Author Archives: Kent Sterling

For First Time Since 2005, Indiana Schools Face Possibility of March Madness Shutout

by Kent Sterling

The point guard most likely to play in the 2014 NCAA Tournament is a fun to watch home grown senior named Jake Odum.

Indiana fancies itself as the state where basketball is king. NBA rosters feature a disproportionate number of men who grew up playing the game in Indiana, and only one time since 1980 have all college programs eligible to participate in the NCAA Tournament been shut out.

2014 might be the second, unless one of the ten teams gets hot in their conference tournament.

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Indiana State might be the best team in the state, and the favorite among Indiana teams to earn an at-large spot in the 68-game field. Greg Lansing’s team has the state’s best RPI at #51, and a 6-1 record in the MVC. Wichita State appears to be a prohibitive favorite to win the regular season title, but Indiana State might be able to raise some hell in the tournament. If Indiana State can win the remaining games in which they will be favored, 22-24 wins plus whatever they add during Arch Madness in St. Louis (the MVC Tournament) can make their resume’ nice and shiny.

The chin-strapped Jake Odum is playing point guard for what seems like his 14th year in Terre Haute, and if you haven’t had a chance to watch him play, you should.

Last night’s 65-61 win over Loyola-Chicago (RPI #298) was nearly a catastrophic loss for the Sycamores and their chances to earn an at-large bid.

Key wins – vs. Belmont (RPI #78), @ Notre Dame (RPI #91), vs. Missouri State (RPI #101)

Key losses – @ Tulsa (RPI #101), @Belmont (RPI #78), @ St. Louis (RPI #31)

Indiana University has only missed the tourney six times since 1980. Three of those came after the arrogance and stupidity of Kelvin Sampson and Rob Senderoff led to NCAA sanctions that decimated the Hoosiers roster. Other than the 2009-2011 period, Indiana missed in 1985 (the first year the field expanded), and two consecutive years under the thoroughly reviled Mike Davis in 2005 and 2006.

At 2-4 in the Big Ten with an RPI of #71, the Hoosiers are likely going to need to finish their final 12 Big Ten games 7-5 to elevate their record to the point where an at-large bid becomes a likelihood. Failing that, Indiana will need to win the Big Ten Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Key wins – vs. Wisconsin (RPI #3), vs. Washington (RPI #85)

Key Losses – vs. Northwestern (RPI #119), vs. Notre Dame (RPI #91), vs. UConn (RPI #35)

Notre Dame is having a long season – their first in the ACC. That 2-4 conference record, RPI ranking of #91, and a conference tournament with some of the nation’s best teams makes a clear path to the NCAA Tournament very difficult to see. Leading scorer Jerian Grant’s dismissal from the team for academic issues did not help the Fighting Irish, and losing four of five after stunning Duke is not a bellwether for success either.

Mike Brey has led the Irish to four straight bids, but this year appears to be a long shot.

Key wins – vs. Duke (RPI #14), vs Indiana (RPI #71), vs. vs. Delaware (RPI #72)

Key losses – @ Georgia Tech (RPI #144), @Maryland (RPI #70), vs. NC State (RPI #64)

Butler has had a tough time losing overtime games in their first season in the Big East, and have lost every game they have played against competition with an RPI ranked 89th or higher. With an overall record of 11-8 and a conference mark of 1-6, the Bulldogs face a tough road at-large consideration.

If any team in Indiana has a real chance at turning their season around, it’s Butler. If they had scored a single point more in their four OT losses, they would be 15-4 overall and 4-3 in conference. Butler is the poster boy for teams being better than their record shows.

Villanova, Creighton, and Xavier appear to be the cream of the crop in the Big East, but Butler is going to be a tough out in the Big East Tournament.

Key wins – vs Marquette (RPI #90), vs. vs. Princeton (RPI #98), vs. Purdue (RPI #104)

Key losses – vs. DePaul (RPI #89), vs. Georgetown (RPI #67), vs. LSU (RPI #60)

Purdue has an even lower RPI than the Hoosiersat #104, but had shown recent signs of life before a double OT loss at Northwestern Tuesday night. If the light goes on for A.J. Hammons, they could easily elevate into the first division of the Big Ten. That’s a long shot as Hammons has been to same guy since his season at Carmel High School.

The end of the Gene Keady Era was mostly barren of trips to the NCAA Tourney. They missed out in four of his last five seasons (2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005). Matt Painter missed his first season as he rebuilt nearly from scratch, but never since.

