Why the Giants Were Right in Keeping Coach Tom Coughlin

     Coming into this year's NFL season, Giants coach Tom Coughlin seemed to be on the hot seat.  After winning the Super Bowl in the 2011 season, the Giants failed to make the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, including a disappointing 7-9 2013 season which was marked by an 0-6 start and an offense which was hardly ever on the same page.  It was believed by many that if the Giants were to have another poor season and miss the playoffs for the fifth time in six years (although may I remind you there's a Super Bowl right before and in middle of that stretch), the Giants coach of 11 seasons would be as good as gone.
     Well, the Giants had another six game losing streak this year, this time coming in the middle of a 6-10 season which had its fair share of good moments, but just as many awful ones.  As many Giants fans called for the end of Coach Coughlin, seemingly just as many expressed overwhelming support for the guy who led the G-Men to two rings.  And if you couldn't tell by the title, I was in that second group.
     Now it has been revealed that Tom Coughlin will indeed return to coach the Giants in 2015, despite all the talks about his departure, and as a Giants fan, I'm ecstatic.  I was never really that worried, either.  I trusted the front office to make an intelligent decision, and they did.  But why exactly was this the right move for Big Blue?  There's a number of reasons.
     The primary reason is the main reason that many people have been stating: you're simply not going to find a better replacement.  Let's just get this out of the way: Tom Coughlin is a great coach, and a very experienced one, too.  He has been coaching football for 45 years.  He's been a coach longer than many other coaches have even been alive.  When a team fires their coach, they have to be confident that they can find a guy that's at least as good as they guy they fired to become the new coach.  There is no way the Giants get a guy with 45 years coaching experience.  There is no way the Giants get a guy who has over 300 games of NFL experience as a head coach alone, and has won 164 of those games.  There is no way the Giants get a guy who has become the coach of a new expansion team (the Jaguars) and in two years turned them into a playoff team, and led them to the playoffs four times in their five seasons, including a pair of 11-win seasons, a 14-win season, and two conference championship appearances.  There is no way the Giants get a guy who has made the playoffs nine times, going 11-7 in the postseason.  There is no way the Giants get a guy who has won two Super Bowls, both in seasons where they were by no means expected to go deep in the playoffs.  Simply put, the Giants will not find a better, more experienced coach than Tom Coughlin.
     The next reason Tom Coughlin deserves to remain head coach is the fact that injuries absolutely destroyed the Giants' season this year (and last year, honestly).  The Giants finished the 2014 season with a staggering 22 players on the injured reserve (IR).  And these aren't just random guys who don't see playing time either.  The list includes starting cornerbacks Prince Amukamara and Trumaine McBride, starting middle linebacker Jon Beason, starting defensive ends Robert Ayers and Mathias Kiwanuka, and star wide receiver Victor Cruz.  Basically, the Giants lost a lot of really important players.  And we haven't even gotten to the running back situation yet.  The original plan was to start David Wilson at running back.  He was forced to retire prematurely due to a neck injury.  Then Rashad Jennings became starter.  However, injuries sidelined him for the majority of seven games.  Other running backs Peyton Hillis and Michael Cox also ended the year on the IR.  That's four running backs who missed a substantial amount of time if not the entire season.  This left the Giants to use rookie Andre Williams for much of the year.  Additionally, breakout star Odell Beckham Jr. missed the season's first four games.  The team was simply killed by injuries.  Hopefully next season injuries will be more manageable on both sides of the ball.
     Another big reason is that this year was new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo's first year trying to install a new offense, which, as all new offenses do, took a little time for everyone to get used to and run effectively.  The offense did improve substantially throughout the season, and Eli Manning ended up with over 4,400 yards and 30 touchdowns, proving that the new game plan works.  I mean, it certainly did for the last guy who used it, Aaron Rodgers.  Next season, McAdoo's West Coast offense will have already been well established, and the team will feature a rejuvenated Eli Manning, a healthy Rashad Jennings and experienced Andre Williams, along with a deadly receiver trio of Victor Cruz, Reuben Randle, and the returning rookie of the year (it's not really in doubt, right?), Odell Beckham Jr.  That sounds scary to me.
     Can we please take a moment to talk about Odell?  This guy, and I've said it since day one, is simply oozing potential.  This guy could actually be one of the best to ever play the game if he develops properly, which is something I very rarely say.  (Side note: in fact, the sports community's over-willingness to overhype things is the subject of a future blog, coming very soon).   Let's just look at the numbers.  He finished with 91 receptions for 1305 yards and 12 touchdowns...in just 12 games.  This guy grew as a player every game, too.  In his last four games alone he had 43 catches for 606 yards and seven touchdowns.  Eli Manning has called him the best receiver he's ever had, and became his favorite target after only around a month in the NFL.  He is an incredible route-runner, is very fast, and has one of the best sets of hands I've ever seen.  This guy can catch anything thrown his way, as shown by his incredible catch against the Cowboys.  (Still, nothing beats the helmet catch, but probably the #2 Giants catch ever).
     One final reason to keep Coach Coughlin is one that will probably be overlooked, but still nevertheless deserves to be stated.  He is a man that loves his players, and whose players love and will give 100% for him.  Coughlin has truly earned the respect of the team, the organization, and the league.  He is a no-nonsense guy, but also very kind and understanding, just like any good coach should be.  This is a guy who simply loves the game of football, and loves the New York Giants.  He has stated he'd like to coach until he dies, and recently joked with the organization that while he'll take remaining coach for next season,  he would like a 10-year extension.
     The Giants are a great team, and a great and proud organization.  The team has a lot of bright young talent and skilled veterans to turn the ship around in 2015 and return to the playoffs, and I can't think of any guy better than Tom Coughlin to captain this ship.  Coughlin will have more pressure on him than ever, but he can handle it.  Coughlin has responded to doubters in his most important seasons by winning Super Bowls, and he has just as good a shot next year as those years to make a run and surprise everyone again.  The Giants won Super Bowls in Tom Coughlin's fourth year as coach (my fourth grade year), and his eighth year as coach (my eighth grade year), and I believe he deserves the chance to do it in his twelfth year, my senior year of high school.
     Thanks for reading.  It's great to finally write specifically about my Giants, something that somehow I haven't done before.
     Connor
   
