Baer Sports Talk
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
My 2012 Heisman Trophy Front Runners
As the College Football season comes to an end after this weekend I wanted to take the time to tell you all about my top 10 Candidates for the Heisman Trophy and why each are deserving of the award. Some of the candidates that I am listing are not even being mentioned on the National Sports media coverage but this again is who I think should be the Heisman Trophy Frontrunners. Along with listing the frontrunners I will also post each of the players highlights from youtube.com so you can see why I have chosen these candidates.
From 10 to 1:
10.) Jordan Lynch QB. Northern Illinois- He is one of the best quarterbacks in the Nation when it come to both running and throwing the football. He has thrown 23 TD's compared to 4 INT's. Granted he does play for a small school, but who says that small school guys do not deserve to win the Heisman trophy.
9.) Derek Carr QB. Fresno State- Derek has led the Fresno State Bulldogs to a share of the Mountain West Conference Title and has done it playing nearly flawlessly all year long. His numbers are 36 TD's to only 5 INT's. He is also most likely going to win the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and he still has another year of eligibility left.
8.) Ka'Deem Carey RB. Arizona- One of the best running backs that not many people know a whole lot about. He has already rushed for over 1,700 yards and has scored 20 touchdowns. At any level of football those are extremely impressive numbers.
7.) Jarvis Jones LB. Georgia- Jarvis has been one of the best, if not the best linebacker in the country. Some people would argue the Manti Te'o was a little better but Jarvis was still extremely productive this year. He has the ability to do it all, rush the passer, drop into coverage, and play the run. He is one of the reasons why Georgia has been as good as they are this year.
6.) Aaron Murray QB. Georgia- Aaron is another guy that no one is talking about as having a shot at winning the Heisman Trophy. Yet, he has still come out this year and has put up some pretty gaudy numbers: 30 touchdowns to 7 picks and has thrown for over 3,000 yards. If he wants to be considered at least as a candidate he is going to have to find a way to beat Alabama this weekend for the SEC Championship!
5.) Marqise Lee WR. Southern California- Lee is probably the best wide receiver in College football. This year he has put up insane numbers that make some of the USC receivers that have come before him look like 2nd tier players. Here are his numbers 112 receptions for 1,680 yards and 14 touchdowns. If he is not invited to New York I would consider it a tragedy. Another thing to consider is that Lee is only a sophomore so if he does not win the award this year he has a chance to win it during the last two years of his eligibility.
4.) Braxton Miller QB. Ohio State- Braxton is another quarterback that can do everything and do it well. He can run, pass, jump, and probably could be a good corner back if asked. This year he is averaging 18 carries per game and he is not even a running back. Those are solid numbers for a running back but are great for a quarterback. He is also just a sophomore so in the years to come his name will continue to be in the conversation for the Heisman Trophy.
3.) Collin Klein QB Kansas State- Collin was a clear frontrunner a couple of weeks ago but he has slipped up a little bit. He should still get an invitation to attend the Heisman ceremony but he will need some help in order to walk away with the trophy. It also does not help him that he plays for somewhat of a small school that has broken out this year. With that being said he has but up some great numbers this season and is no slouch as a Heisman Finalist.
2.) Manti Te'o LB. Notre Dame- Manti has been the heart and soul of the Notre Dame defense ever since he walked onto campus 4 years ago. He is the biggest reason why Notre Dame is going to be playing in the National Championship game. He is an inspirational leader and should leave Notre Dame as one of the best linebackers to ever play for them. I am sure for him he would rather win a National Championship but he also has a real good shot at the Heisman Trophy as well.
1.) Johnny Manziel QB. Texas A&M- Johnny has come out of no where to be considered the top player to walk away with the Heisman trophy. The most crazy thing about Johnny is that he is playing SEC defenses week in and week out and destroying them as a FRESHMAN. It is unheard of to flat out embarrass SEC defenses, but then to do it as a freshman is ridiculous. In my opinion the announcement should go like this:
And the winner of the 2012 Heisman Trophy is Johnny Manziel QB Texas A&M.
Let me know what you guys think of my list and feel free to let me know what your top list of Heisman candidates are.
