The US Open is the most exciting and best tennis tournament to watch. New York City makes the perfect back drop for the worlds best tennis players to battle in front of raucous crowds. Every tennis Major has something unique that makes it prestigious in it's own right (except for the Australian Open that no casual tennis fan even knows exists). The French Open has it's clay courts that change the game so dramatically, an American has only won there four times (Michael Chang '89, Jim Courier '91/'92, Andre Agassi '99) since 1968. Wimbledon has it's special grass courts that play more similar to a hard court, but also requires all competitors to wear white to keep with old British lawn tennis tradition. Then there is the US Open.
The US Open is the rock concert of tennis majors. First, big stars come out to watch. Before the Open even begins there are celebrations leading up to the tournament that include celebtrity matches and big pop concerts (CarlyRae Jepsen and The Wanted performed this year). The Open is supposed to be a party and the organizers ensure this every year.
Second, athletes put on a fashion show while playing for two weeks. This is not stuffy Wimbledon with all white clothing. We are in NYC, the fashion mecca of the world and the athletes, especially the women, play right into this. There are colors everywhere and all the big name companies put their athletes in newly designed outfits that beg for attention.
Third, the US Open is highlighted by primetime, and even late night, star studded matches. Rarely will you see any of the top seeded men or women not on Center Court at 7 and 9 PM. It becomes a showcase for the greats like Roger Federer and Serena Williams and a potential springboard for their unseeded competitors. The late night matches are full of energy from the crowd creating the most fun atmosphere a tennis player can dream of.
Fourth, the athletes interact with the fans at the US Open more so than at any other major. At the end of every match the winner is interview live to the fans. The players then sign a few tennis balls and hit them into the stand all while music is blaring and the fans go crazy. It is a party from beginning to end with a match at the US Open.
The US Open is a ton of fun with great tennis players finishing up their major season at an awesome venue. It will be the usual suspects in both the men's and women's draw with the one exception being the absence of Rafael Nadal due to injury. For American fans, Andy Roddick will be making a push to up his game for his home tournament, but John Isner is the one to watch. The big server thrives on the hard courts and will hope to cause problems for some of the more mobile players with his crushing swings. Serena Williams is the odds on favorite to win her 4th US Open coming off a Wimbledon win and multiple gold medals in London, plus a nice resurgence this entire season. No matter what, be sure to enjoy the electric atmosphere and high level tennis for the next two weeks!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
NFC Preview - South
The NFC has become the power conference of the NFL with four of the last five Super Bowl champions coming from the blue pro bowl team. The conference resurgence has been led by powerful aerial attacking offenses the likes of which have not been seen since Dan Marino's heyday. Guys like Drew Brees, Eli Manning, and Aaron Rodgers are the poster boys for the "new" NFL that protects QB's and favors receivers on every interference flag thrown. Once again the NFC fields a solid core of teams with Super Bowl aspirations, but all of them must survive the 16 game regular season and come out on top of their division to even have a chance (yes there are two wild card spots). Let's take a look at each NFC division.
