Author: Rich Sports Talk

Overlooked: AJ Mccarron not being taken seriously

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Despite his college success, Mccarron is still not a top QB in this class

Despite his college success, Mccarron is still not a top QB in this class

The NFL Draft has become a game of numbers. With more intervals and statistics than ever, it creates an overload of information when trying to judge these college players. Heck, it’s come to the point where we are asking ridiculous questions about every asset of a player’s life. Before we know it a players draft stock could plummet just because he had a cough at the combine. However, one stat that constantly gets overlooked is the most important one, winning.

In a sea of statistics bombarding every draft analyst ranging from bench presses, to forty yard dashes, and even mental tests, we forget that at the end of the day isn’t it all about winning? If it was all about the stats shouldn’t MIT professors be judging these players rather than NFL scouts? How is it that the winningest quarterback in the Draft class is not being taken seriously?

Lost in the three-horse quarterback race of Bortles, Manziel, and Bridgewater, most people have written off Alabama’s Aj Mccarron as a franchise quarterback. On pretty much every website, TV program, and draft special I have researched Mccarron isn’t even considered in the top 5 of this quarterback draft class. Blasphemous I say! If he falls to a team in the second round, he could be the steal of the 2014 Draft. Imagine if the Texans not only draft Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick but also get a great quarterback like Mccarron in the top of round 2. Houston could be back in the playoffs if they were able to pull that off.

There is no question that Mccarron is a winner

There is no question that Mccarron is a winner

Why is Mccarron getting overlooked? He’s won two national championships as a starter and had the best record of  any starter throughout his duration in college. In his career he has thrown for 77 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, and thrown over 9,000 yards. Despite this, he still has little to no respect. Heck people know him more for his girlfriend, Katherine Webb, then his football career. People will say it’s because of the talent around him that made Mccarron successful, which is true that he had the most talented team in college. However, he also had to live with the highest expectations in college football. Did any other quarterback have that much pressure? Despite a 11-2 record in his senior year, a season which most programs would die for, was a complete failure by Alabama standards. If anything being able to perform under that pressure and unreasonable expectations should make NFL executives want him even more.

When studying Mccarron I compare his college career to that of a future Hall of Famer, Tom Brady. Now by no stretch of the imagination am I saying that Mccarron will be the next Tom Brady or a Hall of Famer, but both were in similar situations when drafted. Both were vastly underrated prospects, Brady was the seventh quarterback selected and Mccarron sits as the sixth or seventh quarterback on most draft boards. Brady and Mccarron were considered game managers with little room for improvement. However, the one thing both of them did in their college career was win. If put in the right system, Mccarron could be a day 1 starter and could be a solid starter in this league. Who knows? In time he could become one of the top starters in the league. Maybe ten years from now we will look back at this draft and say man, how did all of those quarterbacks go before Mccarron? He may not be the most gifted quarterback in the 2014 NFL Draft, but the one thing that AJ Mccarron has proven is he is a winner.  And isn’t winning everything?

Clipped: Why LA is done

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An organization divided

An organization divided

They stood there in defiance. A team against an owner. The basketball team with no name, but with a loud message. “We do not support our owner”!

There is no question that the LA Clippers are in the center of a storm of controversy. In the past 24 hours, Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling has been accused of making racist remarks towards African-Americans. He even went so far as saying that he didn’t want them to attend Clippers games! This isn’t even the first time this has happen. In 2006, the U.S. department of justice sued Sterling for 2.75 million dollars for not allowing blacks to rent his apartments.

The fact that this man could make these comments is revolting. Nobody, and I mean nobody should judge others based on race. Excuse me Mr. Sterling. Aren’t you a business owner? You shouldn’t care if a person is black, white, blue, purple, or clear if they pay premium money to support your team!

