High Point Hires Strength Coach

Strength CoachWell, I started this whole thing with the idea of writing about High Point University athletics. So I finally have something to write about with HPU in mind.High Point University just announced the hiring of an athletic strength and conditioning coach. Matt Jennings will now work along with all of the head coaches to build championships at HPU. This was much needed and well over due. It is hard for me to understand how HPU was expected to compete with just the simple knowledge from the head coaches when it came to lifting weights.I find problems with the old scenario that are now corrected with the new hire of Jennings. First off, instead of spending time drafting plays, recruiting players, watching game film, figuring out game plans, etc. HPU coaches were working on their players’ strength. Of course, this probably didn’t take up as much time as I like to think it could have. I’m sure Bart Lundy, men’s basketball coach, did not lose recruits to UNC-A because he had to work on Cruz Daniels’, sophomore center, lack of strength. But this is something that needed to be addressed.Let’s look at the men’s basketball team first. Gerald Minnis is a nice wide body for the post and has good size for Big South competition. He holds his own very well and rebounds nicely. Arizona, AZ, Reid obviously has the strength to compete against HPU’s opponents. He was one of two players nationally to have an average of 20 points and 9 rebounds; the other one was drafted by Seattle Supersonics in the first round, second pick. I forget his name…So HPU had two starters that were at competition level last year. Daniels has a whole bevy of talent and it will be interesting next year. He has the size (6’11”) and the will to exceed. Now he will have the chance to have the strength to not only out reach opponents for rebounds and blocks but also out muscle. I can’t wait to see his development this upcoming year under Jennings.Let’s go to a few women’s sports at HPU to examine this hire. The women’s soccer team had a not impressive year last time on the pitch. This year they will have the chance to close games out with this new coaching role available. You would have to think that the conditioning part of new job will kick in for many sports and soccer is a long game to play. The basketball team definitely had problems closing games out and they should look to improve with the help of head coach Tooey Loy and the expertise of Jennings.All around this is money well spent by the athletic department. Many people have been critical of some decisions made by athletic director Dr. Woody Gibson. This is one that cannot be disputed. This will be an all around good idea.Matt Jennings, the 411

ESPN, The Mike and Mike network

So I have stayed away from the blogosphere when it comes to the controversial issues that are in the sports world today. It is hard for me to give an opinion that is any different then what you read, hear and see. But I do watch and listen to many different podcasts and television shows.

I listen to Mike and Mike in the Morning along with Mike and the Mad Dog from WFAN. These are four guys on the radio that have influence on a good portion of the sports world. Mike and the Mad Dog have been on WFAN in New York for a while. They are on YES now during the day.

Then the other two I have mentioned, Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic are on ESPN Radio and ESPN2. They now are on the AFL Game of the Week and the Arena Bowl, they have a new set for their morning show, and they are mentioned in numerous shows on ESPN especially for their Greeny Milking the Cow bit. Now ESPN has taken their “stars” to new levels. Greeny and Golic now have made the jump to 6 pm Sportscenter. Oh vey!

I watch Sportscenter religiously. I was very disappointed to see Golic on with Greenberg on there yester night. It was rough. Greeny and Golic have an interesting chemistry on the morning show. I’m tired of seeing them together on everything else now. Let them do their best show on the morning show. Let Golic do what he does best as an analyst for football. Let Greenberg do what he does best on Sportscenter. Don’t make Golic do the 6 pm Sportscenter! That is making an absurdity of the show now. The worst part, this wasn’t ESPN’s first mistake with these two…

Poor Greenberg was put on “Who’s Now?” for the second round of their ridiculous ongoing segment. The analysts for first round were Keyshawn Johnson, Kirk Herbstreet and Mike Wilbon. Those are three people that understand the sports world from being an athlete, college level and profession, and a writer. Greenberg got the luck of the draw with Kevin James and Jessica Biel. Biel has appeal for a male so that isn’t bad. Then halfway through the second round, they went to someone who was more clueless about the sports world than her, Adam Sandler. Greenberg sits there and barely talks because it is filled with James and Sandler saying the dumbest things about these “now” athletes. Biel was better than those two. The one, who knows the most about sports, sits there like an idiot wondering why he is there then counting his dollar bills right to the bank.

The only good part about Who’s Now? is the fact that Greenberg and Golic actually did something apart. Please, ESPN, let the two do their best work together then do their other best things apart! Why ruin Greenberg by putting Golic up there and vice versa? I think ESPN is hoping these two become like Dan Patrick and Keith Olberman were. Get ready for the afternoon shift in radio next…oh vey!

A Mid Summer Night's Classic

So the MLB All Star game ended with the excitement that Bud Selig wants. If you could stay up to watch the game (East Coast watchers), it was quite worth it. To actually think the NL would finally take a victory in 11 tries, coming up short in one and a push in another, was worth the lack of sleep. This All Star “weekend” had some major excitement that all of the talking heads, that I soon hope to be one, wanted to share. I figured I would go into some of their rants as well.

