Lonely at the Top: The Most Powerful Man in the Most Powerful Sport has a Power Problem

Power is difficult to acquire.  It is more difficult to maintain.  While possession may be nine tenths of the law, perception is nine tenths of political power.  Roger Goodell understands this well after the last two months.  The NFL Commissioner has decisively dictated the NFL’s course.  His steadfast approach to the lockout was a significant factor in the owners securing favorable terms.

Three unrelated events have undermined Goodell’s credibility, and with it his power.  The first is the failure of the owners and NFL Player’s Association (NFLPA) union to agree to HGH testing.  With the rising concern over retired player’s well-being and quality of life, the NFL can ill afford anything less than full transparency regarding players gaining unnatural physical abilities.  The public perception of steroid using behemoths mauling their brains at the behest of billionaire owners does not sit well with most Americans.  This perception fails to account for individual responsibility.  Goodell is not personally buckling chinstraps of concussed players and sending them back to the trenches.

 

However, power does not flow from logical reality.  It flows from perception.  No HGH testing hurts the NFL’s image.  This may not have irrevocably damaged Goodell’s prestige alone, but Jim Irsay has produced another problem.  Irsay, who owns the Indianapolis Colts, was arrested March 16^th for driving under the influence and drug possession.  He was pulled over and found to have numerous prescription pills that were not prescribed to him and over 29,000 dollars in his vehicle.  Goodell will discipline Irsay but the perception is that the owner is receiving the benefit of the doubt.  DeMaurice Smith, who is the NFLPA executive director, lambasted Goodell on May 29^th.  “There is a significant credibility gap that exists . . . what troubles our players is the speed and the deliberateness of punishment that they have seen in the past when it comes to a player, there isn’t the same speed or deliberate action when it comes to an owner, and that’s a problem.”

Again, this is a problem with perception not reality.  Any first time offender, player or owner, is typically given punishment once the incident has been resolved legally.  As such, Goodell should wait for the legal system to punish Irsay, a first time offender.  It seems likely that Irsay’s arrest would not have reached flashpoint except for the third event.  NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned Clippers owner Donald Sterling faster than one could say, “What would David Stern do?”  He wielded his authority far more assertively than Goodell ever has.  The difference is that Silver needed to ban Sterling.  Irsay has drug addiction issues.  He has never been recorded uttering racists comments.

            NFL players have been searching for opportunities to limit Goodell’s power.  Their outrage at the pace of Irsay’s discipline would exist regardless of what Silver did to Sterling.  The problem for Goodell is that his lack of movement stands in sharp contrast to the new NBA commissioner.  The public now sees a NFL commissioner who has failed to limit the amount of steroids in the game and who appears to support a wrongdoing owner far more than Silver ever would support his.  These three events have metastasized into a cancer that has begun to eat away Goodell’s political power.  The coming months will indicate how aggressively Goodell has decided to combat this cancer.  How Goodell decides to address his eroding power, is the question that will determine the NFL's health for years to come.

A UEFA Championship and the Americanizing of Futbol

The 2014 UEFA Champions League Championship was a well-played match.  Only Manchester United rivals Real Madrid for worldwide acclaim.  Atletico Madrid does not have the same panache associated with it but played a gritty match that pushed Real Madrid to the brink.  Real Madrid’s overwhelming athleticism wore down Atletico Madrid and resulted in a lopsided score, 4-1, that belies the intensity of the battle on the pitch.

Atletico Madrid used sent the ball into the box and crashed the goal to keep the keeper off balance.  This worked for a time but Real Madrid used set piece plays, particularly corner kicks, to swing the flow of the game.  Eventually, the preponderance of the match was on Atletico’s side of the pitch.  Real Madrid’s goal in the 93^rd minute knotted the game at 1-1 and sent it to extra time.  The first half of extra time remained deadlocked but during the second half Real Madrid blew the game open.  This scoring explosion sealed the club’s 10^th UEFA Championship.