The Boilermakers have talent, but at 3-3 in the Big Ten with seven of 12 remaining games against ranked opponents, can’t afford to lose any of the games left that they should win.

Key wins – @ Illinois (RPI #62), @ West Virginia (RPI #101), vs. Boston College (RPI #158)

Key losses – vs. Washington State (RPI #146), @Northwestern (RPI #119), vs. Butler (RPI #93)

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IPFW is in the single bid Summit League, where they boast a 3-1 record. Their RPI of #127 puts them well outside consideration for an at-large bid. The teams from the Dakotas are pretty good in the Summit League, and they will pose the biggest threat to sending IPFW home.

Key wins – vs. North Dakota State (RPI #49)

Key losses – @ Texas A&M CC (RPI # 223), @ South Dakota (RPI #181), @ Miami of Ohio (RPI #166), vs. Eastern Kentucky (RPI #129)

Valpo with an RPI ranking of #208 is not going to get a bid without winning the Horizon League Conference Tournament, and if not for the UW-Green Bay Phoenix they might have a good shot. There are three distinct sects of teams in the Horizon League – the bottom feeders (UIC, Detroit, and Oakland), the good teams (Wright State, Youngstown State, Cleveland State, UW-Milwaukee, and Valpo), and the best (UW-Green Bay).

The Phoenix are undefeated in conference and against the all teams they have played outside the top 60.

Key wins – None

Key losses – @ East Tennessee State (RPI #251), @UCF (RPI #221), vs. Evansville (RPI #220), vs. Wright State (#199), @ Oakland (#171)

Evansville – RPI #220 – is the best team ranked #200 or worse in college hoops. They came very close to beating Xavier on the road, but have found a way to only win seven of 18 against division one opponents. Seven of their 11 losses have been to top 100 teams.

They are going to have a tough time winning the MVC Tournament, but could post an upset of two. Marty Simmons is an outstanding coach who has some young talent – including his son Blake.

Key wins – vs. Mercer (RPI #65)

Key losses – vs. Jackson State (RPI #224), @ Murray State (RPI #196), vs. Drake (RPI #162)

Ball State is 3-12 and winless in the MAC. The Cardinals have one win over a D-1 opponent. There is always hope that they might be able to catch lightning in a bottle, but the light that hope creates in Muncie wouldn’t light a tiny corner of Worthen Arena.

This is James Whitford’s first year as coach, and it’s going to take time for him to build the roster and establish the brand. He came from Arizona, so he has seen how building a winner is done.

The RPI of 314 will improve in year two.

Key wins – none

Key losses – all

IUPUI is 2-16 with an RPI of #320. They have lost their last nine. To write more than that about the 2013-2014 Jaguars would be piling on. The key to success in Indy is to find a way to keep a couple of really good Indianapolis kids home each year. If Indy has a down year producing mid-major quality high school seniors, that will spell trouble for IUPUI – and it has.

Key wins – none

Key losses – all

Indiana Basketball – Should Hoosiers Be “Happy” or “Proud” With 71-66 Loss to Michigan State?

by Kent Sterling

“Happy” should not describe the Hoosiers reaction to seeing Gary Harris do this again and again last night.

The lead of Zach Osterman’s Indianapolis Star piece on Indiana’s road loss last night to Michigan State Spartans reads, “Indiana should leave the Breslin Center happy with its performance, even in a loss, to No. 3 Michigan State.” Has Indiana fallen so far that losses to a good team that played poorly (minus the 20-point in 18 second half minutes heroism of Gary Harris) are worthy of happily leaving an arena?

I’ve never read a piece by a beat writer than suggested a smile should accompany a loss for a defending Big Ten Champion, but the rest of Zach’s story is right down the middle in reporting how the Spartans won and Indiana couldn’t finish the deal.

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The point isn’t to critique Zach’s writing. He’s a hard working guy who covers the Hoosiers well. The point is that the suggestion that a team should be pleased with itself on its way out of the Breslin Center is ludicrous.

IU coach Tom Crean was a little more sanguine than I would expect from a coach paid to win games, not find the silver lining, “I’m proud of the way my team played, to be honest with you.” Proud is different than pleased, happy, or worst of all satisfied, so I can. Not to go all Vince Lombardi here, but show me a coach who is satisfied after losing, and I’ll show you a loser.

Indiana is 2-4 in the Big Ten, and coaches are a lot less likely to go scorched earth in the middle of January when staring at an additional 12 conference games, and Crean is working the long con with this team, not trying to rev them up for the Illinois game on Sunday.