Rant 1: Barry Bonds
I do not believe he had a commitment to the fans of MLB to be in the Home Run Derby. I also do not believe he had a commitment to the great city of San Francisco to be in it either. I think of it this way, which one is greater? Watching Barry Bonds put balls in McCovey Cove for one night or watching him do it for the rest of the season? Let’s remember he is 40+ years old and can barely play a full week. Now we want him to swing for the fences the whole night. He talks about making throws into home have a strain on his body, let the guy take a night off. He was still there. He did an interview. He even hosted a party with Jay Z supposedly. I think my invite was lost in the mail. If he would’ve been in the Derby and hurt himself we would’ve cried for weeks about how he shouldn’t have been in there. Yes, I would love to see him launch them into the dark water behind the fences. But if I were a San Fran fan I would love to see him launch 757 into the water instead of 7 in one night…

Rant 2: Bud Selig
So Bud hasn’t made up his mind if he is going to follow Bonds around for the record-breaking home run. What if Barry hits two in one night? What if he hits three or four? No one knows when a home run will occur. That is the beauty of one. They can happen three times a game or none. When you go to a basketball game with King James on the court I can guarantee a dunk. When you see Bonds on the field I cannot say without a doubt a ball will go over the fence. So now talking heads want Selig to follow Bonds around the country waiting for this magical ball to go over. It could take weeks, it could take a day, that is why a home run is so special compared to a dunk. The other team might have to call the commissioner one day and say, “Hey, Commish, we are planning on walking Bonds this whole game so don’t bother showing up.”

The only thing Selig and baseball have to do is celebrate the actually occurrence of the record breaking. Do I think Selig should go to a few of the games when it is close? Yes I do. Just like he went to games when McGuire was going for the single season record. But Big Mac was in a prime time of his career, where balls where flying out at an alarming rate. Bonds doesn’t have that same sense of regularity anymore. He doesn’t have the luxury he did 4 years ago of saying, “yeah there is a good chance a ball will go out.” Selig needs to be there when he comes back home and they have a huge ceremony for him. I think Hank Aaron should be there but doesn’t have to be like Selig. But do say Selig has a responsibility to follow Bonds is to say your boss should follow you the next time you mark a career high in whatever you do. Your boss has better things to do than watch you non-stop. Should you boss check in on you? Yes. Should Selig check in on Bonds? I think we know that answer.

Rant 3: AL is better
I find it hard to believe that there is such a discrepancy in the two leagues that make up the great Major League Baseball. The American League has won Interleague play many times over and the All Star game has been theirs for way too long. But can we say they are better? It is hard to tell. When players switch leagues they don’t find alarming success. Cough cough Barry Zito. Cough cough Jarred Weaver. How about someone like Nomo or Kevin Brown do well in both leagues. I think the play and the game are a little different in both leagues. I like watching NL baseball much more than an AL game. The pitchers are more of a baseball player by hitting and they seem to field their position more with small ball (bunts, etc.) I think it is impressive to see Carlos Zambrano pitch hit or Dontrelle Willis take one yard. The play is just different. I think there are more power pitchers in the AL. I think there is more finesse in the NL. Better? Ehhh, I go with different.

Ok, I think I’m done with my three rants for now. Needless to say, the play was phenomenal and I enjoyed watching the All Stars duke it out, in the words of Mike Greenberg, in the “mid summer night’s classic.”

First Call

Here it is, the first of hopefully many posts.

Today was the big announcement of Dan Patrick leaving ESPN.  Ever since I was a child I wanted to be a sports caster and have watched ESPN.  Dan Patrick has been on ESPN for 18 years.  I’m only 19 so you can figure out the math.

Patrick leaving ESPN is definitely a passing of time for the network.  He was one of the old school guys that helped steer the network to its prominance it has today.  He has done amazing things there and should be rewarded for that.  Well, according to everyone else.

I do believe Dan Patrick is an all time great when it comes to sports casters.  Although, I also blame him for the reasons why it is increasingly harder to watch ESPN.  He helped make “The Big Show” more about him and Keith Olbermann than the highlights they gave.  With his catch phrases (“en fuego”) to his ability to get the best out of his guests (David Stern during the NBA 2007 Western Conference Finals) he made sports not just wins and losses but more entertainment.

Yes Patrick is responsible for making SportsCenter and ESPN not only just a show that sports fans watch but part of the culture itself.  Patrick also was able to transcend the sports world by doing Good Morning America and asked to do the Price is Right.  But also reponsible for making the E (Entertainment) in ESPN bigger than the S (Sports).

I have a lot to learn in the business being only a student.  Dan Patrick is a great to learn from, for more than one reason, good and bad.