This same stretch of play should have opened the eyes of U.S. sports fans.  Soccer is the most popular game in the world.  American sports fans are often led to believe that the U.S. should immerse itself in the beautiful game because of soccer’s popularity.  The truth of the matter is that soccer will never capture the American imagination to the same degree that baseball did, football has, and basketball will capture it.

 

Fox Sports has enlisted Gus Johnson, the master of breathless melodramatic play by play, to Americanize soccer telecasts.  Johnson was his usual energetic self but soccer’s rhythm is slower than basketball, which occasionally left Johnson’s calls feeling drawn out.  Johnson is at his best when he fires at machine gun rate not semi-automatic.  Johnson will improve over time but Fox Sports does not need to Americanize soccer.

U.S. fans will immediately recognize many elements that the UEFA Championship contained.  Atletico Madrid’s manager Diego Simeone rivals Jim Harbaugh on the intensity scale albeit he dresses far better.  Likewise, Cristiano Ronaldo preens more than Yasiel Puig has over his year and a half in the Major Leagues.  Scoring a goal is difficult but Ronaldo was over the top with his celebration.  The game was over.  Real Madrid could not blow have blown their 3-1 lead with a matter of minutes left.  Doffing your shirt after a meaningless penalty kick is not channeling Bobby Orr's Flying Goal to win the Stanley Cup, it is mirroring Alex Rodriguez’s vanity.

           However, that goal was noteworthy in one regard.  It was celebrated with the same soundtrack, as Real Madrid’s other goals, Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes.  Using the White Stripes is notably because they originated from the Detroit music scene.  As European futbol fans rejoiced or agonized, a champion was crowned with American music thumping through the stadium.  Perhaps the issue is not if U.S. fans will grow to love soccer.  Instead, it may be a matter of time until futbol’s atmosphere is Americanized.

When Timing Meets Talent: The Link between Lewis Hamilton and Victor Espinoza

Can Peyton Manning still put enough zip on the ball to be effective?  Is LeBron James truly the best basketball player in the world right now?  Is Mike Trout as good as his WAR numbers indicate?  These three questions, all of which are a yes, are easily answered.  Just turn on the games and see for yourself.  However, some athletes toil in sports, which may hide their true capabilities.  That is the case for Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton and jockey Victor Espinoza.

Both of these men have stepped into the limelight because of their mounts, not a sudden talent increase. In Hamilton’s case, his racing setup benefited from the new engine, fuel, gearbox, and other tweaks to the 2014 cars.  Mercedes boasts the top two drivers in Formula 1 with Nico Rosberg in second.  Hamilton has used his mechanical advantage to be as dominating as Sebastian Vettel was last season.  The difference is that Vettal’s teammate, Mark Webber, did not challenge him to the degree that Rosberg has pushed Hamilton.

   

The Spanish Grand Prix, pictured below, is a perfect example of this phenomenon.  Rosberg was on the medium compound tires, which improve handling, during the final laps of the race but could not pass Hamilton who was still on the hard compound tires.  Hamilton has won the last four races of the circuit because he has out driven Rosberg.  Hamilton has been in position to do so because the Mercedes team has given him a better car than last season.

Espinoza suffers from a similar fate.  Despite a pair of Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes wins California Chrome's pilot suffers from a low Q rating.  He is at the whim of thoroughbreds and trainers for opportunities to display his gift.  Espinoza has averaged 8,000 dollars won per start in his career.  Compare that to Calvin Borel who nets 3,605 dollars per start.  As an additional comparison, Pat Day was good for 7,392 dollars per start during his illustrious career.  While Espinoza has been a more profitable jockey, he does not have the national cache that accompanies the other two riders.

            Espinoza’s Triple Crown campaign aboard California Chrome will likely change that paradigm.  It is time that Espinoza and Hamilton receive attention for their skills.  They have both been performing ridiculously well and much of that depends upon his mount or car respectively.  This past month has been a reminder that some of the world’s best athletes operate outside of public awareness.  For every Manning or James, there is a Hamilton or Espinoza who simply needs the right ride to display his talent.

