Seth Curry is Stephen Curry's little brother and they are both sons of Dell Curry. I BET YOU DID NOT KNOW THAT!! Ok you probably did. A couple of days ago Seth did an interview with ESPN's "First Take". If you avoid the show like the plague like I do you probably did not catch it, especially since it was the soulless one Skip Bayless and fraulein Jamele Hill on the 1st and 10 segment. Some of the questions are pretty inane, but it is an interesting dynamic between the three Currys and there is even some old footage of Dell in the Charlotte Coliseum jacking it up. I can still remember the PA man at the Coliseum when Curry hit a three, "DC for 3!". Seth has come on to the scene quickly in college basketball, leading all freshman in the nation currently in scoring with 21.4 per game. Stephen surely gets most of the press but Seth should be ready to take his place in the years to come. Liberty right now looks to be a strong contender in the Big South after beating Virginia and almost vanquishing Clemson. VMI who beat Kentucky to open the season also looks strong in a league that should be wide open. The article and video of the interview is below.
Video: Curry Interview on ESPN2 First Take [Libertyflames.com]
Friday, December 12
Seth Curry, Your Thoughts?
Thursday, December 11
Week 15 Mr. Green Locks
I am doing my picks from a remote location, and by remote I mean XM's living room while we shoot the bull and by shoot the bull I mean drink whiskey and cuss a lot. Last week was another decent week but would have been even better if the Cowboys had held on. On to the picks...
Last week: 11-5
Season: 128-79
NO at CHI: Saints- All signs point to Bears, so I'm going Saints.
TB at ATL: Falcons- Home teams have success in the NFC South this year and I expect this game will be no different.
SEA at STL: Rams- Just because.
BUF at NYJ: Jets- If the Jets choke here, I can't wait to see the Favre press conference. How great would it be if the Jets and Packers miss the playoffs.
SF at MIA: Dolphins- I said on the podcast that the Dolphins will emerge from the AFC East and I stand by that.
SD at KC: Chiefs- I expect another great effort from KC this week. The Chargers look like they don't want to be out there.
GB at JAC: Packers- The broken dreams bowl.
WSH at CIN: Redskins- Since Clinton Portis is my boy from the U, let's just move on.
TEN at HOU: Texans- An upset special, Titans have clenched and Texans are on fire.
DET at IND: Colts- The country(including the state of Michigan) is really getting behind the 0-16 dream.
MIN at ARI: Cardinals- Just because the Cards clinched doesn't mean they don't want to finish ahead of the Vikings.
NE at OAK: Patriots- A must have game for the Pats. Not to jump up on a soapbox here, but if you think you have to make a joke about Matt Cassel's father to be funny, you're a fucking idiot.
DEN at CAR: Panthers- Catfish refuses to call this a trap game but in my mind it is a classic trap game yet the Panthers will survive.
PIT at BAL: Ravens- Will Baltimore really give away another game to Pittsburgh?
NYG at DAL: Giants- Not a Giants fan by any stretch of the imagination but please put a stake in this team.
CLE at PHI: Eagles- This team just won't die. I'm talking about the Eagles, not the Browns, they die early and often.
Tough to pull a Clue fact on short notice since I'm trying to get these in before the NFL Network game tonight (don't worry XM doesn't get it so I have no clue of the score) but enjoy some Clue Math.
College Football in the South on the Rise
Excellent article on how college football in the south has been and continues to be force in poltics, the economy, and social issues from Danny Everson at the Wall Street Journal. [WallStreetJournal]
Continue reading...Bobcats French Connection
With a tip of the cap to Cuzoogle, who are the pros at movie posters, here's the new flick playing at all ASD theatres.
The Forgotten Gator
Two years ago Chris Leak led the Florida Gators to their second national championship in the school's football history. According to the way many are talking this year about Tim Tebow, you would think that it was he who led the Gators to the victory over Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. It is all part of the media onslaught of the Tim Tebow for Heisman campaign, which will no doubt culminate with his holiness accepting another bronze trophy this Saturday in New York. The CBS commentary during the SEC Championship reached new heights when he was labeled 'Bronko Nagurski Tebow'. I think you'll find a few subtle differences between the two if you look close enough and not just because I do not think Tebow has ever pointed directions to someplace by picking up a horse-led plow. Let's take a quick look back on the 2006 title the roles played by Leak and Tebow.
First off, this is not a dismissal of the talent and desire of Tim Tebow. He is an exceptional player and we all know what a saint he is off the field. It is not hard for the sports audience to grow weary of him however. The mass sports media constantly fawn over him and treat him as the second coming of some sort of college football diety. Here are a few examples:
Voters have spoken -- give Tebow the Heisman, again [CBSSportsline]
Tebow's emotional vow could go down in sports lore [CBSSportsline]
Is this really going to go down in sports lore? I guess since he does not play on the network that employs me or I do not have a man-crush on him I do not get how blubbering about how upset you are after a loss becomes on par with winning one for the Gipper.
