Top Level Podcast- NFL Week 4

http://kiwi6.com/artists/TopLevelPodcast/nfl-week-4-podcast-9-27-14

Here is the NFL week 4 podcast.  Hope you enjoy!
Connor

The NFL is BACK!

     It's been a long offseason.  However, there's never really a break in the NFL.  February was spent trying to figure out how the Broncos fell apart in the Super Bowl.  March was filled with analysis of the combine and pro days, as well as free agency.   April was full of mock draft after mock draft until you got sick of mock drafts.  May was the draft and analyzing every pick.  June was time for OTAs.  July was training camp.  No matter how big these events felt at the time, they mean nothing now.  Why?  Because now it's football season.

     I just watched the Hall of Fame game from Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio.  Man, all I can say is that it feels great to be watching football again.  Now there's only about a month until the season starts, and it's time to see the rookies take the field for the first time, and how each team's offseason acquisitions and losses will affect the team.  You see the starters, but also the third stringers.  It's a great idea.  I know I'd like to see my backup quarterback play just in case the starter goes down.

     Who better to play in the game than my New York Football Giants and the Buffalo Bills, two great franchises who just yesterday celebrated the Hall of Fame induction of two of their all-time greats, Michael Strahan and Andre Reed.  This game was for them.

     There's also a benefit in playing in the Hall of Fame game.  I believe a fifth preseason game gives much needed extra experience in seeing how the team performs and making the correct cuts in the preseason.  

     While the game wasn't pretty, it was great to see a real NFL football game again.  Each side made a huge error.  On the Giants side, Eli Manning fumbled on the second drive of the game.  As a Giants fan, that moment reminded me of the beginning of last season, something Big Blue can not have happen again if they want to make the playoffs.  However, the drive that followed proved to be a good one as Eli looked back to form as the Giants put six on the board.

     For the Bills, the interception thrown by Jeff Tuel right before halftime was a real missed opportunity.  However, it was a decent outing from Tuel and he looks like a solid backup.  Plus, he did have a nice 13 yard scramble.  

     In the end, Big Blue came out with a 17-13 victory in a game that really could've gone either way.  Here's five things I took away from the NFL's  first preseason game.  

     1) The NFL's extra points from the 20-yard line looked ridiculous.  I've already written about this, but come on.  The 37 yard extra point was longer than a Bills field goal in this game.  It just doesn't look right, and I hope this change doesn't happen. 

     2) The Giants will have a better running game this year than last.  Perhaps Eli's biggest issue last season was that he was forced into so many 3rd and longs due to the lack of a running game.  Rashad Jennings was a solid back, and Andre Williams really looked like a high potential player.  How did the NCAA's leading rusher slip to the fourth round of the draft anyway?  He has a good combo of size and speed that should benefit the Giants for years to come.

     3) The Bills have a good group of receivers.  A total of 11 guys caught passes for Buffalo today.  And that doesn't even include the fourth pick in the draft, Sammy Watkins.  Robert Woods had a very good game, and Watkins was able to display his speed, even if he didn't end up on the stat sheet. 

     4) EJ Manuel failed to impress.  The second year QB went only 2-7 for 19 yards in two series.  Two of his passes we're batted down by Jason Pierre-Paul and Mathias Kiwanuka.  I don't believe the QB job is up for grabs, but Bills fans will want to see a better showing from their man, and fast.

     5) It's great to be back.  It's really hard to describe the feeling of watching a football game.  There's something so special about it, and it's a feeling that's hard for me to describe.  But man, it feels good.