Destroying them in the media in the immediate aftermath of a game where progress was made over the effort made Saturday afternoon in Assembly Hall against Northwestern would have been the act of a self-indulgent and self-immersed mope, and Crean is smarter than that.

Michigan State is a good team with a couple of important pieces knicked or missing, and were ripe for the picking last night. As was the case with Wisconsin during the win that caused the students to quietly rain onto Branch McCracken Court, Michigan State looked a little slow during the first half. In the second half, Harris put on his truss and carried his teammates across the finish line.

Indiana’s answers were insufficient to mount a successful effort to claw back from a 62-52 deficit.

Did the Hoosiers play hard? Sure. Did they defend reasonably well? Sure. Did they turn the ball over a bunch? Yes, 18 is double what’s acceptable. Did they miss the looks they earned through trying to attack the rim? Yes, 16 times they missed shots tight to the bucket.

They continue to dribble into trouble, but Stanford Robinson appears to be adroit in getting to the rim, and Troy Williams played his best game since the non-conference schedule against nine versions of (perpetual Harlem Globetrotters patsies) the Washington Generals.

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Is that enough to feel happy? The question isn’t whether the response should be glee or sorrow, but what will prod the Hoosiers toward improvement in effort and execution for the final 13 (minimum) games of the 2013-2014 season. Hopefully, the players were furious with yet another opportunity lost. The coaches need to take a long hard look at their own work as they assess the problems causing these losses. And the media and fans can think whatever the hell they want. We are completely inconsequential in the equation that leads to the success or failure of any team.

A segment of the people calling themselves Indiana fans are still not sure about Crean. Another thinks he’s doing a wonderful job. And a third group of deeply disturbed fanatics believe it’s still 1981, and Bob Knight would be a salve for all wounds. For me, I think he has been better this season than in the past two. He looks more in control; not quite as super amped up about everything during games. Teaching seems to be his focus, and that’s the way I like coaches.

I just hope Crean wasn’t happy, as Zach suggested, or as proud as he suggested he was after the game. I hope he’s driven to clean up the mess that caused this potential win to become a loss, and that his players are apt and unsatisfied students.

Chicago Cubs – Masahiro Tanaka Predictably Shuns Cubs; Picks Yankees

by Kent Sterling

Not for one second were the Chicago Cubs in the game for Masahiro Tanaka, but they still managed to win the offseason.

Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts breathed a long sigh of relief this morning when Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka announced his intention to accept the New York Yankees offer of a seven-year, $155 million to hurl a supposedly unhittable splitter in the Bronx.

The Cubs generated a lot of media coverage by engaging in the charade of making their pitch to the most coveted free agent of the offseason. Fans hoped this signing would mark the first major talent acquisition ready to compete at the major league level since Ricketts acquired the team in late 2009, but the Cubs had no intention of spending that kind of cash on a pitcher who might magically turn them into a team capable of winning 75 games in 2014 and 2015.

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It wasn’t to be, as the Cubs were aware as soon as they began their engagement in this sham. Playing a rigged game for the unrequited love of Tanaka is a great way to appear aggressive while risking nothing more than the travel cost to Los Angeles to talk to Tanaka. “We are willing to pay what it will take, including the $20 million posting fee!” was a hollow threat from jump street.

The Cubs are determined to reap massive profits to pay off the massive debt load encumbered at the time of Ricketts’ purchase, and stuff millions into the Ricketts Family coffers. Paying pitchers $22 million per season doesn’t fit into that equation.

Incredibly and needlessly loyal Cubs fans are the losers in the Tanaka negotiations. They deserve more than lip service, a quality roster at West Tennessee and Iowa, and the third highest ticket prices in baseball. They deserve an ownership with the resources and commitment to field a team with a chance to win.

For 105 years, Cubs fans have waited. Told that Ricketts was one of them – having famously lived across the street from Wrigley Field with his brother – fans bought into the claptrap of building for the future – a future that is now being defined by those in the Cubs front office as being near the end of the decade.

The Cubs, knowing that their fans can’t be dumb enough to continue to buy tickets in bulk forever with a pitiful – well – everything, told them that Tanaka would be their focus for offseason acquisitions, and that to get him, they would need to marshall all resources toward that cause. That left them off the hook for not going after anyone else. Perfect.

That bought them time, conveniently through the Cubs Convention, which ended 72 hours ago.

Now, fans and the increasingly surly Chicago media will want to know what Ricketts, team president Theo Epstein, and general manager Jed Hoyer plan to do to make the roster more competitive less than a month from the opening of Spring Training. Hope can only be sold for so long. Baseball played by talented men should not be too much to expect for fans who pay big coin for the privilege of watching major league baseball.