   
   
   

Champions League 2014 Round of 16 Predictions part 2

     This is part 2 of my Champions League predictions.  The first part can be found here: http://toplevelsports.blogspot.com/2014/12/champions-league-2014-round-of-16.html.  Let's get right to it.

     FC Schalke 04 vs. Real Madrid: This fixture is a rematch from last year, when Real Madrid powered through to the quarterfinals by thrashing Schalke 9-2.  Unfortunately for the German side, there is no indication this year will go any better, as Real Madrid currently are on top of La Liga and have won 22 straight matches, and star Cristiano Ronaldo (who will most likely win the Ballon d'or), has 25 goals in only 17 league matches this year, an almost impossibly good goalscoring record.  Schalke can try to make the series closer than last year's seven goal margin, but they won't be coming out on top.
     Winner: Real Madrid

     FC Shaktar vs. Bayern Munich: Time to feel sorry for Shaktar, who hoped they could be matched up with somebody not named Bayern.  But seriously, I think Bayern is the best team in the world.  Robben, Ribery, Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Muller, Gotze, Alonso...these are all players just in Bayern's midfield.  Add Lewandowski in front, the best keeper in the world, Manuel Neuer, in goal, and an impenetrable defense and you have a team that should go into every single game expecting a win.  FC Shaktar isn't a bad team, though.  I think a lot of people write them off because they play in Ukraine.  However, they are by far the best team in Ukraine, and definitely deserve to have made it this far (the results speak for themselves).  Plus, over half their team is Brazilian, so there's definitely a lot of skill in that team.  But not near enough to keep up with Bayern.
     Winner: FC Bayern

     Arsenal vs. AS Monaco: What a difference the loss of two players makes.  In the past year, Monaco has lost their attack, which was once composed of Falcao and James Rodriguez, who have now moved to Manchester United and Real Madrid respectively.  The team that had a firm grip on second in Ligue 1 is now struggling to maintain fifth.  Arsenal, on the other hand, is also having a less than desirable league season, currently sitting sixth in the Premier League.  However, they have a much better all around team, led by the quick Chilean winger/striker Alexis Sanchez who recently arrived from FC Barcelona, and a lot of depth, especially in the midfield.  This will be an interesting matchup, but one Arsenal should win nonetheless.
     Winner: Arsenal 

     FC Basel vs. FC Porto: This is one of the more intriguing match-ups, because I think both teams definitely surprised some people by making it this far.  Neither side appeared in this round last year, but both have definitely earned their position.  Basel survived a group that contained Real Madrid and Liverpool, ousting Liverpool, while Porto won their group (albeit a very favorable group whose next best team was Shaktar).  Porto currently sits second in the Primera Liga behind Benfica, and have a very good team which includes league leading goalscorer Jackson Martinez and skillful Portuguese international Quaresma.  FC Basel have dominated the Swiss Super League and have won the league six years in a row.  However, the level of competition in the Champions League is miles above what they face normally, and Porto should be able to continue their great run to the quarterfinals.
     Winner: FC Porto

     Well, those are my predictions for the Champions League round of 16.  We will have to wait a while to see if my predictions hold true, but for now, Happy Holidays!
     Connor
     

Champions League 2014 Round of 16 Predictions part 1

     Last week saw the Round of 16 Draw in the UEFA Champions League, where the remaining teams learned who they will be playing in a two-leg home and away series in February and March for a spot in the quarterfinals.  All sixteen of these teams have played very well in the group stages in order to advance, but from now on it will only become tougher as everyone will feel they have a legitimate chance to win the biggest tournament in European club football.
     Many of the teams received favorable draws, but for every team pleased by their upcoming opponent, there is one who will be wishing the draw could be redone.  Additionally, there are two super-matchups of teams who probably both deserve to be in the quarterfinals.
     So when the matches have all been played, who will advance?  Here are my predictions.  The first four match-ups will be covered here, and the next four will come out within the next day.

