The exploits of Tim Tebow is the rage right now, and personally I am happy to see Tebow succeed when the naysayers pontificated with certainty he would fail. He is being scrutinized at every turn, yet in the infamous words of Al Davis, the kid just wins baby! He possesses those intangibles that cannot be taught, he competes and everything about him from his faith, passion and work ethic line up with why he’s a winner.

That being said, let’s look at why he’s been enigmatic for the first 58 minutes of games and flawless over the last 2 minutes. Teams realize that the Broncos are a run first team and really only want to pass when they have to. In order for them to be successful down the stretch and into the playoffs, they will have to develop a better passing attack in a hurry. Teams have blitzed the Broncos and Tebow early in games to create 2nd & long and 3rd & long situations. They’ve also blitzed early to force Tebow to make quick decisions and hopefully mistakes (Int’s), to his credit he has protected the football very well. In crunch time defensive coordinators have lost their nerve, afraid of him getting out of the pocket in single high safety and 0 coverage situations that may allow him to make big plays scrambling.

Tebow’s passing inefficiencies stem from his days at Florida University. He has always played in run first offenses, and play-action passing has afforded him time in the pocket to be very selective in his throws down field, he can throw the football, even if his throwing motion is unconventional by NFL standards. The NFL is a timing passing league because of the speed of defenses, and this is the area in which he is flawed, getting the ball out on time, yet he is quietly getting better at it. With a full off-season of OTA’s, film and coverage study and time to work on timing with his receivers, he will only get better. NFL defenses will only find him even more difficult to stop when this occurs.

The way to beat Tim Tebow in the closing minutes of games is to continue to bring pressure at him, his quick decision making process  is his Achilles heal right now. You have be contain him, because he does understand that man to man coverage offers opportunities to make big plays with his legs, as do most scrambling QB’s. Yet this is the thing that makes coordinators so cautious, an emphasis on containment and pressure up the middle be it with a 4 man pressure or 5 or 6 man pressure will invariably cause his eyes to focus on the rush rather than the receivers down field.

He makes good decisions with the football and the window will close on the opportunity to take advantage of his weakness as he improves. Coordinators had better take advantage of his flaws while they can, because he will only get better. He may never be your prototypical QB, but there have been other unconventional QB’s to succeed in the NFL and in the end W’s are all that matter in the NFL.

Seth Joyner

The NFL suspended James Harrison for one game for his hit on Browns QB Colt McCoy in last weeks game. The hit has been hotly debated in various media outlets, by writers, broadcasters as well as former professional players turned analyst.  It is clear that the NFL is taking a hard stance on protecting QB’s, I ask the question, at what price to the NFL game.

Football is a violent game, riddled with injuries, broken bones and certain future debilitating health issues for players. That being said, players enter the world of professional football fully aware of what the current and future ramifications are and will be.

Where is the line between a good clean hit and vicious intent? A clear definition of helmet to helmet contact needs to be defined. Can a defensive player possibly determine where an offensive player will place or duck his head? Therefore a hit that is lead with the head, clearly meant to strike with the crown should be an offense, other helmet to helmet contact is mere incidental contact.

Obviously the offender here has a history, therefore I believe this incident was greatly magnified. Some QB’s when they leave the pocket are deemed to be runners, and at times are even battered in the pocket, yet the league doesn’t extend that same protection or penalty that’s been meted out here. This was a clean hit, occurring simultaneously with the release of the ball.

Offensive players know where they are going by pre-designed plays, defensive players must read and react to stop offenses. People who have played the game know that the great equalizer from the inception of the game for a defense is the intimidation factor. Football is a game of the psyche as well as a game of a physical will, these dynamic are being taken away from defensive players.

The end result I believe is an all out assault on the scoring and passing records of the NFL. This season is probably on pace to be the highest scoring season in NFL history. I understand that offense creates excitement, fills seats and creates fan interest, but fans love and connect with stout defenses as well, and defense is always a necessity for Lombardi Trophies. I see the future of the game being changed to the point where defensive players will be a insignificant part of the game, it’ll solely be about which team can basically outscore the other. 40 points a game or more will become the norm rather than the exception.

