Jeremy’s Blog

New Look Gators

Thu, 9 Sep 2010 15:00:30 -0400

The University of Florida Gators got off to a rough start this Saturday looking less than sharp in a 34-12 victory over far less talented Miami (OH). Problems usually start on offence early in the season but not to the degree they did for the Gators. Fumbled snaps, dropped passes, missed assignments and poor play calling made for a nervous day. As a Gator fan it seemed likely that they could lose the game at any moment. Luckily for the Gators their defense was up for the task for a long day of protecting the goal line.
John Brantley knew that taking over for Tim Tebow would be no easy task but I doubt he could have dreamed a worse scenario. Brantley looked uncomfortable with numerous problems especially handling the snap in the shot gun formation he and center Mike Pouncey were never on the same page. Pouncey skipped three snaps off the ground and Brantley dropped a few himself in total there were twelve errant snaps Saturday. Pouncey had moved over from the guard position after his brother left the university for the NFL after last season, he had a fantastic pre-season, so nobody had any idea what happened Saturday. Brantley’s problems did not stop there. Receiver Deonte Thompson dropped a touchdown in the first half and the team had a total of eight fumbles losing three of those. Going in to the fourth quarter the Gators had a total of twenty five offensive yards. Luckily in the fourth quarter things started to come together.

Florida’s offense pulled it together in fourth quarter, helping to keep Coach Myer from contemplating his “health” issues again. Well not really, but I may have considered it. They did score twice that quarter once on a seventy two yard run by speedster Jeff Demps, and the other on a pass to Chris Rainey. Both players had a solid game as did the defense.

The defense that lost six starters from last year and four of those in the front seven played better than expected. While there is plenty of room for improvement this was one bright spot in an ugly win. Despite bad field position all day they only gave up 212 yards and only twenty two of those on the ground, add to that four picks including one for a touchdown and it is clear the D was the star of this game. Junior Janoris Jenkins had the pick six, 5 tackles and three pass deflections. Despite the bad field position given by the bumbling offense, the Gator D held Miami out of the End zone and only allowing four field goals.

Finding positives in the performance Saturday is not easy but the defense gives Florida fans some comfort in know that they have the ability to stop people and keep them out of the end zone. The Gator nation should also find comfort in the fact that both Brantley and Pouncey took it upon themselves to get out to the field Sunday and work on their snap issues.

2010 may have started shaky for the Gators but they have far too many talented players to sound the warning alarms just yet. The haters are circling, waiting to pounce on this team at every bump and turn in the road but coach Myer and the team will remain focused on the task at hand and continue to show that they are in fact one of the best teams in the country. First they need to recover for their next task of taking on the University Of South Florida Bulls. Growing up a Gator fan and attending USF makes this game bitter sweet for me, but the Swamp better be ready because the Bulls will be coming with upset and a possible national top 25 ranking on their mind.

Written By:
Jeremy M. Parcels

2010 Fantasy Football Running Backs

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:25:44 -0400

Finally, training camp is here! The end of July marks the start of most NFL teams’ grueling training camps. With the NBA and NHL finals well over with now and only baseball to satisfy my sports hunger, it is time to start thinking about fantasy football. This season will see more changes in which positions are chosen, when they are chosen, and it might be a little different than you think. Topping the list is still running backs which is no surprise this is where I will lead off with my version of player rankings and strategies.
The top picks typically belong to the running backs as they can be big points for your squad. While I still expect them to go fast, the urgency should be a little less than previous years. The reason for this is the number of teams in the league who employ multiple running back systems. With so many teams splitting carries you can find some great pickups in the later rounds. It is hard to argue the top five, so don’t cry in you Miller Lite if you miss out on numbers 6-25 that I list here.

Top 25 RB’s
1. Chris Johnson
2. Adrian Peterson
3. Ray Rice
4. Maurice Jones-Drew
5. Frank Gore
6. Michael Turner
7. Steven Jackson
8. Rashard Mendenhall
9. Ryan Grant
10. DeAngelo Williams
11. Shonn Greene
12. Jamaal Charles
13. Pierre Thomas
14. Cedric Benson
15. Beanie Wells
16. Ryan Mathews
17. LeSean McCoy
18. Knowshon Moreno
19. Jonathan Stewart
20 Ronnie Brown
21. Reggie Bush
22. Matt Forte
23. Brandon Jacobs
24. Rickey Williams
25. Marion Barber

Split carries and a good draft selection make for some great bargain pickups. Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown could drop down in many leagues and even though I have them in my top 25 you might catch them later than the 6th round which would be huge. Look out for the rest of these guys to back up and possibly replace your “starters”.