New Orleans Saints
If anyone knows exactly how the New Orleans Saints will look this year, quit your day job and go work in the stock market or gamble your life savings immediately. The Saints off season woes are well documented and will now carry over to the regular season as the suspensions are truly felt as games that count approach. Drew Brees is already counted in the top QB's group, but this season will bring unprecedented challenges to the super star leader. Brees has statistically been a top 3 QB every year in New Orleans, but with no Sean Payton at his side, Brees will be flying solo trying to make in game adjustments. Brees is good enough, however, to figure these things out leaving the real concern on the defensive side of the ball. Regardless of what you believe with "Bounty Gate", there will have to be a culture change among the defensive players. They are also facing the loss of multiple players both from suspension and free agency. It was already a susceptible defense, and now they must find new pieces to plug in to try and stop teams from putting up 20+ points every game. It is anyone's guess as to how the Saints will perform this season, but look for it to be inconsistent and likely leaving them to battle for the wild card.Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are another team that leaves fans wondering about the upcoming season. New head coach Greg Schiano was a great motivator at Rutgers, but will that translate to the NFL? Josh Freeman has showed promise at times and seems to have the physical abilities to be a top 12 QB, but can he take the next step of adjusting to defenses in game and carry the Bucs to a handful of wins on his own? Freeman has talented pieces around him (see Vincent Jackson, LeGarrette Blount, Doug Martin, Mike Williams), but they must all show consistency in order for the Bucs to do any damage this season. Where Tampa really must improve is on the defensive side of the ball. They were last in the NFL giving up over 30 points per game last season. They must find a way to stop opposing offenses or Freeman and company will never stand a chance. Mark Barron, SS from Alabama, is a good building block if he lives up to expectations. But in a division with Brees, Cam Newton, and Matt Ryan, the Bucs need to find a way to get pressure on the the QB and not let the secondary get picked apart every play. It's a new era in Tampa under Schiano, so early going may be bumpy, but with a new defensive attitude this team will compete in the division every week.Carolina Panthers
Carolina seems to have the most potential to take a giant leap this season. Popular opinion says Cam Newton will build on his rookie season and lead the Panthers to a winning record that will put them in playoff contention. I have little doubt Newton will do just this. He is a phenomenal athlete that is physically big making him more able to withstand physical punishment than similar players (Mike Vick) cannot handle. Newton has also shown an ability to accurate both in the pocket and on the move. With that said, he must still work on his passing and reading of defenses to take the next big step in his career. All players and especially QB's in the NFL can only live on their talent for so long. Assuming Newton puts the time in, he will be unstoppable most Sundays. The Panthers have a few nice offensive pieces including Steve Smith and the RB tandem of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. These are not enough for the Panthers to win every week. They must find more receivers to free up Smith and get consistent production from their RB's. TE Greg Olsen should help out a lot gathering up catches across the middle and bringing the popular TE offense to the Panthers. Carolina must also shore up their defense. One of the worst in the league last season, they will have little hope of playoff football without the ability to make plays consistently on defense. The Panthers are an all around young team at many important positions. If Ron Rivera can continue to grow their young team and develop talent on both sides of the ball as they already have, Carolina will be a team to reckon with, not just this season, but for many years to come.Atlanta Falcons
A perennial let down team, the Atlanta Falcons are once again talented and appear ready to make a legitimate playoff push. Matt Ryan has been a reliable QB for the Falcons, but must step up a level to carry the team out of the their let down status. He has an amazingly talented WR duo in Julio Jones and Roddy White along with veteran Tony Gonzalez at TE. The Falcons passing offense should create fits for opposing defenses and did so, at times, last season. They cannot decide to choose when they show up for games. Receivers of that caliber should not be dropping perfect passes on a regular basis, ending drives and wasting possessions. The defensive side of the ball is solid for Atlanta, ranking 12th last season, so they have a great base to build on. They need some big time playmakers that can consistently rush the QB and force other teams to speed up their offense. The Falcons are a complete team on paper; translating this onto the field will make them a serious playoff contender.Final Standings:
- Atlanta Falcons 11-5
- New Orleans Saints 9-7
- Carolina Panthers 9-7
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6-10
NFC Preview - West
The NFC has become the power conference of the NFL with four of the last five Super Bowl champions coming from the blue pro bowl team. The conference resurgence has been led by powerful aerial attacking offenses the likes of which have not been seen since Dan Marino's heyday. Guys like Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Matt Stafford, Jay Cutler and Matt Ryan are the poster boys for the "new" NFL that protects QB's and favors receivers on every interference flag thrown. Once again the NFC fields a solid core of teams with Super Bowl aspirations, but all of them must survive the 16 game regular season and come out on top of their division to even have a chance (yes there are two wild card spots). Let's take a look at each NFC division.