Let the players play, injuries have always been a part of the game, that will never change. From the beginning of camp everyone is hurting and some will suffer injures, next man up has always been the mantra. Somethings can be changed, some can’t, but in the best interest of the game, the things that have made the game great should not be removed or you lose the tradition and essence of the game.

To the NFL and the gentlemen who make the rules, even those who form these rules having never worn the uniform, need to acknowledge and realize that this is a violent game, and while I applaud their efforts to protect players, the fact is this game will always have it’s share of injuries and some cannot be avoided. You cannot train players to be aggressive and play all out, then penalized them for doing what they’ve been trained to do.

Seth Joyner

This debate was extremely interesting to say the least, to hear from current coaches, former players collegiate as well as professional, conference commissioners and broadcasters was quite insightful.

I don’t think that much was really resolved, but the first step in resolution is always conversation. As a former collegiate and professional football player I could relate to all sides of the argument.

I’m of the opinion that the coaches and colleges face many problems and issues, but at the end of the day things always boil down to the all mighty dollar. The argument with regards to education is thoroughly agreed upon, but the reason we encourage kids to go to college and get a degree is for the future betterment of themselves to be good people and beneficial to society. And yet the prize is always to make money in the end.

All of their goals and hopes point to money, that’s what is assumed a good education will provide for the person who attains it. For the lion share of collegiate athletes, turning pro and getting a handsome contract is the fulfillment of going through four years of college. We do live in a new world as it pertains to collegiate sports, and as old school as some of the panelists claim to be, the old world of college sports they knew has drastically changed forever and no longer exists.

The money has grown immensely and the marketing of star players has contributed to that growth. The players now realize their worth to universities and their revenues, and rightfully want a share, legally or illegally. Why should the universities and the BCS make millions, if not billions while the players who create the wealth, live in virtual poverty. I realize that it is a difficult problem to solve, but a scholarship-ed athlete according to NCAA rules is not allowed to work, so how are they to attain money for the basic needs of life? As long as there are alum who will offer them the money, they will take it.

I can remember being a college athlete and never having money for a thing. I took deodorant and soap from the locker room for my needs at the dorm. Yes we got room and board, paid tuition and 3 square meal per day, at 7 AM, 12 PM and 7 PM, by 9 PM I was hungry again. I was 17 yrs old with no option or money for a snack or additional meals between that 12 hour window until breakfast. And while the coaches and those who oppose paying these college kids are sitting at home in their cushy million dollar homes, with refrigerators fill to the brim, I was starving in my 10 x 10 dorm room.

Much talk has gone on about the cost of attendance, and while that would be a start, some schools would be at a greater advantage than others. $2000-$3000 per year, divided by 40 weeks, comes out to $75 per week or $10 per day. Hardly enough to make a difference or stop a kid from accepting money from a willing alum.

Clearly something needs to be done, it is an issue that will not go away and has come to a head in college athletics. I’m not saying that we should make these kids millionaires in college. But a sufficient stipend that allows them to take care of their basic needs, go see a movie or take a young lady or gentleman out on a date would go a long way in rectifying this problem.

Seth Joyner

First off, we know the Eagles are gearing up and are all in for a Super Bowl run. They will be so cap strapped after the next 3 years, they will either have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy or Andy Reid will be fired and the Eagles will be in rebuilding mode.

The Packers seem to still be the team to beat. If they could win it all with all of the injuries they endured last year, what might they do at full force and Aaron Rodgers confidence at an all time high?

The Patriots have loaded up in a sense as well, with Brady getting older; their window seems to be closing, although they’ve gotten younger on defense. The jury is still out on whether Belichick can work his magic and squeeze the last bit of talent out of Chad Johnson and the much maligned Albert Haynesworth.

The Colts seem to have just treaded water. We all know that as Peyton goes, so goes the Colts. Although he has all of his weapons back, now he’s on the shelf. This certainly cannot be good for his timing with his receivers. Curious to see if they’ve manned up any on defense or are they the same old softies vs. the run with two of the best book end pass rushers in the league?

