Football | The 3rd String Safety

Jason High v. Charlie Brenneman at Fight Night 21…

February 15, 2010, at 10:00 am

Remember Jason High? He’s the guy who got head kicked by Marius Zaromskis in the finals of the DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix. Now, the young, athletic wrestler is in the UFC and will make his debut on Fight Night 21 against Charlie Brenneman, according to SB Nation.

Although High is coming off a vicious knockout loss to Marius Zaromskis at the finals of the Dream Welterweight Grand Prix back in July, the gifted wrestler and Antonio McKee prodigy has been training hard and keeping a high profile in the Twitter world. The KC Bandit has notable career victories over BJJ phenom Andre Galvao, and UFC vets Kevin Burns and James Giboo.

Brenneman’s signing was announced earlier this week by the AMA Fight Club in New Jersey, also home to UFC fighters Dan and Jim Miller. The former D-1 wrestler at Lock Haven University and winner of the first season of Spike’s Pros vs. Joes, Brenneman is riding a five-fight winning streak which includes four stoppages.

High really impressed me on that card. He showed a ton of ability in a short time and is 9-2 total is his career. His best wins are against BJJ phenom Andre Galvao, and former UFC fighter (and intentional eye-poker) Kevin Burns. His losses are to Zaromskis, and MMA’s most underrated fighter, Jay Hieron.

Brenneman is from New Jersey. Shockingly, that means that he’s fought on a Ring of Combat card. That is his only loss of his blooming career, and it came to current UFC fighter John Howard. Charlie is a former college wrestler at Lock Haven University (I’ve called one of their football games. Don’t ask.) and had a top 12 finish at nationals. He lacks high profile wins, but has some wrestling pedigree.

So, what do we get when we throw two wrestlers in the cage? A sloppy boxing match! Look for High to come out on top by being more athletic and explosive.

MMA

Brock’s Training Partner Making MMA Debut

By Anthony De Franco

January 14, 2010, at 5:12 pm

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Cole Konrad is the most decorated wrestler in the history of University of Minnesota. The ultra-heavyweight won two national titles while with the Golden Gophers. That compares to just one for UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.

Since then, Konrad has made the jump to MMA is making his debut on January 23rd. He trains with Lesnar and Sean Sherk at Minnesota Martial Arts Academy. From MMAFighting.com:

Cole Konrad, a two-time NCAA wrestling champion and training partner of Brock Lesnar, will try his hand at MMA at MAX Fights 8 on Jan. 23 in Fargo, N.D.

Konrad is comparable to Lesnar in size. The 25-year-old wrestled at 285 pounds when he competed collegiately for the Minnesota Golden Gophers wrestling team. He can make the cut to heavyweight as well, moving down to 264.5 pounds for the World University Championships in 2006.

Konrad has been training MMA the past two years alongside the UFC heavyweight champion at Greg Nelson’s Minnesota Martial Arts Academy in Minneapolis and at Lesnar’s own gym in Alexandria.

Konrad finished his NCAA wrestling career in 2007 with a 154-13 record and on a 76-match winning streak.

Like Lesnar, Konrad has also had pro football aspirations, taking part in a three-day New York Jets rookie minicamp in 2007.

Konrad will face Gary Hamen (2-0).

Here is the reality of the situation: any time a 280 pound well respected wrestler makes a debut, we have to watch. We’ve all seen what Lesnar is doing based upon good wrestling and pure size, so what is to assume that a guy like Konrad won’t be able to do the same thing?

Sure, he has to put together some solid boxing, but look at Sherk. He came out of the same gym, and after many years of terrible stand-up, he developed very good boxing. Even if he lacks any kind of power, which I don’t think will be a problem for Konrad.