     PSG vs. Chelsea: Right off the bat is one of those two power fixtures, as two of the world's best will play each other in what might be the best matchup of the round of 16.  PSG is having a slightly disappointing campaign in Ligue 1, currently in 3rd place behind both Lyon and Marseille.  However, they still have the second best striker in the world in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Edinson Cavani paired with Zlatan creates what might be the best combo strike force in the world.  While not on the level of their strikers, the rest of the team is also incredible with players such as Sirigu in goal, Thiago Silva in defense, and Lavezzi and Lucas on the wings.  Their only real weakness (and only in comparison to the rest of the team) are the wing backs.  On the other hand, Chelsea is also a very deep team, perhaps more so than PSG.  Diego Costa is second in the Premier League with 12 goals, and Chelsea as a whole have dominated the league, earning a 13-3-1 record so far.  They have so many players in the midfield such as Hazard, Oscar, and Cesc Fabregas, and anyone on the team is capable of having a huge game.  Let's see which team is better in every part of the field, and who will win.
     Goalkeeper: Chelsea
     Defense: Chelsea
     Midfield: Chelsea
     Striker: PSG
     Winner: Chelsea

     Man City vs. FC Barcelona: And here's the other huge matchup, and a rematch of the final 16 matchup of last year which saw Barcelona take down City 4-1 on aggregate.  Both of these teams are in second place of their leagues, chasing Chelsea and Real Madrid respectively.  Man City has the Premier League leading goalscorer with Sergio Aguero, who has already netted 14 goals in nearly half the season.  However, he couldn't possibly top the combo of Messi, Suarez, and Neymar who routinely terrorize defenses.  Messi is one of the all-time greats, and is backed up by a group of great players, whose main weakness happens to be age.  Starters like Iniesta, Xavi, Mascherano, and Dani Alves are all at least 30.  However, the team has balanced itself with many young players as well.  They have only allowed seven goals in 16 games.  On the other hand is Manchester City, who have a great team, and are the current Premier League title holders.  They will play angry and will be eager to erase the memories of defeat from a year ago.  They also have one of the best midfielders in the world, an underrated player by the name of Yaya Toure, who is good at just about anything.  This matchup is bound to be a great one.
     Goalkeeper: FC Barcelona
     Defense: FC Barcelona
     Midfield: Man City
     Striker: FC Barcelona
     Winner: FC Barcelona

     Bayer Leverkusen vs. Atletico Madrid: Atletico Madrid will look to take a big step in returning to the finals by defeating a side that lost to PSG in this round a year ago.  However, Atletico lost their best two players over the transfer window to Chelsea, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and striker Diego Costa, both of whom were magnificent with Atletico and still are in England.  Both these squads sit in third place in their leagues, and have both performed admirably given that neither has a true superstar.  The strength of Leverkusen starts in goal with one of the best young goalies in the world, 22-year old Bernd Leno.  Atletico has ex-Bayern striker Mario Mandzukic providing one of the best target men in the world, but their strongest group is most likely their defense, led by Diego Godin and Miranda.  Overall, Atletico is just a bit more talented across the board.
     Goalkeeper: Bayer Leverkusen
     Defense: Atletico Madrid
     Midfield: Atletico Madrid
     Striker: Atletico Madrid
     Winner: Atletico Madrid

     Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund: Here's an interesting one.  Juventus will surely be out for redemption as they were stunned in the group stages of last year's Champions League, failing to even make it to the round of 16 despite being Italy's most talented side and title holders in the Serie A for the last three seasons.  Dortmund had a fair bit of success last year, making it to the quarterfinals before being ousted by Barcelona.  However, their main concern this year is simply not being relegated from the Bundesliga.  The team that finished safely in second place behind FC Bayern last year is currently tied for last in the league, and currently in the relegation zone.  What's happened to Dortmund?  Well, two of their best left the side for rivals Bayern, Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze.  But does two player really make that much of a difference?  Who knows.  Juventus is led in attack by Carlos Tevez, who has been brilliant in Italy since leaving Man City.  Andrea Pirlo serves as captain of the midfield, which contains the stunning group of Arturo Vidal, Claudio Marchisio, and Paul Pogba, the Frenchman considered by many the best young midfielder on Earth.  Let's not forget goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who is a legend, and is still as great now at 36 as when he won the 2006 World Cup.  Dortmund is a team in turmoil right now, and not one that wants to run into the wrecking crew of Juventus.
     Goalkeeper, Defense, Midfield, Striker: Juventus
     Winner: Juventus

     That's the first four match-ups.  The others should be coming real soon, so keep your eyes out.

