Red Sox Season Review

Outfield: C-

Youngsters were the best players in Boston’s outfield this past year. Mookie Betts was arguably one of the biggest breakout stars of this past season, as the centerfielder hit .291 and played some exemplary defense. His backup, Jackie Bradley Jr., struggled in the 2014 season, and wasn’t fantastic with his bat this year, but provided the team with some amazing glove work and exemplary speed after being called up from the minors. The rest of the outfield was a disappointment. The Hanley Ramirez experiment in left was a catastrophic failure- his defense was horrendous, and he didn’t do near enough with his bat to make up for his horrible glove. Shane Victorino was hurt at the beginning of the season and struggled mightily when he did play, and he ended up getting dealt to the Los Angeles Angels. His replacement, Cuban import Rusney Castillo, struggled to adjust to major league pitching in his first professional season, finishing with a .253 average.

Infield: C+

Shortstop Xander Bogaerts had long been regarded one of Boston’s best prospects, and after an underwhelming 2014 season, Bogaerts broke out this past year, finishing second in the AL batting race with an average of .320. The rest of the infield was plagued with inconsistency and disappointment. Pablo Sandoval has never been a player that has hit for a high average, but his .245 batting line, combined with his 10 homers in 126 game played, made the Kung Fu Panda one of the worst free agent signings in the entire league. Dustin Pedroia was his normally steady self, but his season was shortened due to a hamstring injury that kept him out for almost 2 months. His backup, Brock Holt, was a very steady fielder, but didn’t stand out for his work with the bat. First baseman Mike Napoli, expected to be a power outlet with fellow veteran David Ortiz, was abysmal, hitting .207 with 13 home runs in 329 at bats before being designated for assignment. The man that replaced him, lanky lefty Travis Shaw, was fairly average, but didn’t do enough to impress the coaching staff to keep his starting job, as it has been reported that Ramirez will be moved out of leftfield and over to first base in hope of re-booting his career with the Red Sox. Neither of the BoSox’s main catchers, Blake Swihart or Ryan Hanigan, were similar to Shaw- they didn’t exude much confidence in themselves with their performance in the batter’s box. David Ortiz did his typical David Ortiz thing, combining a middling average with some extraordinary power numbers (37 homers and 108 RBI’s).

Pitching Staff: D

There was talk before the season that the Red Sox would live to regret the fact that Jon Lester went to Boston, and that their entire rotation was essentially composed of 3 or 4 starters. That most certainly was the case. The de facto ace, Clay Buchholz, made only 18 starts due to injury. The number 2 man, Rick Porcello, was startlingly bad, and only a late season boost in performance got his ERA below 5, to 4.92. The number 3, Justin Masterson, was even worse- the man who started his career in Boston before becoming a solid starter in Cleveland had a terrible season, finishing with an ERA of 5.61 before being released in mid-August. Team win leader Wade Miley was fairly steady, but he was slightly below average overall. Mid-season call-up Eduardo Rodriguez was a revelation, as he finished with 10 wins and an acceptable ERA of 3.85, but he projects more as a mid or back-of-the-rotation starter than he does a number 1 or number 2.

Bullpen: B-

Boston’s bullpen was probably the best facet of the team this past year, which, considering how underwhelming the rest of the team was, isn’t saying a whole lot. Koji Uehara was exceptional in his 43 appearances, but a broken wrist cut his season short, and his role as closer is under threat in the upcoming season. The trio of Robbie Ross Jr., Tommy Layne, and Rangers castoff Alexi Ogando, each of whom had at least 50 appearances, were steady is not spectacular. Veteran lefty Craig Breslow did well, considering that he was the only reliable lefty arm in the BoSox’ ‘pen, making him easy to for opposing managers to plan for. Uehara’s countryman, Junichi Tazawa, underwhelmed a little bit this year, but he has the stuff to bounce back to an elite level next season.

Coaching: C+

There are a couple of bonus point thrown in here due to the extremely unfortunate plight of manager John Farrell. On a whole, though, the coaching staff largely underperformed. The team didn’t incorporate its new players very well, and the onus for that often falls on the coaches providing an environment that builds chemistry. The pitching staff was the biggest disappointment, player wise, and was also the most disappointing aspect coaching wise, because Farrell himself is a former Boston pitching coach. Farrell incorporated the team’s call-ups flawlessly, but he has to help his team perform much better next year. After, of course, he completes his treatment for cancer, which is currently top priority.

Front Office: D

Ben Cherington was the man that made the bet on having a pitching staff that was built on pitchers that had no business being at the front of the rotation, the man that decided to sign Pablo Sandoval, the man that decided to sign Hanley Ramirez and stick him out in left field. The biggest moves, and the biggest failures, of this past season fall on Cherington’s shoulders- it makes sense that he was relieved from his duties. Succeeding Theo Epstein could not have been an easy task, but Cherington was generally underwhelming in his term as Red Sox GM, and this season was a culmination of that.

Overall: D+

Looking to the Future

Dave Dombrowski and Mike Hazen will have their work cut out for him to make this a competitive team, not just next year, but two or three years down the road. Big Papi is a consistent source of offense, but at 37 he’s getting up there age wise. Betts and Bogaerts were phenomenal this year, but they are almost certain to regress to the mean this upcoming season. Figuring out what to do in order to accommodate, or move, Pablo Sandoval ad Hanley Ramirez, will be vital, especially considering the salary of the two players. Also, finding a catcher, and possible upgrades at the corner outfield positions, will be towards the top of the two men’s to-do list.

The biggest problem they have to deal with, though, is obviously the rotation. Buchholz and Rodriguez might be the only two pitchers that really belong in the pitching staff of a team as ambitious as the Red Sox. Expect the team to pursue the big names, like David Price and Zach Greinke, but also less heralded players, like former Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann.

0 Comments Leave a comment

White Sox Season Review

Outfield: C

The beginning of the year was a poor time to be a Chicago White Sox outfielder. Spark plug leadoff man Adam Eaton was batting under the Mendoza line, expensive new signing Melky Cabrera was very close to it, and Avisail Garcia was fairly rusty in his first full season with the team after tearing his labrum early last season. The right fielder was up and down all season, and he never seemed to get in the groove enough to produce the power he was capable of. Both Eaton and Cabrera bounced back to have fairly decent seasons with the bat- Eaton finished with a .287 average, while Cabrera finished batting .273- but their below average play in the field, and their lack of production in games that truly mattered, made them relative disappointments. There was a late season spark here in the form of Trayce Thompson, who was very impressive when given an opportunity to play, but where he figures to get future playing time in a fairly expensive outfield remains to be seen.

Infield: C-

This grade is bolstered by the beast that is Jose Abreu. Even though the Cuban first baseman’s average was down from 2014, his performance was still phenomenal, as he joined Albert Pujols as the only two players in baseball history to hit at least 30 homeruns and knock in 100 RBI’s in their first two seasons in the big leagues. The rest of the infield… well, to say that they underachieved might be an understatement. At third, Connor Gillaspie was unable to produce the form that made him one of the best hitters in baseball in the first half of the 2014 season, and he was designated for assignment. His replacement, former Cub Mike Olt, flashed some power, but also showcased his major strikeout problem that has prevented him from fulfilling his first-round potential. Tyler Saladino showed some promise late in the season, but none of his at-bats had any meaning, so it will be interesting to see how he performs in more competitive games next year. 35-year old shortstop Alexei Ramirez finally started to show his age, and was one of the worst everyday players in the game. Young second basemen Micah Johnson and Carlos Johnson flashed some good leather, but neither were able to produce anything with their bats; neither did proverbial backup Gordon Beckham. Catcher Tyler Flowers didn’t, either. The biggest disappointment, though, had to be Adam LaRoche. He was heralded as being a slightly less powerful, but far more efficient, version of Adam Dunn. He was less powerful, but his average, .207, was definitely Dunn-esque.

Pitching Staff: C-

The inconsistency that plagued this team all year was especially prevalent in the starting rotation. There were times when Chris Sale looked like a man that could easily win the AL Cy Young award, but there were also times that he got shelled by teams that he had no business getting destroyed by. There were times when Jeff Samardzija looked like the 1A to Sale’s 1, but those times were few and far between, as The Shark finished with a high ERA of 4.96. Jose Quintana had the best area out of all the qualified starters, but he still finished with more losses than he did wins. John Danks continued his steady decline, finishing with a 7-15 record and an ERA of 4.71. The man that started the season as the number 5 starter, Hector Noesi, finished without a win in his 5 starts and was eventually designated for assignment. The Sox got a boost from two minor league call-ups- former first round pick Carlos Rodon lacked some control in the majors, but showed that he had the stuff to dominate major league hitters, while International League Most Valuable Pitcher Erik Johnson looked good in his 6 starts.