From 10 to 1:
10.) Jordan Lynch QB. Northern Illinois- He is one of the best quarterbacks in the Nation when it come to both running and throwing the football. He has thrown 23 TD's compared to 4 INT's. Granted he does play for a small school, but who says that small school guys do not deserve to win the Heisman trophy.
9.) Derek Carr QB. Fresno State- Derek has led the Fresno State Bulldogs to a share of the Mountain West Conference Title and has done it playing nearly flawlessly all year long. His numbers are 36 TD's to only 5 INT's. He is also most likely going to win the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and he still has another year of eligibility left.
8.) Ka'Deem Carey RB. Arizona- One of the best running backs that not many people know a whole lot about. He has already rushed for over 1,700 yards and has scored 20 touchdowns. At any level of football those are extremely impressive numbers.
7.) Jarvis Jones LB. Georgia- Jarvis has been one of the best, if not the best linebacker in the country. Some people would argue the Manti Te'o was a little better but Jarvis was still extremely productive this year. He has the ability to do it all, rush the passer, drop into coverage, and play the run. He is one of the reasons why Georgia has been as good as they are this year.
6.) Aaron Murray QB. Georgia- Aaron is another guy that no one is talking about as having a shot at winning the Heisman Trophy. Yet, he has still come out this year and has put up some pretty gaudy numbers: 30 touchdowns to 7 picks and has thrown for over 3,000 yards. If he wants to be considered at least as a candidate he is going to have to find a way to beat Alabama this weekend for the SEC Championship!
5.) Marqise Lee WR. Southern California- Lee is probably the best wide receiver in College football. This year he has put up insane numbers that make some of the USC receivers that have come before him look like 2nd tier players. Here are his numbers 112 receptions for 1,680 yards and 14 touchdowns. If he is not invited to New York I would consider it a tragedy. Another thing to consider is that Lee is only a sophomore so if he does not win the award this year he has a chance to win it during the last two years of his eligibility.
4.) Braxton Miller QB. Ohio State- Braxton is another quarterback that can do everything and do it well. He can run, pass, jump, and probably could be a good corner back if asked. This year he is averaging 18 carries per game and he is not even a running back. Those are solid numbers for a running back but are great for a quarterback. He is also just a sophomore so in the years to come his name will continue to be in the conversation for the Heisman Trophy.
3.) Collin Klein QB Kansas State- Collin was a clear frontrunner a couple of weeks ago but he has slipped up a little bit. He should still get an invitation to attend the Heisman ceremony but he will need some help in order to walk away with the trophy. It also does not help him that he plays for somewhat of a small school that has broken out this year. With that being said he has but up some great numbers this season and is no slouch as a Heisman Finalist.
2.) Manti Te'o LB. Notre Dame- Manti has been the heart and soul of the Notre Dame defense ever since he walked onto campus 4 years ago. He is the biggest reason why Notre Dame is going to be playing in the National Championship game. He is an inspirational leader and should leave Notre Dame as one of the best linebackers to ever play for them. I am sure for him he would rather win a National Championship but he also has a real good shot at the Heisman Trophy as well.
1.) Johnny Manziel QB. Texas A&M- Johnny has come out of no where to be considered the top player to walk away with the Heisman trophy. The most crazy thing about Johnny is that he is playing SEC defenses week in and week out and destroying them as a FRESHMAN. It is unheard of to flat out embarrass SEC defenses, but then to do it as a freshman is ridiculous. In my opinion the announcement should go like this:
And the winner of the 2012 Heisman Trophy is Johnny Manziel QB Texas A&M.
Let me know what you guys think of my list and feel free to let me know what your top list of Heisman candidates are.
2013 Orlando Magic Season Preview
The Orlando Magic are going to have a very tough hill to climb this year if they want to be a playoff team. Anything can happen in the NBA and especially the Eastern Conference, so I am not going to rule them out. Here is the Starting 5 that they will have opening up the season:
PG. Jameer Nelson
SG. Aaron Afflalo
SF. Hedo Turkoglu
PF. Glenn Davis
C. Gustavo Ayon
Sports Illustrated has the Magic projected to finish dead last in the Eastern Conference. Going into the season I would say that this is a safe place to have the Magic. With that being said they are a very young team and young teams sometimes have the ability to shock us and do things that we did not think were possible. I believe that this is a Magic team that could really surprise some people if they play Magic style of basketball and not let other teams dictate the way that they play.
