BALANCE OF POWER: A SHIFT AT THE TOP By Danny Zyskind for Football Reporters Online
Before the season most would say the elite teams in the league are the Pats, Colts, Chargers, Jaguars and Cowboys. Ask someone now and you’ll probably hear Giants, Cowboys, possibly the Redskins, Titans & Panthers and maybe even the 2-3 Eagles. While it’s only been five games and certainly with a healthy Tom Brady the Pats would still be the premier team in the league, the shift is occurring and it’s landing mainly in the NFC East.
Watching the Colts, their problems go far deeper than a rusty Peyton Manning. They are unable to run the ball, can’t protect Manning and can’t stop anyone. They could easily be 0-4 if not for some terrible play calling by the Vikings and the unbelievable lack of judgment by Sage Rosenfelds. Age is starting to catch up to their offense. The Jaguars are not as imposing on defense as they’ve been in past years and are battling a host of injuries. The Chargers are the wild card. They are off to another slow start but without question have the talent to jump back to the top of the league if they get their act together.
The Giants have made the transition from a team that got on a great roll to a great team. They have an emerging quarterback, exceptional line play on both sides of the ball and what appears to be a never ending array of weapons. The emergence of Jason Campbell has vaulted the Redskins to the top of the conference, coming off road wins against the Cowboys and Eagles.
The NFC East has three emerging stars at quarterback and an elder statesman still playing at a high level. The recipe is there for this division to dominate the league over the next five years. Unfortunately for them, one will definitely not make the playoffs which will make the rest of their divisional games a must watch.
While the overall depth of quality teams in the conference still favors the AFC, the super bowl favorites now reside in the NFC. The AFC has won eight out of the last eleven super bowls. Look for those numbers to start changing.
Monday, October 13, 2008
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Win or Lose Notre Dame’s Tradition and Energy every Saturday give any fan the
Win or Lose Notre Dame’s Tradition and Energy every Saturday give any fan the
true feeling of College Football
By John Kelly for Football Reporters Online
Attending a Notre Dame football game is more than just seeing two teams
square off; it carries the feelings of a religious pilgrimage. While it sounds crazy
let me explain and with Touchdown Jesus as my alibi, why you will be moved
enough to take a trip there.
The pregame festivities build up your energy before Kickoff. After you get off
that small prop plane at South Bend Airport or off the Indiana Tolls you see the
Golden Dome. The shine given off the dome right there is silently yelling, “brace
yourself”. Check into the hotel pick up an Irish Sports Report and a jersey from
the memorabilia store and get to campus. Your pilgrimage is about to begin.
Friday is where the all the pregame festivities begin. The pep rally in the Joyce
Center is almost always sold out so make sure you have a ticket. Then sit back
as you hear the band rock all the great Notre Dame songs Rakes of Mallow,
Victory Clog, and of course the best fight song in the land the Notre Dame
Victory march. The band is not the only one bringing the house down; the
students are wild and rock the Joyce Center.
The pep rally is just an appetizer to game like atmosphere you will feel on Saturday. Hopefully you have picked up the chants and songs and hopefully your Irish Jig is upkeep when Rakes of Mallow plays.
Each pep rally is filled with special guests that pump you and the team up for
Saturday. Famous distinguished guests have been Tom Lasorda, Lou Holtz,
Digger Phelps, and yes the great one Wayne Gretsky.
You better grab some coffee from Perkins down the road because your Friday is
not over yet. At midnight the drumline rocks out the Notre Dame tunes late into
the night and the entire town can hear the crowd around them as the Notre
Dame Fight Song is played and the chant of this year’s 2008 squad, “Crank me
up”.
Now go back to your room because I know it is late for you Mr. Casual sports
fan. You’ll need to be up bright and early before Kirk, Chris, and Lee even start
Gameday because the campus is a site to see. You arrive on campus and in the
middle is the house Rockne built with 80,000 seats.
Then there take your picture behind Touchdown Jesus and if you’re with your family a group picture will be memorable forever and cut costs on this year’s Christmas picture.