Bullpen: B

The bullpen in the 2014 season was absolutely horrendous, so the signing of David Robertson to fill the closer role automatically made the ‘pen better. Robertson did have a fairly high ERA for a closer at 3.41, but he was generally consistent at shutting the door on teams, which was vital. The two left relievers that were brought in, Zach Duke and Dan Jennings, had their rough moments, but both finished with over 50 appearances and had ERA’s under 4. Nate Jones came back from his steady in the 19 appearances he made after returning from two surgeries he underwent the previous summer. The best relievers from 2014’s disaster, Jake Petricka and Daniel Webb, had mixed results- Petricka was solid in his 62 appearances, while Webb struggled mightily, finishing with a 6.30 ERA in 27 appearances.

Coaching: C

Robin Ventura and his staff came under considerable fire this past season- expectations for this team were very high, but they failed to meet them as the club finished under .500. Some of the criticism was warranted- many veteran players had steep fall offs in performance, and there was no fire to really instigate improvement. The team just never really seemed to mesh. On the other hand, there is only so much that the coaches could have done- a lot of the blame for this season’s results should fall on the players’ shoulders- and it seemed like Ventura did a solid job of incorporating minor league call-ups into the lineup and rotation, which is never an easy task.

Front Office: C-

The team’s biggest acquisition, Samardzija, was about as big of a flop as a pitcher of his caliber could possibly be. The other major transactions, the signings of both Cabrera and LaRoche, look to be expensive mistakes at this point. The biggest holes that were obvious in last year’s offseason- middle infielders, a good hitting catcher, and back-of-the-rotation starters- are still major weaknesses. Rick Hahn and his cronies did do a good job of bolstering the bullpen and promoting the proper players to help the big club, but they’ll judged mostly on their big moves, which were decidedly poor.

Overall: C

Looking to the Future

Hahn seems to have built this team in with a “win-now” mentality and in order to do that, he has a lot of different things to evaluate. Determining if Thompson has a permanent place in the outfield- possibly by moving Garcia to the DH slot and designating LaRoche for assignment, or reducing the right fielder to a backup role- will be important. So will determining whether or not to exercise Alexei Ramirez’s $10 million option, and whether the team will wait for its young infielders (Saladino, Sanchez, Johnson, and Tim Anderson) to develop or make a foray into free agency to find a more proven player.

Samardzija will likely be gone in free agency, unless he decides to take a hometown discount to stay with the Sox. If the team thinks Rodon can step into his role as the #2 man behind Sale, then Hahn can target innings-eaters in free agency instead of going after another big name. The bullpen seems pretty much set, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Hahn went after another arm or two, because in all honesty, you can never have enough relievers.

0 Comments Leave a comment

10 Bold Predictions for the 2015/16 NHL Season

Let me preface this: I am not a knowledgeable hockey fan. When my dad, a former college hockey player, screams at the TV screen at players, two-thirds of the time I have absolutely no idea what he’s talking about. But I know enough about hockey to know what a good team looks like and what a bad team looks like, which players are on the verge of superstardom and which players are over the hill. So, without further adieu, here are my 10 bold predictions for the upcoming season:

1. Neither the Blackhawks nor the Lightning will make this year’s finals

Saying that the Lightning won’t make the Cup this year is a fairly easy proposition for me. Jon Cooper’s squad will certainly make the playoffs, and I think that Steven Stamkos will have a much better year in the playoffs than he did this past season. However, I think that the more involved the captain becomes in the Lightning offense, the more off-balanced it will become, taking away valuable ice time for “The Triplets,” Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov, who carried throughout last year’s run. But being a Chicago boy, saying that the ‘Hawks won’t be able to reach the final, much less retain the Cup, is very hard for me to think about. However, I think that the loss of Patrick Sharp, the dependence on new (and somewhat unproven) role players to fill the second line, and a lack of defensive depth will destabilize the team enough to allow one of their challengers topple them.

2. The Minnesota Wild will win the Stanley Cup

The challenger that will do so will be the team from the north, the Wild. I realize that Mike Yeo’s squad have been battered by my ‘Hawks in the past two postseasons, and that the Anaheim Ducks, led by Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, are probably the prohibitive favorites to lift the Cup this season. However, I think that there are a couple of points in the Wild’s favor for this upcoming season. Chicago purged some good players after Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane’s extensions kicked in, and they will have a weakened roster compared to last year’s, so the Wild’s nemesis is weakened. The Wild also developed some valuable playoff experience last season, with tough series against the ‘Hawks and the St. Louis Blues. These two factors, and their talented roster, will lead to the first Cup in team history.

3. Tyler Seguin will win NHL MVP

In 2013, after the Boston Bruins lost the Stanley Cup to the Blackhawks, moves had to be made to cut salary. One of the moves GM Peter Chiarelli made was to trade youngster Tyler Seguin to the Dallas Stars. Since then, Seguin has become a bona fide goal scorer, but the Stars weren’t built to be a top team primed for a playoff run. Now, with the acquisitions of Patrick Sharp, Johnny Oduya, and Antti Niemi, they are. While Jaime Benn is the best all-around player on the Stars, and his new teammates are very good players, Seguin is the highest scorer and the face of the franchise, so his production will not diminish. That new supporting cast will allow his team to make the playoffs, which will give a big boost to Seguin’s MVP candidacy. A candidacy that I think will see him lifting the Hart Trophy next summer.

4. Michael Therrien will win Coach of the Year

Montreal’s lack of success in the playoffs has brought a lot of heat down on Therrien, and many fans have urged Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin to fire the coach. Some of the criticism levelled at Therrien is fair, but most of it is not. For a team that has relatively limited offensive potential, and without the threat of the legitimate top-tier superstar that other teams have (PK Subban is close, but not quite there), the Canadiens under Therrien sure do finish with a hell of a lot of points. I think that this is the year that the Canadiens finally get the recognition they deserve for their consistency, and that Therrien will be honored for heralding said consistency.

5. Max Domi wins Rookie of the Year

Connor McDavid might be the next Sidney Crosby. Jack Eichel seems to be primed to take Buffalo by storm. But I think that Domi will win the Calder Trophy over the both of them. I think that pressure makes the difference here- McDavid and Eichel will be in the spotlight all season long as the faces of their franchise, and they don’t really have experienced players to help show them the path to success. In Arizona, meanwhile, the Coyotes have little to no expectations, so Domi will be in the lineup making a difference virtually every night, and he has grizzled veteran captain Shane Doan to show him how to play. It’ll be close, but Domi will win.

6. The Maple Leafs will make the playoffs

Yes, the Maple Leafs were atrocious last year. Yes, they lost arguably their best rotation player in Phil Kessel. But the trading away of their leading scorer might be a good thing- he seemed somewhat malcontented in Toronto- and the signing of legendary coach Mike Babcock will help breathe some fresh life into one of the NHL’s most important teams. They might not have the prettiest season, but I think that Babcock will get enough out of his role players to allow the Leafs to sneak into the playoffs.

7. The Red Wings will not make the playoffs

This is as much a product of Mike Babcock’s departure to Toronto as my prediction involving the Maple Leafs is- Babcock is a master motivator, and keeping a team of aging superstars and raw up-and-comers together, as he did last year, will not happen under new coach Jeff Blashill. The stability at the back of their team also worries me a little bit- Petr Mrazek showed that he can be very good and very bad, while veteran Jimmy Howard struggles with injuries and is inconsistent when he plays. I also think that they will put too much dependence on a defenseman, Mike Green, that isn’t as good as he looks. It’ll be a shock, but the Red Wings will be out of the playoffs for the first time since 1990.

8. The Avalanche will end up with a top-5 pick

I love Patrick Roy. I don’t doubt his leadership abilities, and the fire that he will consistently try to light under his team. I love Nathan MacKinnon, and think that he very closely resembles a younger version of Jonathan Toews. But I just don’t find the rest of Colorado’s roster all that impressive, even with the addition of Jerome Iginla. It also doesn’t help, of course, that the Avalanche play in the toughest division in the game, where each team is capable of making a run in the playoffs. Every team, that is, except for Colorado’s. I expect them to slump and end up being fairly bad this upcoming season.

9. Cam Ward and Eric Staal will both be traded

The Hurricanes won a Stanley Cup in 2006 on the back of their stars, captain Staal and goalie Ward. Today, both players are still in Carolina, but the team around them is far different. That is, to say, it’s much worse. The only player that might crack the rotation of another top-level team besides the previously mentioned players is Eric’s brother, Jordan. The presence of the Staals, and Ward, prevented the team from being bad enough to fall into the Connor McDavid/Jack Eichel sweepstakes, and will keep them on the outside of a truly enviable drafting position until they are all gone. After a couple years of rumors, I think that this will be the year that GM Ron Francis finally pulls the trigger on getting rid of his highest paid players, sending them to teams needing a #1 or #2 center (Florida, Montreal, Nashville) and veteran stability at goalie (St. Louis, Washington, Anaheim), respectively.

