Monthly Archives: January 2013
Tiago Splitter Showing Worth
By John Dyer
Spurs Center Tiago Splitter came to the league and San Antonio with a decent amount of hype. Once hyped as a possible lottery pick, he fell to the Spurs at #28 of the 2007 draft due to his desire to play overseas for a few more years. The Spurs took a chance, hoping he’d one day wear a Spurs jersey. That time came in 2010, when Splitter finally arrived. His 1st season wasn’t anything special, hampered by a pre season injury, Splitter had trouble earning significant minutes on the Spurs deep roster. Last season, Splitter was a solid player off the bench, averaging 9 points and 11 rebounds a game. Still, more was expected from Tiago then a solid bench player, and many wondered if he’d ever even start on this team.
This season started much like last season, with Splitter coming off the bench, giving the Spurs 10 points a game. Then Coach Pop inserted Splitter into the lineup, and he’s shown his worth ever since. In January Splitter has averaged 12 points a game, and in the last 10 games that number has gone up to 14 a game. His pick and roll game is very good, and has added real height to a team that was considered a little too small to win.
The Spurs were two wins away from the NBA finals, and many fans were upset that the Spurs didn’t make any off season moves to get better. But if Splitter continues to be a force in the middle, and a good starter, he might very well be the difference in getting the Spurs back to the NBA finals. Solid centers are rare in the league, so having one right next to the Greatest Power Forward of all time is a real advantage for San Antonio.
Johnny Football: Rock Star
By John Dyer
Johnny Manziel has taken the world and state by storm. I don’t mean the college football world, or the sports world, or SEC world, I mean the world. It all started with the coolest nickname since Stan “the man”, Johnny Football. It’s so simple, yet so brilliant. This name was given to him early on in the season, and make no mistake, it helped with his Heisman promotion. Second, he did what no aggie has been able to do since John David Crow (google him young fans), win the Heisman. Johnny Football brought the Heisman trophy to college station and with it a huge spotlight on “little brother”. 2012 belonged to the Aggies, (sorry UT), from the move to the SEC, to the big win vs bama, and of course all the attention Johnny Football brought. And third, just to top it off, Johnny Football had a classic Cotton Bowl as he led the Aggies to a beat down of hated Oklahoma, on national TV, in the crown jewel of Texas football, Cowboys Stadium.
All these accomplishments have made this past season the greatest in Aggie football history. And even though the Aggies were loaded with top NFL talent, Johnny Football is looked at as the guy that made it all happen. By now you’ve seen the pictures of Johnny Football celebrating the Cotton Bowl win in Dallas, with fireworks shooting out of his mouth, looking like a redneck Diddy. You’ve seen the picture of him wining a few bucks in an Oklahoma casino, and you might’ve caught him courtside at a Mavs game, or on David Letterman.
Now the question, can Johnny Football handle all the attention for the next 2-3 years. He is the king of College Station, the man that is suppose to lead the Ags to new heights, an SEC title, perhaps a national title. It’s ok to act like a rock star, as long as you’re winning. Nobody cared that Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle painted the big apple, as long as they hit a home run the next day. But if the Aggies hit a rough patch in their new SEC home, make no mistake, some will question Johnny Football’s choices off the field. He seems ready to handle it, after all after making the Heisman rounds he showed up to Cowboys Stadium and had a Cotton Bowl for the ages. So sit back, buckle up, and enjoy the Johnny Football roller coaster.
Jerry Jones Throwing Rocks
By John Dyer
Cowboys Owner/President/General Manager/PR Machine Jerry Jones fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, after just two seasons on the Cowboys staff. Jerry Jones promised big changes after the Cowboys fell to another 8-8 finish, and this seems to be what he was talking about. Most fans wanted a different splash, more specific a lot of fans wanted head coach Jason Garrett gone. At the very least, most wanted Jerry to at least hire an offensive coordinator to take play calling duties away from Garrett.
Instead, it feels like Jerry Jones picked a random coach to fire, just to make a splash. The Cowboys defense did fade at the end of the season, but that has more to do with the injuries that the defense suffered. The Cowboys defense was so decimated by injuries, that not even the most diehard Cowboy fans knew the names of some of the linebackers and defensive backs that saw the field for America’s team this season. We should’ve known that this defense was doomed after Sean Lee and Bruce Carter were done for the year. Former all pro nose tackle Jay Ratliff played about as much this season as Kyle Orton did. And to make matters worse, Ratliff’s back up was arrested and caused one of the worst moments in Cowboys history, leaving Coach Ryan to grab another nose tackle the night before a game in Cincinnati. Now if all these injuries sound like excuses for Ryan, perhaps you’re right. Perhaps Ryan’s defense wasn’t going to cut it no matter who was on the field.
Perhaps looking for a new defensive coordinator is the right move for the cowboys, especially with a Texas native like Lovie Smith looking for work. Perhaps a move back to the 4-3 defense is in the best interest of the boys, and Ryan is a traditional 3-4 guy. The decision to fire Ryan might’ve been strictly football, but let’s all be honest. This feels like a desperation move, a move Jerry did to make some sort of splash, just to prove to the angry fan base that 8-8 is no longer acceptable. In the end though, it really feels like he just picked up a heavy rock, and threw it in the lake just for the sake of seeing a splash, and that’s not how you excite a fan base.
Loading ...
Facebook
Twitter