Now it is close to noon right next to the Golden Dome is the Basilica, which is a
gorgeous on a crisp fall day. Go in there and say a prayer hoping for an Irish
victory. If you’re not an Irish fan, check out the whole basilica and be sure to
take some photos.
Now get up quickly because the players are doing their traditional walk to the
stadium after their mass. You can literally stand inches away from them and
chant their names. I gave Armando Allen a high five and he gave me a nod back.
Then the last thing to do before you inhale those three delicious bratwursts
provided by the student barbeques is see the band play at Bond Hall. They belt
out again the Notre Dame Victory March, Rakes of Mallow, and Victory Clog. The
sound can be heard throughout campus. Also you better get a decent spot
because there are 5,000 people on the grass around Bond Hall watching,
clapping, and singing the melody to each and Notre Dame song the band plays.
Oh yeah they also give you a hint of what they are playing at halftime.
Ok you have done the pregame experiences, had some bratwursts, a couple of
beers, and now it is 15 minutes before game time and it is time to enter Notre
Dame Stadium (Or what I like to call Mecca). Now the PA announcer comes on
and the crowd goes bonkers and then the Golden Shine off the sun catches your
eye and you see the Irish run out of the tunnel to a Roman Coliseum type roar.
Do not forget to boo the opposing team and make them feel uncomfortable.
Now sit on these tight benches and in the words of Charlie Weis “Shut up when
the Irish are on Offense and when they are on defense make a lot of noise.”
Win or Lose the end of the game is one of the prettiest and tight nit moments
most college football fans throughout the nation miss after the final whistle
blows. Grab a shoulder and be prepared to sway back and forth to Notre Dame’s
Alma Mater and see a crowd of 80,000 follow you in unison.
Well, as you leave the stadium get a couple more pictures of the stadium and
field the ushers are great and will take the photo for you. That is my only advice as I hope you have experienced a great weekend. If you’re an NFL fan well then football continues into Sunday. If your just a casual sports fan hopefully this great the will definitely be embedded in your mind when your plugging away on Monday.
On a side note the Purdue game I went to this year made my cousin’s brother-
in-law’s day and he normally is not into college football. If he can have a smile
then any person who goes there can be moved just as much.
If you know A Notre Dame alum I suggest you ask for the tickets and come on a
Pilgrimage to the Mecca of College football.
true feeling of College Football
By John Kelly for Football Reporters Online
Attending a Notre Dame football game is more than just seeing two teams
square off; it carries the feelings of a religious pilgrimage. While it sounds crazy
let me explain and with Touchdown Jesus as my alibi, why you will be moved
enough to take a trip there.
The pregame festivities build up your energy before Kickoff. After you get off
that small prop plane at South Bend Airport or off the Indiana Tolls you see the
Golden Dome. The shine given off the dome right there is silently yelling, “brace
yourself”. Check into the hotel pick up an Irish Sports Report and a jersey from
the memorabilia store and get to campus. Your pilgrimage is about to begin.
Friday is where the all the pregame festivities begin. The pep rally in the Joyce
Center is almost always sold out so make sure you have a ticket. Then sit back
as you hear the band rock all the great Notre Dame songs Rakes of Mallow,
Victory Clog, and of course the best fight song in the land the Notre Dame
Victory march. The band is not the only one bringing the house down; the
students are wild and rock the Joyce Center.
The pep rally is just an appetizer to game like atmosphere you will feel on Saturday. Hopefully you have picked up the chants and songs and hopefully your Irish Jig is upkeep when Rakes of Mallow plays.
Each pep rally is filled with special guests that pump you and the team up for
Saturday. Famous distinguished guests have been Tom Lasorda, Lou Holtz,
Digger Phelps, and yes the great one Wayne Gretsky.
You better grab some coffee from Perkins down the road because your Friday is
not over yet. At midnight the drumline rocks out the Notre Dame tunes late into
the night and the entire town can hear the crowd around them as the Notre
Dame Fight Song is played and the chant of this year’s 2008 squad, “Crank me
up”.