10. John Tavares will score 50 goals

The last season in the Nassau Collesium was not a bad one for the Islanders. After an extended period of slumping brought upon by Rick DiPietro’s albatross of a contract, GM Garth Snow built a team around its captain, Canadian John Tavares, that was in the race for the President’s Trophy for much of last season. Tavares himself had a pretty good season; not a traditional scorer in any sense, the center put away 38 goals, good for 4th in the league. Now, with the Isles entering a new stadium, I expect the team to up their game even further. To topple their in-state rivals, the Rangers, it will, of course, take a full team effort, but I think that Tavares will step up to the plate and produce more than he ever has. I believe he can, and I believe he will. 50 goals is A LOT of goals.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic

Canadiens (#1)

Lightning (#2)

Panthers (#6)

Maple Leafs (WC#2)

Bruins

Red Wings

Senators

Sabres

Metropolitan

Penguins (#3)

Islanders (#4)

Rangers (#5)

Capitals (WC#1)

Blue Jackets

Devils

Flyers

Hurricanes

Western Conference

Central

Blackhawks (#2)

Wild (#3)

Stars (#4)

Predators (WC#1)

Blues (WC#2)

Jets

Avalanche

Pacific

Ducks (#1)

Kings (#5)

Canucks (#6)

Flames

Sharks

Oilers

Coyotes

PLAYOFFS

Eastern Conference

First Round

Canadiens def. Maple Leafs

Lightning def. Panthers

Penguins def. Capitals

Islanders def. Rangers

Conference Semifinal

Canadiens def. Lightning

Islanders de. Penguins

Conference Final

Islanders def. Canadiens

Western Conference

First Round

Ducks def. Blues

Wild def. Stars

Blackhawks def. Predators

Kings def. Canucks

Conference Semifinals

Wild def. Ducks

Blackhawks def. Kings

Conference Finals

Wild def. Blackhawks

Stanley Cup

Wild def. Islanders

0 Comments Leave a comment

The US and Immigration

There are many different things, many different moving parts, that make up the United States of America. Some of them are not the most positive things in the world- the fact that the US has more people in jail more than any other country in the world is one thing that comes to mind about why this country isn’t always the shining light that many people make it out to be. That being said, there are still many things to be proud of about the US, and one of the things that I am the most proud of in this country is the amazing diversity that it has. There are tons of different cultures, and thousands of different viewpoints, that come from the many different people that live in the US. Here at Babson, I’ve met people from Mexico, Canada, Turkey, South Korea, Egypt, China, Switzerland, South Africa, and, I’m sure, people from other countries that I’ve been too nervous to talk to.

Most, if not all, people in the US, are either immigrants or descendants of them. That includes the people that just came to this country yesterday, but also includes me- my great-great grandparents on my dad’s side came to America for a better life in the after the Irish potato famine. While the immigration rate is far lower than it was in its heyday, which saw hundreds of thousands of people enter the country while making Ellis Island into a national landmark, the American Dream is very much alive today. However, many conservatives, with Donald Trump among the most vocal, believe that the number of immigrants, particularly illegal ones (and, in Trump’s case, the number of immigrants, illegal or not, from Mexico), need to be reduced drastically, and that a wall might need to be built along the US-Mexico border to make that happen. I believe that Trump, and those that wholeheartedly believe in his policies, are terrible people for their blatant racism towards the Mexican people. However, I do believe that our immigration policy needs to be revised to cut down on the number of immigrants let into the country, illegal or not, Mexican or otherwise, as soon as possible.

Now, you may think me racist, or may think me in line with the extremely conservative view on immigration. But I beg to differ on that. I don’t feel that the illegals that are already here should be deported; nor do I feel that their children should be denied American citizenship due to their parents’ status as illegal immigrants. I’m also extremely grateful for many of the immigrants, for what they do to keep our economy working by taking jobs that many white, “traditional” Americans refuse to take due to the hard work required, or due to the idea that the job is “below them.” As such, we need to consider WHY so many immigrants, particularly Mexican ones, are so willing to take such low class jobs, and risk deportation, to come to live here in America. And, the sad fact is that the quality of life for many immigrants, illegal or not, is very poor, far poorer than would it would be even in the slums of the American towns and cities that they end up in. Mexican immigrants, for example, have to live with a government corrupted by the vicious drug traders that threaten the lives of many thousands of people. Middle and eastern Europeans face both economic (Greece) and political (Ukraine) instability, and the ever-looming threat of the all-powerful Russia. Asians come over due to overpopulation and a lack of resources in the region. All of these things are very valid gripes, and while the US certainly has its problems, its current status as a beacon of capitalism makes it a desirable place to move for all of the immigrants.

Here’s the problem: immigrating to the United States, or a western European country, in the face of trouble has become the status quo. Or, if immigration isn’t the status quo, then having a multinational company go into an unstable, impoverished area to employ the disadvantaged people to make products for low wages is the status quo. The point is, we, as a country, are fostering the wrong idea of what people should do when faced with a problem. We shouldn’t just run from our problems, and nor should we put on a big show (in this case, the show would be a multinational corporation) to cover up the problem.

We should, instead, enable people, and encourage people, to buck the status quo of fleeing from their poor environments. Obviously, there are many immigrants for whom it is almost necessary that they flee their homeland and move to another country- Syria comes to mind for me- but if every person in a situation that might warrant moving to another country decided to pack up their bags and move to a developed country, then many countries’ caring capacities will become stretched thin. Resources will be stretched to their absolute limits, and the rate at which our planet’s environment is deteriorating will increase beyond anyone’s ability to control it. And, on top of that, the economy would be so concentrated into certain areas of the world that the idea of a local economy would no longer exist. Big multinational corporations would be able to function with little to no resistance, and would easily be able to take advantage of people in the way I described earlier. Massing people into more developed countries may mean a good short term outcome for displaced people, but would mean long term disaster economically and environmentally.

What we should be doing, instead, is to get in to disadvantaged people, enable them to do or to get what they need, and get out. Obviously, doing that is easier said than done, with many people that are the most desperate for help- particularly Africans, who are at a huge disadvantage due to their lack of resources (particularly money) in relation to the rest of the world- but if we were to make ENABLING people the status quo, instead of encouraging people to immigrate and work for a better life, it is obvious what the benefits would be. Not having people flooding into Western countries will allow them to somewhat maintain their caring capacities, and not have to dive in and ruin other countries’ landscapes in search of resources. Enabled peoples will be more enlightened on how to use the resources that they have in order to live productive lives in local economies, which, in turn, deemphasizes people’s needs for a lot of money and a larger, more “connected” (that is, closer to more of society) lifestyle that is so prized by the Western way of life. Enable peoples also would be able to know how to make their lives continue on, as normal as possible, in the face of adversity, similar to how Native Americans have been resilient, despite their constant removal from their tribal homes by the US government.

Again, as I stated earlier, I do not believe that every immigrant, illegal or otherwise, coming into this country should stay in their homeland. It makes a lot of sense for a good chunk of people to come to the United States, or another Western country, and work hard to make a living the best that they can- it’s very admirable that they do so, and it makes our country a better place. But, if we could cut down on the number of immigrants coming to the US and enable people to, in essence, live productive lives with what they have been given, either by nature or through limited assistance from our enabling, and not to conform to the gluttony and materialism that permeates modern capitalism, then every country in the world would be much better off, economically, environmentally, and emotionally.

1 Comment Leave a comment

2015 NFL Season Preview

The past 7 months of professional football have been relatively dramatic, considering that nothing that has happened has been on the field. Since the Patriots topped the Seahawks in a dramatic 28-24 victory, a lot has happened in the National Football League. Many big stars have switched teams. High-profile coaches have been fired, and new up-and-comers have been hired. New hotshot rookies were drafted or signed into the league. Some underperforming veterans were released. Deflategate has constantly lingered in the background, as have deeply serious issues about concussions. But all of those things can finally, FINALLY be pushed to the side. In a couple short hours, Tom Brady and his Patriots will square off against Ben Roethlsiberger’s Steelers. Football will be back. How this season will play out is anyone’s guess- here’s my guesses for what will happen, ON THE FIELD, in the coming months.

