If you’re an American and a sports fan, then you’ve probably been affected in some way or another. Major League Baseball did it in 1994, The National Hockey League did it in in 2004 and the National Football League, Americas most popular professional sports league, could do it in 2011. I’m talking about a strike, a lockout, a picket, a boycott; I’m talking about the fact that after the 2010 season, it is likely that the NFL players may strike. Here’s why:
The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and the NFL owners agreed a while back to a salary cap that would end after the 2009-2010 season (now). They would then sit down and talk again about a new salary cap. Unfortunately, this time they haven’t been able to come up with some sort of agreement which means that the 2010-2011 season will be uncapped and then they will sit down at the end of that season to try to negotiate again.
First, what does an uncapped season mean for the NFL? It means that major market teams in major market cities such as New York, Dallas, Chicago, LA and a few more can spend all the money they have to buy up all the expensive free agents. Sound familiar? (see: New York Yankees/Boston Red Sox). Smaller market teams like Cincinnati, Cleveland, Buffalo, Kansas City, Jacksonville and couple others could be left in the dust when big name players go after big money. The Bengals couldn’t compete with The Giants in spending even if Mike Brown wasn’t cheap. So what does that mean? Well, it means that there is a decent chance that whoever wins the Super Bowl next year could have bought the Super Bowl.
Well, it’s just one year right? I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it’s possible that it may not be just one year. Representatives from the NFLPA have said that if they play a season without a salary cap, they will never play with a salary cap again. It’s much like a kid who has never tasted sugar. He has no idea what he’s missing doesn’t crave sweets. Then you give him one piece of chocolate and next thing you know, he has a sweet tongue that would rival Willy Wonka’s. He’ll want sugar, or in this case tons of money, all the time.
Well, what could this possibly do to the NFL? Well, let’s look at baseball for a minute. The Yankees spent the most money in 2009 with a team payroll of $201,449,289. The Florida Marlins spent the least amount with a 2009 payroll of $36,814,000. That’s a $164,635,289 difference. The difference between those two teams is greater than any other teams payroll (other than the Yankees). The Yankees won the 2009 World Series…. Coincidence? The Yankees have won 27 World Series, the most in Major League Baseball…. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
One of the NFL’s greatest assets has been the saying “Any Given Sunday”. This saying means (possibly meant) that on any given Sunday, any team can beat any team. That means that small market teams can beat major market teams. It’s one of the reasons that the NFL has grown to be the most popular sports in American history. If the salary cap goes away permanently, then it is very possible for the balance of power to shift to the big cites and then we can say goodbye to “Any Given Sunday” and say hello to “Maybe We’ll Get Lucky This Sunday”.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard in the NFL Draft
The Bearcats 2009-2010 football season ended on the sour notes of head coach Brian Kelly leaving to fill the vacant job and Notre Dame and the Sugar Bowl loss to the Florida Gators. That isn’t what fans will remember most about this past football season though. They’ll remember the excitement of Mardy Gilyard’s play and the accuracy of Tony Pike’s arm before they remember what coach went where and who won what bowl game.
Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard both finished their collegiate careers in the greatest season ever in the 125 year history of Bearcat football. Now they move on to the NFL. Until draft day, both Pike and Gilyard will be poked and prodded like a dog in the Westminster Kennel Club. Scouts will pick them apart and name every minor fault and weakness that each player has and why that minor fault or weakness could spell disaster for any team who even thinks about drafting them. Finally, the players will showcase their physical abilities in the NFL Combine and then comes the draft. Until draft day, there is really no way of knowing what player will go to what team. There will be countless mock drafts but none of them will be right on. There is always a surprise.
Trying to predict where Pike and Gilyard will be playing next year is difficult, especially for Pike. University of Cincinnati is a small school not known for top notch NFL players and while that is slowly but surely changing, it will be a factor for Pike and Gilyard.
Gilyard will probably go first due to the fact that he is a duel threat and wide receiver is a position that can play almost immediately in the NFL. Gilyard has proved that he is a return specialist in college and NFL scouts will find that very attractive about him. They will also like his route running abilities, his ability to catch the ball, his ability to run after the catch, his attitude and his story. The NFL loves a good story and Mardy Gilyard, much like Michael Oher last year, is extremely marketable. It is fairly conceivable that Gilyard could get drafted in the early second round.
Tony Pike is a different story. Traditionally, quarterbacks don’t play right away in the NFL and the ones that do usually don’t do very well. Peyton Manning is one of the very few exceptions to this rule. Where Pike goes in the draft will completely depend on the needs of NFL teams and how desperate they are to fill those needs. If a team that needs a quarterback to start immediately drafts Pike then it will probably be fairly early in the draft; late 1st to early 3rd round. If a team drafts Pike with the plan to let him develop under a veteran started then Pike could fall anywhere from the 3rd to 5th round. Scouts will be worried about Pikes durability in the NFL because of the two broken forearms that he had playing for the Bearcats in the past two years. What the scouts will like about him is his arm strength, his accuracy, the fact that he throws a very catchable ball, he is mobile inside the pocket and can sense pressure, he keeps the ball up high on his shoulder before he throws and his physical size.