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As things stand today, fans should have no reason to project any uptick from last year’s 66-96 record, which was a small improvement over 2012’s 61-101 mark, which was a ten-win drop over Mike Quade’s swan song of a 71-91 debacle.

The three best reasons to hop on the Red Line for an afternoon at Wrigley – beer, the seventh inning stretch, and Clark the Mascot. It won’t be long before fans realize they can buy beer cheaper across the street, karaoke is everywhere, and that Clark will be an effective distraction for only so long.

Chicago deserves better than what Ricketts is providing, but until fans vote with their wallets, Ricketts will continue to turn Wrigley Field into Pottersville from “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

Indiana Basketball – Hoosiers Come Close in Bounceback Game at Michigan State; Lose 71-66

by Kent Sterling

Gary Harris scored 20 points in the first 18 minutes of the second half, and that was all Michigan State needed to point its way to victory.

Indiana beats #3 Wisconsin, loses to heralded bottom feeding Northwestern, and then rises up to take the #3 ranked Michigan State Spartans to the wire in East Lansing.

Will the real Hoo-Hoosiers please stand up, please stand up!

The lead for Indiana got as high as five points at 46-41 with a chance to take it to seven, but a Noah Vonleh turnover ended the 10-2 Hoosiers run and led to a Michigan State 11-2 run that Indiana couldn’t overcome.

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Indiana tried to close a late 10-point gap to get to within a single possession, but fell short.

In the end, Indiana just wasn’t poised enough to beat the third-best team in the country on their own court. Too many turnovers (18) and too few assists (9), although given the Hoosiers poor jump shooting assists are going to be tough to come by.

Vonleh posted a Munster with 13 points and 13 rebounds (for those of you unacquainted with the 1960s sitcom “The Munsters”, they lived at 1313 Mockingbird Lane – any combination of stats that total 13 is a Munster), and Yogi Ferrell scored well with 19 points on 4-13 shooting.

The Spartans were led by the former Mr. Basketball who Indiana fans sure would have enjoyed seeing in an Indiana jersey. After scoring a career high 26 in the first contest between Indiana and Michigan State at Assembly Hall, Harris dropped 24 tonight with 20 in the second half.

Not sure whether Harris still resents being asked to wait until the late signing period to commit to Indiana (as was reported at the time), or whether he enjoys playing his ass off against former Indiana All-Star teammates and northeast side of Indianapolis rivals like Evan Gordon, Austin Etherington, Jeremy Hollowell, and Yogi Ferrell, but whatever his motivation, Tom Crean would sure appreciate it if he let bygones be bygones.

Indiana now sits at 2-4 in the Big Ten with four tough tests ahead (vs. Illinois, January 26 – @ Nebraska, January 30 – vs. Michigan – February 2, and @ Minnesota – February 8).

Depending upon which Indiana team shows up, they could be 6-4 or 2-8 as they make their way home from the Twin Cities.

This inconsistency makes watching Indiana a psychological challenge. The cup half full people expect the best, and are disappointed roughly half the time, and the cup half empties feel very smart half the time.

Both types of people felt cheated tonight as Indiana competed well enough to have a chance, but not well enough to get the win. The pessimists were proven wrong, but the optimists weren’t validated.

For those who think that Crean is overpaid at $3+ million per year, he’s earning it be trying to forge a team out of these oddly ill-fitting pieces.

Crean battled gallantly through the adversity of having no players when he accepted the job at Indiana, but that was no match for the challenge of coaching this group that boasts two players who appear confident in their roles (Vonleh and Ferrell) and others who try to do to much, are comfortable not doing enough, or don’t appear to have any idea what they are supposed to do.

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Whether Indiana finds a path to success this season depends upon the development of players not named after a cartoon bear or the architect and captain of a boat 300 cubits long.

In two months we’ll know if the the trip through these hills and valleys yielded enough wins to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament, and the ride is likely to test the patience of the fans, coaches, and players.

If Crean learned anything from 2008-2011, it was how to get his team to continue to fight; and if fans learned anything, it was the tolerance needed to enjoy watching a team develop.

With this group, no dream is too big, and no nightmare too horrible.

Leigh Steinberg Claims 1998 Draft Was Manipulated, But Bill Polian’s Choice Was Manning All Along

by Kent Sterling

As Peyton Manning looks forward to his third Super Bowl, Ryan Leaf is wearing a different kind of uniform where, “under center” means something very different than in the NFL.