Regular Season Standings

NFC

NFC West:

Rams (#2)

Seahawks (#1WC)

Cardinals

49ers

The Seahawks are a very trendy pick to win the Super Bowl this upcoming season. And I understand why- Russell Wilson led his team to a Super Bowl last year, and now he has a legitimate passing game weapon in Jimmy Graham at his disposal. But I think there are a couple of issues with this team- the loss of Max Unger, whom they traded away to get Jimmy Graham, being the first and foremost one. His loss cannot be understated. I also think that some cracks are starting to show in the ‘Hawks vaunted secondary- Kam Chancellor might hold out for a good chunk of time, and while Cary Williams is a decent cornerback, he will get beat up on more than Richard Sherman’s other partners did. These weaknesses will allow the Rams to supplant them. The Rams front 7 are filled with absolute beasts, and that doesn’t even include the soon-to-breakout Alec Ogletree, their first round pick in 2013. The acquisition of Nick Foles will allow the team to better utilize their speedy wide receivers, and the drafting of Todd Gurley gives the running game perhaps the best 1-2 punch in the entire league. The Rams also happen to have a slightly easier strength of schedule than their rivals. All of those things will allow the Rams to top what is arguably the best division in the game

The Cardinals and the 49ers are not bad teams, by any means. The Cards get Carson Palmer back after an injury caused him to a good portion of the season, and he will have a trio of athletic receivers to throw to. In San Fran, the signing of speedster Torrey Smith and the promotion of young, powerful back Carlos Hyde will keep their offense at least above average. The problem for both of these teams will be their defenses. The Cardinals lost run-stuffing defensive tackle Dan Williams and elite cornerback Antonio Cromartie to free agency, while the 49ers were decimated by retirements by three major contributors. In a league that is well into a period of offense-first mentalities, these two teams’ shortcomings will see them fall short of playoff places.

NFC North:

Packers (#3)

Vikings (#2 WC)

Lions

Bears

The Pack were dealt an early-season blow when Jordy Nelson tore his ACL, and things got really scary after Randall Cobb landed hard on his shoulder. Thankfully for Mike McCarthy’s club, the speedy Cobb didn’t get a serious injury, and will be at close to 100% when the season starts. With Davante Adams and Jeff Janis stepping in to help fill the Nelson-shaped void, Green Bay’s offense will be a step below high octane, but Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy, and Cobb are talented enough to boost this team to the top of the division by themselves.

The best of the rest will be the Vikings, who will be one of my two “surprise” playoff picks for the upcoming season. Obviously, the return of Adrian Peterson will get the most publicity, but I think that the addition of Mike Wallace as a compliment to Charles Johnson at receiver, as well as the drafting of potential superstar corner Trae Waynes, are the two moves that will make the biggest difference for this team. Teddy Bridgewater’s development will accelerate faster than many anticipated, and the former Louisville man will help guide his team into the second wild card spot.

The other two teams in this division could be fighting for a wild card spot or a first round pick, depending on how their season starts. The Lions will have to depend on their offense more than they have had to in the past few years, thanks to the losses of Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, but I expect Calvin Johnson to continue to struggle with injuries and for Golden Tate to fall off a bit after a career season last year. If Joique Bell and Ameer Abdullah can pick up a lot of slack, then the team could be ok. But otherwise, they could be in some trouble. The Bears have a much improved defensive coaching staff this year, and picked up a couple of intriguing players (Pernell McPhee and Antrel Rolle) to fill pressing needs. However, major injury concerns at wide receiver, and a merry-go-round at offensive line, present major problems. If the Monsters of the Midway can get them sorted out, they may be a fringe contender- otherwise, Bears fans could be in for another long year.

NFC South:

Falcons (#4)

Panthers

Buccaneers

Saints

This is perhaps the weakest division in football- their division winner finished under .500 last year, for goodness sakes! There are a couple of reasons that I think that the Falcons will be able to rise to the top. The first is the dedication to a younger running game on offense- by starting rookie Tevin Coleman and backing him up with second-year man Devonta Freeman, the Falcons will have some explosiveness in the backfield to take pressure off of Matt Ryan. The second, and most important reason, is the hiring of Dan Quinn as the head coach. He will bring a fiery leadership to help rejuvenate a defense that has been pretty vanilla in the past couple seasons. The third reason is that Atlanta has the easiest strength of schedule of any NFL team this season. I don’t expect them to make it look easy, but I do think they will win the division.

The next two teams, the Panther and the Bucs, have relatively similar defenses- a few good role players in certain places and a middle linebacker that wreaks havoc. They both have running games that have the potential to be special, but have largely failed to do that in recent years. This, to me, means that the play of the teams’ two quarterbacks will determine who finishes second in this division. Though Jameis Winston will be a better, more polished version of Cam Newton once he matures, and currently has better weapons than the Auburn man, but at this point in their careers, Newton has more ability to carry his team, so I think the Panthers will sneak above the Bucs.

I feel badly putting the Saints in last place in the division because of how much respect I have for Drew Brees. But the offense has lost some of its luster with the trades of Kenny Stills and Jimmy Graham, as well as the parting of ways with Pierre Thomas. Even the normally dependable Marques Colston is starting to slow up a little bit. And on the defensive side of the ball, after the release of troubled pass rusher Junior Galette, there just aren’t any real playmakers. Despite Brees’s best efforts, this is a team headed for a top-10 pick.

NFC East:

Cowboys (#1)

Eagles

Giants

Redskins

I’ve never seen the problem that people have with Tony Romo- yes, he doesn’t always perform the greatest in high pressure situations, but only a select few are able to consistently do so. After an impressive statistical season last year, the only offensive starter that departed the team was DeMarco Murray, and Joseph Randle has enough talent to make up for most, if not all, of his production. The quality of the defense worries me a little bit, but the ‘Boys offense is solid in every area imaginable, and will help guide them to a division title and the number one seed in the NFC.

I, unlike many football experts, liked most of the move that Chip Kelly made this past offseason (except for the Byron Maxwell signing). However, the Eagles defense just doesn’t seem like it will be all that great at stopping the pass, and while DeMarco Murray is a solid NFL running back, he benefitted greatly from playing behind a beastly O-line in Dallas, and I don’t think he’ll do enough to prevent many teams from sending 5 or 6 players in all-out blitz mode, gunning for the oft-injured Sam Bradford. The Eagles have a talented pair of wideouts, but that won’t be enough to see them to the playoffs.

The bottom two teams in this division will be one of the two worst teams in football. The Giants offense has a lot of firepower, with Eli Manning and two elite receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz (and even a solid slot guy in Rueben Randle), but the defense is no longer what it once was, and will struggle to stop many teams. The Redskins, outside of Alfred Morris, are a complete mess. Their quarterback situation is extremely chaotic, the weapons they have outside of Morris are very streaky, and their defense doesn’t have anyone on it that really stands out outside of Ryan Kerrigan, who, as a defensive end, can only do so much with the players he has around him.

AFC

AFC West:

Broncos (#4)

Chargers (WC #2)

Chiefs

Raiders

The Broncos and Chargers are, to me, two fairly evenly matched teams. At this point, Peyton Manning and Phillip Rivers are very similar ability-wise. Both teams have an above-average pass rush and two Pro Bowl-caliber players in their secondary. The biggest difference between the teams, to me, is the talent level of the skill players on offense. I really like Keenan Allen, but he doesn’t compare to the freak of nature that is Demariyus Thomas. Emmanuel Sanders is far better than Malcolm Floyd. The combination of Virgil Green and Owen Daniels will outperform the combination of Ladarius Green and Antonio Gates. CJ Anderson is far more explosive than Melvin Gordon. The Chargers will make it tough on Denver, but the Broncos offense has more firepower than Denver’s does. Both teams will make it into the playoffs, but Gary Kubiak’s men will take the division.

The futures of the Chiefs and Raiders have me really conflicted. I think that both teams made some nice additions this offseason- Jeremy Maclin and Marcus Peters for the Chiefs, Amari Cooper and Curtis Lofton for the Raiders- and both clubs have solid, experienced veteran coaches in Andy Reid and Jack Del Rio. However, it just feels to me like something is… missing. I don’t quite know what it is, but the two things that come to mind for me are offensive consistency and defensive talent. I think that those two things will make it difficult for either team to make a real playoff push, and they both finish in the bottom half of the league.

AFC North

Bengals (#1)

Steelers

Ravens

Browns

I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering, “Why do you have the Bengals winning this division, and as a #1 seed?” Well, Jeremy Hill is a top-5 NFL running back with a quality backup in Giovani Bernard. Marvin Jones is back after losing all of last year to injury, and Tyler Eifert is returning from a major injury, too, giving Andy Dalton the most potent offense he’s ever had. Marvin Lewis’s front 7 is filled with talent, and added Super Bowl winner AJ Hawk to provide a capable backup and steady veteran leadership. Steady corner Leon Hall works opposite the fleet Adam Jones. The team is somewhat weak on its back end safety, but other than that, it’s impossible to find a flaw in this team that they can’t easily compensate for. So while it is altogether possible for Dalton and co. to flop in the playoffs, this is a good enough team to be the top AFC team in the regular season.

Each of the remaining teams in this division were in playoff contention for most of last season, but have flaws that, to me, will be enough to keep all of them out of the playoffs, and maybe even keep them from being as successful as they were last year. The Steelers have one of the best offenses in the entire league, but their defense, despite strong efforts to improve it, is nowhere near the quality that it once was, especially in the secondary. The Ravens defense, too, isn’t as strong as it was in its glory days, but its biggest problem is that its offense can’t be counted on to be super effective- Dennis Pitta is injured, Steve Smith is aging, Breshad Perriman is unproven, and Justin Forsett can’t be counted on to recreate his career year. The Browns have a decent defense, led by All-Pro cornerback Joe Haden, but their questions at quarterback, and their lack of weapons in the passing game, will prevent them from making it anywhere in a league where the teams with the better passing games are likely to trump other teams. The AFC North was definitely the AFC’s best division last year, but I can’t see them repeating the performance this season.