     Thanks for reading,
     Connor

     

Top Level Sports on Twitter

     Just a short update to let everyone know that I am now on Twitter.  My handle is @ConnorGroel and that's where I'll be expressing my opinions on all things sports and just talk about things that might not be big enough to get their own post on the blog.  I might link cool articles I read or crazy sports videos I watch.  I'll also be sharing all my blog posts on twitter, so you can be updated with everything I'm doing.
     https://twitter.com/ConnorGroel

     Thanks and Happy Holidays,
     Connor

Week 16 NFL Picks

     With only two weeks left, every game is crucial.  This week, we have already seen the Titans all but lock up the #1 pick in the draft, the Redskins stick a knife in the Eagles playoff hopes, and the Chargers miraculously comeback against the 49ers to save their season and really confirm that these are Jim Harbaugh's final days in San Francisco.
     With a plethora of games today, hopefully a few teams are taken out of the AFC Wild Card race to make week 17 a little less confusing.  As for the NFC, its playoff picture became clearer already, with the Lions locking up a playoff spot thanks to the Eagles loss.  And for god's sake, I hope the NFC South can get a couple wins.  I think someone in that division NEEDS to finish with eight wins or else everyone will go crazy suggesting a new playoff format that the NFL doesn't need.  (I mean, only twice in the history of the league have we had this issue of a sub-.500 team making the playoffs, and for nearly 50 years, I don't think that's a bad ratio, but moving on.)
     Enough warmup.  Here's who's going to win today.

     Last Week: 11-5
     Overall: 147-79

     Lions over Bears 27-20.  The Bears have such a bad situation right now, I can't imagine them winning, especially with Jimmy Clausen.
     Dolphins over Vikings 24-16.  It's been a good run for the Vikings, but it ends here.
     Saints over Falcons 34-28.  Expect a shootout that gives the Saints the division.

     Patriots over Jets 31-13.  Yeah.  This will be a good matchup *eye roll*.

     Steelers over Chiefs 27-23.  An absolute must win for both parties.  Steelers will control the wild card with this one.

     Packers over Bucs 34-10.  Green Bay, Tampa Bay.  Too bad this battle of the bays will be a blowout.

     Panthers over Browns 23-14.  The Panthers will remain in the NFC South hunt by handing Johnny another loss.  And then we can all rethink the whole Johnny Football thing.

     Ravens over Texans 27-20.  At home, I would've picked the Texans to win if they had their first quarterback, or second, or maybe third.  But Case Keenum?  Nope.

     Rams over Giants 31-27.  The Rams are just so underrated this season.  They could easily be in the playoffs except for a few key plays that changed a few games.  Odell will go off again, but I'm not expecting a win from my boys.

     Cowboys over Colts 30-24.  The Cowboys offense has been so good, and the Colts' struggles against the Texans last week doesn't bode well.  Plus, the Cowboys are at home and could lock up the division.

     Bills over Raiders 27-14.  The Bills have been a largely underestimated team will real playoff chances.  Derek Carr hasn't been too bad himself, but he's not working with much in Oakland.

     Seahawks over Cardinals 20-9.  The Cardinals still have a great defense, maybe the best in the league, but I don't see them scoring much with Ryan Lindley.  

     Broncos over Bengals 31-20.  The Bengals are at home, sure, but can they really keep up with Peyton Manning?  Maybe for a bit, but not the whole game.

     Well that's who I have this week.  Have fun watching the games!

      Connor

P.S.  I'm in winter break for the next two weeks, so I'm going to be blogging a lot. Last week was finals which explains why I wasn't writing.

NFL Week 15 Picks

     We are now in that crucial period of the NFL season where every game means so much.  In each conference there are teams fighting for home field advantage, division titles, and the wild card.  The AFC in particular might have the widest wild card race of all time, considering eight teams are either 8-5 or 7-6 in the wild card hunt.  Any of those teams could easily win the NFC South, where the Falcons, Saints, and Panthers are basically racing to seven wins for the division.  However, the NFC wild card race is also interesting because right now the 9-4 Cowboys are sitting on the outside looking in.  

     No matter who you are, as long as you haven't been eliminated from the playoffs, every game is important, and any one loss could potentially be dooming.  That's what makes these last few weeks so crucial.   Time to see who I think keeps there dreams alive and who will fall behind in this very important week 15.

Falcons over Steelers 27-23

Packers over Bills 30-16

Bengals over Browns 24-20

Colts over Texans 31-23

Chiefs over Raiders 24-14

Patriots over Dolphins 34-24

Giants over Redskins 31-14

Panthers over Buccaneers 27-17

Ravens over Jaguars 24-9

Titans over Jets 14-13

Broncos over Chargers 31-27

Lions over Vikings 27-16

Seahawks over 49ers 27-13

Eagles over Cowboys 34-21

Saints over Bears 31-20

Have a great week 15,

Connor

Houston Rockets Quick Start Could Lead to Playoff Run

     Sorry the formatting is weird, every time I change it it reverts back to single space for the first paragraph.

     The Houston Rockets have come strong out of the gates, racing to a 16-4 start through the first quarter of the season.  NBA analysts expected the Rockets to experience a regression from their 54-28 breakout season that gave the Rockets the #4 seed in the Western Conference and saw them ultimately fall in the first round of the playoffs to the Portland Blazers.  However, this year's new look Rockets team are proving everyone wrong by solidifying themselves as serious contenders early on, despite losing a few of their strongest players.