Tebow clings to his reign [FoxSports]
Tebow seals Heisman Trophy with SEC title game performance [SportingNews]
Tim Tebow Continues to Be Haterade-Repellent [SportingNews]
These may be justified articles about a great player, but in the minds of those of the anti-Tebow crowd, they are more examples of the media's love affair with him. The post-game press conference after the Ole Miss game is what still gets me, everyone seems to think that the Florida win was a direct result of that speech, but in truth it was a switch in the offense which involved their tremendous playmakes like Percy Harvin that proved to be the Gators' winning formula. But again I digress, let's take a trip back to 2006 when the Gators won the national championship.
By the time Leak headed into his senior season in 2006, he was already operating under the third offensive scheme in his four years at Florida. This was the second year he had had under Urban Meyer's "spread option" which Meyer had tailored more towards Leak since he was more of a dropback passer. That year Tebow was a freshman and it was apparent early that Tebow was more fit to run Meyer's offense. Before and during the season though, Leak got Meyer's vote of confidence and remained the starter throughout the season though Tebow came in for certain series, especially down by the goal-line.
The Gators schedule that year was comprised completely around SEC juggernauts since the conference was especially strong that year. The team ran through a schedule that included Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, LSU, Auburn, and Georgia in consecutive weeks. [side note: funny how Texas does not get a lot of credit for running through their gauntlet of Oklahoma, Missouri, Oklahoma St., and Texas Tech] They were all strong teams and the only team they fell to was Auburn 27-17. That was Leak's worst game of the year as he went 9-17 with 1 TD, 1 INT and was sacked 3 times. The game at the time seemed to knock Florida out of the national championship picture but a USC 13-9 upset at the hands of UCLA allowed the Gators to sneak into the championship game after they defeated Arkansas in the SEC Championship. In the SEC title game Leak was 16-30 for 189 yards 1 TD and 2 INT and 1 rushing TD. It was not his best effort of the year but the Gators won 38-28 and in that game Leak became the all-time leader in passing yards at UF, eclipsing Danny Wuerffel's mark.
In total, Leak finished as the all-time leader at Florida in attempts, completions, yards, 200-yard passing games, and total yards by a QB. His final stats were 11,213 yards, 88 passing TDs versus 42 INTs, 13 Rushing TDs, and a 139.83 passer rating. In the championship game against Ohio State Leak was 25-36 for 213 yards, 1 TD and he was named offensive MVP for the game.
Tim Tebow had 7 rushing TDs in 2006 and 5 passing TDs along with an INT. He only threw 33 passes all year, racking up 358 yards. In the championship game Tebow threw one pass for a 1 yard TD, and had 39 yards rushing and a TD. Those were pretty good stats to accumulate for someone who was not playing that much, but I beleive it is clear that Leak was the offensive leader of that team.
Chris Leak was not without his share of off-field goodliness either. He was a finalist for the Draddy Trophy which is also known as the Academic Heisman. Every semester he made the SEC Academic Honor Roll and was a keynote speaker at the Florida graduation ceremony.
Leak went undrafted in 2007 but was signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bears. He did not get much playing time and was released after the final pre-season game. Many think it is his height which prevents him from even being able to make a NFL roster. He is listed at 5'11" which may be generous as most listings are. He tried out this year for the Chiefs but again did not make the roster. On June 9th of this year he signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL and for those of you keeping score at home, they lost the Grey Cup this year to Calgary. On the Montreal team page, there are no stats listed for Leak which I assume means he received no playing time this year.
Although Tebow will most likely win his second Heisman this weekend and in my estimation he lead the Gators to another national title, but the '06 campaign was with Leak leading the offense, a highly touted recruit who overcame the Zook era and three different offensive schemes in four years to led the rout of Ohio State in Glendale and who left Florida with a good number of passing records. I have heard numerous mentions of how Tim Tebow is trying to lead his team to the 2nd national championship under his immaculate reign leadership at UF, but how quick people forget someone who did not receive the constant fellating from the media. Tebow is great and maybe one of the best college football players we have seen in awhile as some are labeling him, but if he fails to win on January 8th, he will have two Heismans his only championship will be as a back-up freshman. 
J-Rich Departs, the Morning After
I needed a night and a lil Cuervo to full digest the big Bobcats trade. I awoke today, not upset, but optimistic.
It's been just over twelve hours since the great shakeup of '08 began for the Bobcats. The team sent leading scorer Jason Richardson and consumate glue guy Jared Dudley along with a 2nd round pick to the Phoenix Suns for Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, and Sean Singletary. Reactions have ranged from reserved optimism to outrage, but regardless of what some of the pundits are saying, this trade is a positive for this team. The immediate concern for the team will be scoring and who will take the big shot, but in all other aspects the team should be improved.