Darren Sproles
Fred Jackson
Arian Foster
Steve Slaton

This position has always been the most coveted and first chosen since the start of fantasy football this year it will start to pull even with the wide receivers and quarter backs. Multiple back systems and formations like the wild cat have diminished the individual value of some players. However it has also made the field deeper and created more leeway when planning your draft strategy. The top seven backs on my list are definitive number ones and will get the majority of the carries for their perspective teams if they aren’t available at your pick I might consider going with a top wide out or quarter back.

Written by:
Jeremy M Parcels

Guy Boucher Named Lightning Head Coach

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:51:22 -0400

New General Manager Steve Yzerman has been working tirelessly to get his staff in place and make the Tampa Bay Lightning a world class organization once again. From the first day Yzerman was hired, he was constantly asked when he would find the teams new head coach. His approach remained that he wanted to find the right man for the job with a hope that he could make that happen before the July 1st, which happens to be the beginning of free agency. Apparently he found his man Guy Boucher (GEE boo-SHAY) who was Head Coach for the American Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs.

Guy Boucher led the Bulldogs to a 51-17-10 record in his first year at the helm and took home coach of the year honors. Before that he spent three years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League as head coach of Drummondville winning a league title while there. Combine that experience with the fact that he was an assistant coach on Canada's 2009 world junior championships gold medal winning team it is easy to see why his name was mentioned all over the NHL this off season. He was already offered the head coach's position for the Columbus Blue Jackets but declined. Guy said that Tampa and G.M. Yzerman were a better fit for him and the type of culture he was looking for.

Boucher is not your typical hockey coach. He received degrees from McGill university in history and bio-systems engineering while playing hockey. He has also earned a masters degree in sports psychology from the University of Montreal.

He played professionally in France and in Canada before he contracted a virus that affected the right side of his body. The virus forced his playing career short but it also helped propel him in to coaching. First starting as an assistant at his alma mater, then eventually working his way to the head coach's position there. He brings a brand of exciting fast break hockey to Tampa Bay.

Many of the current players the Lightning have in place will be the building blocks of his system. Who could dispute that fact with names like Lecavalier, St. Louis, and Stamkos, players he believes will lend to his style of hockey? Putting his bio-systems engineering studies to work he has developed a system that is based on a players movements. Apparently, it is working. His Bulldogs scored 271 goals last season.

Lightning Owner Jeff Vinick has certainly started a new era in lightning hockey and it looks to be very bright. The Bolts now have a great hockey mind in Yzerman in the front office and Boucher behind the bench. Next up is the NHL Draft on June 25th and then the start of free agency on July 1, let’s hope the Lightning brass keep making good decisions.

Written By:
Jeremy M. Parcels

John Wooden Quotes

Wed, 9 Jun 2010 22:55:44 -0400

Since the passing of John Wooden I have been hearing and seeing more than I ever knew about the man. He was not just one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all times but he was also a role model, and a leader who helped shape peoples lives both in and out of the world of basketball. Studying up on him I have a deeper appreciation for him than I already had. Here are a few of his most famous quotes and his famous pyramid of success.

“A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.”  
“Ability is a poor man's wealth.”  
“Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.”  “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”  
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”   “Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.”  “If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”  
“It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”  
“Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.”  
“Never mistake activity for achievement.” 
“Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.” 
“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”

Truly a great man and great thinker! Below you will find a lengthy video that is a great look into his style, past, and genius. (TEDtalks has some great videos that will make you think!)

Written by:
Jeremy M. Parcels

Griffey Jr. Retires

Thu, 3 Jun 2010 15:27:26 -0400

Future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. announced his retirement yesterday. This is something that I saw coming after hearing some murmurs in the Seattle club house that followed an incident where he was called on to pinch hit only for one of the staff to find that he was taking a nap in the locker room. Griffey has always been a class act and one of the greatest players in our era so this was definitely a shock and gave me the feeling that this might be his last season.

Griffey released a statement to the media "I feel that without enough occasional starts to be sharper coming off the bench, my continued presence as a player would be an unfair distraction to my teammates and their success as a team is what the ultimate goal should be," he said.

Griffey retires fifth on the all time home run list with 630 dingers, 13 All-Star appearances, and 10 Gold Gloves. His individual stats speak for them selves but he was an unselfish player always willing to put the team first. Griffey’s combination of athletic ability, talent, work ethic, and team first mentality make him a rarity in baseball today. The entire baseball community has had great things to say about this man and as a fan I feel fortunate to have grown up watching such a great player with one of the sweetest swings ever play baseball.

Thank you for the memories Griffey and I wish you the best!

Written by:
Jeremy M. Parcels