The Steelers didn’t look to good in the preseason opener, but you know that they will be there in the end. Big Ben will need to step up his game and create more production on the offensive side of the ball. Strange to even have to say that about a two time Super Bowl Champ, but it is what it is. Defensively they are still the cream of the crop, although the Packers may have developed the blueprint for beating them; spread em’ out, and if you can protect on the edges you have a shot at beating them.

Even with the addition of Julio Jones on the offense, the Falcons didn’t address their greatest need, defensive stability. Offensively they can score with anyone in the league, but come playoff time, the defense is this teams Achilles heel. They may have to blow up the scoreboard in order to win in the playoffs, yet with the Packers and Eagles offenses, which can score on just about every possession, they’ll have their work cut out for themselves. And both the Packers and Eagles have far superior defenses.

The jury is still out on the Jets as well. Rex is and always will be his old brash and braggadocios self, but can the players ever cash the check he writes year after year. A lot will ride on the development of QB Mark Sanchez and how much he has progressed. If that offense cannot open wide the playbook and take off his reigns, we may very well watch the Jets not even make the playoffs this year. The defense should be ranked among the best again, but the rest of the league is figuring out ways to beat and counter this aggressive attacking style of defense.

The Saints look good in their preseason debut. Anytime you have Drew Brees and a surrounding cast, you have a shot at the title. Now that they have moved on past the Reggie Bush mistake (10th pick overall), they have a truly diverse backfield with Pierre and Ingram. The question mark for this team will be its defense, Gregg Williams certainly will have them ready to play their best, but have they addressed enough issues to make them a contender again?

The rest of the league hasn’t done very much to get better. The Cards finally have a QB (Kolb), but the Rams may very well contend for the NFC West crown. The Bears and Vikings will play second fiddle to the Pack, aaaagain. The Cowboys still lack athleticism, speed and talent defensively to compete with the Eagles, and the Giants stood pat, not really improving in many areas from last season. And the Colts will dominate even with a D-Coordinator change with the Texans, too much to learn too soon, and standing up Mario Williams will diminish his sack numbers and do little to improve the team overall.

With no OTA’s and mini camps to implement new systems, and shortened training camps putting rookies at a distinct disadvantage, football will look sloppy for the first half of the season. Particularly on the defensive side of the ball, where communication is key. New players will be adjusting to new teams and systems, second year players having not really improved much because of the lack of off-season training and rookies will be trying to learn on the go, the quality of play will be ugly for a while. This will give the teams, good teams that have retained the majority of their veteran players an edge on the rest of the league. One thing’s for sure, it will be interesting to watch how teams develop and come around as the season progresses.

- Seth Joyner

First credit must be given where it’s deserved! The Dallas Mavs were simply the best TEAM in this year’s NBA finals. Lead by finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs have a tremendous bench, which in my opinion was the difference in the championship.

While I still am of the opinion that the Heat are a more talented team, the Mavs proved that the title cannot be won on talent alone. Jason Terry carried them in the first half when Dirk couldn’t find the hoop, sprinkle in JJ Barea and DeShawn Stevenson, Tyson Chandler’s tenacity on the glass, Jason Kidd’s basketball IQ, and great team chemistry, which gave Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks their first title.

The Mavericks success came on their ability to find their shooting touch. Hitting 50% from the field and 46% from the 3 point line is the same kind of shooting that sunk the Lakers in 4 straight, and it seemed like they found their rhythm in game 5 and it carried over to game 6 to clinch it.

Kidd, Terry, Nowitzki and Marion slayed their demons in the finals, all 10 plus year veterans who have all experienced playoff and finals disappointment, can now call themselves champions.

The Miami Heat put the heat on themselves from the beginning of the season. With Bosh, Wade and James, making a proclaimed championship or fail mandate, the pressure was too much to overcome. Where do they go from here? For all of the talent they have, 3 great players do not a team make. They will have to get a true point guard and a big man who can intimidate and rebound in the middle, as well as additional depth across the board. They will surely be active in the free agent market if they are to get back to the finals. They simply didn’t have enough fire power to close. The emotional and physical toll was just too much for 3 players to bear.

