NFL Offseason

After the Seahawks beat the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII, the NFL off-season officially began. I will breakdown some teams' needs and tells some moves they may want to take this off-season to try and dethrone the reigning Super Bowl champions.

First, let's start with my team, the Detroit Lions. They wasted no time after the season ended to fire head coach Jim Schwartz, and hire Jim Caldwell. More recently, they cut their veteran number two wide out, Nate Burleson, and starting safety, Louis Delmas. These moves finally got Detroit under the cap, but who will step up to become the new leaders of the team? The Lions biggest need remains in the defensive backfield, and losing Delmas doesn't help the situation. Now the question is whether they try to find help in the free agency or the draft. I would suspect they will try the draft to keep cost down, but we will have to see. The next question is, who else would they take in the draft if they don't go DB. I would suggest someone like Sammy Watkins, Marquise Lee, or Mike Evans, wideouts from Clemson, USC, and Texas A&M, respectively. Whatever wideout they choose, they should have a good one as this is thought to be the best wide receiver class in years. If they don't take a DB or wideout, who knows who they may take. The Lions have made some questionable picks in the past. Maybe new coach, Jim Caldwell, will change that.

Now on to one of the Lions biggest rivals, the Green Bay Packers. Last year the Packers fixed one of their biggest weaknesses, their run game, after drafting Eddie Lacy. This year maybe they hope to find another star to improve the defensive side of the team. According to ESPN.com, the Packers have met with, or plan to meet with, Notre Dame defensive lineman Loui Nix III, and safeties Ha Ha Clinton-Dix from Alabama and Calvin Pryor of Louisville. One of the Packers' worries was keeping cornerback Sam Shields. They took care of that by signing the 26-year-old Shields on Monday, to a 4 year, $39 million contract.

Now onto the team with the number one overall pick, the Houston Texans. It is still unsure what direction they will take with their pick, but they are in need of a quarterback. Johnny Manziel has said that it would be, "The biggest mistake of their lives." if the Houston Texans didn't use their number one pick on him. It will be hard for the Texans to pass up the number one prospect, Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney had an impressive combine, running a 4.53 second 40-yard dash. He was one of the top performers in just about every measurable way. The only question is why he didn't participate in the on-field workouts, but by no means is he the first player to do this. The Texans also made some changes to the coaching staff, most importantly being the addition of new coach Bill O'Brian. O'Brien took over at Penn State after Jerry Sandusky was fired, and did a very good job taking an average team and having two solid seasons. Will a new coach, and good draft position improve the worst team from 2013? We will have to wait and see.

Let's close with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. They are entering the offseason the best team in the league, but what improvements can they make to get even better? They won with many late round gems, like cornerback Richard Sherman, and QB Russell Wilson. Can they find anymore this year? They are pretty solid, with not many star players becoming free agents this year. The problem comes next year when many starters, including QB Russell Wilson, will need to be resigned. Who will they keep, and who will they let go to stay under the cap?

Just like you, I can't wait for the NFL free agency, and the NFL Draft to start, to see what moves these teams will make. I will try to keep you updated on the start of free agency and the draft. So stay tuned.

The Future of Sports

One thing I often think about is how sports will be in the future, especially after my last post about injuries, and how they are changing the rules. So, what exactly does this hold for the future of sports? I think it will include new sports, equipment advances, and rules changes.

New sports is something I know will happen. My friends and I will make up games all the time during recess. New events are being added to the Olympics all the time too. For example, luge team relay and women's ski jumping, as well as many others, will be added for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. I am curious to see if these games will become more popular than other professional sports. One example is how the Xgames have started to become a more televised event than some sports like hockey. I also want to see how people who create new games will get them to be played by others. But there is one thing I know for sure, new sports are coming, so be ready.

The next thing I want to talk about is equipment. Equipment has been changing ever since a sport has been created. In hockey players have had to start wearing helmets, and have gotten carbon fiber sticks instead of wooden. With technology advancing so much and at such a fast pace, what will the future of players' equipment hold? Will they be able to see behind them? Can we eliminate concussions, or for that matter injuries completely? We will have to wait to find out.

Then there is the unfortunate part, rule changes. For example, they have taken out certain hits in hockey and football (i.e. blind side hits) to make the game safer. How will all these changes play out in the future? Will they in fact make the game safer, and people will still like to watch them? Or will the worst happen, will they ruin the games we love and have the profession (NHL, NFL, etc.) completely destroyed?