The NFL is a completely different monster than college football and for the next couple months, scouts will be breathing down Pike and Gilyard necks, trying to see exactly how they tick. Hopefully their experience at University of Cincinnati has prepared them for the biggest “job interview” of their life.
Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard both finished their collegiate careers in the greatest season ever in the 125 year history of Bearcat football. Now they move on to the NFL. Until draft day, both Pike and Gilyard will be poked and prodded like a dog in the Westminster Kennel Club. Scouts will pick them apart and name every minor fault and weakness that each player has and why that minor fault or weakness could spell disaster for any team who even thinks about drafting them. Finally, the players will showcase their physical abilities in the NFL Combine and then comes the draft. Until draft day, there is really no way of knowing what player will go to what team. There will be countless mock drafts but none of them will be right on. There is always a surprise.
Trying to predict where Pike and Gilyard will be playing next year is difficult, especially for Pike. University of Cincinnati is a small school not known for top notch NFL players and while that is slowly but surely changing, it will be a factor for Pike and Gilyard.
Gilyard will probably go first due to the fact that he is a duel threat and wide receiver is a position that can play almost immediately in the NFL. Gilyard has proved that he is a return specialist in college and NFL scouts will find that very attractive about him. They will also like his route running abilities, his ability to catch the ball, his ability to run after the catch, his attitude and his story. The NFL loves a good story and Mardy Gilyard, much like Michael Oher last year, is extremely marketable. It is fairly conceivable that Gilyard could get drafted in the early second round.
Tony Pike is a different story. Traditionally, quarterbacks don’t play right away in the NFL and the ones that do usually don’t do very well. Peyton Manning is one of the very few exceptions to this rule. Where Pike goes in the draft will completely depend on the needs of NFL teams and how desperate they are to fill those needs. If a team that needs a quarterback to start immediately drafts Pike then it will probably be fairly early in the draft; late 1st to early 3rd round. If a team drafts Pike with the plan to let him develop under a veteran started then Pike could fall anywhere from the 3rd to 5th round. Scouts will be worried about Pikes durability in the NFL because of the two broken forearms that he had playing for the Bearcats in the past two years. What the scouts will like about him is his arm strength, his accuracy, the fact that he throws a very catchable ball, he is mobile inside the pocket and can sense pressure, he keeps the ball up high on his shoulder before he throws and his physical size.
The NFL is a completely different monster than college football and for the next couple months, scouts will be breathing down Pike and Gilyard necks, trying to see exactly how they tick. Hopefully their experience at University of Cincinnati has prepared them for the biggest “job interview” of their life.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
It's Been A While.... Tomorrow's Show
I kind of forgot that I had a blog for the show. This is my first post in a month, maybe longer. To the one person that I disappointed: I'm sorry. To the rest of you: I'll start posting again so I can disappoint you in the future.
Tomorrow's show is going to be a good one. We are in the middle of the NFL playoffs. Conference Championship weekend is finally here. Payton Manning (the great), Drew Brees (the on fire), Marc Sanchez (the cinderella man), and Brett Favre (the classic) are all that is left to lead their teams to greatness. Who's it going to be? You'll have to tune in tomorrow night from 6 to 8 to find out what I think.
Dan Fisk and Jake Wilson will be joining me in studio and we'll be joined by Brad Riter from Riter Radio in Buffalo, NY to talk about the Bills coaching search and the UB Bulls new coach, and former Bearcat offensive coordinator Butch Jones.
It's going to be a good show. Give us a call at 513-556-4529 so you can tell us what you think. Make sure you tune in to Gridiron Gurus tomorrow night from 6 to 8 and every Wednesday night after to hear me, Jake Wilson, and Dan Fisk talk about your favorite football teams.
Tomorrow's show is going to be a good one. We are in the middle of the NFL playoffs. Conference Championship weekend is finally here. Payton Manning (the great), Drew Brees (the on fire), Marc Sanchez (the cinderella man), and Brett Favre (the classic) are all that is left to lead their teams to greatness. Who's it going to be? You'll have to tune in tomorrow night from 6 to 8 to find out what I think.
Dan Fisk and Jake Wilson will be joining me in studio and we'll be joined by Brad Riter from Riter Radio in Buffalo, NY to talk about the Bills coaching search and the UB Bulls new coach, and former Bearcat offensive coordinator Butch Jones.