AFC South

Colts (#3)

Jaguars

Texans

Titans

The Colts have been considered one of the weaker division winners of the league because of the lack of quality within the rest of the division. But the team made a couple of veteran additions that might make Indy a threat to be the top team in the AFC. Putting Andre Johnson opposite TY Hilton gives them a possession-orientated threat to complement Hilton’s speed, and signing former San Fran running back Frank Gore gives the team a true top-10 back for the first time since Edgerrin James left for Arizona. The defense still has some weaknesses, but the offense is good enough to carry this team to a very solid record this year. Following them in the standings will be one of my surprises of the year, the Jaguars. Despite the injury to first round pick Dante Fowler Jr. and many people’s doubts about the development of Blake Bortles, but by bringing in former Denver star Julius Thomas and drafting running back TJ Yeldon to help the offense, along with the signing of defensive end Jared Odrick to improve the team’s pass rush, the Jags, who will be playing 4 games this season against two teams that will be among the worst in the game, will definitely see their record from last year, and maybe, just maybe, they can make a run at the playoffs.

As I said earlier, I believe the bottom two teams in this division will struggle mightily this season. I really like Brian Hoyer, and (kind of) have since his days at Michigan State, but the uncertainty surrounding the injured Arian Foster, as well as the departure of franchise icon Andre Johnson, will make it tough for the team to really get any momentum going, despite two freaks like JJ Watt and Jadeveon Clowney leading the defense. The Titans have a similar problem to the Texans. I love Marcus Mariota, and I think that the defense will be much improved with Brian Orakpo joining longtime defensive anchor Michael Griffin. But having Bishop Sankey as your running back and Harry Douglas as your number 1 receiver will not strike fear into any opposing defenses, especially when your quarterback has yet to play an NFL game. Look for these AFC South squads to land a top-10 pick.

AFC East:

Patriots (#2)

Bills (WC #1)

Dolphins

Jets

The AFC East will battle with the NFC West to be the top division in football. The Jets, while surrounded by controversy brought on by the punch to Geno Smith’s face, have improved in many areas. They’ve brought in star receiver Brandon Marshall to bolster the passing game. The brought back Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie while drafting former USC star Leonard Williams to bolster the defense. The Dolphins brought in megastar defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to work with Cameron Wake and Brent Grimes on defense, and added receivers Kenny Stills and Greg Jennings to help out Ryan Tannehill. All of those players are very talented, and have the potential to push their teams into contention. But one team in front of them has made moves that will make them a legit playoff contender, and the other one… well, the other one is the defending champion.

The Bills are my dark horse this year- I like Tyrod Taylor more than most people do, and I think that the unbelievable amount of explosiveness surrounding him, highlighted by LeSean McCoy, supplemented by Sammy Watkins and Percy Harvin, will make things easier on Taylor and allow him excel. Plus, with Rex Ryan coming in to help provide his own wrinkles to a defense that finished 4^th overall in total yards allowed last season, I think the Bills will be good enough to take the first wild card slot. The Patriots, meanwhile, may have lost Darrelle Revis to the division rival Jets, but a full year of Tom Brady and a healthy Rob Gronkowski will make the Pats tough to beat. Combine those two with Julian Edelman and LeGarrette Blount, and they will be VERY tough to beat. The Pats take the division, but Ryan continues to be a thorn in Coach Bill Belichick’s side.

Playoffs:

NFC

Wildcard

Seahawks defeat Falcons

Packers defeat Vikings

The Falcons will have a home field advantage, and also happen to have one of the best receivers of his generation. And those are about the only things they have over the Seahawks. Russell Wilson is better than Matt Ryan and has more valuable playoff experience, and Marshawn Lynch can top the Falcons’ running back duo any day. And then there’s defenses- Atlanta’s may improve this year with Seattle’s old defensive coordinator at the helm, but they have a long way to go to match Pete Carroll’s team in terms of personnel. The ‘Hawks will literally run over the Falcons and into the divisional round.

Meanwhile, in the other wildcard matchup, it’ll be an intra-divisional matchup between the star QB of the NFC North, Rodgers, and his heir apparent, Bridgewater. The Pack have two major advantages over their rivals. The first is home field advantage- Packers fans are very passionate, and will be even more so when the playoffs come around, making Lambeau Field a real fortress. The other advantage, and the one that determines this game, is playoff experience. Rodgers has been there before and Bridgewater hasn’t. The former Cal man keeps his cool and guides his team on to the next round.

Divisional

Rams defeat Seahawks

Cowboys defeat Packers

Both of these games have winners that may seem against the grain in terms of predictions, especially the Rams winning over the 2-time defending NFC champs from Seattle. But I think that the same flaws that make allow the Rams to win the division will let them triumph over Pete Carroll’s squad here. The multifaceted Rams offense will keep the ‘Hawks guessing and make it harder for the team’s ferocious pass rush or Richard Sherman, from taking over. The Rams’ phenomenal front 7 is able to penetrate the Seahawks’ line without their anchor, Max Unger, there to provide a steady calm. The Rams will move in.

A rematch of last year’s game! How perfect! I think this year, though, the result will be different- Tony Romo will want to make up for his loss last season, and the advantage of having the game of Dallas instead of the raucous Lambeau Field will make it much easier to do so. Plus, I think it will be easier for the Cowboys to hone in on their tormenters from last year’s game, Davante Adams and Randall Cobb, without having to worry about Jordy Nelson. “America’s Team” advances to the conference championship.

Conference

Rams defeat Cowboys

During most of this of this post, I’ve frequently emphasized a team’s offensive prowess in regards to whether or not the team ends up being successful. But, as the old saying goes, “Defense wins championships,” and defense will be the determining factor in who wins this game. And the Rams defense is on a far higher level than Dallas’s. Yes, the Cowboys have a great offensive line, but the fearsome front 7 of the Rams (there are just so many ways to describe these guys!) will give them some issues, taking some pressure off of their average secondary. The Dallas front 7 doesn’t come close to comparing to St. Louis’s, and won’t provide the secondary much relief. St. Louis moves on to the Super Bowl in their first playoff appearance since 2004.

AFC

Wild Card

Bills defeat Broncos

Colts defeat Chargers

Peyton Manning is a competitive person, and I know he wants to win again, but in all honesty, I think that he should have retired last season. Playing against a ferocious defense in colder weather, with a weakening arm, will not do the legendary quarterback any favors. And while the Broncos defensive members are no slouches, there are explosive players all over Buffalo’s offense, and I think that Denver will have a harder time stopping Buffalo than vice versa. Rex Ryan and co. pull off the upset to move on.

Both of these teams have relatively middling defenses and offenses that are right on the edge of being great, so talent wise, these teams are pretty even. However, I think that the matchups in this one favor the Colts. Vontae Davis is the perfect foil to Keenan Allen, while Brandon Flowers will have a tough time matching up with the towering Andre Johnson. Melvin Gordon will have trouble evading D’Qwell Jackson, while the wily Frank Gore should be able to mess with the young Manti Te’o and the inconsistent Donald Butler. The Colts win a close one.

Divisional

Patriots defeat Colts

Bengals defeat Bills

Back in the day, this game would be the matchup of matchups- Tom Brady facing off with Peyton Manning. The rivalry between Brady and Andrew Luck isn’t anywhere near as strong, but will still make for an amusing game. Both teams will be fighting to prove last year’s result wasn’t a true reflection of their team- the Patriots with Deflategate and the Colts for getting blown out. In the end, though, I think Brady’s playoff savvy is enough to hold off the league’s best young QB to advance to the AFC championship game.

Out of all the playoff games, this was probably my toughest to call- I don’t think anyone really expects either of these teams to make it this far, so I’ve become kind of fond of them, and it was difficult to pick one to knock out. However, I think Cincy prevails in this one, solely because of playoff experience on the part of the Bengals. Yes, they’ve lost every game they’ve played with Andy Dalton as their quarterback, but they only lost last year due to a superhuman performance from Andrew Luck. Tyrod Taylor is not Andrew Luck, and while the Bills defense is far better than Indianapolis’s, Dalton and offensive coordinator Hue Jackson will have a few things up their sleeve to allow Cincy to prevail.

Conference

Patriots defeat Bengals

Both teams have offenses that match up fairly well against each other’s defense- New England does not have a great run defense, which will allow Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard to take advantage, while the Bengals have nobody that can truly match up well with Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski (I mean, who does, really?)- so I see this one as being somewhat of a shootout. And, having played, and won, many, many shootout games against Peyton Manning when both quarterbacks were in there prime, Brady will know what it takes to win. New England advances to its second straight Super Bowl.