     Specifically, last season's starting point guard Jeremy Lin, starting small forward Chandler Parsons, and center Omer Asik left the team during the offseason, in a series of moves designed to bring a superstar talent to Houston to work with James Harden and Dwight Howard to create a “big 3” that would lead Houston to a title.  Unfortunately, this ended unsuccessfully and left many fans wondering if the Rockets could recover from losing so much talent. 

     “Lin and Asik were good role players, and Parsons was a really good starter for us,” Junior Luis Berardi said.

     However, the Rockets regrouped and picked up key players such as Trevor Ariza, Jason Terry, and Kostas Papanikolaou, meaning the offseason may have been better than it seemed.

     “The offseason wasn't that bad, especially given Ariza's play,” Junior Will Beaty said.

Ariza in particular will face a lot of pressure this year to fill in the void left by third leading scorer Parsons last season.  So far, Ariza has lived up to the challenge, with numbers very similar to those of Parsons.

     “You build a team based on how you want it,” Senior Jason Shan said.  “Being a great spot up shooter and defender makes Ariza a better fit than Parsons.” 

     Even with Ariza's contributions to the team, the Rockets lack a third star player on the team besides Harden and Howard, in a league where many believe three great players are necessary to win a title.  However, both have played exceptionally so far.  Harden averages just over 25 points per game to go along with over six rebounds and assists per contest.  Equally impressive, Howard's rebounds and blocks numbers are both in the NBA's top ten.

     “Dwight Howard has been amazing,” Berardi said.

     Luckily, even with Harden and Howard's successes, the Rockets may not need to search for a third star player.  They could have one developing right now in their third-year forward from Kentucky, Terrence Jones.

     “He has only played in a few games, but so far he has played pretty well,” Berardi said.

  Even with the team's early success, many questions still remain for the team.  The Rockets' bench contains mostly young, inexperienced players that need to prove their worth and that they belong in the team.  Jason Terry, the only exception, is instead trying to prove he can still play at 37 years of age, and so far has proven himself as both a strong bench player and mentor, playing big minutes when teammates are injured or in foul trouble.  The December 5th game against the Timberwolves really comes to mind, as even with three starters injured and James Harden fouled out, Terry and Donatas Motiejunas propelled the Rockets to an overtime victory.

     “The bench could spark the offense when the starters rest, but defense is an issue,” Shan said.  “None of the bench players are known as good defenders.”

     Injuries have been a big issue for the Rockets in the early part of the season, with several players missing time, most importantly starters Jones and Howard, who have missed the largest portions of anyone on the team.  However, the Rockets have showed fortitude and continue to win games, showing the team may be deeper than originally thought.  Either way, injuries for starters allow backups to play valuable minutes early in the season where they can grow as players, experience that may be needed later on should the team make a playoff run.

     Also, the Rockets get a large portion of their points from three pointers, and take 33.9 three pointers per game, the most of any NBA team by over six shots per contest.  However, when the Rockets struggle from beyond the arc, it will be challenging for them to win games, as shown by their 37.4% shooting on threes in wins but only 28.5% in losses.  Despite this, some fans suggest the Rockets keep playing to their strong suits.

     “The three point shot is statistically favorable when given a solid opportunity due to the fact that the three stretches the defense,” Shan said.

     It may be too early to tell just how well the Rockets will perform over the course of the long season, but so far it looks great, and if they can keep it up there should be no reason the Rockets won't be playing in the playoffs, and maybe even deep into the postseason.

     “The Rockets have the potential to make the NBA Finals,” Beaty said.

     Thanks for reading,

     Connor

Banning Sports Gambling is a Crime

           This was my research paper last school year in English.  I thought it was worth posting due to my strong beliefs on the issue and how similar it is to the topics discussed Pete Rose post, here: http://toplevelsports.blogspot.com/2014/11/pete-rose-should-be-in-hall-of-fame.html.  Here is my main case for the legalization of sports betting.

         Sports gambling is an estimated $380 billion dollar industry.  Yes, that is billion, with a B.  Every year, millions of people including myself participate in games that seem harmless at first glance, like Super Bowl Squares and March Madness.  However, with the exception of four states, including Nevada, betting on these and many other games is illegal, even though it is nearly an American pastime to throw a couple bucks on a game. Legalizing sports gambling is an effective way to regulate gambling across the country and bring more attention and revenue to major sports leagues, and not legalizing it would lead to increasing illegal activity and a loss in potential profits.