When Bill Polian came to the Indianapolis Colts in December, 1997, in exchange for the Colts third round pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, he brought with him the draft analysis he had put together while the president of the Panthers, and according to a member of Polian’s staff, Peyton Manning was at the top of the board.

Agent Leigh Steinberg has written an autobiography that claims that he and quarterback Ryan Leaf manipulated the draft to force the Colts toward Manning because he favored the climate and laid-back attitude in San Diego.

Leaf supposedly blew off a meeting at the 1998 NFL Draft Combine with Colts coach Jim Mora as part of a plan to agitate the hot tempered Mora into rejecting the physically gifted and mentally undisciplined Leaf.

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In the book, Steinberg discusses the aftermath of Leaf missing the meeting, “Once Ryan was a no-show, Mora, as anticipated, went ballistic. I defended my player, naturally, dismissing the coach’s response as another Mora meltdown. As I’d anticipated, Ryan was criticized, but the plan achieved its purpose. The Colts took Manning. Something tells me the folks in Indianapolis have never regretted that decision.”

That might all be true. Leaf and Steinberg crafted an idiotic plan to avoid being drafted first. Leaf definitely missed the meeting, according to reports. Manning was drafted by the Colts.

But Polian left Carolina with Manning at the top of his board, and Logo Athletic was printing Manning jerseys days before the draft.

Manning was a sure thing with elite pedigree for the Tennessee Vounteers who were ranked third until losing to Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Sure, Manning lost four times in four tries against Florida, but the last three years, he led the Vols to a top ten ranking. He understood his role as quarterback for Tennessee, and famously delivered pizzas to students camping out for tickets. Leaf had one outstanding season for the ninth-ranked Washington State Cougars, and rode his strong arm to a draft day bubble destined to burst.

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This pick was every bit the no-brainer prior to the draft as it is looking back at Manning almost 16 years later preparing for his third trip to the Super Bowl, and Leaf continues to serve time at Crossroads Correctional Center in Shelby, Montana, after pleading guilty to charges of felony burglary and drug possession.

Steinberg can try to sell books with this wacky story, but to assert that the Colts drafted Leaf because of a manipulation worthy of a petulant fifth grader is ludicrous.

Indiana vs. Michigan State – Which Hoosiers Team Will Show Up in East Lansing?

by Kent Sterling

Indiana fans want to see Michigan State coach Tom Crean look like this a lot tonight.

Indiana fans want to see Michigan State coach Tom Izzo look like this a lot tonight.

Not sure I’ve ever seen an Indiana team this capable of playing really well and really poorly within a four-day period.

The Hoosiers weren’t perfect against #3 Wisconsin last Tuesday. The result of that game had as much to do with Wisconsin looking a step slow as it did the Hoosiers playing well, but basketball is a comparative game, so whether the Hoosiers were quicker or the Badgers slower is unimportant. Indiana won, and that was that.

Four days later, Indiana felt pretty good about its chances as they hosted perennial Big 10 bottom-feeder Northwestern. Sadly for the Hoosiers, the Wildcats felt pretty good themselves, and held the Hoosiers to 15-60 shooting in a 54-47 loss Indiana could ill afford as they try to find a way back into the conference race.

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Tonight, Indiana will try to find its mojo in East Lansing against the type of team it would like to become. Michigan State leads the Big Ten with a 6-0 record led by two seniors, and junior, and mature sophomore Gary Harris. Two of those wins were in overtime, but the Spartans win at Assembly Hall against Indiana was not among them.

That game was a 17-point shellacking that was as methodical as it was disappointing for the capacity Indiana crowd. After a 9-9 tie, the Spartans stretched their lead to nine at the half, and then used a 7-1 run to start the second half to stretch its lead to 15.

Michigan State isn’t invincible, but the first game did give Indiana fans a big case of what-if-iris. Harris was heavily recruited by Tom Crean, and the 2012 Indiana Mr. Basketball scored 26 points to lead the Spartans, and wondering what might have happened for Indiana had Harris chosen to sign with Indiana and Crean instead of Tom Izzo popped into fans’ heads repeatedly during that contest.

Adreian Payne is injured, but that hasn’t stopped the the SS Sparty from sailing through the Big Ten – winning all three games for which he has been unavailable – so if the Hoosiers are going to compete successfully against Michigan State tonight, they are going to have to contain one of the best backcourts in college basketball in Harris and Keith Appling, but this game is less about strategy than the effort and collective psychology of the Hoosiers.

