I should start out disclosing that I am a diehard Steelers fan and I have loved watching Polamalu fly around, terrorizing opposing offenses for the last 12 seasons. He - along with Casey Hampton, Lamarr Woodley, and James Harrison - has been the heart of the most recent incarnation of the Steel Curtain. Despite everything he's meant to the team, the city, and fans across the country it's time for the Steelers to say good-bye to yet another celebrated and decorated defensive stalwart. Over the past few seasons we have seen Pittsburgh cut or fail to resign Hampton, Woodley, and Harrison when they became too injury prone, expensive, or lost too much of their ability. While the Steelers did resign Harrison (after an uneventful year in Cincinnati), the move was out of desperation after training camp injuries left the linebacking corps thin. There are a few reasons why Polamalu should be the next great Steelers defensive player released during the 2015 offseason.
- Polamalu is 33 years old and has battled injuries the last few years. While he played all 16 regular season games in 2011 (when he won defensive player of the year) and 2013, he missed significant time in 2012 and has missed several more games so far this season. He's missed the last two weeks due to a knee injury. If we apply the theory that the SanFrancisco Giants will win the World Series in even years, then we could also make the argument that Polamalu will be healthy in 2015. However, I fail to see how a (will be) 34 year old safety with a history of bad knees will somehow stay healthy.
- Polamalu's cap hit in 2015 is $8.25 million. That's a lot of money for an injury prone player who's lost a lot of his effectiveness. If the Steelers cut him before the 2015 season they'll have $4.5 million in dead money on their cap. Overall that would mean a savings of $3.75 million. If the Steelers cut him before 2016 (the last year of his current contract) they'd have $2.25 million of dead money out of an $8 million cap hit. They'd save more money waiting a year, but why delay the inevitable?
- The Steelers should use the money they'd save cutting Polamalu (coupled with an extension for Roethlisberger) and use it to upgrade the most neglected part of their team - the cornerback position. And by upgrade I mean stop waiting until the 5th round of the draft to take a corner. Maybe be crazy and take one in the 3rd?
- The Steelers will miss Polamalu's leadership but they have a replacement, from a playing perspective, who will be ready to step in on a full time basis next year - Shamarko Thomas. Thomas will be entering his third season, which is typically when Dick Lebeau expects his players to make a huge leap in their development. Thomas is not the same caliber of player as Polamalu (no one really is), but his play will be better than that of what Polamalu has become.
- Polamalu's game is based on instinct and timing. He has made more than a few spectacular plays over the years because of this, and has even managed a few this year. But more often than not trying to make a big play has left Polamalu out of position and has resulted in more than a few big plays.
Troy Polamalu has meant everything to Steelers fans over his amazing career. He is no doubt a future Hall of Famer. He may still think that he has a lot to offer as a player - his leadership ability cannot be questioned - but if he wants to keep playing, it should not be in Black and Gold after this year. The Steelers need to say good-bye to Troy, just as they have to several defensive greats who have come before him.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Some Thoughts on College Football
It's been a while since my last post and I hope I haven't kept you on the edge of your seat, anxiously waiting for my immortal wisdom. I also hope people who read my post on fantasy football players I like this year aren't too mad - sorry about Toby Gerhart, I should have known better. But who's happy with Phillip Rivers leading their team? Anyone?
Anyway, I was trying to think of something NFL related to write about this time but I'm watching college football as I write. Call it inspiration, or laziness, or whatever - but here are some thoughts on the state of college football.
- Not many, if any, of you who will read this will agree, but I think college football is was more exciting and interesting to watch than the NFL. Maybe it's because I've watched the college game for two more years than the NFL, but I honestly think the games are more exciting. Every single game a team plays matters - though a little less so with the new playoff system, but still important - and you genuinely never know when an upset is going to occur. Boise State beating Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl (with the Statue of Liberty play no less!) and Appalachian State going into The Big House to defeat Michigan (also in 2007, with Michigan ranked #5 at the time) are two examples of two of the best upsets in football of all time. Upsets in the NFL feel less-fulfilling since, you know, they're all professionals and get paid to play football. I love the NFL, I just love the college game a little bit more.