2014 NFL Draft: Day 3 Recap

The best way to do this is to jump right into the perceived story of the day.  Michael Sam, the NFL’s first openly gay player, was selected 249^th by the Rams.  He will be a situational pass rusher and special teamer, which fits his positional tweener skill set.  Based on the film, this spot in the draft was possible but there will be rumblings that homophobia was afoot.  As a counter example to this, Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch was not drafted.  Lynch was a 2014 Heisman finalist but his positional tweener status saw him fall from grace.  Some of the best college players do not have skills that translate to the NFL.  Rejecting these talented players is the unforgiving reality of the NFL Draft.

Another reality is that Michael Sam should be a footnote of this third day of the 2014 NFL Draft.  The true storyline to follow was the SEC three.  Aaron Murray, AJ McCarron, and Zach Mettenberger each found an intriguing home.  Murray is poised for the best long range success.  Sporting Joe has long believed that Murray is a criminally underrated prospect (for more read 2014 NFL Pro Days).  He will learn from Andy Reid in Kansas City and be given the reins after Alex Smith’s run in Arrowhead ends.  McCarron will need to unseat a younger incumbent to succeed in Cincinnati.  Andy Dalton’s rookie deal is up after this season and the Bengal’s confidence appears to be ebbing in him.   The problem is that McCarron shares the same skill set; command of a playbook, situational awareness, and winning pedigree; as Dalton.  Look for Dalton to remain the starter and get a new deal from owner and renowned penny pincher Mike Brown.

Then there is Mettenberger.  Prior to the news of his diluted urine sample at the NFL Combine, he seemed to be the logical fit in Houston.  Coach Bill O’Brien’s system demands a prototypical pocket passer.  The 6’6” Mettenberger is such a player.  Instead, the Texans snatched Pittsburgh’s Tom Savage (6’4”) to fill that role and compete with T.J. Yates and Case Keenum.  Mettenberger finds himself in Tennessee.  Jake Locker is his primary competition so expect Mettenberger to see some playing time this season.

This third day of the draft had plenty of under the radar steals.  Pittsburgh seized an old school two-gap defensive tackle in Tennessee’s Daniel McCullers.  Indianapolis picked Andrew Jackson from Western Kentucky, who boasts three straight seasons with 95 tackles or more.  This linebacker may remind some Colts fans of Old Hickory with contributions to the defense and special teams, a unit that sorely needs improved play for an ascending team.  Yet it was the running backs that made news.  The Patriots added depth with James White from Wisconsin. The Chiefs replaced Dexter McCluster with former Oregon Duck De’Anthony Thomas.  Meanwhile, the Redskins gave Robert Griffin III some Baylor flavor with Lache Seastrunk.  Seastrunk will likely be given the Gionavi Bernard role in new head coach Jay Gruden’s West Coast system. 

Those picks were notable additions, but Jacksonville may have added the best running back they have on the roster with the 222^nd pick.  Storm Johnson, out of Central Florida, joins the suddenly stocked Jacksonville offense.  Johnson has surprising wiggle in the hole and open field.  If he stops fumbling and goes to the hole instead of forcing it outside, he is a load to tackle.  He and Toby Gerhart should form a decent tandem for Chad Henne.

             Every fan base can feel solid about their draft, even the Browns.  Cleveland did not add a notable receiver in the draft but even jaded Browns fans should respect Mike Pettine’s steadfast adherence to the draft board.  Look for the Browns to add an undrafted rookie free agent such as Rutger’s Brandon Coleman and a veteran free agent like Santonio Holmes.  Those moves, and the rest of the undrafted rookie free agent signings, will take place in the coming days.  NFL teams will be occupied with roster tinkering and OTA’s.  Unfortunately, fans do not receive much access behind those curtains.  The Draft is a three-day mirage in the NFL’s off-season desert for fans.  Hopes are high now but the soon to be played 2014 season will begin to reveal the mettle of this draft class.

2014 NFL Draft: Day 2 Recap

A second day in the NFL Draft kitchen has cooked up some tasty morsels from Sporting Joe.  Of particular note, is this Draft’s emphasis on the play in the trenches.  The second round opened with three straight linemen selected.  The Cowboys are leading this charge by adding Demarcus Lawrence, the defensive end from Boise State, to Zach Martin.  While other positions grab the headlines, interior line play forms the basis of professional football.  This draft has not forgotten that reality.

