Tampa Bay To Hire Rutgers Coach Greg Schiano As Head Coach
After bringing the Rutgers University program up from practically nothing, Greg Schiano will now try to do the same for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Schiano and the Bucs are now finalizing a contract that would make him the team’s new head coach, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Schiano, 45, has been the head coach for the Big East’s Scarlet Knights since 2001 and has compiled a 68-67 record over that span. However, Schiano is highly regarded as a good fit for the pro game and has drawn praise from people like Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Just as he faced challenges with Rutges, he’ll face just as many challenges with Tampa Bay.
The move came just a few days after Oregon coach Chip Kelly reportedly turned down the job.
The Bucs lost their final 10 games of the 2011 season to finish at 4-12 and allowed at least 31 points in their last five contests. The team does have a decent young QB in Josh Freeman, but not much else on the offensive end and an aging defense that finished 30th in the NFL in yards allowed.
2011 SprungOnSports Man Of The Year- Novak Djokovic
Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees had sensational calendar years dominating NFL defenses and Justin Verlander had an amazing year leading the Detroit Tigers to the playoffs and winning both the MVP and Cy Young awards. There were many athletes who had incredible 2011′s, but no one had a year quite as dominant as the man they call The Djoker.
The year in tennis began with Rafael Nadal as the unquestioned top player in the sport and ended with one of the most dominant years in the history of the sport. 2011 started with many doubting Novak Djokovic’s ability to pull through and consistently win tournaments and grand slam events. Then Djokovic took the sport by storm.
It began in Melbourne with Djokovic’s second career Australian Open championship, beating Roger Federer and Andy Murray in straight sets to win it. What he did in the subsequent 10 months was nothing short of historically astounding.
Djokovic took on a gluten free diet, became more precise with his ground strokes, worked on his conditioning and went an unbelievable 70-6 in 2011 and a total of three major titles. The 24-year-old Serbian superstar went 6-0 against Nadal, all in tournament finals, and 4-1 against Federer. He won 10 singles titles, he had won 11 in the last three years combined, and earned nearly $13 million in prize money.
Djokovic didn’t lose his first match until June 5. Think about that for a few seconds and then get back to this article…I’ll wait. He took singles titles in Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, his native Belgrade, Madrid and Rome. He defeated Nadal in the final to take three of those tournaments and was practically unbeatable for a four month stretch. His streak ended when he met the only major tournament he didn’t win. He fell to Federer in the semifinals of the French Open, ending a 43-match winning streak.
Despite the impressive run, his ability to consistently win major tournaments remained in question. That changed a month later at Wimbledon. Electing to skip the grass court warm-up tournaments for the Championships at the All England Club, Djokovic looked rested and focused, dropping just four sets in the entire tournament. He ousted the talented Frenchman Jo-Wilifried Tsonga in the semifinals before meeting Nadal in yet another final.
Even though Djokovic never won a major tournament outside of Melbourne, Djokovic had a psychological advantage by winning all those previous tournament matches, two of them coming on Nadal’s favored clay surface. Djokovic won the match fairly handily in four sets to win his second major title of the year and took a ton of momentum into the American summer hardcourt season.
Wins in Montreal and Cincinnati in a limited schedule, in order for The Djoker to rest, took him to Flushing Meadows for the U.S. Open. Novak breezed through to the semifinals, where he played the match of the year against Federer under the Saturday night lights in Queens.
Federer took the first two sets from Djokovic and that almost always clinched the match for the all-time great Swiss technician. Federer was 181-1 when winning the first two sets in a Grand Slam match. However, this was Djokovic’s year and Djokovic’s match. Down 5-3 and two match points in the fifth set, Djokovic hit a series of incredible shots to win four straight games and the match. He then slayed Nadal again in the final to win his third major of the year and cap one of the dominant years in the history of the sport.
No player in any sport had a more dominant and successful year, and SprungOnSports congratulates Novak Djokovic for winning this year’s award.
Other Nominees Who Fell Short (ordered alphabetically)
Ryan Braun, OF, Milwaukee Brewers- The righty slugger won the NL MVP award, led the Brewers to the playoffs and then tested positive for a banned substance, creating widespread controversy in the sport.
Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints- Brees broke Dan Marino’s single season record for passing yards and led New Orleans to an 12-3 season in 2011.
Jimmer Fredette, PG, BYU/Sacramento Kings- JimmerMania spread throughout college basketball this year, with his dazzling individual performances captivating the country despite playing for a non-major school. He was taken in the first round of the NBA Draft in June by the Kings.
Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor- His accuracy, arm strength, speed and running ability allowed RGIII to become the first player in school history to win the Heisman Trophy. He is slated to become a first round pick in next April’s NFL Draft.
Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford- He led the Cardinal to a Pac 12 title and is generally regarded as the best NFL QB prospect since Peyton Manning. He was so great as a QB in college that he inspired a widespread “Suck For Luck” campaign among fans of losing NFL teams. The Indianapolis Colts, the team that drafted and still has Manning at QB, is currently the frontrunners to get the first pick in next April’s draft.
Dirk Nowitzki, PF, Dallas Mavericks- Nowitzki finally won his elusive NBA title in a six-game thriller over the Miami Heat and was named Finals MVP.
Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals/Los Angeles Angels- Not only did Pujols have another sensational season for the Redbirds and help lead his team to a World Series title, he also shocked the sporting world by leaving St. Louis for a $254 million contract with the Angels. He scored high grades in the on field and off-the-field/controversial categories.
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers- The master of the discount double-check won the Super Bowl MVP award and led his Packers team to a 14-1 record in 2011.
Derrick Rose, PG, Chicago Bulls- The 2011 NBA MVP, Rose improved on his three-point shot and his passing ability to lead Chicago to the Eastern Conference Finals.
David Stern, Commissioner, NBA- Stern not only partially brought the league this year’s NBA lockout, but also rejected the league’s trade of Chris Paul to the Lakers. No commish had a more influential or controversial year.
Tim Tebow, QB, Denver Broncos- He got America and the world to think about faith’s role in sports after a string of wins for his Broncos and inspired his name becoming a verb with his kneeling prayer on the football field.
Tim Thomas, G, Boston Bruins- His incredible goaltending helped Boston win its first Stanley Cup in 39 years while winning the Conn Smythe (playoff MVP) and Vezina (best goalie) trophies.
Justin Verlander, SP, Detroit Tigers- He won 24 games, threw a no-hitter, led Detroit to the ALCS and won the Cy Young and MVP in the American League. Not too shabby.
Kemba Walker, PG, UConn/Charlotte Bobcats- Walker led the Huskies to an improbable national title with a dazzling display of skill and ability. He was taken by the Bobcats in the June draft to try to rebuild the franchise.
Jim Tressel Resigns As Ohio State Coach
Jim Tressel’s stunning resignation after 10 seasons as Ohio State University’s head football coach, the right thing to do, scores a major victory for NCAA compliance and oversight. The violations and illegal activities that occurred, with his knowledge, under his watch, along with Tressel’s failed cover-up of the entire ordeal, probably what led to his downfall, had to be dealt with swiftly and aggressively by the NCAA for its oversight and disciplinary body to have any sort of credibility.
Tressel will now be best known for what happened at the end of his wonderful on-the-field tenure in Columbus rather than the national championship he won.
2011 BCS Bowl Preview & Picks
NEW YORK– By Joseph Heller
Fiesta Bowl: UCONN (+17) vs. Oklahoma
The Fiesta Bowl is shaping up to be the most lopsided of the lot. Personally I think Oklahoma is overrated and 17 is a LOT of points (just ask anyone who had Nebraska -14 Thursday night). Take my advice and take the points.
Rose Bowl: TCU (-3) vs. Wisconsin
Outside of the national championship game, this should be the most exciting bowl game. TCU is undefeated and comes into this game trying to prove that they can play with the big boys. On paper, TCU has the better defense and the better passing attack. Wisconsin has the better running game and has played a much stronger schedule then the Horned Frogs. I really want to take TCU especially because Wisconsin has been mediocre at best against the pass (ranked in the mid 40’s in the nation), but when you look at TCU’s schedule they really have not played any worthy opponents this season and that scares me from a betting perspective. The pick here is the Badgers.
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech (+3.5) vs. Stanford
This is another tough line. The ACC has been great in the bowls so far this season and I expect that to continue with this one. Neither team can stop the run and the game should be pretty high scoring. Ultimately though I trust Frank Beamer to have his boys ready to go, so Va Tech is the pick. Should be another exciting one.
Sugar Bowl: Ohio State (-3.5) vs. Arkansas
Ryan Mallet brings the spectacular Razorbacks passing offense up against one of the best passing defenses in the country. Ohio State has been dealing with a lot of off field controversy but I don’t expect that to factor into this game. With these teams both very evenly matched, for me this comes down to the SEC against the Big 10 and I take the SEC.
National Championship Game: Auburn (-3) vs. Oregon
This game should be high scoring; the over/under currently sits at an absurd 74. I have this game as a stay away. Both teams are undefeated, Auburn played the tougher schedule coming out of the SEC but Oregon played its fair share of tough games as well. My strategy for this would be to toss a coin in the air, but at gunpoint I lean towards the Ducks. Their offense just wears teams down as evidenced by the fact that they lead the nation in fourth quarter scoring. Warning to anyone gambling on the Ducks though, betting against Cam Newton is worse then gambling against Mike Vick, it’s a terrifying experience.