NCAAF

Bowl Mania Day 17: The National Championship

By Jordan Lauterbach

January 7, 2010, at 3:24 am

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Record- 19-14
BCS Record: 2-2

BCS National Championship Game: Alabama v Texas

I must admit, December 12th influenced my pick tremendously. Forget dates? Not as insane about this stuff as I am? Probably better off. December 12th was the date of the Big 12 and SEC championship games. One day. Roughly five hours. Two completely different situations.

In the early game (SEC Championship), you saw Alabama dominate Florida. Greg McElroy was efficient. Mark Ingram won the Heisman trophy. Alabama took the current royal family of College Football and threw them off the thrown without a second thought. It was 26-13 early in the fourth and ‘Bama never looked back. Oh, and they made Tim Tebow cry. Not an easy feat.

The win looks even better after watching Florida dismantle an already cracked Cincinnati team in the Sugar Bowl. Now, I know it’s unfair to judge a Cincinnati team that has had just about every bit of turmoil thrust their way in the last month. But the Bearcats were still undefeated. Maybe it was just the revenge mentality, Tim Tebow’s final “see that!” game, but how could you not be just a little more impressed with the job that Nick Saban’s crew did after watching Florida run around in a glorified scrimmage on Friday night.

Texas looked anything but dominant in the Big 12 championship game. Heck, although I disagree with the opinion, there is the thought that they didn’t deserve to win the game. Colt McCoy was bad, throwing no touchdowns and three interceptions. Clearly rattled by Ndamukong Suh and that imposing Nebraska defensive front, McCoy barely got his team into field goal range enough to keep pace with an also-stagnant Nebraska offense. If not for two bad mental mistakes by Nebraska on that final drive and I’m writing about Brian Kelly spurring Notre Dame for a shot at a title with the Bearcats of the Big East. An illegal procedure penalty and a horse collar may have changed the history of three schools….gotta love this stuff.

You may say its only one game for each team. But I think its telling because of the stage. Alabama played a better team and was dominant. Texas won because kickers are dumb.

Alabama’s defense, minus the obvious advantage of having Ndamukong Suh, is just as good as Nebraska’s, if not better. I like Alabama for the same reason’s I liked them to beat Florida.

They have more than one way to beat you.

Sure, stopping Mark Ingram is the key to beating Alabama, but I don’t think that its an if,than proposition. Greg McElroy, although not the owner of flashy numbers, doesn’t turn the ball over. For one game, could you see a combo of McElroy to Julio Jones and great defense beating a Texas team that has one offensive play (McCoy to Shipley- go on 3!). I sure could.

Shut down Colt McCoy, you win. Shut down Mark Ingram and you still have to account for some things.

I entered the year saying that Alabama was the most overrated team in the country. I end it saying that they are the nations best.

Wow, I love this game.

The Pick: Alabama

NFL

Why So Many Failed While Belichick Succeded

By Jason Comack

January 6, 2010, at 3:42 pm

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At 6-0 I was drinking the Josh McDaniels kool aid.

Of course 10 weeks in the NFL can often feel like an eternity and boy has a lot changed in 10 weeks.

Like everyone else who owns a sports website I couldn’t comprehend any of the Broncos off-season moves. They fired Shanahan abruptly, owing him 14 million, to hire a blue eyed baby face coach to turn things around. Three years ago no one questions this move. Three years ago Charlie Weiss isn’t a pariah in South Bend, Eric Mangini is still the “Man-genius” and Romeo Crennel hasn’t failed so famously McDaniels was suppose to be different. After all he was the guy that developed Brady was the selling point, that was suppose to set Josh apart. So what happens? McDaniels arrives on the scene, cleans out the coaching staff, feuds with his star QB and diva WR. McDaniels put the pressure on himself. Then 6-0 happened. The Patriot game happened. The Marshall hug happened. Denver had found their new Golden Boy. I went on 4th Down and compared Josh McDaniels to Bill Walsh (gulp.).

So what went wrong?

