Polarizing Superstar

Michael Vick roared back from a forgettable 2009 season and reminded us in 2010 why he once was and still is possibly the most electrifying player to ever play the game. Despite Vick's ability to resurrect his troubled life and playing career, there are still many fans and lay people that wish the worst on him. While scanning ESPN articles this morning I came across this gem http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=6108605.

Before, I continue I feel that it is necessary that I preface my following statements by telling you that I am an avid animal lover and have been around dogs my entire life. Nevertheless, I could not believe what I was reading. How could a fellow athlete still be so bitter as to wish personal loss and injury on Vick? In a country where individuals are excessively punished and true criminals go free every day, could someone really be this dense? 

My favorite part of the article is when Mark Buehrle allegedly claims that "something bad needs to happen to these guys." Could spending two year in a federal penitentiary, having to repay twenty million dollars to the Falcons, losing all endorsements, or being suspended from your place of employment be considered "bad"? Well, if so, Vick was forced to deal with all of these things, not to mention the complete destruction of his public image.

I realize that I am writing this in the context of an Internet blog and will keep its length as such. The argument between those who have forgiven Vick and those who despise him can stretch for many pages and last for several hours. Nonetheless, I must iterate that while Vick committed truly horrible, sadistic actions, he deserves  a second chance in the court of public opinion. 

No matter what your opinion on Vick, the fact of the matter is that Vick did not commit these actions on a fellow human being or another sentient being. Furthermore, he is not the first person to fight dogs in the inner-city community and he certainly will not be the last. His group was not the only ring to engage in animal cruelty: whether it was legal or illegal. 

If you are going to condemn a man for mistakes that he has made as a result of our societal stratification then do it relatively. 

Super Bowl XLV Prediction

Pittsburgh 24 Green Bay 21

Scoring:

Pittsburgh
Mike Wallace 41 yard TD catch
Rashard Mendenhall 3 yard rushing TD
Heath Miller 11 yard TD catch
Shaun Suisham 45 yard Field Goal


Green Bay
Greg Jennings 45 yard TD catch
Donald Driver 11 yard TD catch
John Kuhn 2 yard TD catch

Five Seconds of Fail

Okay, I have seen some bad refereeing in my days of watching NBA basketball, but the last five seconds of the Los Angeles Clippers and Atlanta Hawks game was just about as atrocious as it gets. The Clippers trailed the Hawks on the road 99-98 before Blake Griffin hit a short shot to give the Clippers the lead.

After a timeout, Joe Johnson pulled up for a mid range jumper and was blocked by the much shorter Randy Foye. The ball clearly bounced off of Johnson's left thigh, did not make contact with Foye, and rolled out of bounds. In an unusual move, the officials did not even make a call on the court and instead went straight to the video screen.

After a few minutes of mulling over the various replay angles, they inexplicably could not draw any conclusions. To this point, they called a jump ball. Johnson easily won the tip over the smaller Foye and Baron Davis was called for a loose ball foul.

The subsequent inbound pass went to Al Horford who faked a pass back to the inbounder and took his defender off the dribble for what looked like an easy go ahead dunk.

Then, Griffin swooped in and made what seemed like an honest contest on Horford's dunk attempt. Griffin jumped straight up into the air with his arms extended skyward but caught Horford on the arm. Horford took a nasty fall, and both he and Griffin remained down on the court for several minutes.

When the two got up, it was announced that a flagrant foul was given to Griffin. This meant two shots for Horford and the ball to the Hawks.

Now, I am all for player safety and reducing cheap shots at all costs, but Blake Griffin clearly made a play on the ball with no malicious intent. This flagrant foul will most certainly be rescinded by the league office, but this officiating crew's gaffes potentially cost the Clippers a huge, well-deserved road win.

Unsung Units (Part Deux)

In my opinion, the Super Bowl will come down to three key match up on the "weak" sides of the ball. I will now give a brief synopsis of each match up in order of increasing importance and the impact that each will have on the game.

B.J. Raji vs. Maurkice Pouncey

• The playing status of sensational rookie center Maurkice Pouncey is still not entirely clear due to a high ankle sprain suffered in the AFC Championship Game. Regardless of whether he or back up Doug Legursky plays in this game, the middle of the trenches will be a tough, hard fought battle. B.J. Raji is a classic 3-4 nose tackle who is a terrific run stopper and effective at getting to the quarterback as well, tallying 6.5 sacks during the year. This battle is especially important if Clay Matthews is able to beat his man off the edge and get to Ben Roethlisberger. A strong interior performance from Raji will affect the pocket and prohibit Big Ben from stepping up and avoiding the outside rush of the Packers. With the Steelers ailing in the middle, there is a very good chance that Raji will be able to enforce his will and disrupt the Steelers offense.