     Happy preseason and go Big Blue,

     Connor

Recap Special: Jimmy Graham, NBA Free Agency, World Cup, Wimbledon

     This is going to be a crazy post.  Essentially, a lot has happened over the past few days, and I mean a lot.  Instead of sticking to one sport, I'm going to run down what's happened across the World of sport, and what I think about all of it.
     First off is an update on a post I did a couple weeks back over Jimmy Graham and his lawsuit against the NFL.  It turns out that Jimmy Graham lost his suit, and will be paid as a tight end in his franchise tag, losing him five million dollars.  I understand completely why the NFL won, but as I said in the original article, http://toplevelsports.blogspot.com/2014/06/perspectives-jimmy-grahams-position.html, I don't believe their argument is strong enough.  Yes he was drafted as a tight end, but sometimes NBA players transition from say small forward to power forward while they're in the league, and can demand money for their salaries that teams can choose to pay or not to sign that player.  In response, Jordan Cameron of the Browns has changed his twitter bio from tight end to pass catcher.  I think this is hilarious, but a good idea if he eventually attempts to become a wide receiver, he might have a better chance than Graham.  Apparently, the fact that Graham was drafted as a tight end, his twitter page, and the fact that he attends tight end meetings all had to do with the decision.  Again, read my previous post if you want to know my full response to this.  Basically, I disagree with the decision.
     In other news, Kiko Alonso has suffered a torn ACL and will miss the 2014 season.  This is heartbreaking for the Bills, as he was an amazing player last year especially early on in the season.  Could this loss mean yet another 6-10 season for the Bills?  It seems likely...
     In terms of the NBA's free agency, there have been some real conflicting stories.  Apparently, the Miami Heat believe they can re-sign all of the big 3 and still have over 10 million in cap space remaining.   Wade and Bosh in this scenario are happy taking pay cuts limiting their salaries to around 12 million.  However, LeBron wants a max contract, Bosh wants 5 years, 80 million, and Wade isn't content with a pay cut either.  At least says another report.  I don't think the Heat can sign all three players again and still have enough money to build any kind of team around them.  It is now seeming increasingly more likely in my mind that Wade is the only big 3 member to return to Miami for the next season.  LeBron could easily go to Cleveland, and possibly the Clippers or Rockets, although both of those seem like long shots.
     In addition, it seems like Carmelo is destined for Chicago.  Chicago has shown Melo all the facilities and training groups, and they seem like a hand in glove fit.  Chicago could be building a super team.  The Rockets also want a peace of Melo, however, and are making a strong push for the Knicks star.  The only problem with that is that putting Carmelo in a Rockets #7 jersey has angered their actual #7, Jeremy Lin.
      Gortat has remained with the Wizards, which is great for them.  Gortat has become one of the best centers in the league, and along with John Wall they could become a playoff contender soon.
     Another big man needing a home is Pau Gasol.  I'm hearing that the Heat would love him at center, but that the Thunder are also looking for the aging big man, who in recent years has become inferior in production compared to his brother Marc.  Over the next few days, hopefully all these stories will become a bit clearer.
     The World Cup round of 16 matches were better than anyone could have anticipated.  With the exception of the Colombia-Uruguay game, every single game was tight and great to watch.  Tomorrow will be my quarterfinals preview, so right now I'm going to give a quick reaction to every round of 16 game.  The catch?  I'm limiting myself to fifteen words for each game.
     Brazil vs Chile: South American clash, Luiz header hero, Sanchez strikes, Intense penalty shootout, Pinilla misses, Brazil survives.
     Colombia vs Urugay: No more Suarez, James Rodriguez wonder goal, Uruguay deflated, No contest late, Crazy quarterfinal match upcoming.
     Mexico vs Netherlands: El Tri attacks early, Dos Santos scores, Unbearable heat, Sneijder beastly, controversial penalty, Mexican heartbreak.
     Costa Rica vs. Greece: Unexpected matchup, Costa Rica miracle run, Red card, Greece seizes chance late, Fails in penalties
     France vs. Nigeria: Strong performance from Super Eagles, Scoreless duel until late, Pogba scores, seals deal for French
     Germany vs. Algeria: Rematch of 1982 controversy, Tight game, Schurrle hero, Algeria comeback short, No record for Klose.
     Argentina vs. Switzerland: di Maria attacks, strong Swiss defense, extra time thriller, Messi big assist, almost went penalties.
     USA vs Belgium:  Tim Howard = God, Belgium dominates midfield, extra time breakthrough, attempted comeback, Defense dooms Howard
     Wimbledon has been going on, and it's been an exciting tournament thus far.  Serena Williams was forced to retire due to an illness in doubles, and lost in singles, and other top competitors Li Na and Maria Sharapova also lost early in the tournament.  On the men's side, the top story was Nick Kyrgios, a rookie 19-year old Australian, beating Rafael Nadal, the #2 player in the world.  I love these kind of stories, because it gives you a good look at the future of the sport, and these quality wins can really launch careers.  Now left in the mens draw are #1 Novak Djokovic, #13 Grigor Dimitrov, #4 Roger Federer, and #8 Milos Raonic (who defeated Kyrgios today).  This will be a great chance for Federer to get one last major win before he retires, and is great for everyone remaining as Nadal and Andy Murray are out of the tournament.  The women's side is even crazier with #3, 6, 13, and 23 remaining, so there's a real chance for a surprise winner on that side.
     With a lot of games going on right now, especially in the World Cup and Wimbledon, the next week promises to be a very exciting one.