When Indiana shows up ready to compete and shows the discipline necessary to execute on both ends, they can play with anyone. When they don’t, the Hoosiers look as lost as they did in losing at home to Northwestern for only the third time since 1968 (2009, 2011, 2014).

It’s way too early to decide who is at fault for the schizophrenia that seems to have infected the Hoosiers play. Is it a lack of focus from the players? Is it an inability of Crean and his staff to push the right buttons? Is it as simple as Indiana losing 70% of its scoring, 67% of its rebounding, and 100% of its leadership from last year’s regular season Big Ten Champions?

This is a young team, but there is no doubting its pedigree and talent. The doubt comes when assessing its ability to dedicate focus to the task at hand. And for Crean, the question is whether to stick to the plan and continue to work to improve, or re-plate completely with the five players best able to listen and respond to what has become some very serious adversity regardless of athleticism.

After tonight, Indiana hosts the equally baffling Fighting Illini, travels to Nebraska to play the Huskers team that beat #17 Ohio State last night, hosts #21 Michigan, and then goes to Williams Arena where the Minnesota Golden Gophers are very difficult to beat.

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Just as it didn’t take a lot of imagination after the Wisconsin game a week ago to see a path to 9-9 and an NCAA Tournament berth, the specter of a 2-8 Big Ten record going into the February 12th home game against Penn State looms large for the Hoosiers.

If the least predictable Indiana team in memory can find itself and beat Michigan State tonight, they will be 3-3 and appear very capable (again) of playing the kind of basketball that will reward the faith of the players, coaches, and fans with a fun March.

Better to follow the schedule, enjoy the games, and wait to evaluate until the end of the season when the last chapter is written. The alternative is to allow the Hoosiers schizoid behavior to become contagious.

For those of you who love numbers, Indiana is a 12-point dog. Michigan State is 8-2 against the spread in its last 10 games, while Indiana is 3-5 in its last eight. My pick – do not bet on this game! Predicting the level of play from the Hoosiers right now is impossible, and losing cash in addition to your mind cruelly punishes your loyalty.

Richard Sherman Speaks His Mind, and That Should Be Applauded

by Kent Sterling

Seattle Seahawks cornerback tells Fox Sports Erin Andrews exactly what he thinks after yesterday’s win.

A black man loudly speaks his mind, and he’s a thug. A white guy does some posturing, and he’s a colorful character.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman called out San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree after a game where both men took their jobs very personally as they battled one another.

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When Sherman was invited immediately after the game by Fox sideline reporter Erin Andrews to describe the play that sealed the game for the Seahawks, a beautiful deflection by Sherman that led to an interception, he went off, “I’m the best corner in the game. When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that’s the result you gonna get. Don’t you ever talk about me. Don’t you open your mouth about the best or I’m gonna shut it for you real quick. L.O.B.! (Legion of Boom)”

Crabtree’s averages going into the game during eight games, including the playoffs, were 4.5 catches, 60.9 yards, and 0.1 TDs per game. Yesterday, he was targeted eight times, caught four balls for 52 yards, no TDs, with one pick. In the Week 14 season matchup against the Seahawks, Crabtree was targeted eight times, caught four for 40 yards, no TDs, and one pick. So he was roughly as good (or “mediocre” to use the word Sherman has employed again and again to describe Crabtree) against the Seahawks yesterday as he was against everyone else.

Sherman is one of the best corners in the game as evidenced by the low number of times opponents targeted the receiver he defended in 2013. The leader of the Legion of Boom was only targeted 58 times on 1,003 defensive snaps. No one else with 1,000 snaps played or more was targeted less than 79 times. Darrelle Revis was targeted 63 times on 972 snaps.

The point isn’t whether or not Sherman was right; it’s whether Sherman was justified in honestly baring his feelings into a microphone repeatedly after the game. The answer is, of course, yes.

In our 24/7 news cycle society, news and sports networks enjoy prompting and airing raw emotional outbursts. The talk today had very little to do with the AFC and NFC Championships, and everything to do with Sherman sharing forthrightly about Crabtree’s mediocrity and Sherman’s own superior talents.

A survey today on ESPN.com shows 40% of fans believe Sherman’s rant to Andrews was “Funny/entertaining” and 60% view it as “Not cool”. What would the response be if Wes Welker went off after the Broncos game about how Alfonso Dennard or Kyle Arrington couldn’t stop him?

People say, “Act like you’ve been there before” or “be humble in victory and gracious in defeat”, but most of the time these phrases follow a black man speaking out. And when that black man looks like a guy who would scare them witless if alone with them in an alley, the response belies that fear.