            Sports gambling already happens in all states, and gambling in some form is legal in most states, so there isn’t much reason to prevent sports gambling.  The fact that sports gambling is legal in some states defeats the purpose of making it illegal in others.  Michael Rosenberg puts it bluntly when he writes, “legal sports gambling happens in this country every day, in a place my sources call “Las Vegas” (Rosenberg).  What Rosenberg says here is completely true.  Las Vegas is the premier place to gamble in the world.  Why does sports gambling have to be legalized in Vegas but not in say, Texas?  In addition, James Surowiecki states that “forty-three states and the District of Columbia have lotteries.  All the states except Utah and Hawaii have commercial betting in some form.  And more than forty have racetrack betting” (Surowiecki).  Again, if 48 states have betting, and most states have betting in several forms, what is different about sports betting?  Is there anything different about the Super Bowl and the lottery when both can result in hitting the jackpot or losing it all?  Perhaps another hugely important topic to consider is fantasy sports, which are played by roughly 13% of all Americans.  Fantasy sports are legal, because “fantasy Sports are considered games of skill – not chance – if they can be won by successfully utilizing superior knowledge of the players involved” (Smith).  All these examples of gambling are like outlawing Christianity and Islam, but saying Hinduism is okay, or putting a ban on Nickelodeon and Disney, but allowing Cartoon Network.  They are all religions, or children’s networks, so none should be more legal than another.

            The legalization of sports gambling would lead to an added interest in sporting events and would be profitable to sports leagues and the economy.  As Surowiecki boldly states, “the ban on sports gambling does exactly what Prohibition did.  It makes criminals rich…Legalized sports betting would bring in significant tax revenues for the states” (Surowiecki).  With taxes on bets, revenues for states would be in the millions.  Currently, the criminals running illegal gambling organizations are making profits off of these millions in taxes the government could be collecting.  Also, Rosenberg adds that “[Sports leagues] need people to watch so they can make money, and they need to conduct sporting events to get people to watch.  Gambling gets people to watch.  It’s a huge boon” (Rosenberg).  Gambling incentivizes the watching of sports, and gets people more into it.  I have personal experience that when I have money wagered on a game, you care a lot more about the game and watch it more closely, which gives higher ratings and more distribution, being greatly advantageous to the sports leagues that claim that sports gambling hurts their business.  If revenues are guaranteed, why are these leagues insistent that sports gambling should remain outlawed?  It seems like an obvious flaw that should be changed, but as in every issue, there is a con side.

            The beliefs of people opposed to the legalization of sports gambling – that gambling will cause game fixing and addiction, are invalid and unreasonable arguments.  James B. Butler, firmly against sports gambling, reports that “in California, more than 1 million problem and pathological gamblers cost the state more than $1 billion a year (Butler).  This is plainly invalid because as I have already proven, the government could make money from taxing these people, and gamblers could just as easy gamble illegally or gamble on other things, such as buying lottery tickets.  On this logic, one could buy a billion lottery tickets, and lose every time, and somehow it was still be better than a sports bet!  I find this ridiculous!  Speaking about game fixing, Michael Rosenberg states that “The fear is at once, absolutely valid and completely misguided.  A point-shaving scandal would be the worst business development that could happen to any sports league (Rosenberg).  Most people relate game fixing to the 1919 World Series, where the Chicago White Sox fixed the games for money.  However, this is not 1919 anymore, and players can make more money by playing well than throwing a game.

           
          The legalization of sports gambling would allow for more monitoring of gambling and easier

recognition of potential rigging of games. As Michael Rosenberg points out, “If we legalize

gambling, we can regulate it. We can monitor it. Experts can track gambling activity to look for

suspicious patterns. Casinos can help law-enforcement authorities, even tip them off, because it will

be in their best interest to do so” (Rosenberg). It should go without saying that tracking gambling

should make it obvious when a few people start making millions on games. This should almost

eliminate the want to fix games and make it obvious when game fixing actually occurs. Lastly, Gary

Payne informs that “Most participants in the sports betting industry would embrace regulation to

prevent adverse effects of gambling” (Payne). I, along with most people would bet legally in order to

insure the safety and legality of our actions, a point that works to advocate the legalization of sports

gambling.

          Sports betting must be legalized in order for fans of sports to be able to participate in casual

gambling and for the states and sports leagues to gain revenue while enriching the viewing

experience for fans. By making this change, we can be sure that the $380 billion dollar sports betting

industry has a comfortable, safe, and legal environment to satisfy all parties involved.

Now in addition to what I wrote in the research paper, I would also like to briefly mention the topic of fantasy sports, which are played by roughly 42 million people in the U.S. and Canada alone as estimated by the Fantasy Sports Trade Association.  Fantasy sports are a form of sports gambling which are largely accepted in the mainstream media, and are a multi-billion dollar industry.  However, in its simplest form fantasy sports are not much different from player bets which are considered illegal.  In fantasy sports gambling, people wager money that certain players will perform better than others.  Despite how it makes no sense for spread betting or over-under betting to be illegal and gambling on fantasy sports to be legal, websites such as FanDuel have thousands of people betting and winning millions of dollars, and are supported by major sports leagues.  It just doesn't seem reasonable for this to be legal, yet betting on games to be illegal, when the forms of betting are so similar.  In my opinion, the solution to this incongruity would be to legalize all forms of sports gambling, and many people, including NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, agree with me.  