      Thanks for reading,
      Connor

World Cup Groups E-H Review: USA! USA! USA!

     The World Cup started out a bit shaky.  Spain and Uruguay both lost horrendously, Costa Rica came out on top of Group D, and England and Greece forgot how to play the beautiful game.  There was a referee conspiracy, a nude photo scandal, and memes filled the internet.  While we were consumed by the opening few days, worker productivity went down.  The world was captivated by the games and the teams playing in them, fighting so hard for the countries they love.  These are the things everyone loves about soccer.  The emotion, the passion, the celebration.  These greats things continued into the rest of the opening set of matches.  Groups E-H proved to be just as exciting, and without the scandals.
     Group E began with a bang.  Specifically, a 93rd minute bang that stole a point from Ecuador and gave three to Switzerland.  It was a moment of clutch unrivaled so far in the World Cup.  If that shot doesn't go in, Ecuador has a reasonable shot at this group.  Not to say their hopes are over, but they will need some luck.  Honduras I believe had the first red card of the World Cup.  To be honest, however, it didn't really matter if they had 11 men or 10.  Either way they ran into a surprisingly good France team that had definitely recovered from the news that Ribery and Nasri wouldn't be going to Brazil.  France is practically through already just because of the high goal differential they have now at +3.  Switzerland is a strong side that comes in second, and it will be tough for Ecuador to come back and take their place because that would require a win against Honduras and some points against France.  It will be very difficult for Ecuador to defeat the French, but the possibility remains.  Similarly, Honduras looks down and out, but if they can stir up some magic in the dressing room, who knows what's in store.  I still see my original predictions of Switzerland and France in this group.
     Argentina struggled a bit in their opening match, but then again it was against a stronger than expected Bosnia side.  Lionel Messi did have a nice goal that was one of the better scores of the still young World Cup.  Bosnia had a nice goal late in the game to make the score a very respectable 2-1.  Through that performance I now like them to take the second spot in group F.  From an Argentina team that is the second favorite to hoist the Cup next month, I didn't like what I saw.  They seemed a little too relaxed for my liking, although they did have some beautiful runs.  At least they got the three points.  It took 13 games in this World Cup for there to be a draw, and it didn't come from one of the likely candidates.  It seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Iranian team would be last in the group, but that's only if you look from the surface.  The underdogs Iran are actually ranked higher in the FIFA rankings than Nigeria.  They are 43rd and 45th, respectively.  Looking at it from that angle, it seemed like a draw was fair, and that's just what occurred, with the match culminating in a scoreless tie.  With Nigeria and Iran with only one point, Bosnia is in great position to take at least 4 and possibly 6 points out of their remaining two matches while Iran and Nigeria will struggle for points.  I see a come from behind victory for second in the group, with Messi leading Argentina to a first-place finish.
     As you read in the title of this article, the US of A had a great start to their World Cup, avenging previous defeats against Ghana with a 2-1 victory in Monday's clash.  This game was heated.  Kicks were coming everywhere and going everywhere, including Clint Dempsey's nose, which is now broken.  Jozy Altidore had to leave early, and will miss Portugal's game, but should be back against Germany.  I feel bad for Ghana.  Despite their rough style of play, they played just as good if not better than the US for 80 minutes, but started and ended poorly, conceding in the first and 86th minutes.  In the end, it will be a bitter defeat for Ghana but a big motivation for two more tough games in the "Group of Death."  As for the other group G teams, it was a lopsided game between two top 5 ranked teams.  Unfortunately, I was unable to see this game, but from the 4-0 score, and friends telling me it could've been more, I think it's really obvious how this went down.  Germany stands strong as a leading World Cup contender, and Portugal will need Ronaldo more now than ever.
     Belgium, the dark horses of the World Cup, struggled against Algeria in their first match.  They conceded an early penalty, which Sofiane Feghouli was able to convert.  In the second half, however, Belgium played much harder and through substitutes Dries Mertens and Marouane Fellaini they were able to get the two goals that put them ahead, and hold their lead until the ref blew his final whistle.  The Belgians got the three points in the end, and that's all that really matters.  Algeria played a good game, but in the end, while it may have been a good game for them, it won't help them get out of the group.  Russia's match against South Korea was a huge one for me because it was the first game whose score I predicted correctly in my Yahoo Pick'em.  The 1-1 draw came alive in the middle of the second half, where both sides were rapidly going back and forth, including a goal for each side.  With the emergence of Algeria as a second place contender and only one point to South Korea and Russia, the second spot in group H is for the taking.
     I'm still enjoying every moment I see of this World Cup, so my main suggestion is to soak in as much of it as you can, because what you get now will have to last four another four years.

