This is a big year for NMSU football. Is the team a contender, a decent group who scraps for some wins that they shouldn’t or just another bottom feeder in the WAC? Are they Hawaii or Boise? Are they Utah State or La Tech?
Well, they aren’t going to be Hawaii and Boise. Those two programs are the truth and should torch WAC competition on a weekly basis. Truthfully, the Aggies can’t be Utah State or La Tech. There’s too much riding on the line this year for Mumme and company to associate with the dregs of the conference. A .500 record within the division could be a possibility though.
NMSU has the tools offensively to at least play entertaining football. Holbrook will chuck it on a regular basis and the receiving core is deep and talented. Defensively things could be dicey. Truthfully, the season could ride simply on the Aggies generating a pass rush up front. It’s been an area of concern in the past and should be a point of scrutiny this season once more. If they don’t apply pressure, the opposition will drop back and pick apart the secondary to death. That’s football. Penetration along the line can create havoc and big plays goin’ the other way. A lack of pressure translates into a toothless defense that gets torched on a regular basis.
My prediction? NMSU won’t finish above .500 this year. 6-6? Yeah, that seems right. Over under on six wins? I go with the under, but not by much. And I think six wins is a nice year for this program. Two years ago they were 0-12. And it will be an entertaining .500 team. Lots of points for, lots of points against and big plays all around for everyone
TF
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Long, hot summer
While I would much rather focus on local news rather than national attention, one development did catch my eye in professional baseball this week. And no, it’s not the ever cheeseball coverage of Clemens and how he enjoys PB&J, nor is it on the mediocre Yankees who are talked about every day, for what reason is still unclear. Actually, I have noticed the Texas Rangers and how they have fallen from a decent, scrapiron squad, to miserably out of contention.
Honestly, this is a truly atrocious team. But lets look beneath the surface before judging their performance. The Rangers have a fairly dangerous lineup when on point. Shortstop Michael Young’s average is down, but he’s a pros pro and goes all out no matter the circumstances. Texas also has an elite power hitter in Mark Texeira, who, when hot, tanks balls to the deepest part of the yard. Even their outfield, an aging one, has been mildly productive. Sixty-year-old Kenny Lofton has been a pest at the top of the order and Sammy Sosa has possibly been the team’s best hitter.
Ofcourse, Texas’ pitching is not where it should be. Kevin Millwood has been out and even if he were in it wouldn’t matter. The Rangers have always been linked with poor pitching performances and this year is no different, ranking 29th out of the 30 big-league teams in ERA.
But above all else, Texas dismissed manager Buck Schowalter after last season. The reasoning behind GM Jon Daniels' decision was that Schowalter was too rough edged, that he didn’t relate to players well enough. Instead, Texas brought in Ron Washington, former coach of the Oakland A’s. Huge mistake. Under Schowalter, the Rangers were a gutty team, not the most talented of units but one that could not be discounted. They would scrap and claw for much of their production and were a constant thorn in the side of the opposition. Early in the year, Washington looks overmatched and the team is underachieving. In major league baseball, it is extremely difficult to make the jump from decent team to contender. As a result, front offices ditch and run quickly to try and shake things up. Did Texas think it would really be better with Washington over Schowalter? If so, it was foolish. The No. 1 key in pro sports is who’s running your team from the top. In this case, it’s Daniels and Texas is clearly running on empty. Here’s to another long summer in Arlington
TF
Honestly, this is a truly atrocious team. But lets look beneath the surface before judging their performance. The Rangers have a fairly dangerous lineup when on point. Shortstop Michael Young’s average is down, but he’s a pros pro and goes all out no matter the circumstances. Texas also has an elite power hitter in Mark Texeira, who, when hot, tanks balls to the deepest part of the yard. Even their outfield, an aging one, has been mildly productive. Sixty-year-old Kenny Lofton has been a pest at the top of the order and Sammy Sosa has possibly been the team’s best hitter.
Ofcourse, Texas’ pitching is not where it should be. Kevin Millwood has been out and even if he were in it wouldn’t matter. The Rangers have always been linked with poor pitching performances and this year is no different, ranking 29th out of the 30 big-league teams in ERA.
But above all else, Texas dismissed manager Buck Schowalter after last season. The reasoning behind GM Jon Daniels' decision was that Schowalter was too rough edged, that he didn’t relate to players well enough. Instead, Texas brought in Ron Washington, former coach of the Oakland A’s. Huge mistake. Under Schowalter, the Rangers were a gutty team, not the most talented of units but one that could not be discounted. They would scrap and claw for much of their production and were a constant thorn in the side of the opposition. Early in the year, Washington looks overmatched and the team is underachieving. In major league baseball, it is extremely difficult to make the jump from decent team to contender. As a result, front offices ditch and run quickly to try and shake things up. Did Texas think it would really be better with Washington over Schowalter? If so, it was foolish. The No. 1 key in pro sports is who’s running your team from the top. In this case, it’s Daniels and Texas is clearly running on empty. Here’s to another long summer in Arlington
TF
Long, hot summer
While I would much rather focus on local news rather than national attention, one development did catch my eye in professional baseball this week. And no, it’s not the ever cheeseball coverage of Clemens and how he enjoys PB&J, nor is it on the mediocre Yankees who are talked about every day, for what reason is still unclear. Actually, I have noticed the Texas Rangers and how they have fallen from a decent, scrapiron squad, to miserably out of contention.