Super Bowl

Patriots defeat Rams

I really thought about the Bengals being here and winning it all, giving a deserving Marvin Lewis a Super Bowl win and allowing Andy Dalton to stick his tongue out at all his haters. Instead, we get a rematch of the Patriots first ever Super Bowl victory. The Rams offense may not be the “Greatest Show on Turf” anymore, but their balanced attack, with two high quality running backs and a pair of speedy receivers, might make trouble for the Pats’ newly rebuilt secondary. Jeff Fischer’s front 7 is filled with talent, and will be gunning to slow the Patriots all game long. The problem for St. Louis is the same problem they had the last time they squared off against New England in the Super Bowl: Tom Brady. Brady will be fired up to show that last year’s victory over the Seahawks was no fluke, and if he was able to have his way with Seattle’s secondary last year, I expect him to do the same to the Rams this year. So while most of the players that take the field for both teams will be different from the last matchup back in 2002, the one that remains, Brady, will make the difference. The Pats will win 27-20.

Awards/Individual Predictions

NFL MVP: Jeremy Hill, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Let me start by saying how much I love Giovani Bernard. I wholeheartedly believe that if he hadn’t gotten injured last year, he would still be the starter in Cincy, and Hill would be his solid backup. But that isn’t the case- Hill is the starter and will get most of the carries. The former LSU is a powerful runner that averaged over 5 yards a carry last season while running for 1,124 yards, despite only starting his first game in week 9. With a full season as a starter approaching for Hill, I can see his YPC average dropping a little bit, but his running style and talent are conducive to him having another huge season. I can see him having an Adrian Peterson-type season and pull away the MVP award from Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Melvin Gordon, RB, San Diego Chargers

The three front runners for this are, to me, the obvious choices: Gordon, St. Louis running back Todd Gurley, and Oakland receiver Amari Cooper. Gurley will not start the season as he completes his recovery from a torn ACL and will be splitting carries with Tre Mason for at least part of the season, so I don’t think he’ll have the stats to win the award. I love the potential that Cooper has, and he is very similar to his predecessor at Alabama, Julio Jones, but he isn’t the freak of nature that Mike Evans is, and I think it will take at least half the year for Cooper and David Carr to get on the same page. Therefore, I think that Gordon, San Diego’s undisputed #1, with a solid offensive line in front of him and a good play action quarterback, will excel in San Diego to win the ROY.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta has been crying out for a decent pass rusher after John Abraham left for Arizona following the 2012 season. Beasley is quick off the edge and, due to his exceptional football mind, can play both defensive end and linebacker if needed. Just imagine the different uses that Coach Dan Quinn will have for the former Clemson player. It’s actually a little bit scary how good he could play in Quinn’s Leo role.

Coach of the Year: Rex Ryan, Buffalo Bills

Ryan definitely wore out his welcome with the Jets, but he gets a fresh start in the division he is most familiar with after taking over the Bills. Ryan inherits a solid defense that he will be able to bring his own special twist to, and due to a couple of controversial offseason moves he has a few playmakers to work with on offense. An unproven quarterback is a little bit of a worry, but that hasn’t stopped Ryan from making the playoffs before, and I think he’ll take a Bills team with relatively low expectations to the playoffs.

Best Acquisition: Orlando Franklin, OT, San Diego Chargers

Franklin outperformed his more heralded teammate Ryan Clady last season, and yet, after leaving Denver, he signed on in San Diego with a contract that is worth $20 MILLION less than the deal Clady is currently working on. On top of that, Franklin is reunited with his former offensive coordinator (and a former offensive lineman) Mike McCoy. Peyton Manning still has enough in the tank to keep the Broncos above the Chargers, but once Melvin Gordon settles in to San Diego, he, Phillip Rivers and Franklin will combine to make a lethal combination for the Chargers.

Worst Acquisition: Byron Maxwell, CB, Philadelphia Eagles

Here’s a little newsflash for people that haven’t picked up on this yet- the Seahawks defense of the past 3 years makes everyone seem better than they really are. Brandon Browner was thought to be the next star after having a great year opposite Richard Sherman, and Walter Thurmond III was thought to be a high quality nickel back. Both of them failed to live up to their potential after leaving the comfy confines of the Northwest. Maxwell may be a decent corner, for all we know, but to splash $62 million on a guy that may just be “average” was a big mistake by Chip Kelly.

Biggest Surprise: Tyrod Taylor, QB, Buffalo Bills

In order for the Bills to make the playoffs, in an era of high volume passing, the Rex Ryan is going to need his quarterback to step up. After a few years of backing up Joe Flacco under QB guru Cam Cameron’s tutelage, Taylor looked sharp and accurate in preseason action, and it seemed that he worked out the kinks that caused his completion percentage to be low. With a couple quick receivers and a solid running game to take the pressure off of him, don’t be surprised if Taylor is the best QB in the entire AFC East. Yes, even better than Tom Brady.

0 Comments Leave a comment

My First Week of College

Unless you count orientation, I have just completed my first full week of college. Whoa. Round of applause for me. Really. A year ago today I was in the deepest funk of my entire life, and the idea of college didn’t even cross my mind. I was so focused on trying to stay alive, to make it through each day, that I never considered college to be a possibility for something in my future. But as the fanfare surrounding my egregious actions died down, I started to apply to colleges. I was lucky enough to be accepted into my number two school, Babson College in Babson Park, Massachsetts, a school well-known for its prowess in entrepreneurship. So now, here I am, typing this post from my bed, in the corner of my scorching hot quad room. Just after finishing a reading on how we, as humans, are not supposed to be conquerors of the land that God gave to us, but instead, are to be members of the land. Deep stuff for a business school, huh? Anyway, this first week has really given me an interesting perspective on what my future will be like, the different fields I might be entering into for an internship or a job, and just how much responsibility it takes to be a truly responsible adult, in everything from my work to things as simple as cleaning my sheets.

So… there are a lot of good things about college- like, who wouldn’t want to be able to eat French fries whenever the hell you want to (I don’t actually do that, thankfully)- but there are also some bad things, too. Here are some of the great- and the not so great- things that I’ve discovered in my first week of college.

Three Things I Like:

The People

The Variety Of Activities

My Laptop

It’s rare that you find a place where literally every single person that you meet, no matter how stoned or stressed they may be, is exceedingly nice to you. But that happens to be the case here at Babson. Everybody goes out of their way to be kind and inclusive to one another (well, almost everyone- there is one kid in my math class…), no mean feat considering the cultural diversity of the student body here and the different backgrounds and interests each individual students have. I lucked into having three awesome roommates that are incredibly kind and accepting of me, despite how unbelievably boring and awkward I am. I’ve made a few good friends, too, who I’m surprised have taken a liking to me for the same reasons why I question why my roommates seem to like me. But that’s just the way that people are here- super-duper nice.

My high school was arguably one of the most socially diverse schools in the state of Illinois, owing to the fact that it had about 2,800 students. Babson only has about 2,200 students, but the number of activities that I can get involved in here is absolutely ridiculous. Like, there’s a club here that’s specifically dedicated to business in the Caribbean. Like, that is SUPER specific (and to be honest, sounds super cool). There’s a TV station, a radio station, and a newspaper. There are different clubs and organizations that can help you determine your career or further it. There are club sports and intermural sports. There’s really something for everyone here, and it’s a great opportunity to get involved in basically anything I choose.

My laptop. I can’t describe how much I enjoy this thing. To be able to customize everything to my whim, to be able to browse the Internet or type up a paper in whatever location I please, lying or sitting down… it is honestly super awesome. It is an Internet junkie/writer’s dream come true. And it has a TOUCH SCREEN! AH!!!!!

Three Things I Don’t Like:

The Party Atmosphere

Homework Level

Being Away From Home

For basically all of these things, I probably should have known better. Probably should have expected the emotions that came with these things. And to some extent, I did. But probably not as much as I should have.

First, with the partying- I am a goody two-shoes. I have never drank or smoked in my life, and frankly, don’t plan to. I’m perfectly ok with other people smoking and drinking, maybe even a bit more than they are supposed to. But when so many people seem so OBSESSED with drinking as much as they can without ending up in a hospital, with smoking as much as they can before they either end up in a coughing fit or with eyes so glazed they can’t see, is disgusting to me. You shouldn’t do what I do and stay in most nights to write blog posts, but the excessive drinking, smoking, partying… is just blah.

Not having gone to a traditional high school since October, the idea of actually having homework is pretty foreign to me, so maybe I’m blowing the whole homework thing out of proportion. But honestly, my high school was very diligent in preparing us for college prep, and I still think that the workload that I have already, in the first week, is fairly ridiculous. The things we have to read, take notes on, the ideas we have to generate… All while making a brand new friend group and joining tons of clubs? It’s a very difficult proposition, and finishing all the work on time, with the proper quality, is probably the hardest of all the expectations we have here.