I am excited (and a little nervous) to see what the future holds for sports. I guess the only thing we can do is watch, wait, and hope for the best.

Injuries in Sports

There is a lot of controversy these days about whether or not sports are safe. You can argue either way, but here’s what I think the bottom line is; if you play sports, especially contact sports, you are going to get injured. I’m glad to see that parents are worried about their kids getting injured, but there is only so much you can do to stop it. I love that they are now working on teaching kids the correct way to tackle, and how to protect yourself from a hit (in hockey). These are great things that need to be emphasized by coaches, parents, and even the athletes themselves.

 There has been work to equipment (especially helmets) to help prevent injuries like concussions. But really, if you fall hard on your head, you will get injured. Helmets are mainly made to keep from getting major lacerations. Concussions are caused by your brain ramming against the skull. Even with a great helmet, the jolt of a fall onto the ground could give you a concussion. If they want to make equipment improvements, that is fine by me. I guess stopping just a few concussions is better than stopping none.

In addition to equipment changes, the rules of the games are changing. For example, they have taken hitting out of peewee hockey and moved it into the bantam level. This really bothers me though. They are ruining the way the game is played. Taking out a few things like hits to the knees or the head, that’s fine, but you can’t take away the integrity of the game. Most people watch sports like football and hockey because they love seeing the bone crushing hits. I know they sometimes might get injured. I’m not saying they need to toughen up and deal with it, but it’s part of the game. The players know what they got themselves into when they signed up to play tackle football and professional hockey. They didn’t sign-up for flag football or peewee hockey. Professional games have been played this way for a hundred years or so… and now they want to change those rules?

Sports aren’t meant for everyone. Some people don’t like contact or are scared of getting injured. That’s why only the tough ones choose to play. They don’t really want to get injured, but I think they are willing to take that risk to earn the reward of money, the joy of the game, or whatever it is to them. That is part of what keeps them going.

Why sports matter

Almost everyone has at least one activity that they love. For some women it may be shopping, for men it could be fixing cars, but for many athletes there is one sport that we just cannot live without. I was reminded of that the other day when I went back to hockey practice after taking a year off. You see us athletes, we do love the sports that we play. But, it’s more than the sport, it’s what the sport gives back.

 Playing sports gives you a sense of accomplishment. Athletes love when the coach tells them “good job,” or when they make a big play to help the team out. If you ask me, I have yet to find a better feeling in life than making an open field tackle to stop the other team from getting a touchdown, or stopping someone on a breakaway to keep my team in the game. For many athletes, they look forward to the next goal they score, or the next big hit they layout as much as some people might look forward to their next paycheck. Achievements in sports are just somehow more fulfilling than many other accomplishments. Maybe it’s because it not only helps you, but also your team, or maybe it’s because YOU did it instead of anyone else from the entire other team or even the rest of your team.

I think possibly even more importantly than what you accomplish, is the friends that you make. When hanging out with people day in and day out at practices and games, you make special bonds. You help each other through much physical and emotional pain, especially when you travel with your team as much as much as you do in hockey. In hockey, you become more than just teammates, you become friends. When you play with them your whole life, you become more than friends even… you become family. You feel comfortable around them. You often can trust your teammates more than anyone else. I think it’s because you have to trust them in games, and you learn to trust in them in real life.

This is why I think sports are very important for kids to be involved in. It is a chance for kids to set their differences aside and work together and bond together. It will help them make new friends, and teach them many important life lesssons.

2013 NFL Draft

“With the first selection of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select Eric Fischer, offensive tackle, Central Michigan University.” That was the first of many picks announced by the commissioner Roger Goodell in this year’s NFL draft. The next pick I was listening for was the Detroit Lions. I didn’t have to wait very long because after another disappointing season, they had the 5^th overall pick. With that pick, they selected Ziggy Ansah, a defensive end from BYU. Ziggy is interesting because he came to the United Stated from Ghana to play basketball. He has been playing football since just 2010, but he is a natural athlete, and a great football player. With all due respect to Ziggy Ansah, I think he is a great football player, but I think we (the Lions) needed Dee Milliner the cornerback from Alabama more. Milliner was then taken 9^th overall by the New York Jets (they will need him after losing Darrelle Revis in the offseason).