Connor

NFL Week 14 Picks

     Four weeks are left in the NFL's regular season, and not a single team has clinched a spot in the playoffs.  In fact, every team has lost at least three games, proving that in today's game, anyone can win on any given Sunday.  Who will win this Sunday?  Here's my picks.
     Steelers over Bengals
     Colts over Browns
     Lions over Buccaneers
     Giants over Titans
     Dolphins over Ravens
     Vikings over Jets
     Saints over Panthers
     Rams over Redskins
     Texans over Jaguars
     Broncos over Bills
     Chiefs over Cardinals
     49ers over Raiders
     Eagles over Seahawks
     Patriots over Chargers
     Packers over Falcons

     Happy Football Day,
     Connor
   

Final College Football Playoff Predictions w/ Kaustubh

The final week of the college football regular season has just concluded, and I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a ton to talk about.  Coming into this week, It seemed like if the top four won, they would be the top four, and probably in the same order they were ranked in the week before: Alabama, Oregon, TCU, Florida State.  If any team were to lose and make the top four, it would be Alabama, but there would still be a strong chance they wouldn’t advance.  If one of the top four lost, Ohio State would take their spot.  If another lost, Baylor would fill in.  Perhaps the only other possibility would be if #7 Arizona beat #2 Oregon they could possibly jump into the top four, but other losses would still greatly improve their chances.

As it turned out, every team in the top six won.  So there’s no discussions right?  It couldn’t be further from the truth.  #1 Alabama and #2 Oregon are safely in after each of them had huge wins and were clearly the best two teams beforehand.  Alabama beat #16 Missouri 42-13 to win the SEC Title, and Oregon beat #7 Arizona 51-13 in the Pac-12 Championship Game.  #3 TCU definitely took care of business with a 55-3 win over Iowa State.  However, Iowa State came into the game at only 2-9.  Normally TCU would still be solidly in the top four, especially after winning by 52, regardless of opponent.  However, #4 Florida State edged out #11 Georgia Tech 37-35 to complete their undefeated 13-0 regular season, and most agree that the committee would be crazy to leave out a team with a perfect record.  Additionally, #5 Ohio State played #13 Wisconsin and put up the statement performance they needed to and then some, demolishing the Badgers in a ridiculous 59-0 shutout even without their starting quarterback.  So with such a huge victory they surely can jump into the top four?  But Florida State is undefeated?  And TCU won by 52, they can’t move down two spots!  The real loser is Baylor, who in winning only by 11 against #9 Kansas State, got no help and is out of the discussion, despite their win over TCU.

So there’s three teams fighting for two spots essentially as the selection committee prepares to make its final decision.  Who will they choose?  Who deserves to make the top four?  Well, to answer that question, I will give my top four teams and reasons why.  But not only me.  Kaustubh will also be giving his opinions as the blog’s first guest writer.  Here’s who we think are the best four teams in college football.

Connor:  Obviously Alabama and Oregon have been the best two teams in the nation, so I’ll keep them how they were.  If Alabama’s win was close, maybe Oregon would be #1, but I see Alabama as the #1 and Oregon at #2.

Now my #3 is where things get crazy.  Many of the experts, including Kirk Herbstreit, are saying it’s a toss up between Florida State and Ohio State, but I disagree.  I put TCU at #3, even though I’m pretty confident I don’t see eye to eye with the committee.  TCU has had a pair of very dominant performances to end their season, winning at Texas 48-10 and the recent 55-3 thrashing of Iowa State.  Trevone Boykin has played great, and should be a Heisman finalist.  My problem is that seeing them ranked at #3, jumping Florida State, I don’t believe they can dropped multiple spots, especially with a 52 point win.  They’ve had an incredible season coming out of nowhere, and in my opinion they have a harder schedule than both Florida State and Ohio State.  They lead the FBS in win margin as well.  I don’t think they’re getting enough credit.  I just heard ESPN’s Heather Dinich say the committee needs to put Baylor over TCU to establish credibility, which I 100% don’t understand.  Even though it won’t happen, TCU is my #3, and they are Nate Siver’s too.  (Yay, someone agrees!)

As for my four, prepare to be shocked.  It’s Ohio State.  Wait...that means I’m leaving undefeated FSU out?  Yes, it does.  This is my rankings, I don’t believe their wins have been decisive enough, and I’m a big proponent of performance versus just record alone.  Ohio State won 59-0 against a very good #13 Wisconsin team.  Florida State’s last seven games have been decided by a total of 43 points!  That’s less than one touchdown per game!  Ohio State pulled this crazy win off using their third-string quarterback as well!  That is so incredibly impressive that they have to be strongly considered.  I think overall as a team they’ve been winning in a better fashion.