Now go back to your room because I know it is late for you Mr. Casual sports
fan. You’ll need to be up bright and early before Kirk, Chris, and Lee even start
Gameday because the campus is a site to see. You arrive on campus and in the
middle is the house Rockne built with 80,000 seats.
Then there take your picture behind Touchdown Jesus and if you’re with your family a group picture will be memorable forever and cut costs on this year’s Christmas picture.
Now it is close to noon right next to the Golden Dome is the Basilica, which is a
gorgeous on a crisp fall day. Go in there and say a prayer hoping for an Irish
victory. If you’re not an Irish fan, check out the whole basilica and be sure to
take some photos.
Now get up quickly because the players are doing their traditional walk to the
stadium after their mass. You can literally stand inches away from them and
chant their names. I gave Armando Allen a high five and he gave me a nod back.
Then the last thing to do before you inhale those three delicious bratwursts
provided by the student barbeques is see the band play at Bond Hall. They belt
out again the Notre Dame Victory March, Rakes of Mallow, and Victory Clog. The
sound can be heard throughout campus. Also you better get a decent spot
because there are 5,000 people on the grass around Bond Hall watching,
clapping, and singing the melody to each and Notre Dame song the band plays.
Oh yeah they also give you a hint of what they are playing at halftime.
Ok you have done the pregame experiences, had some bratwursts, a couple of
beers, and now it is 15 minutes before game time and it is time to enter Notre
Dame Stadium (Or what I like to call Mecca). Now the PA announcer comes on
and the crowd goes bonkers and then the Golden Shine off the sun catches your
eye and you see the Irish run out of the tunnel to a Roman Coliseum type roar.
Do not forget to boo the opposing team and make them feel uncomfortable.
Now sit on these tight benches and in the words of Charlie Weis “Shut up when
the Irish are on Offense and when they are on defense make a lot of noise.”
Win or Lose the end of the game is one of the prettiest and tight nit moments
most college football fans throughout the nation miss after the final whistle
blows. Grab a shoulder and be prepared to sway back and forth to Notre Dame’s
Alma Mater and see a crowd of 80,000 follow you in unison.
Well, as you leave the stadium get a couple more pictures of the stadium and
field the ushers are great and will take the photo for you. That is my only advice as I hope you have experienced a great weekend. If you’re an NFL fan well then football continues into Sunday. If your just a casual sports fan hopefully this great the will definitely be embedded in your mind when your plugging away on Monday.
On a side note the Purdue game I went to this year made my cousin’s brother-
in-law’s day and he normally is not into college football. If he can have a smile
then any person who goes there can be moved just as much.
If you know A Notre Dame alum I suggest you ask for the tickets and come on a
Pilgrimage to the Mecca of College football.
Freshman Phenoms Julio Jones, A.J. Green, and Michael Floyd boast the best freshman receiver class since 2002
Freshman Phenoms Julio Jones, A.J. Green, and Michael Floyd boast the best freshman receiver class since 2002
By John Kelly for Football Reporters Online
It has been six years since we truly saw freshman receivers steal the scene in
College Football. Pittsburgh Freshman Larry Fitzgerald, an unknown player from Minnesota, dazzled us with a spectacular diving catches including one in the Insight bowl versus Oregon State. Reggie Williams hauled catches in double coverage while, taking several short slants to the house versus Oregon. USC’s Mike Williams made an effortless one-handed catch that was on numerous College Gameday highlight reels. In 2004 Deshawn Jackson breathed life into Berkley for the first time since the SDS was doing sit ins in the 60’s. He became an instant weapon for the Golden Bears as a punt return specialist and a consistent home run threat. Last year Michael Crabtree reeled in over one hundred catches and the Blinkoff Award to boot.
Some freshmen receivers seem to make impacts before others and while others gain national attention. The last six years has only seen one really steal the show and the others make an important impact. Freshman receiving studs tend to crash the college football party every year now, none compare to the class of 2008. This class is set to make an instant offensive impact quicker than any other freshman receiving class.