Honestly, this is a truly atrocious team. But lets look beneath the surface before judging their performance. The Rangers have a fairly dangerous lineup when on point. Shortstop Michael Young’s average is down, but he’s a pros pro and goes all out no matter the circumstances. Texas also has an elite power hitter in Mark Texeira, who, when hot, tanks balls to the deepest part of the yard. Even their outfield, an aging one, has been mildly productive. Sixty-year-old Kenny Lofton has been a pest at the top of the order and Sammy Sosa has possibly been the team’s best hitter.
Ofcourse, Texas’ pitching is not where it should be. Kevin Millwood has been out and even if he were in it wouldn’t matter. The Rangers have always been linked with poor pitching performances and this year is no different, ranking 29th out of the 30 big-league teams in ERA.
But above all else, Texas dismissed manager Buck Schowalter after last season. The reasoning behind GM Jon Daniels' decision was that Schowalter was too rough edged, that he didn’t relate to players well enough. Instead, Texas brought in Ron Washington, former coach of the Oakland A’s. Huge mistake. Under Schowalter, the Rangers were a gutty team, not the most talented of units but one that could not be discounted. They would scrap and claw for much of their production and were a constant thorn in the side of the opposition. Early in the year, Washington looks overmatched and the team is underachieving. In major league baseball, it is extremely difficult to make the jump from decent team to contender. As a result, front offices ditch and run quickly to try and shake things up. Did Texas think it would really be better with Washington over Schowalter? If so, it was foolish. The No. 1 key in pro sports is who’s running your team from the top. In this case, it’s Daniels and Texas is clearly running on empty. Here’s to another long summer in Arlington
TF
Honestly, this is a truly atrocious team. But lets look beneath the surface before judging their performance. The Rangers have a fairly dangerous lineup when on point. Shortstop Michael Young’s average is down, but he’s a pros pro and goes all out no matter the circumstances. Texas also has an elite power hitter in Mark Texeira, who, when hot, tanks balls to the deepest part of the yard. Even their outfield, an aging one, has been mildly productive. Sixty-year-old Kenny Lofton has been a pest at the top of the order and Sammy Sosa has possibly been the team’s best hitter.
Ofcourse, Texas’ pitching is not where it should be. Kevin Millwood has been out and even if he were in it wouldn’t matter. The Rangers have always been linked with poor pitching performances and this year is no different, ranking 29th out of the 30 big-league teams in ERA.
But above all else, Texas dismissed manager Buck Schowalter after last season. The reasoning behind GM Jon Daniels' decision was that Schowalter was too rough edged, that he didn’t relate to players well enough. Instead, Texas brought in Ron Washington, former coach of the Oakland A’s. Huge mistake. Under Schowalter, the Rangers were a gutty team, not the most talented of units but one that could not be discounted. They would scrap and claw for much of their production and were a constant thorn in the side of the opposition. Early in the year, Washington looks overmatched and the team is underachieving. In major league baseball, it is extremely difficult to make the jump from decent team to contender. As a result, front offices ditch and run quickly to try and shake things up. Did Texas think it would really be better with Washington over Schowalter? If so, it was foolish. The No. 1 key in pro sports is who’s running your team from the top. In this case, it’s Daniels and Texas is clearly running on empty. Here’s to another long summer in Arlington
TF
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Ward under the gun
It does appear as if next year will be a crucial one for Rocky Ward and the NMSU baseball team. McKinley Boston wants the program to produce now and is expecting better results. If not, Ward is gone and will be feeling the heat in his final season under his current deal in 2K8.
Say what you want about Ward but injuries are crucial in all of sports. The Aggies’ pitching staff was decimated this past year. Some will say that a good coach can overcome those problems and find production out of the pieces he has in place. But in baseball, if you can’t pitch, you can’t win and the Aggies did neither last season.
If I was a betting man, I would say that Ward is gone when his deal is up. He’ll need some arms. You can’t climb the standings with an ERA in the mid 7’s. And you can’t keep your job if you continue to lose. Big year for Aggie baseball in 2K8.
TF
Say what you want about Ward but injuries are crucial in all of sports. The Aggies’ pitching staff was decimated this past year. Some will say that a good coach can overcome those problems and find production out of the pieces he has in place. But in baseball, if you can’t pitch, you can’t win and the Aggies did neither last season.
If I was a betting man, I would say that Ward is gone when his deal is up. He’ll need some arms. You can’t climb the standings with an ERA in the mid 7’s. And you can’t keep your job if you continue to lose. Big year for Aggie baseball in 2K8.
TF
Thursday, May 24, 2007
My first post
Sorry it took so long but I'm here and ready to roll. I would like to discuss Theus, more specifically, the disgraceful hire of Sam Vincent by the Bobcats. Why would they hire this man? I don't know if Theus is the right fit for the job but it's safe to argue that he's more qualified than Vincent. Many of the candidates were. This is another miserable move by Jordan, who has Bernie Bickerstaff all wrapped up. Charlotte has improved every year since its been in the league. Vincent will have a tall order ahead of him to continue the climb.
As for Theus, is he NBA quality? Hard to say, but I believe he could relate to players on the pro level, no problem. X's and O's could be another issue as that's the bread and butter of pro hoops. Is he really a strategic genius? As for motivation and getting guys to play hard, I think he will be a good fit. And frankly, we'll probably find out sooner rather than later. He has goals and it looks like whatever Reggie has put his head too, he's gotten it done.
As for Theus, is he NBA quality? Hard to say, but I believe he could relate to players on the pro level, no problem. X's and O's could be another issue as that's the bread and butter of pro hoops. Is he really a strategic genius? As for motivation and getting guys to play hard, I think he will be a good fit. And frankly, we'll probably find out sooner rather than later. He has goals and it looks like whatever Reggie has put his head too, he's gotten it done.
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