Phoenix fans are ecstatic that the team finally has the shooting guard they've longed for, but also because they remember Golden State J-Rich. He's no longer the high flyer and attacks the basket only in spurts. He's become more Allan Houston than a poor man's Kobe. The trade that acquired him was designed to give the Cats a go-to scorer late in games, but more importantly it was to make the team a relevant threat to make the playoffs, which it never did. Already in this young season, he's been out because of that pesky knee that has plagued him since he came to Charlotte. Jason has aged in front of our eyes, and appears to be doing so at a rate approaching Mel Gibson in Forever Young. Slight exaggerations aside, if his knee became a chronic issue, his large contract would have become the albatross on the team through 2011. His 19 points/game will be missed by a team that already struggles to score, but statistically he provided little else. By the time this team was in position to be a contender in the East, J-Rich would've been a mere shell of the electric player he once was in Golden State.
I hate to see Jared Dudley go. He made all types of plays when he was on the floor, and that's the best compliment you can pay a player, but his trade value would never be higher, nor will his minutes/game. Personal feelings aside, he's still a role player in this league. He could make the open shot, has a high basketball IQ, but will constantly be plagued by the lack of a good position for him.
On the flip side, the Bobcats gained two players who have started in the Western Conference Finals, bringing with them more playoff experience than the entire Bobcats roster. The acquisitions improve the team's defense and the loss on the offensive end should be marginal. Raja's a capable 3-point shooter and the team's offense generates spot up opportunities through which he should excel. Boris Diaw's ability to effectively score out of the pick and roll will be a welcome addition since so much of the team's offense is predicated on it. Diaw also has the ability to stretch the defense opening driving lanes for the point guards, another primary element of the Larry Brown offense. With Steve Nash, Amare, and Shaq these guys were not primary options on the offensive end, something that could change here in Charlotte. Diaw responded during the 2005-06 season, some will say because of impending free agency, but also because he was out of the shadow of Amare. Free of that shadow, Diaw should again emerge as a legitimate starter in this league. A perceived throw-in Sean Singletary could also prove to be a steal in this trade. He's young, but Larry saw something in him to specifically target him. Don't forget that it was also Larry who wanted DJ, whose had one of the brightest rookie campaigns this season.
It's tough to watch a fan favorite go, but J-Rich's deaprture should prove to be a positive in the long run for the team. He will thrive in Phoenix as a secondary option on the offensive end, but this should not be interpreted as a failure of the team's front office. The situations both teams find themselves in are dramatically different. The value of this trade must be judged solely on the incoming Bobcats performance.It's difficult to say how the remainder of the season will play out, because the team doesn't appear to be done wheeling and dealing, but the future in Charlotte is brighter, even if one of the brightest stars to ever don the uniform is departing.
As an aside, a tip of the cap and a thank you to J-Rich and Duds for everything they gave the fans on the court and off.
Quotes from many of those involved.
Wednesday, December 10
Breaking News: J-Rich and Dudley dealt
Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley and a 2nd round 2010 pick for Raja Ball, Boris Diaw, and Sean Singletary. More to come...Link
Continue reading...Tuesday, December 9
The Shackleford Files: 001
Links: Wayne Fontenoots!
Some love for Tom Kenyon's favorite coach, Wayne Fontes. [The Love of Sports]
Thomas Vanek leads the NHL in goals with 20 as our beloved Sabres beat Sid and the Pens 4-3. [Sabres Official Site]
The Macy's parade gets Rickrolled. [Yesbutnobutyes]
University of Miami offensive coordinator Patrick Nix a candidate for Auburn job? Please Tigers, take him away! We'll pay you to! [Atlanta Journal-Constitution via the Miami Herald]
Phil Fulmer accepts "Special Assistant to the President" position; how long until he is walking around in a robe and slippers? [Tennessean]
Nice review of the MNF booth dialog. [Kissing Suzy Kolber]
A list of the top 11 (why 11?) players in college basketball. Hansbrough number 11? Remain calm Catfish. [Foxsports.com]
College football coaching legends tell you what you already know: Texas has a legitimate gripe and the current system sucks. [SportingNews.com]
The College Football Playoffs are Down to Four
Fear not citizens, their is a place in college football where the champion is decided on the field. A few weeks ago we told you about the true college football tournament that exists and you can see the bracket here. After another week of games determined on the field the FCS subdivision of division I football is down to the semifinals. For those of you wondering, the FBS subdivision just announced their bowl pairings and the BCS does not begin for another 23 days.
The big story from the Quarterfinal Round was Richmond's upset of 3-time defending national champion Appalachian State 33-13. The Spiders forced 7 turnovers while committing none to send the Mountaineers home with no hardware for the first time since 2004. ASU only gained 39 yards on the ground, not necessarily a recipe for success. It was a tremendous run for App State that included last year's historic upset of Michigan in the Big House.
Northern Iowa by 2 over New Hampshire which should make Kurt Warner proud. Top-seeded James Madison defeated Villanova as they struggled without Brian Westbrook and Montana beat Weber State probably due to the fact that Weber had no Harold Arceneaux.
This sets up the following match-ups:
(1) James Madison vs (4) Montana
(3) Northern Iowa vs (7) Richmond
The games will take place this Friday and Saturday on ESPN2. Sure they are not household names or teams that have the talent of the FBS, but it's your only chance to see a college football playoff so take it or leave it. The games are actually very competitive and the atmosphere is pretty solid for the following these teams have.