In a similar vein, the Lions have added Kyle Van Noy.  This pick may redeem Jim Caldwell’s Day 1 selection of Eric Ebron.  Van Noy will bring accountability to the front seven that has been lacking in Detriot for many years.  Considering the issues surrounding Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley this is no small detail.

 

The collective bargaining agreement has devalued the running back position.  That trend exhibited itself in stunning fashion during this draft.  No running back was drafted with the first 53 selections.  The Titans ended the historic drought with Bishop Sankey from Washington.  He will bring the between the tackles diligence that Chris Johnson lacked.  Ken Whisenhunt has restocked a position of need.

The 49ers also selected a running back but it appears to muddy the waters in the backfield.  While the pick seems like overkill it is actually fairly astute.  Carlos Hyde’s talent pops off the film but San Francisco may be deepest at running back.  This pick signals that LaMichael James will be traded, which has been widely reported.  That will leave James and Anthony Dixon’s spots to Hyde and Marcus Lattimore.  This tandem could be a two-headed monster in the coming years.  Kendall Hunter is in a contract year.  He would seem to be destined for free agency.  That leaves the 49er’s all-time leading rusher.  Two young brahma bulls will push Frank Gore.  It has to rile Gore that the 49ers have added yet another replacement for his “imminent” demise.

The best and most sensible pick of the night belongs to the Eagles.  Jordan Matthews is the possession receiver that Chip Kelly needs.  Philly’s recievers are solid but Matthew’s ability to run routes and make tough catches will give Nick Foles lethal levels of confidence on third downs. 

The final thought for the night is simple.  Why did Louis Nix III plummet so precipitously? Sports Illustrated projected him as the 25^th pick in their mock draft and Mike Mayock placed him 36^th on his Top 100 Prospects list.  Nix struggled with his weight and injuries this season but Irish Chocolate brings personality and passion to the locker room.  Houston ended his wait with the 83^rd pick but that is a steeper fall than the much-ballyhooed Johnny Manziel.  Make no mistake this is tremendous value for the Texans.  Nix will not be asked to play more downs than his fitness allows.  The only concern is if Nix fell for a reason that is not yet public knowledge.  However, you the reader should have no concerns as Sporting Joe will return tomorrow to close out the 2014 NFL Draft.

2014 NFL Draft: Round 1 Recap

Aaron Rodgers said it best when he tweeted, “this should be an interesting 10 minutes” as the Cowboys went on the clock with Johnny Manziel on the board.  The Cowboys selected Zach Martin from Notre Dame and defied conventional wisdom in stunning fashion.  Jerry Jones is a showman to his core and passing on Johnny Football left football fans with a Manzielephant in the room.  Watching the Heisman trophy winner sweat out the process in the green room was the theater that ESPN needed to give this delayed draft extra juice.

As you undoubtedly know at this point, Manziel was finally drafted by the Browns at number twenty-two.  This pick was Cleveland owner Jimmy Haslem’s all the way.  Drafting Justin Gilbert was a nod to Mike Pettine’s heritage but Manziel will sell tickets.  Pettine watched his friend and boss in New York, Rex Ryan struggle with a young quarterback’s learning curve.  Cleveland fans certainly hope that Johnny Football is not Pettine’s Mark Sanchez.  Of course, other players found new homes tonight.  Here are the most interesting picks of the evening.

            Tampa Bay made an early splash by seizing Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans at seven.  Many pundits had slotted Evans as a top five pick so on paper this was a value pick by new Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith.  That is not the case.  Evans will pair well with Vincent Jackson but who will throw the pigskin to this towering tandem?  Mike Glennon is out despite a productive rookie season (19 touchdowns against 6 interceptions).  Tampa Bay paid Josh McCown to be the starter but he has not shown consistency thus far in his NFL career.  Buc’s offensive coordinator and quarterback guru Jeff Tedford will have his work cut out for him.