Simply put McDaniels made every mistake that his predecessors made;

Step 1: Alienate Players. Marshall, Scheffler and Cutler. Shaun Rogers, Cribbs, Edwards.
Step 2: Arrogance With The Media. Check.
Step 3: A questionable draft track record. Moreno, Smith, Ayers, Quinn. Clemens, Gholston, Schlegel.
Step 4: Bring In Your guys. Gaffney, Leach. Barton, Coleman, Elam.

Ultimately Step 3 and 4 lead to the Broncos decline. McDaniels inherited a roster with star pieces and little depth and did his best to entirely turn it over. Only problem is he got absolutely no production from any of his draft picks and immediately cut back the playing time of the established starters. He choose “his guys” over guys that were better players. Why do you think Eddie Royal, coming of a 90 catch season, didn’t play. Why do you think Moreno, who struggled mightily played while Peyton Hillis never even got a look. Scheme and talent can make up for a lot in this league but your players have to buy in. Clearly there was a rift between the Shannahan hold overs and the McDaniels faithful. There’s no other explanation for a team failing to show up against two awful teams when it mattered the most.

Magini had the same problems in NY. He played his guys, his scheme, feuded with Farve and it got him fired. He started his Cleavland stint the same way. He exiled Rogers on Day 1, Jamal Lewis decided to retire, James Davis got hurt in “non contact practice injury” and players complained to the union about long bus rides. He painted over a mural of Jim Brown. It seemed he had learned nothing. He brought in his guys even though they failed him in NY. Then something changed. The last 4 games of the season the Browns didn’t roll over and die. They fought to save Mangini’s job and it culminated in a win streak and a Gatorade bath for the much maligned coach.

This is exactly why Cleveland hired Mangini. Remember this is the same franchise that let Belichick get away. Remember the circumstances of his firing? He exiled Kosar tried to install his guys and his system and the fans and media turned on him. It wasn’t his X’s and O’s that got him canned. He went to New England learned the error of his ways and of course the rest is history.

McDaniels undoing will never be about football knowledge it’ll be in the way they handle their football knowledge. McDaneils will know more about football then I can learn in three lifetimes but that skill alone can only take you so far.

NCAAF

Bowl Mania Day 16

By Jordan Lauterbach

January 6, 2010, at 4:08 am

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Record: 18-14
BCS Record: 2-2

Gmac Bowl- Central Michigan v. Troy

For a moment, I’m going to pretend that you care about this game. I know, it’s a major buzz kill. All the anticipation for the five BCS games and we get this one thrown right in the middle. I, myself, think the timing is odd. If I’m in charge of the NCAA, I don’t play a non-BCS game once the ball is kicked from the Rose Bowl tee at a little after five on New Years Day.

As much as I think that the non-BCS bowls serve there purpose for the two weeks prior to the Rose Bowl, the buzz goes out the window after the BCS starts. Even Saturday was weird. It had to happen because of when New Years Day fell, but I found it hard to get excited about the Liberty Bowl after entering the fantastic abyss that is the BCS on Friday night. I did, but I found it harder then it was prior to New Year’s Day.

But if there is one reason to watch tonight, it’s Dan LeFevor.

It’s a moniker that gets stale almost as soon as it’s rendered, but I’ll write it one final time. Dan LeFevor is the best player in the country that you’ve never heard of. Besides TCU’s Jerry Hughes, I think LeFevor is the best player playing in a non-automatic qualifying conference right now.

A four year starter, LeFevor has thrown for 27 touchdowns and run for 14. One more touchdown in the bowl game and LeFevor is the proud owner of the all-time college football record for touchdowns. He currently shares the title with Colt Brennan and Graham Harell.

The quarterback has made Central Michigan into a mid-major powerhouse. This year’s MAC championship was the third in LeFevor’s four years. The Chippewas finished this year 11-2, their only losses coming to Boston College and Arizona. The team scores 33 points a game with basically one offensive option- LeFevor. He led the team in rushing by a wide margin.