It's going to be a good show. Give us a call at 513-556-4529 so you can tell us what you think. Make sure you tune in to Gridiron Gurus tomorrow night from 6 to 8 and every Wednesday night after to hear me, Jake Wilson, and Dan Fisk talk about your favorite football teams.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
What We Would Have Talked About Tonight
There won't be a show tonight. Sorry to disappoint you; I know that it will be hard to get a full nights sleep due to the fact that you'll be tossing and turning without the sound of my voice echoing in your head. I got to say, I'm actually a little creeped out by the fact that you dream about me but that's the price of fame right?
On to the more serious matter. This would have been what we would have spent the majority of the time talking about and by this, I mean the Charlie Weis firing and who will be the next Notre Dame coach.... Brian Kelly (I hope not), Bob Stoops, Joe Shmoe, me, Bill Brasky, Tony Danza... who knows. We would have discussed more than that but to me, this is the only thing worth writing about right now.
What I want to happen is not always what happens. I think everybody can say that and if you can't I would love to walk a mile in your shoes... or maybe a million miles. I don't want Brian Kelly to leave the Cincinnati. I want him to be "Tresselized" here in Cincinnati, just without the sweater vests. I know that Kelly is the main reason that the Bearcats are 11-0 this season and why they have an outside shot at the national championship game. I know that he will soon be on "Huggy Bear" (Bob Huggins) status here in Cincinnati which means he is that much closer to being able to walk on water. I know that the city loves him. I know that with him on the sidelines, I can say with confidence "UC will play for the national championship one day". I know a lot of things. So, for you, I've listed the "why Kelly should stay list" and the "Why Kelly should go list".
Why Kelly Should Stay:
1-He's practically a celebrity here. He fits in right next to George Clooney and whoever Carmen Electra was before she was Carmen Electra
2-He is a big fish in a small pond. Let's face it, the Big East is the small pond when it comes to BCS conferences in college football. But, since it's a BCS conference, the winner still gets a BCS game. Kelly and UC could be the constant winner just like West Virginia was for years before Rich Rodriquez was before he up and left for the Big Blue.
3-Cincinnati is not South Bend. I've never been to South Bend, Indiana and outside of going to a ND game, I don't plan to. Like the vast majority of Indiana, I would guess that there is a lot of corn and cows and people with less than 32 teeth. Cincinnati has to be more exciting.... doesn't it?
4-He has a championship caliber team now. We've all seen what UC's young players can do, especially young QB Zach Collaros. Here, Kelly isn't going to have to re-build, he can re-load and have another great season. Going to Notre Dame, Kelly wouldn't have that luxury. He would have to rebuild and rebuilding teams don't have great records.
5-He doesn't want to be the next Rich Rodriguez. Rodriguez was great at WVU and now Michigan fans are calling for his head. Has he ruined his career? Maybe, only time will tell but it could be a huge risk.
Why Kelly Should Go:
1-It's Notre Dame.... Come on. Every single college coach can list Notre Dame as their dream coaching job (Kelly has). No other program has the history, the prestige, or the movie moments (Rudy still makes me cry) that you get from the Golden Domers.
2-Money. If you think UC can come close to paying Kelly what Notre Dame can then you need to go back to a 3rd grade math level. Not saying he's got a bad paycheck now but as they say "money talks"
3-He would have a chance to have his name mentioned with Ara Parseghian, Lou Holtz, and Knute Rockne as Notre Dames all time coaching greats.
4-He's Irish. Cincinnati's filled with Germans. Enough said.
Who knows what is going to happen. I can only hope but only one man can make the decision and you know who that is. Let's just focus on what the Bearcats have been able to do so far this season and hope for a win against Pitt (and a Texas loss). That's all we can do right now.
On to the more serious matter. This would have been what we would have spent the majority of the time talking about and by this, I mean the Charlie Weis firing and who will be the next Notre Dame coach.... Brian Kelly (I hope not), Bob Stoops, Joe Shmoe, me, Bill Brasky, Tony Danza... who knows. We would have discussed more than that but to me, this is the only thing worth writing about right now.
What I want to happen is not always what happens. I think everybody can say that and if you can't I would love to walk a mile in your shoes... or maybe a million miles. I don't want Brian Kelly to leave the Cincinnati. I want him to be "Tresselized" here in Cincinnati, just without the sweater vests. I know that Kelly is the main reason that the Bearcats are 11-0 this season and why they have an outside shot at the national championship game. I know that he will soon be on "Huggy Bear" (Bob Huggins) status here in Cincinnati which means he is that much closer to being able to walk on water. I know that the city loves him. I know that with him on the sidelines, I can say with confidence "UC will play for the national championship one day". I know a lot of things. So, for you, I've listed the "why Kelly should stay list" and the "Why Kelly should go list".