I chose to be far away from my home back in Illinois. I knew that I was going to have to be out of my house, away from my family, my friends, my girlfriend, my video games, and so many other things. I knew that college was going to be a new adventure that would promise new people, and new things to try out, that would MAYBE come close to replacing, if temporarily, the people and the things I left home. But so far, as many things as there are to do here, as many kind people that there are here… they can’t yet compare to what I left behind back in the Midwest.

Three Things I Miss:

Air Conditioning

Home Cooking

My Dog

My dorm room is on the top floor of the only non-renovated freshman dorm on campus. It’s a quad that frequently has more than four people in it. It was 96 degrees yesterday, and has regularly been in the 80’s with some decent humidity. I love my fan dearly, as it has basically prevented me from becoming a human puddle over the last couple days. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t yearn for the constant cool of the air conditioning, back home or in other dorms. It’s definitely something I’ve taken for granted, being very well to do.

I think that I like the food offerings here at Babson more appealing than many others do- the variety is decent, and the foods that are offered are often very tasty. But others find the food to be disgusting- one of my friends has even flat out refused to eat at the dining hall, only going out to local restaurants or getting food from a separate location. Even though I do like a lot of the caf food, I don’t think anything can ever replace home cooking. A lot of the food here is mass produced, and it just doesn’t seem to have the… homey feeling. The feeling that the food was made lovingly and with a lot of effort. A part of me even misses my mom’s cooking, which, like mine, is subpar. But it’s just the feeling that goes along with a home cooked meal that makes the difference.

And finally, my dog. Picking up his poop or his barf can be a pain sometimes, but honestly, how can you not really, really miss this thing?

0 Comments Leave a comment

What is Wrong with the Chicago Fire?

The first Chicago Fire game I ever remember going to was in 2008. My cousin was ball running for the Fire, and David Beckham was playing his first game in Chicago as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy. The year was a good one for the Fire, as they made it to the conference finals, losing out to one of their bitter rivals, the Columbus Crew, and their star, MVP Guillermo Barros Schelloto. The following year was also a good one for the Men in Red, as they again reached the conference finals, this time falling to Real Salt Lake on penalties. Things were looking up for Chicago- after being dominant immediately after being founded, the team was finally back on its feet after a few years of mediocrity. Until they weren’t.

In the 2009/10 offseason, manager Denis Hamlett was relieved of his duties and replaced by former El Salvador manager Carlos de los Cobos. His hiring started a long run of inconsistent form for Chicago- they have only made the playoffs once in the last five seasons, and have never finished higher than 4th in their conference. For this season, I predicted that the Fire would finish with 40 points, a decent amount for a team in a relative rebuild. They are currently on pace to obtain 35 points, failing to obtain the modest number I set for them in my prediction. Bleacher Report recently penned an article that said the Fire are the most disappointing team in MLS. So what has brought this once-storied franchise (as storied as a franchise younger than me can be) to its knees? There are four possible contributing factors: the owner, the technical staff, the manager, and the players.

We’ll start at the top with owner Andrew Hauptman, who as been the front man for the franchise since he bought the club from AEG Holdings back in 2007. The Anschultz Corporation CEO Phillip Anschultz, the man whose company oversaw the Fire’s previous owners, was (probably) always going to be a bigger soccer enthusiast than Hauptman- Anschultz was one of the founders of Major League Soccer and had a major role in the formation of the Fire and 6 other MLS teams. Even so, performance of the team has been nothing close to what one would expect from a team that plays in as big of a marker as the Fire do. Many have criticized Hauptman, who lives and works in Los Angeles, as an owner who doesn’t care much about the well-being of his team, that he frequently makes the safe, easy choices because he is simply uninterested in putting too much effort into the team. They cite his lack of action in bringing in designated players as a major issue- his relative lack of fight over the allocation of US Men’s National Team stalwart Jermaine Jones to the New England Revolution and his willingness to bend over to allow former Ivory Coast and Chelsea star Didier Drogba to play in his preferred locale, Montreal, instead of playing in the Windy City, to name two recent examples. Hauptman may also be criticized because he is not super comfortable in the public eye, and that whenever he does decide to make appearances on behalf of the team, he tends to, rightly or wrongly, be judged poorly, alienating the fan base. Hauptman did bail the team out when few were interested in buying the team from AEG, and his business senses are often very astute, as he has introduced different, more modern changes to the club’s hierarchy, such as introducing a technical director, and has managed to keep the team profitable (and worth a fair amount, by MLS standards) by being careful with which players he invests in, but the club’s lack of success has brought him under a lot of fire (pun intended) from supporters.

The director of soccer operations (or technical director, here in the US) has been an important role in Europe for almost two decades now (or semi-important role, depending on the club). While what the person in the job does is relatively unclear, the best description that I can give is that the person in the role works to help make sure the team stays in line with the salary cap, assisting the manager (and the league) in the signing and scouting of players, and overseeing the club’s academy. The Fire have had two technical directors- former coach and star forward Frank Klopas, and the current one, former Columbus Crew technical director Brian Bliss. Outside of the signing of 2013 MLS MVP Mike Magee, Klopas struggled in his role, as his Designated Player signings were, on a scale of 1-10, closer to the 1 than they were to the 10. But Bliss has done a pretty decent job. Young star Harry Shipp joined the Fire under a Homegrown Player spot and has become the fulcrum of the team. Scottish star Shaun Maloney was relatively affective before being transferred to Hull City, speedster David Accam has arguably been the team’s best DP since Cuauhtemoc Blanco, and Kennedy Igboananike has finally started to catch fire (again, pun intended). Bliss, too, has overseen an academy that has recently seen Shipp and Matt Polster ascend to high standing in the US youth teams. Obviously, what improvements are made in the coming years will have a lot of effect on whether or not Bliss’s tenure is considered successful, but it’s been so far, so good for the former USMNT defender.

The manager post at the club used to be a sought after position. The original coach of the team was Bob Bradley, who would go on to be the manager of the USMNT. The coach that succeeded him was Dave Sarachan, an assistant coach for the USMNT under Bruce Arena before going to Chicago. After Sarachan was fired, and Andrew Hauptman came in as general managing partner of the club, the managerial hires in the Windy City have been creative ones, but ones that have largely been failures. Juan Carlos Osorio, Hamlett, de los Cobos, and Klopas each lasted less than two seasons in the job. The biggest issue with the current manager, Frank Yallop, is his lack of creativity. He has been criticized for playing unattractive, more defensive tactics, which, with a team with simply an average in a league when the attacking prowess is increasing, it has slightly backfired on Yallop. As a veteran MLS manager, Yallop has tended to pick experienced veterans, such as Bakary Soumare, Patrick Ianni, and Guly do Prado over younger, more prolific players, like Jalil Anibaba, Austin Berry, and Quincy Amarikwa, decisions that have come back to bite Yallop. These relatively bland tactics, and his personnel mismanagement, has seen the Fire struggle to form some chemistry with one particular lineup, which has definitely harmed the team’s results. Yallop, however, has had to make due with the slim roster options that he has been given, and seems to have finally found midfield and forward rotations that he likes, no mean feats considering the sudden departure of Maloney and Magee’s return from injury, so while the team’s performance hasn’t exactly been top notch, it is obvious that his years of experience piloting the lesser-heeled teams in the league (Yallop was the head coach of the re-formed San Jose Earthquakes from 2008 until he took the reins in Chicago) has been a big plus.

This year’s crop of players are as good as any in the past five years or so, but are just as inconsistent as ever. The team is backstopped by Sean Johnson, who is arguably one of the best keepers in MLS. The defense is marshalled by captain Jeff Larentowicz, but has been largely disappointing this season, as injuries to Adailton and Ty Harden, along with streaky play from Larentowicz, fellow center back Eric Gehrig, and outside back Lovel Palmer have seen the Fire allow more goals than 14 teams in the league. The midfield has probably been the brightest spot in this team, but has still managed to underwhelm. Maloney was a good veteran addition to the team, but injuries lessened the impact that the Scot had on the team. Right winger Patrick Nyarko is starting to find form, but he, too, has struggled with injuries. Accam has been a revelation on the left wing, and the center of midfield has been steadily anchored by Shipp and Polster. Up front, Igboananike and new acquisition Gilberto lead the line- both are known for being prolific talents, but seem to have on/off switches in terms of production.