Prediction: B.J. Raji: 3 tackles, .5 sack, 1 forced fumble, 2 passes batted down

                

Clay Matthews vs. Steelers' Tackles

• One of the biggest concerns for the Steelers has got to be how in the world they are going to stop the beast-like pass rush of Clay Matthews. He is a quick and powerful outside linebacker who finished just two votes shy of Troy Polamalu for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Matthews finished the 2010 season with 60 tackles and 13.5 sacks, significant improvements from his stellar rookie season. The outside lineman responsible for containing this frenzied force are Johnathan Scott and Flozell Adams. It is Scott's first year with Pittsburgh, and he started a mere 9 games for the club. In passing situations, they will surely tab Fullback David Johnson to help pick up Matthews if he is able to get through the first level of protection. Undoubtedly, Matthews is going to be the same guy that we have seen all year, and his production should not deviate too much from his average in a negative sense. Matthews is more than likely going to have a great game and be able to enforce his will throughout, especially if he is not double teamed. For this reason, I believe that the next match up is the most important in this game.

Prediction: Clay Matthews: 8 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 knockdowns, 1 forced fumble

Mike Wallace vs. Tramon Williams

• This is the marquee match up between these two units in terms of the passing game. The Steelers' Mike Wallace is a young yet explosive receiver who has emerged as a top deep threat in the league, averaging 21 yards per catch during the regular season. He has had an extremely quiet post season to this point, but look for this to change in the Super Bowl. He is far too dangerous of a weapon to stay silent for such an extended period of time. His ability to get deep down the field forces teams to respect his speed and give safety help to the corner responsible for him. This inevitably opens up the running game for Mendenhall, because the opponent cannot stack the box to stop him. A big rushing game from Mendenhall is crucial for the Steelers, as they were 3-0 during the regular season when he rushed for over 100 yards. Furthermore, the Steelers were an impeccable 8-0 when Wallace averaged over 20 yards per catch. The man that will most likely be responsible for containing the speedy Wallace is another young player, 2011 Pro Bowl selection Tramon Williams. Williams is a near carbon copy to Wallace in terms of size but he will surely be tested by Wallace's vertical game. Contrary to Wallace's poor performance this post season Williams has been sensational, recording three interceptions thus far. This will be a very intriguing match up, and I believe that the Steelers will try to attack the Packers deep--both early and often. Williams should be able to hold his own for most of the game with safety help; however, if Pittsburgh establishes the run early on in the game and forces the the safeties up, there could be major problems. I expect Roethlisberger to try to hit Wallace deep within the first five plays. Whether this first shot works or not, it will stick in the minds of the safeties and potentially open up the running game. The rest will be up to Williams and Wallace as they battle one on one.

Prediction: Mike Wallace: 4 catches, 97 yards, 1 TD, long 41 yards, 1 dropped pass

                   Tramon Williams: 2 passes defensed, 1 interception, 4 tackles, 0 sacks

Unsung Units (Part 1)

Super Bowl XLV (that is 45 for all you non-Latin speakers) will take place on Sunday, February 6th, 2011 in Dallas...I mean Arlington, Texas. It will feature the NFL's top two teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers. Both teams are fairly well balanced with talent on both sides of the ball, but the focus of this game has been on two units, the Pittsburgh defense and the Green Bay offense.

It has all but been decreed that the winner of this elite unit slugfest will undoubtedly emerge as the victor of this year's Super Bowl. But I believe that it will be the two unheralded units in this game that will decide the outcome. So, instead of continuing the annoying, incessant banter concerning Green Bay's passing game and Pittsburgh's front seven, let us take a look at the sides of the ball with less notoriety.

We will begin with the squad that has already been to this dance, winning two of the last five championships: the Pittsburgh Steelers and their offense. This is a very productive, efficient offense that is successful in its own right despite taking a back seat to the number one scoring defense in the league.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger leads the Pittsburgh passing attack which ranks a respectable fourteenth in yards per game in the NFL. He has several weapons in his receiving corps including one of the toughest wideouts in the game in Hines Ward and a top big play receiver in second year player, Mike Wallace. Throw in consistent tight end Heath Miller, and this aspect of the offense is a reliable force that can be counted on to get the job done.

The Steelers' running game is also a top tier force, ranking eleventh in the NFL with almost 2000 rushing yards. The rushing attack is headed by bruising back Rashard Mendenhall, who combines punishing power with deceptive breakaway speed. In his rookie season it seemed that critics were already prepared to declare  Mendenhall a bust, primarily because of a shoulder injury and ball security issues. Mendenhall has come back the past two years with a vengeance, and has proved to be a fantastic replacement for previous feature back Willie Parker.

Now, on to the young, dynamic Packers' defense. This is an outstanding defense in its own right that is fueled by the runner up Defensive Player of the Year, Clay Matthews. This second year player out of USC has exploded onto the NFL scene by way of his unrelenting motor and unmistakable head of hair. The secondary is led by veteran team leader and one of the mainstays at cornerback in the NFL, future Hall of Famer, Charles Woodson. This elite defense ranks an impressive second in the NFL in points allowed, giving up a mere 15 per game during the regular season. 

In my mind, there are three match ups between these two units that will determine the outcome of the game.