Being inoffensive should not be the goal of any man or woman. Some of the best men in world history were defiant as they spoke publicly. We are celebrating one of them today. While Dr. Martin Luther King didn’t play sports or yell about a football player being mediocre, he said things that upset a great many people. That so many were driven to annoyance and violence by a man who tirelessly preached love should inform all of us as to the value of the opinion of the majority.

Muhammad Ali was seen as insolent because of his words and actions. His stance as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War cost Ali his championship and more than three years of his ability to earn. Converting to Islam resulted in society viewing him as a heretic. Today, Ali is viewed as a leader and paragon of virtue for the same decisions that caused castigation in the 1960s.

Of course, King and Ali are two extreme examples of men speaking their minds with positive results. Terrell Owens and Dennis Rodman do it too, and unless Rodman can leverage his friendship to motivate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to abandon his post as the sheriff of Crazytown, those honest men will even the scales for those considering a life of blunt declaration.

The point is not that Sherman should be seen as some sort of prophet, but that saying what you feel and believe is a good thing, even when it irritates. Our society has evolved toward believing we have the right to never be annoyed, but annoyance sometimes evolves into discussion which then inspires understanding.

Cut Sherman some slack, and examine your reaction before casting judgement. Modest and measured is dull. We need more boat rockers, and Sherman rocked the hell out of that boat last night.

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Video of Seattle CB Richard Sherman Blasting Skip Bayless on ESPN’s First Take Shows Sherman’s Mouth Before Brain Penchant

by Kent Sterling

[Ed. Note: This post was changed to reflect the date of the Sherman appearance – almost a year ago. I didn’t see the show when it initially aired and was told by someone I trust that Sherman appeared on the show today.]

One thing we know about Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is that he is going to tell everyone what he thinks.

Whether you believe he’s right, wrong, crazy, or the sanest man in the world, he is without a doubt honest. That deserves our respect.

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Almost a year before blasting Michael Crabtree in a series of entertaining and loud diatribes, he was a guest on ESPN’s 1st Take, where he told co-host Skip Bayless exactly what he thinks. I liked that, and I’m sure Bayless enjoyed it too.

Not everyone is right 100% of the time, but there is no excuse for speaking one’s mind. Sherman judged Bayless based upon the widely held belief that Bayless simply takes a position – any position – and argues it. Some think he’s an idiot who embodies everything wrong with sports media, and clearly Sherman is one of those.

The truth is that Bayless is a Lisagor Award winning columnist, an Emmy nominee, an Illinois sportswriter of the year, and a three time Texas sportswriter of the year.

Think what you will about Bayless, but he knows his job and performs well. Clearly, he doesn’t mind being disliked, and knows that contentious dialogue is good for his brand.

Sherman appears not to be a football player who minds ruffling a few feathers himself, as he shouted about San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree being a “mediocre” wide receiver into every microphone thrust in front of him yesterday.

I liked what Sherman had to say yesterday. Our culture needs more people willing to say the unpopular thing in a very direct way. Over the last 40 years, we have become allergic to hearing the truth as others believe it, and then either dismissing or embracing it. None of us suffered any ill-effects because of Sherman’s outbursts yesterday.

But a year ago he showed a propensity to speak out of turn, and that discredits everything he has said since. Before he attacked Bayless, he should have known as much about Skip as he expects Skip to know about him.

As we’ve learned with Bayless over the years – volume plus ignorance does not equal wisdom.

No one should ever owe Bayless an apology, but Sherman did.

Peyton Manning on Super Bowl Road to Redemption and Legacy as Best Quarterback Ever

by Kent Sterling

Despite Peyton Manning’s current employer, he will always be known and remembered for his years as an Indianapolis Colt.

The one rip on the stellar career of Peyton Manning is his postseason flameouts, evidenced by his 9-11 record in playoff games he carried into the 2013 postseason. The best ever can’t have a losing record when it counts most, can he?

Yesterday’s win by the Denver Broncos evened Manning’s record at 11-11, and was made possible by the superlative performance by the quarterback whose career nearly ended with four neck surgeries in 2011. Manning was 32-43 for 400 yards, two TDs, and zero picks as he picked apart a Patriots defense forced to play without cornerback Aqib Talib because of injury.

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The Indianapolis Colts decided to move forward without Manning after 2011, and the Broncos, tired of watching Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow lead their team, invested heavily in the quarterback whose best days were likely behind him. The Colts bought into a long future with Andrew Luck, receiving back-to-back 11-5 regular season marks. The Broncos hoped to win now, and Manning led them to back-to-back 13-3 records and a trip to Super Bowl XLVII in New Jersey.