- One reason college football is a little more exciting this year is the start of a brand new playoff system to determine a "true national champion"! College football is a game of tradition if anything else. The Pac-1o Champ plays the Big-10 Champ in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State and Michigan have and always will hate each other. And every conference has an association with the (now) way too many bowl games that exist. The bowl games have been in place for ever and the Associated Press (until near the end of the BCS era) has determined the top 25 teams in the country basically since teams started playing. Despite not playing a role in the BCS (who can blame them really) and not really factoring into the new playoff rankings, the AP Poll still matters to a lot of people. The problem with that system was that the top two teams in the country never got a chance to play each other in a bowl game to determine the winner. Enter the BCS where we had computers picking the best two teams in the country (after the AP rightfully did not want to be associated with this nonsense). I'm really excited for a college playoff. It just needs to be bigger and I think it will be soon. Let's also hope that the selection committee does an adequate job of selecting the four participants for this year.
- The "experts" tasked to join football's answer to the March Madness Selection Committee recently released their first poll of the season. There's not much to argue with, with it being the initial ranking, since only the final ranking in December will matter - but there's definitely an inherent love of the SEC in these rankings. I know most people who follow both college and pro football think the SEC should just swap places with the AFC South, but the league isn't so much better than the other conferences that those one-loss second place SEC teams should be ranked so much higher than one-loss conference leaders. I think they're setting it up so that a potential one or two loss SEC Champ - and possible a one loss SEC team that doesn't participate in the conference championship game - definitely gets in. I'm one, of many, who think that the college football playoff should only be open to conference champions.
- Speaking of conference champions, I should disclose that I'm a huge Notre Dame fan. You probably hate me a little bit more right now. Despite my fandom, it's time for Notre Dame to join a fucking conference in football. They've already jumped ship from the (now defunct) Big East and have joined the ACC in all other sports. In turn they have made the ACC a mightier powerhouse when it comes to college lacrosse. So just join the conference in football already! Yeah, it doesn't make sense in terms of geography, but the college football geographical landscape has changed a lot over the last few years. In fact, no more independents at all! Every team should join a fucking conference! There are ten conferences (with four independent schools) in the FBS division (Division I, i.e. major college sports). If every team joined a conference and every conference had a championship game, then college football could have a ten-team playoff using some of the current bowl games for playoff match-ups and the top two teams could get a bye. If my math doesn't work out, let the two highest ranked conference game losers in as wildcards and give us a twelve team college playoff! I don't think I'm the only fan who wants to see this.
- A lot of you, even if you don't follow the college game, have heard the name Jameis Winston. He's the defending Heisman winner and widely perceived to be the best player at the college level. He's not. Despite being undefeated (so far) as a starter at Florida State, he makes too many poor decisions. He threw three more interceptions against Louisville on Thursday night (giving him nine so far this year - he threw ten last year when he won the Heisman) and he tends to lock onto his primary receiver or decide to scramble if that guy isn't open. Some people think he's comparable to Cam Newton - I think he's more comparable to Vince Young. He's incredibly immature and thinks he's better than he is because he's treated like a god on his campus. He's going to make an NFL Head Coach and GM regret taking him next April.
- Why do we still pretend that college football players are student athletes when announcers constantly refer to first year players as rookies? They're freshmen - either true freshmen or redshirt freshmen - certainly not rookies.
- I find it humorous that juniors and seniors in college are praised for their game experience but when they reach the NFL commentators note their lack of experience as rookies. Hence the term "rookie mistakes". I know it takes time to adjust to the speed of the NFL, but this is their livelihood and they aren't as inexperienced as commentators lead you to believe.
- I'm watching the TCU-WVU game as I write this and I can honestly say this is the best game I've watched in a while. Both teams are hailed for their offensive ability - TCU had the #1 offense in the nation coming into this game - but the defenses have stolen the show. WVU has played an aggressive defensive scheme. While it hasn't always worked out, it's been awesome to watch when it has. Update: TCU won this game with a field goal as time expired to keep their playoff hopes alive. Great and exciting game!