So the big question was, who would be the first quarterback taken in the draft? Many thought it would be Geno Smith or Ryan Nassib to the Bills. They were right about the Bills being the first team to draft a QB, but it was E.J. Manuel out of Florida State. Other big news in quarterback category was the fact that Matt Barkley and Ryan Nassib didn’t get drafted until the 4^th round. They were drafted by the Eagles and Giants, respectively. Geno Smith was drafted in the second round (38^th overall) going to the New York Jets. Hello, quarterback controversy. I say this because the New York Jets now have six quarterbacks. (Had to explain this to my mom.)

Last but not least, the pick everyone waited all draft for was Mr. Irrelevant, the 254^thoverall and last pick. The Indianapolis Colts selected Justice Cunningham, the tight end out of South Carolina.  

X-games Foz Do Iguacu

This year, the summer X-games are taking place in more than one location at different times throughout the summer. The most recent one took place in Foz Do Iguacu, Brazil, next to some spectacular waterfalls. The athletes competing turned out to be just as spectacular. Here is a brief recap, and a few of my thoughts on these X-games.

It all started on Friday night, with a very interesting skateboard big air. First of all, Jake Brown laid down the first Ollie (no-grab) 720 spin in competition. Then, there is also the winner, Bob Burnquist, who landed a huge 720 rodeo flip. It is one thing for Bob to win skateboard big air, but it is amazing for him to be able to do it in front of his home country. In all, there have been 13 Brazilian winners so far.

On Saturday, Zack Warden won the BMX big air, landing a triple tail whip on the quarter pipe section.  Both of the big airs (skateboard and BMX) are probably my favorite events to watch. Later on, Kyle Baldock won the BMX park event, but he wasn’t done as he also went on to win the BMX dirt event. If the BMX dirt doesn’t sound familiar to you, that’s okay because this was the first time the X-games had it in seven years. I like watching this event, and hope it stays for a long time.  Also on Saturday, Nyjah Huston was able to win the Street League Skateboarding with an incredible arsenal of tricks. Nyjah has been in the X-games seemingly his whole life. He is 28 now, and has been competing since he was around 13.

These were just a few of the many amazing things that happened at these X-games in Foz Do Iguacu. Tune in this summer, for the next X-games that are taking place in Barcelona.

14 Year Old Pros?

What were you doing at age 14? Well, for Chinese golfer Guan Tianlang, he is playing in The Master’s. Not just playing, but he made the cut to become the youngest ever to do so. (For those of you like my mom, the cut means he golfed well enough to keep playing.) This Master’s encompasses a very large age group, covering from the 14 year old, Guan Tianlang to the 53 year old, Fred Couples. Golf is a sport where you can play very young (or old) but most kids don’t do anything special except make their high school golf team.

This got me thinking about other sports. In contact sports (or most pro sports) there is an age limit. In the NHL you must be at least 18 years of age, and in football you must be three years removed from high school. One exception to this was Gordie Howe who was on the Red Wings’ roster at age 17, but didn’t play until he was 18. In baseball, Bryce Harper and Mike Trout are already superstars and they are only 19 and 20, respectively. Movies sometimes don’t follow these rules. For example, in the movie Rookie of the Year, there is a young teenager pitching for the Chicago Cubs. In the MLB, you must be 16 to even try out for a farm team so this could not actually happen. However, in other sports like gymnastics you must be extremely young. Most Olympic gymnasts are between 14 and 18. It’s crazy that once you get over 20 in gymnastics, you’re considered old.

So, I must say, I’m one year away from being 14, but I have no plans of doing anything more than some school sports next year. Some of my friends dream of playing in the pros, but know that it is a long time away. Congratulations to Guan Tianlang for his performance, and good luck in your career.

Congrats Louisville and UConn

Sorry this is a little late, but I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate the men’s and women’s NCAA tournament winners.

First, congrats to the Louisville men’s basketball team. Louisville beat Michigan (who I wanted to win) in the finals, 82-76, for their third title in school history. They were the no. 1 overall seed in the tournament, and proved why. As you may recall in their elite eight matchup vs. Duke, Kevin Ware suffered a brutal leg injury. His team rallied for him and that gave Louisville the extra boost to beat Duke, and win the tournament for Ware. Kevin Ware was able to attend the finals game, and is expected to make a full recovery. By winning this game, Rick Pitino became the first men’s D1 coach to win titles at two different schools. He also won with Kentucky in 1996.