Arizona Cardinals
The NFC West is the exception to the strong corps of NFC quarterbacks. Look no further than the Arizona Cardinals as they have spent money and draft picks in search of a viable starter, yet they are left with a battle between Kevin Kolb and John Skelton. Neither has been a reliable QB in the long term and up through their third preseason game neither had separated themselves from pack. It is a frustrating thing to watch as week in and week out Larry Fitzgerald is among the best WR's in the league, but balls go over him, behind him, into the ground, and every other direction except his hands. The Cardinals do have some players that have run the ball well at times. Beanie Wells and LaRod Stephens-Howling have been consistent when they are not injured, but keeping them on the field has become difficult. Arizona's defense is not as terrbile as last season's record may suggest. They generally make so big plays to keep the team in games, but again offensive ineptitude left them wanting. DE Calais Campbell (7 sacks) and second year DB Patrick Peterson and LB Sam Acho are the backbone to a young defense that will continue to improve and continue to give the Cardinals an opportunity to win games in a weak division.
San Francisco 49ers
Last season's division dominating team was the 49ers. The Niners were the only team over .500 with an impressive 13 wins. First year coach Jim Harbaugh brought a fresh defensive mentality to the team that carried over to a strong offensive output as well. The defense should be a league leader once again this season with stalwarts like Aldon Smith and Patrick Willis back in the picture. The Niners had 42 sacks and 23 interceptions that swung nearly every game easily in their favor. What really vaulted the team into a strong playoff run was the transformation of Alex Smith and the offense. Frank Gore was a running force with over 1,200 yards and Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis found their strides as worthy receiving targets. Alex Smith three for over 3,000 yards for the first time and kept is Int's to 5. At times it is hard watch Smith and believe he is an elite QB in the NFL, but having the same coaching staff and offensive system for two years in a row should definitely help his development. If the Niners can even somewhat resemble last season's team, they should run away with the division again and they only problem they will have is that their new stadium is all the way down in Santa Clara.
Seattle Seahawks
A strong home defense and Marshawn Lynch are about the only two bright spots on an underwhelming Seattle Seahawks team. Two new QB's, Russell Wilson (rookie) and Matt Flynn (first time potential starter) are battling for the starting position. Neither is a proven NFL performer so the offense will without question have it's ups and downs this season. Lynch will once again be relied upon heavily to literally and figuratively carry the Seahawks to more than 7 wins this season. Pete Carroll has a lot to prove this season as he has taken risks on players and tried to win in the NFL with a more collegiate approach to his team. One area the team can build upon is the defensive unit that was 9th in total defense and had over 30 Sacks and 20 Int's. DE Chris Clemons and DB Brandon Browner must continue to play at a high level young guys like Bruce Irvin and Bobby Wagner need to contribute right away for this team to compete week in and week out. The NFC West does not have a clear cut favorite to challenge the Niners. The Seahawks can be this team with a stingy D and an improved passing game. This may prove to be difficult with a new QB and unproven skill players.
St. Louis Rams
The Rams may have the most room for improvement right off the bat with the return of young QB Sam Bradford and a pro bowl running back in Steven Jackson. The biggest thing St. Louis can do is keep their team healthy. This young team was descimated by injury and had no chance to recover all of last season. Danny Amendola, Lance Kendricks, and (the other) Steve Smith should give Bradford some nice targets and a spark to an offense that withered away in 2011. Bradford has had high expectations since entering the league from Oklahoma. He has lived up to them much of the time, but through his own injury battle last year showed signs that he was only a second year QB. This past summer has been big for his development with a full training camp and more time under his offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, as well as time to heal his bum ankle. The Rams must do better than 18 total touchdowns for the season and all signs point to them doing so. The one bright spot that the Rams can build on is their star DE, Chris Long. Long racked up 13 sacks and has become an unstoppable force on the Rams defensive line. St. Louis is not primed for a deep playoff run, but they did drastically underachieve at only 2 wins. Expect them to be more competitive in a, as stated many time, weak division.Final Standings
- San Francisco 49ers 10-6
- St. Louis Rams 7-9
- Seattle Seahawks 6-10
- Arizona Cardinals 5-11
NFC Preview - North
The NFC has become the power conference of the NFL with four of the last five Super Bowl champions coming from the blue pro bowl team. The conference resurgence has been led by powerful aerial attacking offenses the likes of which have not been seen since Dan Marino's heyday. Guys like Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Matt Stafford, Jay Cutler and Matt Ryan are the poster boys for the "new" NFL that protects QB's and favors receivers on every interference flag thrown. Once again the NFC fields a solid core of teams with Super Bowl aspirations, but all of them must survive the 16 game regular season and come out on top of their division to even have a chance (yes there are two wild card spots). Let's take a look at each NFC division.