After this bombshell it is clear that the title hopes for the Clippers have pretty much gone out the window. Now I know that many of you will say they are still one of the most talented teams in the league with a great head coach, and I would agree. However, it’s hard enough to win with any distractions especially one of this magnitude. Besides who wants to play for this man? Would you really risk your body for a man who clearly does not feel that way about other people? Even with the team still intact and beyond the fact that the team is protesting the owner, the big question is what next?

When the playoffs are over and if Sterling is still the owner  of the franchise, I have a strong feeling that there is going to be problems within the organization. I cannot see Doc Rivers wanting to work for this organization if Sterling is still in charge. Don’t forget the players. Would Deandre Jordan and Chris Paul want to play for a racist? I can’t see it.

While the Clippers still are in the playoff race and could potentially compete for the title, the next few months will without question be trying. With a team that was smacked in game four 118-97, and who protested the game by refusing top wear the Clippers logo in warm ups, it is clear this team does not want to play for Sterling. With a distraction like this, I see no way that the Clippers will make the finals, let alone make a run in the postseason. While the fallout from this incident still remain to be seen, there is no question that there is no fun in the sun for the Los Angeles Clippers organization right now.

 

Ace in the Hole

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Not the Ace the Mets expected, but the one they need

Not the Ace the Mets expected, but the one they need

When the grass was first cut and the infield groomed at Citi Field for the opening of the 2014 season, many die-hard Mets fans expected the orange and blue to have an ace. One problem, their ace Matt Harvey wouldn’t be toeing the rubber for the 2014 season. Who would be the Mets number one pitcher? Most people felt it would be Bartolo Colon, one of the two biggest prizes of the offseason. Others felt that Zach Wheeler would follow in the path of Harvey’s sophomore campaign and rise to the occasion. While those pitchers may not look like aces here in April, there is one who has, and noone saw him coming.

After winning the fifth starter role out of camp, it looked like Jenrry Mejia was just added to the roster to keep a spot in the rotation warm for Noah Syndergaard or Rafael Montero. Through four starts this year Mejia is a perfect 3-0 with a 1.99 ERA and 25 strikeouts. While it remains to be seen if he can get through an entire season without an injury, if he continues to stay healthy the Mets may have another future ace in their rotation. At the age of 24, Mejia has already shown he can be a starter in the majors posting a 2.30 ERA in 2013. However, he has never completed a full season and needs to find a way to stay on the field. If he can pitch an entire year, the Mets may have another great front line starter to pair with Matt Harvey in 2015.

Watching Mejia early in this season it is clear that he has made some great adjustments that have been crucial to his success. Mejia has focused more on location then trying to overpower hitters with his fastball. His fastball still remains in the low to mid 90s, but he has better command and gets great late life on the pitch. When he first came up, Mejia tried to overthrow this pitch and get it into the upper 90s. With an ability to now throw his breaking pitches consistently for strikes, Mejia has been very effective at keeping batters off balance and guessing what pitch is coming next. Now with better control of his fastball and vast improvement of his breaking pitches, it is clear that not only does Mejia have control on the mound this season but something even better, confidence.

Seeing Mejia steadily improving start after start has to give Mets’ fans hope that this team will be in serious contention in 2015. If Mejia can continue to develop, the Mets arm race for power arms just could give them one of if not the best young rotation in the game of baseball.

Barr Hopping: Should the Jets trade up?

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Would Barr be worth trading up for?

Would Barr be worth trading up for?

With less than a month to go before the NFL Draft, the New York Jets are preparing to find the pieces to get Gang Green back into the postseason. With a slew of Draft picks in a loaded draft, it looks like the Jets maybe able to do just that. While most people think the Jets should stay put with the 18th pick and select an offensive prospect, one intriguing possibility is trading up for one of the best defensive players in the draft.

There is no question that the Jets need offensive weapons. However, if they are able to sign Chris Johnson they may want to reconsider the top of their draft board. While wide receiver and tight end are vital needs for this team, the good news is that this draft is loaded at those positions with talented players being available in the second and third rounds. With that in mind, one player the Jets should consider trading up for is outside line back Anthony Barr. I know I know, the Jets need offensive pieces and help in the secondary. Why trade up? For starters this draft is loaded with talented corners and safeties that will be available from rounds 3-5, where the Jets have an abundance of picks. Using rounds 2-3 to address the offense, if the Jets can trade later draft picks or future picks to move up, it would be smart.