College Bowls Update- 12/30/10
NEW YORK– By Joseph Heller
Now that Christmas is over and the march to the New Year has begun, the college football bowl season takes a turn from the cute and laughable to the more serious bowl games. For anyone out there who may not have been following college ball this season I highly recommend throwing yourself into the rest of the bowl series; if the regular season is any barometer it should be a doozy. Luckily I’m here to guide you through the games you should be watching and some that you should be staying away from.
First things first though got to hand out awards from the first round of bowl action.
The Heidi Game award for best game that nobody saw-
This one goes to the Little Caesar bowl, and if you need to know why I highly recommend this article by one of America’s budding sportswriters.
The Leslie Nielsen award for person I’ll miss the most next season-
Kellen Moore. Moore had a great career at Boise State helping bring the small school two BCS bowl victories, and morphing Boise into a major college program. Unfortunately a loss to Nevada in their final regular season game sent Boise to the MAACO bowl where they soundly defeated Utah 26-3. While were here, Kellen Moore looks like Jay Cutler, and I have photos to prove it. Here and here.
The LeBron James award for team that played with the biggest chip on their shoulders- University of Maryland.
After beating NC State in the last game of the regular season, the Terps thought they were in a solid bowl position. Instead they watched that very same NC State team get the better Champs Sports Bowl invitation and were left with the meager Military Bowl in RFK stadium against East Carolina. Maryland promptly crushed East Carolina 51-20, led by senior running back Da’rel Scott who had over 200 yards on the ground. (Special shout out to head coach Ralph Friedgen who ended his 11-year career as Maryland coach. In the two years that I’ve been on campus you ran a bland offense and an oftentimes-porous defense, but it was always enjoyable watching you run up the score for more free toppings at Papa Johns.)
The Lebron James award for team that quit in the middle of the game-
West Virginia. West Virginia was favored by three points and was my lock for the first round of games. And yes I’m still very bitter that Maryland didn’t get this bowl game (have I mentioned that Maryland beat this team last week of the season yet?). And yes that bitterness led to me placing a sizeable wager on the Mountaineers. Of course I hadn’t counted on the Mountaineers failing to show up Tuesday night and turning the ball over five times in the second half.
The Mark Buehrle award for best defensive play-
Micah Hyde, Iowa. Trailing by four points in the fourth quarter, Hyde intercepted a Blaine Gabbert (Misouri) pass along the sidelines, then took the road less traveled to pay dirt cutting across the entire field before heading to the endzone. The touchdown was the eventual game winning score in the hard fought Insight Bowl. Iowa defeating Mizzou by a score of 27-24.
Now that the hardware has been distributed we can look ahead to a delectable smorgasbord of college football action.
Games To Steer Clear of:
Sun Bowl- Miami vs. Notre Dame, Dec. 31:
Regardless of what the mainstream media may be saying there is no reason to watch this game. Miami has been nothing short of putrid this season while Notre Dame is basically the Brittany Spears of college football at this point.
Outback Bowl- Penn State vs. Florida, Jan 1:
Brett Favre takes a lot of crap for his retirement dance every off-season and as much as I hate the Favre retirement watch I feel were missing out on bashing an even more overplayed retirement story. It seems like every season that I can remember a rumor pops up that Joe Paterno is retiring yet he always ends up coming back for another season. The man is 84 years old. Who gives a shit at this point? And honestly, it’s not as if he’s really coaching these days anyway, they don’t even bother giving him a headset anymore. (Side note- why is he still getting credit in the history books for Penn State wins? HE IS NOT COACHING THAT TEAM.) How about this, if JoePa can name 50 percent of the Penn State roster then he can coach the team next year. If not he can move on to a condo in the state of Florida and a satellite dish so he can fall asleep during Penn State games in peace.
Gator Bowl: Michigan vs. Mississippi State, Jan 1:
Michigan is another over rated big media market team and Mississippi State is a five-point favorite. The only reason to watch this one is if you happen to be wagering on it.
Games that have sneaky potential
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Clemson vs. South Florida, Dec 31:
If you’re a fan of the NFL you are going to want to learn the name Da’Quan Bowers pretty quickly. Bowers is slotted by many to be the top pick in the draft and currently sits comfortably at number two on Mel Kipers big board.
Capital One Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan State, Jan. 1:
Alabama has underachieved a little in the hangover following their national championship from a year ago, yet they still pack a powerful punch with a ton of Sunday players on their roster. Michigan State has had a surprising 11-1 season and finished in a three-way tie atop the Big Ten conference. This is a big game for the Big Ten to see if they can hang with one of the big guns of the SEC. The only thing that may derail this game is the fact that both teams had bigger bowls on their minds, and it would be a shame if the lack of motivation derailed such a promising game.