Chicago Bears
The NFC North, like the East, is an ultra competitive league with the possibility of three playoff teams and a fourth team that has some nice pieces. The Chicago Bears have become a popular pick to win the division and, with their offensive talent, seem to have a reasonable chance at this. QB's being the centerpiece of top NFL teams, Jay Cutler is the key to the Bear's success. Before being injured last season, Cutler was a top QB and with average weapons. The Bears added Brandon Marshall, who was a stud with Cutler in Denver, and rookie Alshon Jeffery, out of South Carolina, who has looked excellent in preseason. Devin Hester is still in Chicago and while never producing how some think he should from the wide-out position, having Marshall and Jeffery in the mix will take pressure off of him to produce every week and open him up from defenses planning for his speed. He is of course still a dangerous special teams player so expect only bad coaches to ever kick to him. Matt Forte proved himself to be an elite RB last season (how Chicago has not paid him like one I will never understand). Forte is a game changing player. He runs and catches as well as anyone out of the backfield. He is consistently among league leaders in total yards and with the addition of Michael Bush from the Oakland Raiders, the Bears running attack should be very impressive. The defensive side of the ball has been up and down for the Bears. Their middle of the road unit will look to get more pressure on opposing QB's and lower total yards and points against numbers that were sub-par. They addressed this with a defensive end selection in this year's first round of the draft. The pieces are in place for the Bears to have a very good year, their only problem will be the tough division they play in.
Detroit Lions
The Lions are the up and coming team of the NFC North. They are build similarly to the other division title contenders with an outstanding young QB in Drew Stafford and a big time play maker in Calvin Johnson. Stafford, when not injured, is a top flight QB in the NFL. He has a big, accurate arm and seems to have figured out how to approach NFL defenses. Megatron, the best WR in the NFL, gives Stafford a great target anywhere on the field. The fact that Johnson will go anywhere on the field including across the middle to catch a ball is what makes him special amongst a group of great wide-outs in the league right now. He is ultra reliable and is only getting better. The Lions also added WR Ryan Broyles, who despite coming off injury has been very highly rated coming out of Oklahoma. The Lions offense will not slow down from last season. The Defense will hope to pick up where it left off as well. Led by Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, the Lions bring a strong pass rush. Unfortunately for them, their LB's and secondary are not up to the same level allowing opposing QB's who can think quickly to attack them in the passing game. These shortcomings have been addressed in the draft and in training camp. Time will tell if the Lions can hang with the elite of the NFC North.