So there’s a lot of goods and bads that can be seen in each of the categories that could be to blame for the Chicago Fire being one of the worst soccer teams in the country. For me, the problem lies with how the club generally seems to be stuck in a rut of “conservatism.” Let me explain what I mean by that- the club built around a traditional strongman, Larentowicz, at center back, a traditional number 10 in Shipp, and a traditional poacher in Magee. The team is not aggressive in any one particular area, either soccer related (looking for unusual fits in certain positions) or business related (marketing, recruiting and keeping fan interest). They are not doing anything along the lines of, say, the Seattle Sounders, a team that is willing to splash the cash om players with different styles, from different demographics, like former Premier Leaguers Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins, mix and match them with role-playing veterans that want to play to win, all while getting the fans involved to make a successful club and a solid top-to-bottom organization. The Fire aren’t being aggressive enough to find talented players that don’t fit the traditional soccer player mold, and for that, their on-field performance, and fan interest, is quickly waning. This conservative feel to the organization starts at the top with Hauptman- he needs to seriously consider selling the team to a more avid soccer fan, possibly someone more local, that will take a greater interest in the team and help rejuvenate its fan base. His next in command soccer wise, Yallop, should be allowed to stay for a regime change, but should be on a short leash if he fails to adjust to the new, (hopefully) pragmatic owner, because if, and (hopefully) when the new owner takes over, the direction of the franchise needs to be reversed 180 degrees to make it relevant again.

0 Comments Leave a comment

On Love

“Don’t pretend you’re sorry

I know you’re not.

You know you got the power

To make me weak inside.

Girl, you leave me breathless…

I can’t imagine

Life without your love,

And even forever

Don’t seem like long enough.

Every time I breathe

I take you in,

And my heart beats again.

Baby, I can’t help it,

You keep me

Drowning in your love.”

-Drowning

Backstreet Boys

“Your love is like a river,

Peaceful and deep.”

-(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time On You

N’Sync

I have a soft spot for boy bands. They always put out great music. I’m not a big lovey-dovey guy, but most of said great music revolves around “love songs” (they’ll make a softie out of me yet). And, in this teen’s humble opinion, the boy bands that I pulled these songs from are the best of the bets boy bands. The songs that I chose are the best of the best of the best of the bets boy bands (lots of “best’s” there)- both songs mean more to me than any other ones that I have ever heard. They also do a good job of helping me get across what I feel about love.

Water is one of the most delicate things in the natural world. Slight contamination to water could be catastrophic to many, many different organisms, and therefore, water is handled very… reverently, almost. The right balance of chemicals and treatment is needed to keep water clean and healthy. When it comes to humans, and human interactions, love is the most delicate balancing act that we have to deal with, something that has many, sometimes unimaginable, difficulties. I haven’t had a lot of experience with love, but one half of this balancing act is the “giving” part of love. I think that if you truly love someone, you are willing to pour every ounce of your being into them. You are willing to trust them unconditionally. You are willing to dedicate large chunks of your time, your money, your life, to satisfy the person you love. You are, quite literally, willing to do anything for that person.

The other side of the balancing act of love, is, obviously, the “taking” part of love. People frequently fall in love for largely selfish reasons, and “taking,” in and of itself, is an inherently selfish action. Some of those reasons include attraction, of both physical and emotional nature (Physical is probably more selfish, but an argument can be made that both are. And that’s the argument I’m making), and money. Sometimes, these things are naturally given (and hopefully, are given in return- that’s where love’s balance comes in), but sometimes, they are not. However, love cannot work if there is all giving and no taking- a lot of effort would be going to waste, which is one of the worst possible feelings for a person, to watch their effort go to waste.

The reasons that love is such a difficult balancing act are plentiful. Determining what is real love and what is a superficial “crush” is the first of those. While love involves a lot of (giving and taking of) emotion, having a crush involves too much dependence on that emotion. A person may think that they are willing to “fulfill” what is required for true love, but in reality, some emotion or feeling other than love, perhaps excitement, loneliness, or something of the sort, is the dominating force of the crush, the main motivation, behind the person wanting to be in a relationship with someone (or thinking of being in a relationship- many crushes just stay crushes and never progress any further than that). That emotional dominance may be a part of true love, but because it is SO dominating, it minimizes the other parts of what would be true love.

Perfecting the amount that you “give” is the second reason that love is so tricky. A person that gives too much (or, in my own personal case, perceives that they are giving too much) can begin to feel worried or anxious over the state of the relationship. Worries about putting too much pressure on their significant other, or of cheating by the significant other, can become plentiful. Those that give too little can frequently disappoint their significant other. The person that gives too little should give more, and frequently can give more, but, consciously or unconsciously, choose not to. The little that is “given” is, often, not very good, anyway.

Yet another reason for love being so tricky is the flip side of the coin from the “giving,” that being the perfection of the “taking” in a relationship, in love. Taking too much could make a partner frustrated or upset that they are putting in the effort to make the relationship work while but feel that they are, perhaps, getting taken advantage of. Taking too little would result in a reaction similar to the “giving too much” situation, only in reverse- the other person, that ISN’T taking too little, will feel nervous and anxious. The other person might feel somewhat… distant from their partner.

Love is more than just give and take, though; it also involves self-discovery, self-realization, and in that idea, I believe, is where the majority of difficulty in love comes from (a somewhat scary thought, considering how difficult, how fine of an “art” it is, to balance “giving” and “taking”;). That difficulty is greatly encapsulated in the following quote, which a counselor gave to me when I was in inpatient treatment: “The price of true love is self-knowledge.” Self-knowledge was the ultimate downfall in my love experience, what caused me to fall apart, and that may be why I consider it to be so tough to handle. However, even if I hadn’t experienced what I had, I would still think that self-knowledge is difficult- I think that people better remember their mistakes, and better recognize their faults, than they do the opposite of those things. I think to manage those negatives, to be able to push aside the faults that a person may see in themselves, and focus on the positives they have, and display the positivity that comes with the good things they believe they have going for them (especially those things related to the relationship that the person may be in), is the most difficult part of love, no question.

0 Comments Leave a comment

To Write or To Blog

I love to write, and I love having people see what I’ve written- this coming school year will be my third year writing for the Hinsdale Central news magazine and my first year as a copy editor for the school yearbook. However, for as long as I can remember, I’ve always viewed people that blog frequently as wasting their life away. Most people today for the sake of attention, whether they realize it or not. Students write to draw positive attention from their teacher so that they can get a good grade. Authors of books write to draw attention to the deep detail of the world they created, or of some event that has happened in their lives. Newspaper columnists write to get the attention of the public focused on the events going on in the world. Sportswriters write to show everyone the phenomenal athletic ability being showcased each and every day. These types of writers that I have always been familiar with, the ones that I enjoy.

In my eyes, bloggers and their works were the complete opposite of these other writers were doing. Being a (somewhat) tech-savvy teen, I spend a lot of my time on the Internet, and have been exposed to a lot of blogs. After reading them, I came away with two general conclusions.

The first was that the blogs have no real purpose. Like I said, most writers today write for attention, but with the blogs I’ve seen, I can never tell what the true intention of the author is. The topics could be so random, and the posts themselves could range from extremely cheesy to extremely detailed, and it really made me questions the motivation of many of the authors. I would search something, say, One Direction, and I would come across blogs that supported them and that bashes them- I even found one blog that only pretended to focus on One Direction and instead wrote about the Illuminati conspiracy.
The second thing, which is directly connected to the first, was that the blogs had no sense of organization. Some writers are bound by certain requirements (for example, news stories are often bland because they are filled with fact, which isn’t always that exciting) but are still able to churn out a phenomenal piece of writing. I was sure that some bloggers were good writers, but since they had no restrictions on what they could write, it made their writing very hard to follow. That, combined with the lack of purpose, make, to me, a very bad thing to read.

Recently, my dad and I were talking about my plans for the future- a summer job next year, college, and my life beyond that. I mentioned how much I enjoyed writing in school, but that I only viewed it as a secondary option for my future, since many writing jobs are becoming obsolete. He thought that I should continue writing as much as I possibly could, even outside of school, to try and improve, in case something unexpected came along and I got the opportunity to write for a living. Of course, he suggested the one thing that I was opposed to- blogging.

I was blunt in my response: “Why?” And my dad gave me the best reasoning for it that I have ever heard, and probably will ever hear. It would allow me to keep my writing skills sharp, it would allow me to write about my thoughts, not just a school topic, and, if I showed it to the right people, could help me in the future. So now, here I am, writing a blog post. About blogging. Unoriginal, I know. But the very idea of a blog is still very strange for me, and I could think of nothing better to write about, considering that up until about a week ago, the thought of me writing a blog seemed absolutely repulsive. So in the coming weeks, I’m going to try to write, and write in a way so that I sound like a blogger while staying away from the things that bloggers do that bother me immensely. Whether or not it will work, I have no idea. But I hope it does; otherwise, well, I have just written a blog post about how stupid I think I am. And that’s definitely not a good way to start.

2 Comments Leave a comment

Kevin J. Gaffney

Author: Kevin J. Gaffney

Red Sox Season Review

White Sox Season Review

10 Bold Predictions for the 2015/16 NHL Season

The US and Immigration

2015 NFL Season Preview

My First Week of College

What is Wrong with the Chicago Fire?

On Love

To Write or To Blog