We look at the 5 star rival’s receivers and hope to see them make an immediate impact every college football season. Since 2003 most top Rivals receivers have been busts, kicked off teams, or just disappeared. For every playmaker like a Deshawn Jackson there is a Patrick Turner who is a bust in my estimation after being ranked the #1 receiver by rivals in 2004. Fred Rouse was the #2 rated receiver in 2004 according to rivals and was thought to carry a game emulating Randy Moss. He ended up being kicked off Florida State’s football team and transferred to UTEP.
So why are the three top wideouts from the 2008 recruiting class so special
opposed to the other past successful and disappointing blue chip receivers?
Well 5 weeks into the season all three have scored a touchdown and they all
look like the future go-to playmakers in their respective offenses.
While Julio Jones and Michael Floyd scored during the first week of the season , A.J. Green finally put himself on the map in Tempe versus Arizona State catching 8 balls for 157 yards and a touchdown. His impact is huge for Matthew Stafford and Knowshawn Moreno and the Bulldog offense.
Michael Floyd had 7 catches for 87 yards and a TD versus Michigan State in the loss and his impact along with Golden Tate makes Jimmy Clausen’s job a lot easier in South Bend. Floyd is only a freshman and I knew after
watching him in the high school All-America game he would be turning heads already. He is shaping up to be the next great Notre Dame receiver since the days of Derek Mayes. He will only get better which is an issue for opposing secondaries who already are being smoked by him thus far. Plus this week versus Stanford he had another 100 yard game compounded by burning a Pac-10 track star champion for a 48-yard touchdown bomb.
Julio Jones clips in Alabama’s fall practices had multiple you tube hits and he finally got into the end zone in his first game against Clemson. He is definitely the real deal in Tuscaloosa. He also was big in their upset win over Georgia a week ago as he hauled in two touchdown catches. Alabama’s strong ground attack will lead to more one on one opportunities for him. His combined size and speed are the best out of the three and do not be surprised if he is a Blinkoff Award nominee this year.
All three players are first round draft picks to me in the 2012 draft and can aid certain NFL teams with an impact receiver (Are you listening New York Jets or Baltimore Ravens). All three have the ability to take a short pass the distance, catch the fade route, and burn you deep on a fly pattern.
Floyd reminds me of Larry Fitzgerald and it is not because he hails from
Minnesota. If you watched the Michigan State game he can go up and get the ball from anywhere. He has the speed to burn you deep but his ball skills and receiving instincts are what separate him from Green and Jones.
Outside of AJ Green’s circus catch last week I have yet to see Julio Jones make a catch like that but I am confident he can. Speaking of A.J. Green he is mix between Randy Moss and a Chad Johnson with the speed to burn you deep, the ability to make a catch from anywhere on the field, and the athleticism to make major mismatches with even the best corners in the league.
Floyd is getting comparisons in the South Bend Tribute to Terrell Owens but it is Julio Jones to me that best mirrors the mold of a T.O. At 19 he has enormous strength and speed to be a mismatch against any corner in the land. Like Floyd he also likes to go out and rip the ball down from opposing corners. By playing in the SEC he will face top defensive competition like A.J. Green week in and week out which will help him develop a lot more. He is the biggest physically of the three and his strength now and in the future will allow him to muscle smaller and athletic cornerbacks that cover him. By the end of his Crimson Tide career he will be the next freak of on the outside.
The next three seasons are only going to get better if you’re a Bulldog, Irish, or Tide fan and these three look to provide many memorable moments.
By John Kelly for Football Reporters Online
It has been six years since we truly saw freshman receivers steal the scene in
College Football. Pittsburgh Freshman Larry Fitzgerald, an unknown player from Minnesota, dazzled us with a spectacular diving catches including one in the Insight bowl versus Oregon State. Reggie Williams hauled catches in double coverage while, taking several short slants to the house versus Oregon. USC’s Mike Williams made an effortless one-handed catch that was on numerous College Gameday highlight reels. In 2004 Deshawn Jackson breathed life into Berkley for the first time since the SDS was doing sit ins in the 60’s. He became an instant weapon for the Golden Bears as a punt return specialist and a consistent home run threat. Last year Michael Crabtree reeled in over one hundred catches and the Blinkoff Award to boot.