LeBron became the NBA villain, wrongly I would say, why because of the manner in which he decided to depart Cleveland? Again his finals performance was less than stellar, one has to ask why? I have some opinions of my own. LeBron is a drive player, credit the Mavs for taking away his ability to drive, as well as intentionally fouling him on break aways. The next thing is, he will need to develop a mid-range and pull up jump shot. The Mavs just evaluated the strength of LeBron and made a team effort to take it away. One on one has never worked against a team and the Mavs help defense was as outstanding as their offense

In the end, the same growing pains that plagued the Heat all year long reared its ugly head in these finals. One thing is for sure, you may be able to hide your inefficiencies and weaknesses during the regular season and maybe even the early rounds of the playoffs, but once the finals begin, head coaches really make a name for themselves by finding ways to exploit your those weaknesses to beat you. And your weaknesses will manifest themselves in pressure situations.

Rick Carlisle and staff made great adjustments, line-up changes and decisions. A coach with a complete team and he knew exactly what to do and how to get it done at the right times. Erik Spoelstra at times seemed to have no answer or remedy for the adjustments made by the Mavs coaching staff. Even when the Heat offense seemed out of rhythm and he rarely came out of a timeout with a clear cut adjustment or play. I’ve said all year, the Heat have had to overcome the best of every team in the league (opponents), as well as I believe coaching inefficiencies.

As the Mavs celebrate, the Heat are left to ponder what could’ve been and what will be necessary for the outcome to be different the next time they are on the finals stage.

- Seth Joyner

Last week was a crazy week for College football. First the BCS strips USC of its championship and now the drama with Terrell Pryor and Ohio State.

I’m still trying to understand how cash payments off the field gave Reggie Bush such an unfair advantage that it warranted the BCS stripping the entire Trojan team of the reward of years of hard work. Secondly why does Pete Carroll get to ride off into the NFL sunset and double his salary without any repercussion? Everyone pays but Pete, Reggie Bush is vilified, former players lose their championship and the current players suffer because of NCAA infractions.

Everyone’s vilifying Reggie, but what young kid in college, and broke wouldn’t do what he did. If people think that it doesn’t happen at every major college they’re smoking something. Recruiting is way too competitive not too, most schools and alumni are smart about it.

Terrell Pryor same situation, you have a student athlete that comes from humble beginnings and he has the opportunity to put some cash in his pocket, drive nice cars at no expense and you expect him to not except it? Because these two guys were the most high profile guys on their team, and played for national powerhouses they became the focal points.

Neither Reggie nor Terrell are or were the only players receiving money. If the NCAA could dig far enough into both of these programs and most of the programs of the national powerhouses they would all wind up like SMU.

I have a level of respect for Jim Tressel because he did all he could to protect his players, could he have headed this off at the pass, probably, but once the damage was done, how many people would’ve blew the whistle on themselves? All he could manage was damage control hoping the cat wouldn’t get all the way out of the bag.

The NCAA and BCS are the hypocrites here. It’s OK for you guys to make a mint off of these players without compensating them anything. Even at UTEP when I was there, some players had a sugar daddy and we could beat a drum with a drumstick. People will say, well we’re providing them 3 squares, living quarters and a free education, fair enough, but what about the bare necessities of life. What if a young student athlete wants to take a young lady or gentleman out on a date, where are they to get money, as a scholarship athlete you cannot work except for summer months. Are these kids to survive the entire semester without cash? A monthly or semester stipend would go a long way to curb some of these issues and justify penalties for wrong doing.

Money drives our society, college football is big business, and even the Federal Government is looking into the BCS. These institutions wouldn’t exist if big money wasn’t achievable. Why not share the wealth with these kids who make the game what it is. I’m not talking about a lot of money, but enough to allow them to function. How are the alum and perpetrators penalized as well? The kids shouldn’t be the only ones punished, and what about the kids who do nothing wrong?

This issue will never go away, with wealthy alumni desiring bragging rights, Head Coaches needing to win to secure their multi-million dollar salaries, and the Universities, NCAA and BCS driving this big cash printing press, the only person not feeling the love is the athlete. So when the potential for cash presents itself you can best believe they will take the money, like everyone else and to some extent, rightfully so.

- Seth Joyner

June 7, 2011 By Seth Joyner Comments (1)

I am perplexed, although have been extremely entertained with the NBA finals. It has been said that the finals are about runs and adjustments, yet I don’t see the better team making the proper adjustments after 3 games.