Why Kelly Should Stay:
1-He's practically a celebrity here. He fits in right next to George Clooney and whoever Carmen Electra was before she was Carmen Electra
2-He is a big fish in a small pond. Let's face it, the Big East is the small pond when it comes to BCS conferences in college football. But, since it's a BCS conference, the winner still gets a BCS game. Kelly and UC could be the constant winner just like West Virginia was for years before Rich Rodriquez was before he up and left for the Big Blue.
3-Cincinnati is not South Bend. I've never been to South Bend, Indiana and outside of going to a ND game, I don't plan to. Like the vast majority of Indiana, I would guess that there is a lot of corn and cows and people with less than 32 teeth. Cincinnati has to be more exciting.... doesn't it?
4-He has a championship caliber team now. We've all seen what UC's young players can do, especially young QB Zach Collaros. Here, Kelly isn't going to have to re-build, he can re-load and have another great season. Going to Notre Dame, Kelly wouldn't have that luxury. He would have to rebuild and rebuilding teams don't have great records.
5-He doesn't want to be the next Rich Rodriguez. Rodriguez was great at WVU and now Michigan fans are calling for his head. Has he ruined his career? Maybe, only time will tell but it could be a huge risk.
Why Kelly Should Go:
1-It's Notre Dame.... Come on. Every single college coach can list Notre Dame as their dream coaching job (Kelly has). No other program has the history, the prestige, or the movie moments (Rudy still makes me cry) that you get from the Golden Domers.
2-Money. If you think UC can come close to paying Kelly what Notre Dame can then you need to go back to a 3rd grade math level. Not saying he's got a bad paycheck now but as they say "money talks"
3-He would have a chance to have his name mentioned with Ara Parseghian, Lou Holtz, and Knute Rockne as Notre Dames all time coaching greats.
4-He's Irish. Cincinnati's filled with Germans. Enough said.
Who knows what is going to happen. I can only hope but only one man can make the decision and you know who that is. Let's just focus on what the Bearcats have been able to do so far this season and hope for a win against Pitt (and a Texas loss). That's all we can do right now.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The Post Episode 6
By far, the best one yet.
The Post Episode 6 , Syracuse Orange Week from Shane Harrison on Vimeo.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tonight's Show
Tonight we'll be talking about the Bearcats latest win over the Louisville Cardinals to increase their record to 7-0. We'll also talk about the Bengals beat down of the Bears. As usual we'll debate the latest college football and NFL news. We're also going to continue to do the PTI segment of the show and we've had quite a few topics sent to us from listeners.. thanks. Finally, tonight we'll be adding a random topics segment to mix things up. If you have a suggestion of what it should be email us at gridirongurusonbearcast@gmail.com. Remember to tune in tonight from 6 to 8 on bearcastradio.com to listen to Gridiron Gurus.
-Jason Garrison
-Jason Garrison
Monday, October 26, 2009
Pickem Results
Here are this weeks Pickem results:
Jason: 3 wins(Texans, Jets, Bengals), 3 losses (Vikings, Falcons, Dolphins) 50%
Ryan: 2 wins (Cowboys, Bengals), 4 losses (Vikings, Niners, Raiders, Dolphins) 33%
Terique: 1 win (Saints), 5 losses (Vikings, Niners, Raiders, Falcons, Bears) 17%
Brandon: 3 wins (Steelers, Texans, Jets), 3 losses (Falcons, Dolphins, Bears) 50%
Mickey (whodeyfans) 3 wins (Jets, Saints, Bengals), 3 losses (Vikings, Niners, Falcons) 50%
Our season stats are:
Jason: 23 of 30 - 76%
Terique: 12 of 26 - 46%
Ryan: 9 of 14 - 64%
Brandon: 18 of 26 - 69%
Mickey (whodeyfans.com): 9 of 15 - 60%
Fans: 31 of 45 - 69%
I'm still number 1... will anybody dethrone me?
Jason: 3 wins(Texans, Jets, Bengals), 3 losses (Vikings, Falcons, Dolphins) 50%
Ryan: 2 wins (Cowboys, Bengals), 4 losses (Vikings, Niners, Raiders, Dolphins) 33%
Terique: 1 win (Saints), 5 losses (Vikings, Niners, Raiders, Falcons, Bears) 17%
Brandon: 3 wins (Steelers, Texans, Jets), 3 losses (Falcons, Dolphins, Bears) 50%
Mickey (whodeyfans) 3 wins (Jets, Saints, Bengals), 3 losses (Vikings, Niners, Falcons) 50%
Our season stats are:
Jason: 23 of 30 - 76%
Terique: 12 of 26 - 46%
Ryan: 9 of 14 - 64%
Brandon: 18 of 26 - 69%
Mickey (whodeyfans.com): 9 of 15 - 60%
Fans: 31 of 45 - 69%
I'm still number 1... will anybody dethrone me?
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