this duo's trademark arsenal of jeers and complaints directed at officials in the games, they had another oft used sentiment that I have since attributed to them.

If at any point Michigan St. was blowing out Indiana (or any opponent, for that matter), the following exchange would occur.

Dad: H, do you smell something?
Son: I...I think...I think I smell a skunk.

This is how the two would broadcast that one team was being "skunked". Synonyms for the term might include being "whooped" "blown out" or "shellacked".

So aside from being a completely ridiculous term from my friend and his dad, the term was more or less assimilated into my vocabulary.

As I braved the cold at Kelly/Shorts Stadium yesterday, and yes, I do mean it when I say the weather was frigid, I smelled the skunk.

I wasn't exactly surprised by CMU skunking the lowly Minutemen from UMass, but I was rather surprised by how thoroughly it happened.

Supported by a few hundred loyal fans, the Chippewas moved the ball at will against the Minutemen, scoring easily through the air and suffocating any counterattack by UMass on defense.

Offensively, the team did very well, especially through the air. Cooper Rush, coming off a poor performance against Western Michigan, put up very solid, if not spectacular numbers. He completed 13 of 21 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns. Not surprisingly, most of this damage was done by passes to Titus Davis, who caught 7 passes for 154 yards and two spectacular 30 yard touchdown receptions.

Defensively, the Chippewas benefited from facing the 124th ranked offense in the country, as the Minutemen average just 10.4 points per game. However, the defense did not take their opponent for granted, registering three interceptions for good measure and pitching the shutout. Additionally, safety Tony Annese, making just his second career start, returned a pick to the house for the second time in as many games.

Perhaps it was the sad play of the Minutemen, or perhaps the weather (I've never heard so many people say some variation of "it's cold out here" so many times in one hour span in my life), but this game hardly felt real from a fan perspective. It seemed like a glorified scrimmage, and yet it was a very necessary game for the Chips to win as they look to remain bowl eligible and taste the postseason for the second straight year.

Next on the schedule is the final game of the regular season, a showdown at Kelly Shorts against the hapless Eastern Michigan Eagles, a team that has given Central it's fair share of trouble in recent years, despite their miserable record over that span. As always, you can come here for a detailed analysis of the game.  Until then, have a very happy thanksgiving, eat a boatload of turkey or whatever it is that your family eats. Just don't touch the croissants, those are all mine.

Central wins the battle for the cannon

Despite the best efforts of CMU QB Cooper Rush to throw the game away, the Chippewas pulled off a pivotal win in Kalamazoo yesterday, beating Western Michigan 27-22.

Central managed to win a game in which they committed five turnovers, including three terrible Rush interceptions, allowing a 14-0 lead to slip away and facilitating all of Western's 22 points.

The game was all Central in the first quarter, as Zurlon Tipton ran wild through the Broncos defense and scored a pair of touchdowns to put the Chippewas in control early. However, the Chippewas inexplicably shifted their focus from the successful run game to forcing passes by Rush into bad situations, resulting in multiple passes to Western defenders.

Tipton ran 29 times for 114 yards and the two touchdowns, carrying the team for most of the game.
Yes, the Chippewas won the game, but there was a lot of sloppy play to sort through, so here's the breakdown for each unit.

Passing Game: After experiencing pretty solid success against Ohio, NIU and Miami (OH) by using primarily short check down passes, Rush looked every bit the inexperienced freshmen quarterback yesterday, throwing horrible passes and making poor decisions in game management. Rush, for his efforts, managed a paltry 167 yards passing on 16 completed passes. While his chemistry with Titus Davis is evident (9 rec. for 122 yards), the lack of a second receiving presence makes the Chippewas incredibly predictable.

Running Game: The Chippewas bread and butter continues to be their run game, as the games where they run well are the games they win. The return of Tipton helps the team in a big way, as we saw shades of the 2012 campaign yesterday. However, his return has exiled Saylor Lavalli to relative obscurity, which is  a hell of a way to utilize a player who stepped up for this team in a big way this season. Enos needs to stop giving up on the run game so quickly in  games, especially when it is far and away the most successful facet of the offense.

Defense: All things considered, I thought the defense played pretty well yesterday. They had the tall order of stopping Western several times after bad CMU turnovers and managed to hold the Broncos to field goals three times, which proved to be very crucial. Blake Serpa continues to be a surprise here, but the line continues it's somewhat erratic play.

Special Teams: Speaking of erratic, the days of faith in the kicking game are long gone, as Ron Coluzzi doesn't inspire confidence on any kick longer than 35 yards. Another missed field goal AND a blocked PAT provide a steady stream of facepalm moments for Chippewa fans. As far as kick returns, Jerry Harris had some real nice returns mixed in with one very boneheaded move, which was luckily wiped away by a penalty. It was nice to see the Chippewas starting drives past the 20 yard marker, hopefully that will continue to be a theme.