Sports Illustrated has the Magic projected to finish dead last in the Eastern Conference. Going into the season I would say that this is a safe place to have the Magic. With that being said they are a very young team and young teams sometimes have the ability to shock us and do things that we did not think were possible. I believe that this is a Magic team that could really surprise some people if they play Magic style of basketball and not let other teams dictate the way that they play.
2013 Oklahoma City Thunder Season Preview
The Oklahoma City Thunder were only four games from winning the title last year with still a every inexperience basketball team. This year however could be entirely different since they have the talent to possibly win it all this year. Here is a look at the way they will take the court for opening night:
PG. Russell Westbrook
SG. Thabo Sefolosha
SF. Kevin Durant
PF. Serge Ibaka
C. Kendrick Perkins
Sports Illustrated has the Thunder projected to finish 1st in the Western Conference. When you have one of the most prolific scorers in all the NBA, you are going to have a great shot in the playoffs every year. The fact that the Thunder also have great young pieces around Kevin Durant (Serge Ibaka, Russell Westbrook, and Eric Maynor) it make the future look even more bright. The key for the Thunder this year if they want to win it all is he continue to get looks of contributions from the bench. This was one of the reasons why they were not able to beat the Heat in the finals. Overall, the Thunder look like the team to beat in the Western Conference.
Sports Illustrated has the Thunder projected to finish 1st in the Western Conference. When you have one of the most prolific scorers in all the NBA, you are going to have a great shot in the playoffs every year. The fact that the Thunder also have great young pieces around Kevin Durant (Serge Ibaka, Russell Westbrook, and Eric Maynor) it make the future look even more bright. The key for the Thunder this year if they want to win it all is he continue to get looks of contributions from the bench. This was one of the reasons why they were not able to beat the Heat in the finals. Overall, the Thunder look like the team to beat in the Western Conference.
Monday, November 26, 2012
2013 New York Knicks Season Preview
The New York Knickerbockers (Knicks) are going to do some really big time damage this year. I believe that this Knicks team has a chance to unseat the Miami Heat as the top team in the Easter Conference. Here is a look at New York's starting 5:
PG. Raymond Felton
SG. Jr. Smith
SF. Carmelo Anthony
PF. Amare Stoudemire
C. Tyson Chandler
Sports Illustrated projects that the Knicks will finish 3rd in the Eastern Conference this year. As I said before I strongly believe that this team has the chance to be better than the Heat, and at the end of the year could be holding up the NBA Championship trophy. They have all the talent in the world to be the top team the key is to get Amare Stoudemire healthy and keep everyone else healthy. The other thing that they have going for them is the depth that they have in both the front court and the back court. (Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby, and Ronnie Brewer.)
Sports Illustrated projects that the Knicks will finish 3rd in the Eastern Conference this year. As I said before I strongly believe that this team has the chance to be better than the Heat, and at the end of the year could be holding up the NBA Championship trophy. They have all the talent in the world to be the top team the key is to get Amare Stoudemire healthy and keep everyone else healthy. The other thing that they have going for them is the depth that they have in both the front court and the back court. (Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby, and Ronnie Brewer.)
2013 New Orleans Hornets Season Preview
When the season tips off for the 2013 New Orleans Hornets they will be the youngest team in the NBA. That of course could be good or bad news for the Hornets. We will just have to see how they handle themselves. Two key players that they drafted are Austin Rivers and Anthony Davis. The hype for both of these players is very high. Here is the way that the Hornets will tip off the season:
PG. Austin Rivers
SG. Eric Gordon
SF. Al-Farouq Aminu
PF. Anthony Davis
C. Robin Lopez
The Hornets are probably another year or two way from being big time threats in the Western Conference. That is why Sports Illustrated has the Hornets finishing 12 in the Western Conference. With that being said the Hornets will be a really good team in a couple of years with the youth that they have right now. If the Hornets want to make any kind of push for the playoffs, the young guns that they have will have to be able to stay healthy and on the court at the same time. If they are unable to stay healthy together they will struggle a lot because they have very little depth on the bench.