- Speaking of two Big-12 teams, the conference is underrated and will probably be left out of the first college playoff. That's what happens when you lose a few teams and can't play a conference championship game. Meanwhile, the Big-10 is properly rated (it sucks) and will also probably miss out on the playoff.
- My top four teams as of right now that should be in the playoff? 1 - Mississippi State, 2 - Florida State (they should have lost to Notre Dame but, alas, they are undefeated - for now), 3 - Oregon, 4 - Michigan State. Notre Dame is out because, again, you should win a conference to be in the playoff! That last sentence hurt to write.
- Notre Dame plays Navy tonight. The Fighting Irish are coming off a tough loss to Florida State (again, a game they should have won) and a bye. Navy typically plays them tough but I don't think the game will be close. Instead I'll be paying more attention to Stanford vs. Oregon and Auburn vs. Ole Miss. Stanford/Oregon is a classic old school vs. new school game. Oregon's offense is fast and is innovating even the pro game while Stanford can run and plays stout defense. Auburn/Ole Miss is basically an elimination game for the playoff, based on the current rankings. Update: Stanford/Oregon was a blowout. Notre Dame/Navy was much closer. A little too close for comfort. Glad I mostly stuck with the Notre Dame game.
Thanks for staying with me throughout this. Please leave your thoughts and/or comments below. Also, if there's an interest, I'll do a future post on my idea for a college football playoff that I came up with back in college. Fuck it, I'll end up doing it even if there's no interest.
Anyway, I was trying to think of something NFL related to write about this time but I'm watching college football as I write. Call it inspiration, or laziness, or whatever - but here are some thoughts on the state of college football.
- Not many, if any, of you who will read this will agree, but I think college football is was more exciting and interesting to watch than the NFL. Maybe it's because I've watched the college game for two more years than the NFL, but I honestly think the games are more exciting. Every single game a team plays matters - though a little less so with the new playoff system, but still important - and you genuinely never know when an upset is going to occur. Boise State beating Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl (with the Statue of Liberty play no less!) and Appalachian State going into The Big House to defeat Michigan (also in 2007, with Michigan ranked #5 at the time) are two examples of two of the best upsets in football of all time. Upsets in the NFL feel less-fulfilling since, you know, they're all professionals and get paid to play football. I love the NFL, I just love the college game a little bit more.
- One reason college football is a little more exciting this year is the start of a brand new playoff system to determine a "true national champion"! College football is a game of tradition if anything else. The Pac-1o Champ plays the Big-10 Champ in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State and Michigan have and always will hate each other. And every conference has an association with the (now) way too many bowl games that exist. The bowl games have been in place for ever and the Associated Press (until near the end of the BCS era) has determined the top 25 teams in the country basically since teams started playing. Despite not playing a role in the BCS (who can blame them really) and not really factoring into the new playoff rankings, the AP Poll still matters to a lot of people. The problem with that system was that the top two teams in the country never got a chance to play each other in a bowl game to determine the winner. Enter the BCS where we had computers picking the best two teams in the country (after the AP rightfully did not want to be associated with this nonsense). I'm really excited for a college playoff. It just needs to be bigger and I think it will be soon. Let's also hope that the selection committee does an adequate job of selecting the four participants for this year.
- The "experts" tasked to join football's answer to the March Madness Selection Committee recently released their first poll of the season. There's not much to argue with, with it being the initial ranking, since only the final ranking in December will matter - but there's definitely an inherent love of the SEC in these rankings. I know most people who follow both college and pro football think the SEC should just swap places with the AFC South, but the league isn't so much better than the other conferences that those one-loss second place SEC teams should be ranked so much higher than one-loss conference leaders. I think they're setting it up so that a potential one or two loss SEC Champ - and possible a one loss SEC team that doesn't participate in the conference championship game - definitely gets in. I'm one, of many, who think that the college football playoff should only be open to conference champions.