            While Lovie Smith left people mildly confused, Jim Caldwell has sunk Detroit already.  The Lions picked tight end Eric Ebron at number ten.  Ebron is more wideout than tight end.  He is not a blocker nor will he be as viable a threat when he puts a hand on the ground at the end of the line.  It is not possible to overstate how badly the Lions need defensive help.  This pick did nothing to solve the problem. 

            Meanwhile, St. Louis demonstrated a Midas touch.  They used the second overall pick on Greg Robinson who while raw will steady the Rams’ offensive line.  Then with the 13^th selection, Jeff Fisher struck fear into the NFC West.  By drafting defensive lineman Aaron Donald, the Rams have upgraded what arguably was the best D-line in football.  St. Louis boasts four top fifteen picks with Robert Quinn, Chris Long, Michael Brockers, and now Donald on the line.  Seattle illustrated how a defensive front can defeat even the best offenses.  Now the Rams will look to dethrone the champions with their own method.

            Not to be outdone, Arizona used the 27^th pick on Deone Bucannon.  He is a hard-hitting safety out of Washington State.  While Jimmie Ward from Northern Illinois has flashed skills and aggression, it seems that Bucannon’s Pac-12 pedigree caught Bruce Arians’ eye.  He will team with Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu in what appears to be a nod to Seattle’s Legion of Boom.  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and the NFC West teams seeking the playoffs are copying Seattle so far during the 2014 NFL Draft. 

           The last two selections of the round have seen Denver continue a run on secondary players and Minnesota snatch their quarterback to end the evening.  Denver’s selection of Bradley Roby will give added depth to an upgraded secondary and he could be an integral role player in Peyton’s Super Bowl push.  The Vikings selection of Teddy Bridgewater, from Louisville, solidifies the position.  The concern is that Bridgewater’s deep ball accuracy can wane and Norv Turner is a Don Coryell acolyte.  That means the quarterback’s progression will be from deepest to shortest.  That wrinkle could expose Bridgewater’s Achilles heel or reveal how little football analysts truly know.  Either way, count on Sporting Joe for your Draft Day Two and Draft Day Three breakdowns.

Out with the Old and in with the Neo

Do you remember the ending of the Matrix?  Neo, played by Keanu Reeves slows down reality as he begins to understand the power of the matrix.  During this watershed moment, Neo is literally dodging bullets in slow motion.  Some people may have left the theater shaking their heads at the over the top movie magic.

Yet dodging bullets is a real thing.  Perhaps not literally but figurative bullets may be dodged.  Penn State has dodged such a bullet.  James Franklin, Penn State’s new football coach, has been cleared of any shady dealings with the woman at the center of a rape investigation.  Alleged four members of the Vanderbilt football team raped a woman.  There were murmurings that Franklin had contacted the victim in an inappropriate manner.  According to deputy district attorney Tom Thurman, Franklin and his wife called the victim to express their concern and let her know she was in their prayers.  Thurman also commented that the contact was not an attempt to cover anything up, even though that is how the rumor mill had begun to spin it.

If Franklin were guilty of whitewashing a rape it would have ruined Penn State’s program.  All of the excitement, 72,000 fans at the spring game, generated by the Nittany Lion’s excellent hire would have evaporated.  Penn State has barely survived the tarnish of the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal.  Another would have left Happy Valley as the most ironic name in sports.

Penn State has entered the matrix and dodged an early obstacle.  Of course, the rape case was public knowledge.  The hiring process would have vetted such a serious issue.  This was a foreseeable bullet.  What remains is the fallout of the rape case.  Allegations have emerged that Franklin organized a hostess group for recruiting purposes.  The victim may have been one of these women. 

           This link explores the sordid history of the practice and the current legality of it.  If Franklin had crossed the line and instructed the hostesses to give the recruits any sort of illicit benefits he may yet find himself in the cross hairs of a sex scandal.  It is highly unlikely that that scenario plays out.  However, Franklin’s hiring was supposed to usher in the new era of Penn State football.  So far, this Neo-Penn State has felt far too much like the last weeks of Joe Paterno’s Penn State.