The Hornets are probably another year or two way from being big time threats in the Western Conference. That is why Sports Illustrated has the Hornets finishing 12 in the Western Conference. With that being said the Hornets will be a really good team in a couple of years with the youth that they have right now. If the Hornets want to make any kind of push for the playoffs, the young guns that they have will have to be able to stay healthy and on the court at the same time. If they are unable to stay healthy together they will struggle a lot because they have very little depth on the bench.
2013 Minnesota Timberwolves Season Preview
The Minnesota Timberwolves look like one of the most exciting teams in the NBA this year. Mainly because of one of the best big men in the NBA in Kevin Love, but also for the return of Brandon Roy back to the NBA after chronic knee injuries in Portland. Here is how the T-wolves opening night lineup looks like:
PG. Ricky Rubio
SG. Brandon Roy
SF. Andrei Kirilenko
PF. Kevin Love
C. Nikola Pekovic
Sports Illustrated has the T-wolves finishing 9th in the Western Conference. I would have to agree with that projection based on the fact that the T-wolves need to get healthy to be a force in the league. It is exciting to see Brandon Roy back in the league and I think that he will provide to T-wolves with a very good veteran presence to a young lineup. The biggest key for this team will be how Pekovic plays along side Kevin Love. If Pekovic even provides a little bit of offense it will take the offensive pressure off of Kevin Love.
Sports Illustrated has the T-wolves finishing 9th in the Western Conference. I would have to agree with that projection based on the fact that the T-wolves need to get healthy to be a force in the league. It is exciting to see Brandon Roy back in the league and I think that he will provide to T-wolves with a very good veteran presence to a young lineup. The biggest key for this team will be how Pekovic plays along side Kevin Love. If Pekovic even provides a little bit of offense it will take the offensive pressure off of Kevin Love.
2013 Milwaukee Bucks
The 2013 Milwaukee Bucks could be a very dangerous team and could sneak up on some people that do not know how talented and young this team is. Here is a look at the Bucks lineup for this year:
PG. Brandon Jennings
SG. Monte Ellis
SF. Ersan Illyasova
PF. Drew Gooden
C. Samuel Dalembert
Sports Illustrated has the Bucks just missing the playoffs by finishing 9th in Eastern Conference. I would agree with that to an extent, I think that with how wide open the Eastern Conference is I could see the Bucks being 7th or 8th in the East. With the firepower that they have in the front court, along with a lot of size in the back court they should be able to beat a lot of undersized teams in the East. The biggest downfall that I could possibly see with this team would be too many guys that just want to score, with Brandon Jennings and Monte Ellis both wanting to score the basketball first. However it the Bucks are able to play together they will be a huge force to be reckoned with in the East.
Sports Illustrated has the Bucks just missing the playoffs by finishing 9th in Eastern Conference. I would agree with that to an extent, I think that with how wide open the Eastern Conference is I could see the Bucks being 7th or 8th in the East. With the firepower that they have in the front court, along with a lot of size in the back court they should be able to beat a lot of undersized teams in the East. The biggest downfall that I could possibly see with this team would be too many guys that just want to score, with Brandon Jennings and Monte Ellis both wanting to score the basketball first. However it the Bucks are able to play together they will be a huge force to be reckoned with in the East.
2013 Miami Heat Season Preview
I present to you the 2011-2012 NBA Champion Miami Heat. The Heat had a fantastic run last year and they should be just as good of a team this year now with the additions of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to come off the bench. Here is the starting 5 for the Miami Heat:
PG. Mario Chalmers
SG. Dwayne Wade
SF. Lebron James
PF. Shane Battier
C. Chris Bosh
Sports Illustrated has the Miami Heat finishing as the top seed in the Eastern Conference. I strongly agree with this projection, the Heat are in a class by themselves in the Eastern Conference with the shear firepower that they have. The other thing that I am so impressed with when it come to this team is the way that they played together in the playoffs. With all of the Super stars that they have, it can be very easy to let Ego's get in the way of playing together as a team with one common goal. I see this team going very far in the playoffs again this year and possibly winning it all. This is the closest team in the NBA, to a team that could start a dynasty.