- Speaking of conference champions, I should disclose that I'm a huge Notre Dame fan. You probably hate me a little bit more right now. Despite my fandom, it's time for Notre Dame to join a fucking conference in football. They've already jumped ship from the (now defunct) Big East and have joined the ACC in all other sports. In turn they have made the ACC a mightier powerhouse when it comes to college lacrosse. So just join the conference in football already! Yeah, it doesn't make sense in terms of geography, but the college football geographical landscape has changed a lot over the last few years. In fact, no more independents at all! Every team should join a fucking conference! There are ten conferences (with four independent schools) in the FBS division (Division I, i.e. major college sports). If every team joined a conference and every conference had a championship game, then college football could have a ten-team playoff using some of the current bowl games for playoff match-ups and the top two teams could get a bye. If my math doesn't work out, let the two highest ranked conference game losers in as wildcards and give us a twelve team college playoff! I don't think I'm the only fan who wants to see this.
- A lot of you, even if you don't follow the college game, have heard the name Jameis Winston. He's the defending Heisman winner and widely perceived to be the best player at the college level. He's not. Despite being undefeated (so far) as a starter at Florida State, he makes too many poor decisions. He threw three more interceptions against Louisville on Thursday night (giving him nine so far this year - he threw ten last year when he won the Heisman) and he tends to lock onto his primary receiver or decide to scramble if that guy isn't open. Some people think he's comparable to Cam Newton - I think he's more comparable to Vince Young. He's incredibly immature and thinks he's better than he is because he's treated like a god on his campus. He's going to make an NFL Head Coach and GM regret taking him next April.
- Why do we still pretend that college football players are student athletes when announcers constantly refer to first year players as rookies? They're freshmen - either true freshmen or redshirt freshmen - certainly not rookies.
- I find it humorous that juniors and seniors in college are praised for their game experience but when they reach the NFL commentators note their lack of experience as rookies. Hence the term "rookie mistakes". I know it takes time to adjust to the speed of the NFL, but this is their livelihood and they aren't as inexperienced as commentators lead you to believe.
- I'm watching the TCU-WVU game as I write this and I can honestly say this is the best game I've watched in a while. Both teams are hailed for their offensive ability - TCU had the #1 offense in the nation coming into this game - but the defenses have stolen the show. WVU has played an aggressive defensive scheme. While it hasn't always worked out, it's been awesome to watch when it has. Update: TCU won this game with a field goal as time expired to keep their playoff hopes alive. Great and exciting game!
- Speaking of two Big-12 teams, the conference is underrated and will probably be left out of the first college playoff. That's what happens when you lose a few teams and can't play a conference championship game. Meanwhile, the Big-10 is properly rated (it sucks) and will also probably miss out on the playoff.
- My top four teams as of right now that should be in the playoff? 1 - Mississippi State, 2 - Florida State (they should have lost to Notre Dame but, alas, they are undefeated - for now), 3 - Oregon, 4 - Michigan State. Notre Dame is out because, again, you should win a conference to be in the playoff! That last sentence hurt to write.
- Notre Dame plays Navy tonight. The Fighting Irish are coming off a tough loss to Florida State (again, a game they should have won) and a bye. Navy typically plays them tough but I don't think the game will be close. Instead I'll be paying more attention to Stanford vs. Oregon and Auburn vs. Ole Miss. Stanford/Oregon is a classic old school vs. new school game. Oregon's offense is fast and is innovating even the pro game while Stanford can run and plays stout defense. Auburn/Ole Miss is basically an elimination game for the playoff, based on the current rankings. Update: Stanford/Oregon was a blowout. Notre Dame/Navy was much closer. A little too close for comfort. Glad I mostly stuck with the Notre Dame game.
Thanks for staying with me throughout this. Please leave your thoughts and/or comments below. Also, if there's an interest, I'll do a future post on my idea for a college football playoff that I came up with back in college. Fuck it, I'll end up doing it even if there's no interest.
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