The defense is also decent, allowing under 18 points a game and yielding nearly 100 less points than Troy. Although they will be missing their head coach (on his way to put together some broken hearts in Cincinnati), I think LeFevor will be enough to beat Troy.

Troy, although champs of the Sun Belt, doesn’t have a win on their schedule that sniffs the term impressive. Does Middle Tennessee impress you? How about Florida-Atlantic?

If I’m Dan LeFevor, I’m not scared

The Pick: Central Michigan

NCAAF

Bowl Mania Day 15

By Jordan Lauterbach

January 5, 2010, at 2:57 am

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Record: 17-14
BCS Record: 1-2

FedEx Orange Bowl: Iowa v Georgia Tech

How good is Iowa? It was one of my favorite debates of the entire season. It was the biggest disagreement between College Football Tonight co-host Jesse Lauterbach and I in a few seasons. What made it such a good debate is that both sides made sense.

Iowa were the kings of the close victory. They beat Northern Iowa by a point to open up the year. They squeaked a three point win out of Arkansas State. Michigan had them on the ropes, only to loose by 2. Finally, the Hawkeyes needed a last second touchdown pass to escape Michigan State.

That’s four close calls against teams that aren’t exactly Alabama or Texas. Two ways to look at this.

1. Teams in the top five in the country should not be needing miracle after miracle to top foes like Michigan and Michigan State. Teams in the top five don’t have to hang on to beat Northern Iowa and Arkansas State. Like it or not, College Football is not only about wins and losses. It’s about who you beat, how you beat them, and when you beat them. Escaping mediocrity once is fine, twice (depending on the circumstances) is passable. But four times? Four times is a sign of a problem….

2. There comes a point when luck isn’t a reasonable explanation. After one Houdini act, luck is a reasonable explanation. Two, it gets hairy, but depending on the circumstances, it is feasible. But to have the fortitude to come back and win like that on four separate occasions isn’t luck. It says something about your team to have that kind of come-back ability. There comes a point when credit has to be given to teams that routinely find ways to win. It’s the Bruce Springsteen theory. When it comes to luck, you make your own.

I fall on the side of argument number two. Teams don’t just get lucky four times. It doesn’t happen in sports.

I think all questions about Iowa went out the window in the second to last game against Ohio State. In what was the defacto Big 10 championship game, Iowa went on the road and took the Buckeyes to overtime without quarterback Rickey Stanzi and with a banged up Adam Robinson. Freshman James Vadenberg threw three picks in substitute duty for Iowa, but they were almost able to overcome it. Robinson gutted it out for 74 yards on 20 carries.

The performance showed something that a lot of us already knew. Iowa is a feisty, resilient football team. There a football team that doesn’t quit, even when they are at Ohio State with a freshman calling the shots. Those types of teams, teams that are mentally strong usually do well in bowl games. Especially big ones.

I think the Hawkeyes will do well offensively. Georgia Tech allowed 24 points a game and yielded nearly 120 more points then Iowa did. Ricky Stanzi is back and Adam Robinson is healthier than he was against Ohio State.

The challenge for Iowa is stopping a dynamic Georgia Tech offense. The Yellow Jackets run the triple option and are 11th in total offense in the FBS. Jonathan Dwyer ran for over 1000 yards and 14 touchdowns this year. He averaged over 6 yards per carry. Josh Nesbit ran for 18 touchdowns and threw for 10, eight of which went to Demaryius Thomas.

But Iowa’s defense is ranked 11th in the country as well. They allow less than 16 points a game. The strength of the defense is the line, excelling in run stopping. I think they’ll be able to at least control the triple option and win the game.

The Pick: Iowa

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Jason High v. Charlie Brenneman at Fight Night 21…

Brock’s Training Partner Making MMA Debut

Bowl Mania Day 17: The National Championship

Why So Many Failed While Belichick Succeded

Bowl Mania Day 16

Bowl Mania Day 15

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