Sports Illustrated has the Miami Heat finishing as the top seed in the Eastern Conference. I strongly agree with this projection, the Heat are in a class by themselves in the Eastern Conference with the shear firepower that they have. The other thing that I am so impressed with when it come to this team is the way that they played together in the playoffs. With all of the Super stars that they have, it can be very easy to let Ego's get in the way of playing together as a team with one common goal. I see this team going very far in the playoffs again this year and possibly winning it all. This is the closest team in the NBA, to a team that could start a dynasty.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
2013 Memphis Grizzlies Season Preview
Memphis Grizzlies, the team of the playoffs last year. The Grizzlies will make another very impressive run again this year because of the development of all of the young players. (Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, and Mike Conley) The Starting Lineup:
PG. Mike Conley
SG. Tony Allen
SF. Rudy Gay
PF. Zach Randolph
C. Marc Gasol
Sports Illustrated has the Grizzlies projected as the 6th seed in the Western Conference. I say that I have to agree with where they have the Grizzlies projected. They are going to be very good again this year but still because of the youth they will struggle putting away good teams in the playoffs. I would say that they will beat one team in the playoffs but other then that they will have to wait one of two more years for them to be on top of the Western Conference.
Sports Illustrated has the Grizzlies projected as the 6th seed in the Western Conference. I say that I have to agree with where they have the Grizzlies projected. They are going to be very good again this year but still because of the youth they will struggle putting away good teams in the playoffs. I would say that they will beat one team in the playoffs but other then that they will have to wait one of two more years for them to be on top of the Western Conference.
2013 Los Angeles Lakers Season Preview
The Lakers were another team that went out and improved by signing Steve Nash and acquiring the services of Dwight Howard. This should be a really interesting year for the Lakers because they have a lot of new players playing that did not play with them last year. Here is the Starting Lineup:
PG. Steve Nash
SG. Kobe Bryant
SF. Metta World Peace
PF. Pau Gasol
C. Dwight Howard
Sports Illustrated has the Lakers finishing 2nd in the Western Conference. I would say that that is a little high for a team that has to find out how to play well with each other rather then against each other. If they are able to play together they will be a very tough team to beat with 3 All-stars in the Starting lineup. The other key for the Lakers is going to be staying healthy with all of the veteran players that they have. (Including Kobe Bryant.) I would project that they finish 4th or 5th in the West due to inexperience playing together and the health of the veteran players. With this being said they should still be able to make a good run in the playoffs.
Sports Illustrated has the Lakers finishing 2nd in the Western Conference. I would say that that is a little high for a team that has to find out how to play well with each other rather then against each other. If they are able to play together they will be a very tough team to beat with 3 All-stars in the Starting lineup. The other key for the Lakers is going to be staying healthy with all of the veteran players that they have. (Including Kobe Bryant.) I would project that they finish 4th or 5th in the West due to inexperience playing together and the health of the veteran players. With this being said they should still be able to make a good run in the playoffs.
2013 Los Angeles Clippers Team Preview
The Los Angeles Clippers I believe are the most exciting team to watch in the NBA. Who does not like Lob City? With Chris Paul running the show again they year, this could be a team that could make a really strong push for an NBA Championship this season. The problem with this team is with how many points that they score per game how much defense are they going to play. They have the talent to play defense it now is about digging in and doing it. Here is the starting 5:
PG. Chris Paul
SG. Jamal Crawford
SF. Caron Butler
PF. Blake Griffin
C. Deandre Jordan
Sports Illustrated has the Clippers projected to finish 5th in the Western Conference. Personally, I would put them just a bit higher. The believe that they are a much better all around team then the Lakers. The Clippers have so much more depth along with so many players that can do many different things (Pass, shoot, and defend.) I would say that the Clippers will end up as the 3rd or 4th seed in the West and have a great shot at going very far in the playoffs. Look out for the Los Angeles Clippers they are taking the league by surprise.
Sports Illustrated has the Clippers projected to finish 5th in the Western Conference. Personally, I would put them just a bit higher. The believe that they are a much better all around team then the Lakers. The Clippers have so much more depth along with so many players that can do many different things (Pass, shoot, and defend.) I would say that the Clippers will end up as the 3rd or 4th seed in the West and have a great shot at going very far in the playoffs. Look out for the Los Angeles Clippers they are taking the league by surprise.
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