Some freshmen receivers seem to make impacts before others and while others gain national attention. The last six years has only seen one really steal the show and the others make an important impact. Freshman receiving studs tend to crash the college football party every year now, none compare to the class of 2008. This class is set to make an instant offensive impact quicker than any other freshman receiving class.
We look at the 5 star rival’s receivers and hope to see them make an immediate impact every college football season. Since 2003 most top Rivals receivers have been busts, kicked off teams, or just disappeared. For every playmaker like a Deshawn Jackson there is a Patrick Turner who is a bust in my estimation after being ranked the #1 receiver by rivals in 2004. Fred Rouse was the #2 rated receiver in 2004 according to rivals and was thought to carry a game emulating Randy Moss. He ended up being kicked off Florida State’s football team and transferred to UTEP.
So why are the three top wideouts from the 2008 recruiting class so special
opposed to the other past successful and disappointing blue chip receivers?
Well 5 weeks into the season all three have scored a touchdown and they all
look like the future go-to playmakers in their respective offenses.
While Julio Jones and Michael Floyd scored during the first week of the season , A.J. Green finally put himself on the map in Tempe versus Arizona State catching 8 balls for 157 yards and a touchdown. His impact is huge for Matthew Stafford and Knowshawn Moreno and the Bulldog offense.
Michael Floyd had 7 catches for 87 yards and a TD versus Michigan State in the loss and his impact along with Golden Tate makes Jimmy Clausen’s job a lot easier in South Bend. Floyd is only a freshman and I knew after
watching him in the high school All-America game he would be turning heads already. He is shaping up to be the next great Notre Dame receiver since the days of Derek Mayes. He will only get better which is an issue for opposing secondaries who already are being smoked by him thus far. Plus this week versus Stanford he had another 100 yard game compounded by burning a Pac-10 track star champion for a 48-yard touchdown bomb.
Julio Jones clips in Alabama’s fall practices had multiple you tube hits and he finally got into the end zone in his first game against Clemson. He is definitely the real deal in Tuscaloosa. He also was big in their upset win over Georgia a week ago as he hauled in two touchdown catches. Alabama’s strong ground attack will lead to more one on one opportunities for him. His combined size and speed are the best out of the three and do not be surprised if he is a Blinkoff Award nominee this year.
All three players are first round draft picks to me in the 2012 draft and can aid certain NFL teams with an impact receiver (Are you listening New York Jets or Baltimore Ravens). All three have the ability to take a short pass the distance, catch the fade route, and burn you deep on a fly pattern.
Floyd reminds me of Larry Fitzgerald and it is not because he hails from
Minnesota. If you watched the Michigan State game he can go up and get the ball from anywhere. He has the speed to burn you deep but his ball skills and receiving instincts are what separate him from Green and Jones.
Outside of AJ Green’s circus catch last week I have yet to see Julio Jones make a catch like that but I am confident he can. Speaking of A.J. Green he is mix between Randy Moss and a Chad Johnson with the speed to burn you deep, the ability to make a catch from anywhere on the field, and the athleticism to make major mismatches with even the best corners in the league.
Floyd is getting comparisons in the South Bend Tribute to Terrell Owens but it is Julio Jones to me that best mirrors the mold of a T.O. At 19 he has enormous strength and speed to be a mismatch against any corner in the land. Like Floyd he also likes to go out and rip the ball down from opposing corners. By playing in the SEC he will face top defensive competition like A.J. Green week in and week out which will help him develop a lot more. He is the biggest physically of the three and his strength now and in the future will allow him to muscle smaller and athletic cornerbacks that cover him. By the end of his Crimson Tide career he will be the next freak of on the outside.
The next three seasons are only going to get better if you’re a Bulldog, Irish, or Tide fan and these three look to provide many memorable moments.