I give Dirk his props, throw in Kidd, Marion and Terry’s desire to win a title the fight has been entertaining, but talent wise the Heat should be up 3 games to none and drooling at the prospect of winning one more to send the Mav’s fishing.

The Heat jump out to these double digit leads then fall asleep at the wheel and let the Mavs make it a game down the wire. Whatever they do in the first half to limit Dirk should be done in the second half. I’m sorry I know Haslem may not have the endurance to play the whole game considering how little he’s played this season, but considering what’s on the line, if Dirk is in the game he has to be in.

With Haywood out they can make rebounding a huge advantage, Tyson Chandler is very aggressive blocking shots and rebounding. The Heat need to take advantage of this aggression. Dirk uses the pump fake to live at the line, why haven’t the Heat learned from that, pump fakes in the paint to get Chandler into foul trouble, and the second chance points for the Mav’s disappear.

In Chris Bosh they have a consistent 18 pt, 10 rebound guy, but as the series progress the Mav’s are going to put more pressure on him in crucial situations to make a play. He came through last night, but does he have the confidence to come up big in game 4?

I think the minutes Wade and James have to play in the first half takes a toll on their ability to close, they seem to have no energy left to go to the rack in the 4th quarter that they’ve had in the opening quarters. The Heat have gotten some bench help from one player each game, Chalmers in game 1, Bibby in game 2 and Chalmers again in game 3.

Someone else is going to have to make something happen, it’s clear that Wade and James will see the double team. Likewise the Mav’s have been a one man show, but Haslem has done a good job and I like LeBron on Terry to keep him under control. Marion has played great and has been a problem defensively for the Heat, who can they put on him with LeBron on Terry and Wade on Kidd?

They are by far more talented a team and still should wind up winning it all. Considering what they have, can you imagine the Heat with a big man to intimidate in the middle and a consistent 3 ball threat? The Heat would shut up all the naysayers and haters and strike fear in the rest of the NBA for the next few years.

Erik Spoelstra needs to come up with a better plan for the Heat to sustain a lead, but most people feel as though the big three have overcome coaching all season, they are 2 games away from winning it all, the question is can they hold up and make it to the finish line?

- Seth Joyner

What’ve we learned about the four remaining teams in the NBA conference Championships? It’s going to be a dogfight. While the Bulls after game one looked like they may sweep the Heat, LeBron stepped up big time last night and Miami’s savior may have been Udonis Haslem. It’s clear that the Heat only have two players whom they can count on.

Bosh is a one dimensional player who the Bulls have eliminated, but Haslem gives them toughness in the paint with rebounding, physical play and mid-range scoring. Head Coach Erik Spoelstra has to hope that the rest of the Heat bench will be inspired by the play of Haslem. The question is how long Wade, James and Haslem can carry the load of Bibby, Chalmers, Miller and Bosh. Bosh may reemerge with the presence of Haslem, it seemed to be a chemistry issue with Haslem being in the lineup with new undefined roles.

The Bulls received a wakeup call that this will be a battle. Derek Rose is the truth, but the Heat did a good job defending him last night. All season the weakness of the Bulls, if you can call it that, was the inconsistency of the Bulls role players. Deng, Boozer and Noah played lights out in game one combining for 44 points.

Game two was a different story they combined for just 29 points and this may be the key to this series. The Bulls will win the rebounding game, but if they are to beat the Heat, they will have to continue to dominate the offensive boards and second chance points. They shot 43% in game one and 34% from the field in game two as a team, and you know that Rose will not have another 7-23 night the rest of the series. Shooting percentage and offensive boards may determine this series.

The story of the Western conference finals seems to be Dirk Nowitzki and the Thunders ability to guard JJ Barea. So much talk of not being able to stop Dirk and no one has yet, but when I look at his game, yes he is a tough to almost impossible guard. But if you know he’s going to fade why not play it and go to the right hand, he fades because he can’t elevate.

Most players are right handed and try to distract or block with the right hand, but a player who can use the left and pressure the shooting hand would seem to cause some distraction to his shot. I thought James Harden could be the answer given the fact that his is left handed, but he is too short to be effective and drew 2 quick fouls trying to guard him.