Green Bay Packers
At 15-1, the Packers were the best regular season team last year. This meant nothing as they lost in their first playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants. Aaron Rodgers is well known as one of the top QB's in the NFL and has shown no let down in the preseason. His accuracy is well documented, but what has separated Rodgers is his ability to scramble and either make a throwing play on the run or pull the ball down and make smart decisions with his legs. Rodgers has plenty of weapons around him with Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jermichael Finley, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, James Jones, rookie Marc Tyler, and recently signed Cedric Benson. Scoring points will once again not be an issue for the Packers. The defensive side of the ball is another story. The Packers were last in total defense last season, and while these stats can be somewhat deceiving (31 Int's), Green Bay must make a drastic improvement here. They drafted six straight defensive players in June and will hope to develop some sort of pass rush to help their solid group in the secondary. If the Packers can piece together an average defense, look for them to not only win the division but contend for another Lombardi trophy.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are the one team in the North that is in a minor rebuilding phase. Adrian Peterson looks to be recovering quickly from his obliterated knee injury last season. If he can return to his prior form, the Vikings will be in a much better place than they are currently. Toby Gerhart is a valuable backup, but does not look like an elite starting RB. Percy Harvin is the only proven WR on the team. Harvin can be electrifying, but if he is the only option, defenses will shut him down with double coverage. The Vikings must find some more weapons to enable Christian Ponder to unleash in the passing attack. Ponder is a nice young prospect at QB, but with no one to give the ball to, his growth this season may be tough. The defense starts and ends with Jared Allen. He is a work horse on the D-line and is a perennial league sack leader. If the Vikings D can continue to pressure opposing QB's and keep their games close, there is the possibility of some upset wins. This is a team with some nice pieces both offensively and defensively, but they will be hard pressed to not be swept by their division rivals.
Final Standings:
- Green Bay Packers: 13-3
- Detroit Lions: 11-5
- Chicago Bears: 11-5
- Minnesota Vikings: 5-11
Thursday, August 23, 2012
NFC Preview - East
The NFC has become the power conference of the NFL with four of the last five Super Bowl champions coming from the blue pro bowl team. The conference resurgence has been led by powerful aerial attacking offenses the likes of which have not been seen since Dan Marino's heyday. Guys like Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Matt Stafford, Jay Cutler and Matt Ryan are the poster boys for the "new" NFL that protects QB's and favors receivers on every interference flag thrown. Once again the NFC fields a solid core of teams with Super Bowl aspirations, but all of them must survive the 16 game regular season and come out on top of their division to even have a chance (yes there are two wild card spots). Let's take a look at each NFC division.
Washington Redskins
Popular opinion says the NFC East is the strongest division in the conference. That can be argued against the North, but nevertheless it is a formidable division that is rich in rivalry and history. The Washington Redskins of course have Robert Griffin III (RG3) and high expectations for a team with strong defense and special teams. The first question will certainly be, can RG3 perform to the level everyone expects him to? If he can do a Cam Newton impersonation the 'Skins will be in a good place. If not, there are not enough high end skill players on the offense to carry the team to a playoff birth. There is a lot of promise in Washington, and Griffin III will prove to be worthy of his number two overall pick. However, this will not be the year they make the jump to playoff contender.Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are still looking to build their "dynasty" but continue to face tough times in this pursuit. The Eagles have the most raw talent in the East, but somehow most of that talent ends up in the training room far too often to be a consistently great team. Mike Vick is truly an electric football player, but his ability to stay healthy and put together a full season as a pocket passer remains to be seen. LeSean McCoy is a top three RB in the NFL and he will once again be heavily relied upon to carry the Eagles late in the season. They will have multiple division games late in the season, in the cold, and it will be essential for McCoy to produce like he has over the past few years. All this talk about offense and the Eagles defense is where we should see the most improvement. With a season and a full training camp under their belt, the Eagles defense should be relentless up front and impenetrable in the secondary. Time will tell if all the pieces have gelled to create another vaunted Philadelphia defense, but the smart pick is to say they will and cause problems for every team they play. The Eagles are the favorite in the East, except for that big elephant in the room...injuries.Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones is growing impatient down in Dallas. The man wants to win. He may make some interesting roster choices and personnel decisions, but he wants to win. This season's Dallas Cowboys football team is as good as any they have had since Troy was slinging the rock. Tony Romo takes a lot of heat for a guy that has been pretty consistent over the years. The guy is a good quarterback and with a solid running game in place (see Demarco Murray), this offense should be putting up big points this season. The defense has been somewhat retooled with the first round pick of CB Morris Claiborne, but showed moments of brilliance last season that will carry into this year in the form of a top D-corps that will cause major problems for the rest of the division. This is a Cowboys team to like if you are a Dallas fan, but they must face their demons and get by all of the off field nonsense that inevitably circles Cowboys Stadium. Can Jason Garrett hold it all together? Time will tell.New York Giants
Now for the reigning Super Bowl champs, the G-men. Eli Manning is not the better Manning by the numbers or even by the look much of the time. He is however a two time champ and an undercover top QB in the NFL. He is cool and calm, and maintains a consistent rhythm regardless of who lines up next to him. Eli quietly finished 4th in passing yards and 6th in touchdown passes, right up in the mix with Brees, Brady and Rogers. The defensive side of the ball has traditionally been equally as strong as the offense, but this may be the year it falters. The front line of Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Jason Pierre-Paul, while all physical freaks, cannot continue to carry this team on their own. The Giants will need young guys to step up right away in the secondary or they will continue to get diced up by opposing offenses. The Giants have the experience to put up another strong run at the Super Bowl. Tom Coughlin, while always maligned, knows his players and has this team ready to go when it counts. The NFC East, this season, may require them to be ready more often than they are able.
Final Standings:
- Dallas Cowboys 10-6
- Philadelphia Eagles 10-6
- New York Giants 9-7
- Washington Redskins 7-9
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
I'm Back
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| You may kiss the bride! |
All of this fun put the blog on the back burner for a little while, but I am back and looking forward to a great time of the sports year approaching. There is the return of the NFL and college football. No need for people to ask why, but go Packers and USC. It appears we are front running again, but no big deal for some of the strongest football programs the sport has ever known. The US Open (tennis) is on tap next week and really is an exciting event with the raucous NYC crowd and primetime matches. The NBA and NHL (pending lockout) are on tap as well. Lebron will look to cement his legacy among the greats of all time, and the wide open NHL will begin its 82 game grind back to Lord Stanley's Cup. We are also six weeks away from the MLB playoffs that should have more excitement as there will be 2 wild card teams from each league this season. There are great story lines with perennially poor teams making a push for the playoffs (Pirates/Nationals), and other stalwarts battling to the end (Giants/Dodgers, White Sox/Tigers).
With all the great events on tap, let's not forget about the great sports summer we have already experienced. The Kings and Heat won their championships in commanding fashion, establishing new superstars in the NHL and reaffirming others in the NBA. Roger Federer won a record 7th Wimbledon title and further distanced himself from other tennis greats in the historical rankings. Spain reasserted itself once more on the world stage winning their third major world soccer title in a row. They have become the preeminent world soccer power holding both the World Cup and Euro Cup title at the same time once again (the Olympics do not count as it's an U23 tournament that does not include most of each countries best players).
Speaking of Olympics, there was a little event over in London that had too many amazing stories to count. The major ones included Michael Phelps becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time and the U.S. women's gymnastics team and individual all around gold medals. There were many American athletes to be proud of in London. The U.S. won the most medals and most gold medals going away. We won often times where we were supposed to (see Swimming, Track/Field, Gymnastics, Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball). We also took home medals and many of them gold in our weaker sports (see Judo, Water Polo, Wrestling). It was also a great celebration for Britain. Their athletes performed at the highest level coming in 3rd in the medal count and putting on a fantastic show for the entire world. The Olympics are always a captivating and often times a controversial event and this version was no different. Britain did a fine job hosting and it was fun to watch (minus NBC tape delaying EVERYTHING). Now it becomes Rio's job to prepare for the world spotlight both for the World Cup and Olympics in the coming years.
It has been a great summer of sports with many memorable events and outstanding performances. There have been highs and lows, controversies and uplifting moments. More importantly, it has been the best summer ever with friends and family. So with all that, I am back in the groove and looking forward to what lays ahead inside the boundary lines of athletics.
mfindorff
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