Now at number five is honestly probably where I’d throw Baylor just because I think they are also better than Florida State, but I’ll give Florida State’s unbeaten record the benefit of the doubt.  But let’s be real.  They aren’t one of the best four teams, and we know it.  They’re in the top four based purely off win-loss record, but that’s about it.  Jameis has been shaky, they’ve been down in nearly every game, and are winning every week by the skin of their teeth.  As I’ve already mentioned, their last seven games are being won by only six points per game, and the last four by a total of 14 points, and none by more than five.  They have the easiest schedule out of the six teams in contention, yet have performed the worst.  Let’s put it this way.  A 1-loss Florida State team would be nowhere near the top four discussion, and probably a definitive number six overall.  And that’s just if one of seven teams they’ve played had scored one more touchdown.  It’s a shame that a top team won’t make it because of them.  One final stat: of the top five entering this week, four won by over 28 points; Florida State won by 2.  

Lastly is Baylor, a team that should really be more in the discussion than they are.  They’re only marginally behind TCU (that shows how close everyone is) in terms of win margin and strength of schedule, and did beat TCU (albeit by 3, read my last college football blog to see why that’s not a big deal).  It really comes down to their bad loss against West Virginia that has taken them out of the main conversation.  However, stranger things have occurred than Baylor potentially taking the four slot.  It’s not over yet.

That’s my rankings, in its full, controversial form.

Kaustubh:  Alabama and Oregon won’t change after this week.  Florida State is #3 because statistically they are better and they deserve it.  Even though they pull through in the last minute they get the W and that’s what matters at the end of the day no matter how you do it.  

Ohio State is number four and better than TCU because they show that even in the worst of conditions they are still a top five team.  It’s the way Ohio State played today that puts them over TCU.  If they didn’t blow out Wisconsin it would be TCU at #4 but they did and that changed the entire playing field.  With their third string quarterback they showed that they are just great as a whole.  They would beat TCU if they played them.

No TCU in the top four because they played about the same schedule as Ohio State and Ohio State destroyed a top 15 team more than TCU won against a bad unranked team.  

Baylor is out because they aren’t as good compared to Florida State and Ohio State and they didn’t blow out Kansas State.

Well as seen by our rankings, we have vastly different opinions on what matters most and who will be the top four teams that will compete in the first National Semifinals and then the inaugural Playoff Championship Game.  The committee will have a lot to think about, and undoubtedly their final decision will leave many jumping for joy and many others crying, wishing the playoff system had eight teams instead of just four.

Thanks for reading,

Connor and Kaustubh

Why an NFL Team in Europe is a Bad Idea

     A few months back in my NFL rule changes blog, http://toplevelsports.blogspot.com/2014/07/nfl-changes-part-1-roger-goodells-ideas.html, I noted that the idea of the NFL in Europe is so bad that it may deserve its own blog entry.  So when I had to write an editorial for my journalism class, I figured it'd be a good chance to flesh out my argument a bit more.  Keep in mind even this doesn't cover all the flaws with the NFL going overseas (there's so many), but it does address the primary reasons.

     For the last few years, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has continually mentioned his vision to bring the NFL to Europe, specifically wanting a team in London as soon as possible.  Since 2007, England's Wembley Stadium has hosted at least one regular season game per year, including three in 2014.  However, Goodell's dream is a poor one, as numerous problems prevent the profitability and success of taking American Football overseas.

     The first issue with bringing the NFL to Europe is the lack of interest from NFL players.  The majority of players are not in favor of a European team, and some players including Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth would retire before playing for a team overseas.  One of the main issues behind this is that playing for a European team would require a player to leave their family for weeks or months at a time.

     Also, travel costs would be extensive for teams to travel to and from Europe.  The entire team, coaching staff, medical staff, and equipment would all need to be moved.  The toll on the players themselves would be a large one, as players on west coast teams would face 12 hour flights and an eight hour time difference, which could give them serious jet lag and take away needed practice time during the week.

     Another important fact to consider is that the potential internationally markets might not even want their own NFL franchise.  The NFL isn't near as large internationally as in the United States, and for many people in Europe, the NFL would be a very tough sell.  When the NFL has its annual games in London, the games get hardly any press coverage in the UK.  While fans definitely exist, there wouldn't be as many as in the US, where Los Angeles and San Antonio highlight the list of cities without an NFL team that would definitely support their own franchise. 

     What many people do not know is that the NFL has been overseas before, in a league called NF L Europe which existed from 1991-1992, 1995-2007.  This league featured teams in places such as London, Berlin, and Amsterdam.  This was a sort of minor league, however, with less talented players and nowhere near as much support as the NFL, as shown by reports that the league was losing $30 million per year until it officially ended.  In the London Monarchs' final season in 1998, attendance was less than 6,000 per game, and most teams in the league failed to sell the majority of their tickets.

     Additionally, there are also legal issues that would arise with a team in London, the main potential market for a European NFL team.  Tax rates are higher in London than in the United States, meaning players would not be able to make as much money in the London than America, another reason why players disagree with playing overseas.  Labor laws in the EU may not allow the NFL Draft to occur for London teams.

     With all these issues present facing NFL expansion overseas, it seems the best choice would be for the National Football League to stay in this nation, and look at the big markets in America for any possible expansions or team relocations.  Unfortunately, Roger Goodell seems to disagree, and continues to push American Football in places where they play a different kind of football.

     Connor