The women’s winner, the UConn Huskies, defeated the women’s Louisville squad 93-60 in the finals. That is the largest margin of victory for a NCAA tournament championship game. Even though Louisville beat Brittney Griner and the no.1 Lady Bears from Baylor, it still wasn’t enough momentum to win the tourney. If Louisville would have won, it would have been the second time the men’s and women’s  teams from the same school won the national championship in the same year. The only other school to accomplish this was UConn in 2011.

Tampa Bay Lightning Game

Just recently, I had the privilege of going to a Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers game (Thanks, Uncle Dan) I was on vacation in Florida. The Lightning lost 3-2 to the Panthers in a shootout. This was my third time ever being to an NHL game (the other two were Red Wings games), and it is truly so much different than just watching it on television. It was also way different going to a hockey game in Florida than in Detroit.

Lightning Bolts

First of all, when we drove by, we realized there was a lot of activity outside the stadium. There were vendors, games and even a stage with a live band. You can’t do this in a lot of other places because it is cold and/or snowing. It’s different from T.V. because there is so much energy in the arena. The Lightning even created their own lightning. At the beginning of every period they would have a rod hanging down from the ceiling that would shoot bolts of lightning (see picture). Every time Tampa scored the building would erupt in cheers and the sound of the goal horn. There were many other things that created energy like the live organ, cheerleaders, a t-shirt cannon, and the fans themselves.

Another thing I noticed was how much money goes into each and every game. First and foremost, the buildings are massive. I don’t even know how much some of them cost, or how many square feet they are. Second, the cooling (especially in Florida), they have to keep the ice frozen, without freezing out the guests (something small town rinks struggle with). They also have the biggest Jumbotron I have ever seen, and largest in the NHL. The main way to pay for all of this is of course sponsors. They are everywhere! Looking around, it’s hard to find a square foot that isn’t sponsored by someone, or something. And then, as if that’s not enough publicity there are contests every T.V. timeout…if you can make this shot from center ice you get $500, or if you text in the right answer you get a free hockey stick.

Going to a professional hockey game is a really cool experience.  If you ever have the chance to go to a game, I would highly recommend it.

Snowy Super Bowl?

Do you like watching football games played in the snow? Well next year the Super Bowl very well could be. The 48th Super Bowl is to be played at MetLife stadium in New York, which is an outdoor stadium. Some people are complaining that the snow will interfere with the game, and that the fans will be too cold in the stands. Here’s my opinion, if fans really want to watch the Super Bowl they will tough out the cold to be able to watch the biggest game in America. They can bundle up with their favorite jersey over their winter coat, and their team’s hat. The fans will have plenty of ways to stay warm. The whole argument about it being harder to play in snow, why is that bad? It’s not like they are going to freeze to death, they have those giant coats to go over their equipment, and there will be heaters everywhere on the sideline. Honestly, how cold can they be? The teams have to play in snow in the regular season, and the rest of the playoffs anyway, why should they get it easier in the Super Bowl?  The Super Bowl is meant to find the best team in the league, and I think the best team should be able to win no matter what the conditions. Having below freezing temperatures and snow blowing in your face might not be comfortable, but it’s hard, and tests how good a team really is.  If you ask me, the Super Bowl out in the elements is a good thing.

NHL's new conference alignment

Starting next season, the NHL will have four new conferences. They will have conference A, B, C, D, instead of the now East and West, however, it will be a lot different. Now there will be no divisions inside the conferences since they are already so small. I love this, partially because I am a Wings fan, because it lets teams like the Red Wings and Jets play against teams in their own time zone, and closer to them. The one thing I don't like about it is that it will destroy a few great rivalries, such as the Red Wings/Avalanche and the Bruins/Rangers, that fans have come to love. By far I think the biggest problem comes in the playoffs. Two conferences have eight teams, while the other two only have seven. This could create a big problem as far as chances of making the playoffs goes. So, as with everything there are ups and there are downs to this, but I think (just like the NHL does) the pros outweigh the cons. Having teams closer to their common opponents is a huge benefit to fans and players.

Welcome to My Blog

I decided to create this sports blog because I am obsessed with statistics and sports, and hope to work in sports some day. I will mostly be writing about game predictions, big news, recaps, and/or anything I think is interesting. I chose my title "As the clock runs down..." because I wanted it to be related to sports, and that is almost always the most interesting part of a game. I will mostly be covering NHL and the NFL, in particular, the Detroit Lions and Red Wings. However, I will cover big news in the NBA, MLB, and X-Games. I hope you enjoy reading my blog.