World Cup Groups A-D Review: Upsets and Surprises Galore!

     I am disappointed to say that my predictions for the first World Cup games were off the mark at best.  I'm writing this after a catastrophic start to group E which saw me missing both a game and a score prediction in stoppage time.  Thanks, Switzerland.  Anyways, here's what I thought of groups A-D's first games and what it means for the games ahead.
     Group A had some rather questionable refereeing decisions.  It's too bad these errors clouded the games themselves because they were really pretty good.  Brazil and Croatia both played well in their opening match, and even though Croatia played well they did fall 3-1.  I don't blame the ref for either major decision in that match because from his point of view the penalty was a penalty, and while their was a little embellishment, there still was some contact.  And with the goal from Croatia that was negated, the ref blew the whistle even before the player that scored received the ball, so it isn't really like a goal was taken away.  However, in the Mexico v. Cameroon match, two goals were taken away from Giovani Dos Santos, and while Mexico still played strong enough to get the win, goal difference may be a deciding factor in who comes second, Mexico or Croatia.  I was not expecting Mexico to come out so strong, as I predicted a draw.  Cameroon does not look like a team with enough power to score goals, and thus is basically out of the group.  It's tough to choose who comes second, but I think Croatia has a stronger chance of beating Mexico than Mexico does in beating Croatia.
     Can someone please tell me what happened to the Spain we all know?  This anger and want for revenge from the Netherlands completely destroyed the Spaniards and it looked like Xabi Alonso's early penalty just made the Netherlands more ready to attack.  van Persie had a beautiful header which changed the momentum of the game and the onslaught that followed ended in a 5-1 victory for the Dutch.  Chile took care of business for the most part, despite a strong middle of the game from Australia.  Tim Cahill was able to net a header but Chile took the match 3-1.  Now Spain is really in trouble.  I say they need to win their next two games to have a chance of making it out of the group.  Their goal differential is just awful.  And even with two wins, there is still a decent chance that Spain, Chile, and the Netherlands all finish with six points, taking out the Spanish on the goal differential tiebreaker.
     Japan really gave me a heartbreak last night.  They played a strong first half, but Ivory Coast just took so many shots that they were bound to make one or two eventually.  The old 1-2 occurred in the middle of the second half when Didier Drogba, the beast himself, entered the game.  He immediately turned things around a brought a 2-1 win for the elephants.  Serge Aurier also provided assists on the two Ivorian goals.  I'm happy with how Japan played, however, and I think they have a chance at Greece.  Speaking of Greece, that was not pretty.  They struggled to get shots off while on the other end James Rodriguez orchestrated an offensive powerhouse as the young Colombians swiftly took care of their opposition, ending in a 3-0 win.  It also marked Greece's fourth consecutive World Cup game conceding off a set piece.  That's a really alarming statistic.  Overall, it seems like this group is pretty much decided, as Ivory Coast and Colombia looked really strong.  However, much stranger things have happened, so you can't count out Japan and Greece.
     It's crazy how much a difference one player's absence makes.  Then again, who really knows whether Luis Suarez would've made a difference for Uruguay.  The favorites in the group were shellshocked when Costa Rica, the 1000-1 odds of winning the World Cup Costa Rica, scored not one or two, but three goals in the second half unanswered to score a 3-1 win.  Could Costa Rica advance now?  There's a pretty good chance.  They played surprisingly well.  And how about Italy?  The Italians played very good against the Brits, and Antonio Candreva was a big difference maker on the right wing.  Mario Balotelli's header seemed to really crush the English team, as they couldn't get anything going.  Nothing happened on the left side for them, and key players such as Wayne Rooney couldn't get an on-target shot off if their life depended on it.  Scary.  At least for them, Uruguay doesn't seem to be strong either.  England will definitely need at least 4 points to move on, while Italy is sitting pretty at the moment, even without Gianluigi Buffon.
     It's been a hard World Cup to call, but a really fun one to watch.  Argentina and Leo Messi kick off tonight, while the USA takes on Ghana in a rainy Natal tomorrow.  This is just the beginning of a great World Cup.
Thanks for reading,
Connor