No one is more excited about this win than me. A win yesterday means I will end my Chippewas career with something to hold over that school of horse lovers. It also backs up all the teasing that the country has had at the expense of Western and their "row the boat" theme. It also means the Chippewas postseason hopes are still alive, so continue to tune in from week to week as I break down the Chippewas games here on my blog.

Let's call this thing what it is: a rivalry

Following last Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall had a lot to say about the game.

In addition to acknowledging that the Bears were outplayed, Marshall said the Lions played "borderline illegal", made a few disparaging comments about the city of Detroit and referred to the Lions as "little brother".

Lion's fans, as expected, were a little upset. My honest question is..

Why?

Yes, I am aware that there are different meanings to this phrase, and typically it's not meant as an endearing trait. However there is some truth to this statement, and being a little brother myself, I feel somewhat qualified to explain why exactly I feel this way.

Growing up, it seemed like anything I did was put under the microscope and compared to what my brother had done. I wanted to be like him, I wanted to be around him (much to his eventual dismay) and I wanted to play with him and his friends outside. I was driven to prove myself despite being much smaller (for a while, at least) and younger. For a long time, this was the Detroit Lions. Their lowest point was obviously their 2008 campaign, an 0-16 season that has haunted them for every season since.

For years, the struggles of the Lions have been well documented, and numerous. Why a team that lowly even bothered to take the field was beyond some people, even residents of Detroit who started to curse their own team. And yet, after years of being a "little brother" than no one gave a second thought to, Detroit is leading the NFC North and is, by all accounts, a lock to win the division and make the playoffs.

Just as I grew up and reached a point where I felt comfortable stepping out from my brother's shadow, the Lions have become a team that deserves respect, deserves praise, even deserve fear. This team is no longer an easy W, this team is no longer a stepping stone for every other team in the league.

The Lions have become the younger brother who got sick of being pushed around, the brother who got bigger and, as Marshall put it, "popped his brother in the face". If I'm a Lions fan, I'm proud of this team. I'm proud of this management for recognizing the team's needs and making adjustments to become a legitimate team in this league. But I'm not a Lions fan.

I am, however, a fan of what this team has done. In addition to bettering their record, the Lions have bettered the city of Detroit. A city once desperate for pride is now full of it, and Ford Field, while hardly a sellout venue, has already reached it's attendance total from 2012 this season, with four home games remaining on the schedule. This franchise has shown that it is alive and well this season, and it didn't need Brandon Marshall's word to get there.

Coming from a Bears fan, my message to all Lions fans is not to stoop down and insult Marshall, not to bring up his own mired history and personal problems, because there's a better way. Marshall is talking smack to a team that just beat his team, twice. For what purpose, I don't know, but I also disagree with the comments he had to say. Marshall predicts these teams will meet again in the playoffs, which would undoubtedly be interesting, but at least for now, little brother is going places, and he's doing it on his own.

Blown out by Ball State

Ouch.


A 44-24 blowout on national television was hardly what myself and many other Chippewa fans had in mind after a 17 day hiatus from football. Not when the majority of that 17 days could have been and probably was used to prepare for BSU quarterback phenom Keith Wenning. Instead, Wenning led the Cardinals on 8 scoring drives, throwing for four touchdowns in a very easy win in Muncie.

It seemed like the Chips could make an impact in this game, especially after their early success against Northern Illinois last week, but the team was outscored 34-3 in the first 2 1/2 quarters and never recovered. The offense struggled to move the ball and stay on the field early on, and Wenning made them pay. 

What damage the Chippewas did do was through the air, as Cooper Rush threw for almost 300 yards, including 187 to Titus Davis, who remains the Chippewa's most reliable playmaker. However the  Chippewas have not received consistent contributions from any other receiver, which hurts their offense overall.

On the positive side, the Chippewas could still secure postseason play, but they will have to win outright to do so. Fortunately again, CMU faces the combined hopeless trifecta of Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and Massachusetts to do so, and if the Chips manage to play well, they could seize their own destiny at the finish for the second straight season. Their position is improving, as they welcome the return of their best tailback, Zurlon Tipton from injury. Tipton was ineffective in 5 carries on Wednesday, but was a powerhouse last season and could be again in these last three games.


The Chippewas return to play next Saturday, the 16th against rival Western Michigan. This game is a must win, both to preserve the posteseason hopes as well as it's importance as a rivalry game. A win there will also allow me to leave CMU with the series lead, 3-2, since my time began there.

Oh hey fans of the blog, thanks to my good friend Jesse, I finally have a logo. This is it, and you can expect to see it in every post from now on. Thanks for reading!