Of course the price has to be right, but if the Jets don’t give up too many picks, Barr would be perfect in green. As a pass rushing 3-4 outside linebacker, he could provide the dynamic speed pass rusher the Jets have been looking for. With the potential for double-digit sacks as a rookie and being compared to Demarcus Ware in terms of pass rushing, it’s clear that his presence in New York could be huge. The best way to help their depleted secondary could be by addressing the fronts seven. Passes can’t be completed when the quarterback is on the turf. With his flexibility to line up in different positions, Barr could make the Jets front seven one of if not the best unit in the league. Can you imagine the Jets stout defensive line with Coples and Barr as edge rushers? Talk about a nightmare for Tom Brady! If the Jets can make this deal a reality, Barr could become a dynamic playmaker for the Jets prolific defense.

The King and the ring

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Does the King and need a ring?

Does the King and need a ring?

Henrik Lundqvist has established himself as the king of the crease on the grandest stage, the world’s most famous arena. Throughout his career for the blue shirts Lundqvist has conquered every mountain there is to for an NHL goaltender. Most career wins and shutouts for the franchise? check. Being the team’s icon? check. Vezina trophy winner? check. There is only one hurdle left for Lundqvist to overcome, a Stanley Cup Championship. If Lundqvist wants to make a case for the hall of fame and cement his legacy as the greatest net minder in Rangers history, he needs to win a championship. There is no question that Lundqvist is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, but to solidify his legacy he needs at least one Stanley Cup.

Just look at other great goaltenders in recent memory. Martin Brodeur has three rings, and even Jonathan Quick has one. Even Hall of Famers Patrick Roy and Dominik Hasek have a championship on their resume. In some Rangers fans eyes, Lundqvist cannot be considered the best goaltender in franchise history because even Mike Richter, despite his records being broken by Lundqvist this year, was the backstop to the 1994 championship team. Just ask Lebron, when your nickname is The King, you need to back it up. If he wants to remain the king of the big apple, Lundqvist needs to bring home a ring to The Garden.

Curtains? Brodeur’s last game?

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Was this it for the best Devil?

Was this it for the best
Devil?

In 1990 the New Jersey Devils drafted a goaltender with the 20th pick in the draft. At the time none could have guessed in their wildest dreams the franchise player they had selected. 688 wins later, that goaltender could finally be ready to hang up his pads for the final time. When talking about the greatest net minders that have stood between the pipes in the NHl the conversation must start with number 30. After 3 Stanley Cup Championships and an unprecedented 20 NHL records, Brodeur is a first ballot Hall of Famer. When people ask who the greatest goaltender in NHL history was, it’s hard to argue that Brodeur isn’t the greatest of all time. No matter what he accomplished on the ice in terms of statistics or records, the impact Marty had on the Devils is immeasurable. The Prudential Center should be nicknamed the house that Brodeur Built. Throughout the ups and downs, occasionally relocation threats, and roster changes, the one constant has been Brodeur. He has been the icon of Jersey’s team for almost two decades and has brought the Devils from a relocated franchise, to a perennial NHL power. While we can easily measure Brodeur’s career from his incredible statistics, his influence goes beyond the numbers. He has put the New Jersey Devils on the map and given the Garden State a team that they can be proud of. If this was indeed the last game for the NHL’s greatest goaltender, the Jersey faithful gave him the send off that he rightfully deserved. Marty could come back for one more go, but at this point it might be time for him to hang it up. Either way, when he finals decides to call it a career, the Devils will sadly lose their greatest icon. The next question won’t be if but when he will get the call from the hall and when the Devils will inevitably hang #30 in the rafters of the arena he helped build.