The other thing, as great a shooter as Dirk is I find it hard to believe that he can continue to shoot at such a high percentage, everyone has an off night or an average night. The other obstacle and I think the dagger for OKC was JJ, they had no one to guard him and he was having his way the other night scoring 21 points. Russell Westbrook seems to be the only Thunder player with the quickness to guard him and by the time he was inserted back into the game the damage was done. I would back off and make him shot the 3 ball rather than allowing him to drive the lane.

That being said, the Thunder was still in the game late down by 5 with minutes to play. Westbrook had probably as bad a night shooting as he will ever have and the Mavs defense smothered everyone else except Durant (40pts). Although Dallas is content to play zone until the Thunder heat up from the outside, OKC will have to take the ball to the basket to get the Dallas bigs in foul trouble in order to win game two tonight.

Jason Terry and the rest of the Mavs can create and get their own shots. I am assuming the plan will be to double Dirk and get the ball out of his hands to prevent him from going to the charity stripe 24 times, and make everyone else beat you. I would put the pressure on Jason Kidd, you can’t leave Terry or Stojakovic, Kidd has just become a scoring threat, so I would let him take 10 3 pointers and live with the result rather than allowing Dirk and Terry kill you.

One thing’s for sure these playoffs are some of the most intriguing in recent years. I’ll be glued to the tube to see how the Thunder respond and more important, how Dirk will respond after a record setting game one.

~ Seth Joyner ~

The New York Knicks look eerily like another team that head coach Mike D’Antoni has coached. One thing that coach D can do is put a team on the floor that produces points. That being said, for all of the offensive production he gets out of his teams, neither the Knicks nor his former team, the Phoenix Suns, plays or played any defense.

Amar’e Stoudamire was a much needed super star and an important piece to revive the Knickerbockers legacy. Carmelo Anthony was a great addition given the path that NBA free agency is headed. But neither of these players are defensive juggernauts. For all that the Knicks gave up to get Melo, the trade has set the team back in regards to depth and overall talent.

Chauncy Billups is a formidable point guard and floor general, but beyond these three, the Knicks have little else and Billups is certainly on the down side of a great career.

Like the D’Antoni coached Suns, when I look at the athleticism of the Knicks, I have to wonder why it is such a monumental undertaking for either of these teams to play or have played defense. Like the Suns of old, the Knicks rank among the league worst in defense, ranking 28th out of 30 teams.

Defense is “attitude and want to” more than anything else, without it teams have no chance at securing a place among the league’s elite in wins and losses. The Knicks rank among the league leaders in scoring (3rd) at 105.9 per game, but can’t stop opponents from averaging 105.7 per game. They don’t have a defensive presence like a Dwight Howard or Andrew Bynum, or as a team for that matter.

Their games turn into offensive shot outs and if they happen to have an off offensive night or are out of sync offensively, the percentages of winning go way down. Right now they are completely out of sync, given the fact that they’ve only been playing together for the last 19 games, of which they are 7-12, and 1-9 over the last 10 games, losers of the last 6 in a row.

This team may need another off-season to put together and replace the players they traded away in the Melo deal. But even if they can upgrade their team for next year, defense will remain a focal point, because if you can’t get your superstars to buy into defending, how will D’Antoni get the role players to buy in?

It’s a prevalent problem that has plagued a great offensive minded coach, and conventional wisdom says, if the Knicks don’t come to the understanding that they need to put as much effort in on the defensive end as they do on the offensive end, next season will look much like this one.

Melo is talking must win with 10 games remaining, D’Antoni has said,” They need to play harder.”  The reality is, until they embrace a defense first mentality, knowing that they can put point up on the other end, they simply won’t get out of the funk they’re in right now. Next year will be a replay of this season, and D’Antoni will continue to be known as a offensive guru with no clue or concern about defensive basketball.

Within two years, the Knicks will be the same old Knicks, fans will be calling for a new head coach, and the Knicks organization will be left to ponder what to do next, with big salaries locked up in Melo and Amar’e and nothing to show for it.

-Seth Joyner