Manning will become the third quarterback in NFL history to lead two franchises to Super Bowls, and with a win will be the first to raise a Vince Lombardi Trophy for both. This will be Manning’s third start in a Super Bowl, becoming the 12th to do so. With a win, Manning will also become the 12th to get that done twice.

At the age of 37, Manning enjoyed his best season in 2013, and the best statistical year by a quarterback in the history of the NFL. He set all-time records in passing yards (5,477) and passing TDs (55). He tied his own mark of 450 passes completed, 18 behind Drew Brees record of 468 set in 2011. He led the NFL in QBR (for the fifth time in the last seven seasons in which Manning has played), passing yards per game, net yards per attempt (7.91), completions, and attempts in addition to those categories in which he set records.

In the regular season, Manning has very few peers. In 15 seasons, Manning has posted double digit wins 12 times with an overall record of 167-73 that included a 3-13 rookie campaign. In 10 of those seasons, Manning’s teams have won at least 12 games. Manning has thrown for more than 4,000 yards 13 times, has been named first team all-pro seven times, and when his approximate value is finally tabulated for 2013 he will likely nudge past Brett Favre for the all-time lead on pro-football-reference.com.

If Manning can play two more seasons close to his current level of productivity, hardly a given, he will own the records for completions (needs 769 to pass Favre), passing yards (needs 6,875 to pass Favre), passing touchdowns (needs 18 to pass Favre). and total offense (6,275 to pass Favre) Manning already holds the record for comebacks with 40 and game winning drives (51).

And despite the well-documented trials Manning has endured in the postseason, the Super Bowl will be his 23rd playoff game started, which will tie him for fifth all-time with Larry Cole and Joe Montana. He will trail Tom Brady, Gene Upshaw, and Brett Favre by one, and Jerry Rice by six.

There has never been any doubt about Manning’s greatness as an aggregator of statistics. His precision and production through 15 regular seasons has been beyond excellent, and his brand building has allowed him to become an all-time leader in endorsements as well.

While Manning’s postseason woes have given critics an opportunity to elevate quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Joe Montana, and Terry Bradshaw over him, the truth is that with a few made routine field goals, a recovered onside kick, a routine defensive play, and a Nick Harper move to the outside around Ben Roethlisberger, this could Manning’s chance to win a seventh Super Bowl.

What Manning has in his trophy case, Manning has earned. Bad breaks are responsible for the empty spaces. That’s true for many quarterbacks, but no one has been victimized by bad mojo like Peyton Manning.

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With a win in Super Bowl XLVII and two more seasons of reasonable productivity, the legacy of Peyton Manning as the best quarterback of all-time will be secured beyond debate. If his neck forces Manning to retire after the Super Bowl, he is still the best but the margin will allow for spirited discussion.

Arguments make sports fun, but Manning might end one for good in 13 days.

Mary Willingham Says Her Research on Academic Levels of UNC Chapel Hill Athletes 100% Accurate

by Kent Sterling

What Mary Willingham talks about at UNC is no different than what happens at many other schools, but that’s no excuse for UNC’s indifference to the education of its athletes.

Mary Willingham is a polarizing person in the college athletics world.

Her research shows 60% of the University of North Carolina football and men’s basketball players with whom she worked as an academic advisor read and write at anywhere from a 4th to 8th grade level, and 10% don’t fare quite that well.

UNC wonks believe her research serves an agenda designed to demean athletes. Those who are suspicious of the intentions of coaches making millions to win football and basketball through the efforts of young athletes not yet eligible to play in the NFL or NBA view her as a lonely voice of reason among the din of those who like the system as is.

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Tar Heel administrators and boosters say Willingham’s research is flawed and the results spurious. Other hail Willingham as a hero who is a champion of student-athletes whose physical abilities are being used by the school while being compensated with an education they have difficulty participating in.

Willingham took some time to talk to Chris Hagan and I during today’s “Ahead of the Curve” on 1070 the Fan in Indianapolis, and she presented a compelling case that her interest is in helping those exploited by a system designed to bring millions into FBS universities.

Out on a limb alone, Willingham is being shouted down by many within the academic community at the University of North Carolina @ Chapel Hill, but she continues to speak out as an advocate for student-athletes who report for duty at a school with a taxing curriculum like UNC ready only to meet the challenges on the gridiron or hardwood.

Listen to the interview yourself and draw your own conclusions. (Interview player is beneath poll)

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