Joe Smith's impressive debut has Lions' fans giddy about BC's running game. With 138 yards on 16 carries, 26 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns in his debut as a starter, you can see why. But don't cast Antonio Warren loose just yet.
Has Warren been good this season? No.
Is Warren irreplaceable? No.
But here's why the Lions should keep him, at least for now. This is the same running back that ripped off 160 yards against the Argonauts in the 2004 Grey Cup. He's also the same guy that churned out nearly 2200 yards in combined yardage last season. And despite his well-publicized whiff against the Riders two weeks ago, he rarely misses a block. You just don't cut a guy like that after 1 impressive performance by his backup.
Remember Willie Hurst? How about Eddie Linscomb? Well, I do. Both cracked the 100 yard plateau for the Lions when each had a chance to start in the past few seasons. It was the only time either accomplished the feat. One performance does not a career make.
Joe Smith may prove to be the best back of the bunch. But even he knows that teams will be better prepared for him after seeing him tear up the Stampeders. Even though Smith made a heck of a touchdown catch in traffic against Calgary, Warren is still a more dangerous weapon in the passing game. Choosing Smith means choosing to alter the offense. Is that something the receiver-depleted Lions are prepared to do after one big game? And given Aaron Lockett's injury issues in the past, keeping a reliable returner in Warren sounds like a pretty good idea. Especially given Smith's fumble trouble on kickoff returns this season.
By turfing veteran corner Sam Young four games into the season, Wally Buono has already shown that he subscribes to the "What Have You Done for Me Lately?" theory. But patience is a virtue and until he gathers more evidence, he'd be best to exercise it with Warren.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Head-Butt No Shocker Even in Soccer
No, the red-haired Italian (25% by blood if you're scoring at home) is not here to gloat about Italy's World Cup win on the weekend. Like everyone else, I'm talkin' Zizou.
There's plenty of uproar this week about the Head-Butt Seen 'Round the World. Finding someone who condones Zinedane Zidane's violent decision to bulldoze Marco Materazzi is tougher than finding an NBA player without a tattoo. But for all of those saying, "I can't believe such a thing could happen!", give me a break. Sorry, but I'm just not surprised.
Before you rattle off Zidane's jaw-dropping resume of accommplishments (which includes a history of emotionally induced cards and suspensions, I might add), hear me out. If you look at the nature of professional sports on this planet, it's hardly surprising that this occurred. From Todd Bertuzzi's punch on Steve Moore to Ron Artest's foray into the crowd in Detroit to Bill Romanowski's facial assault on teammate Marcus Williams in training camp, sports is filled with appalling, violent transgressions.
Why? Pretty simple if you ask me. Most pro sports allow athletes to engage in actions that would land them in jail or at least significant trouble if they committed those actions in everyday life. A helmet and pads pretty much pass for a license to abuse an opponent. Don't believe me? Try facewashing the guy who budded in line at the bar and see what happens to you. Yet if a defenceman employs similar treatment to a forward deemed too close to the goalie, it doesn't even constitute a penalty in hockey. Or perhaps you want to pancake the dude holding an empty parking spot on a busy street while his pal pulls a u-turn to grab it. An assault charge in real life is a great block on a weak side toss.
The point is that pro sports already permit their players to cross lines that exist in the real world, so it's hard to gauge how these athletes will react in times of heightened agression. A guy makes a crude remark about your 10 year old daughter? You run him so hard into the boards that you take a 2 minute charging penalty. Try that on Granville street and you'd better call a lawyer. Is it any wonder that players who've been coached to physically impose themselves on one another end up pushing past the level of accepted violence on occasion?
That doesn't mean I condone Zidane ramming his noggin into Materazzi's chest. I'd like to think that an adult can shrug off any verbal ammunition fired his way. But I'm a realist, not an idealist. Sports is no different than any other walk of life. You've got your even-keeled folks mixed in with an element of hot-tempered individuals. So if you want to wave your finger at Zidane for his unforgettable melon-missile on Materazzi, go ahead. Just wipe the shocked expression off your face.
There's plenty of uproar this week about the Head-Butt Seen 'Round the World. Finding someone who condones Zinedane Zidane's violent decision to bulldoze Marco Materazzi is tougher than finding an NBA player without a tattoo. But for all of those saying, "I can't believe such a thing could happen!", give me a break. Sorry, but I'm just not surprised.
Before you rattle off Zidane's jaw-dropping resume of accommplishments (which includes a history of emotionally induced cards and suspensions, I might add), hear me out. If you look at the nature of professional sports on this planet, it's hardly surprising that this occurred. From Todd Bertuzzi's punch on Steve Moore to Ron Artest's foray into the crowd in Detroit to Bill Romanowski's facial assault on teammate Marcus Williams in training camp, sports is filled with appalling, violent transgressions.
Why? Pretty simple if you ask me. Most pro sports allow athletes to engage in actions that would land them in jail or at least significant trouble if they committed those actions in everyday life. A helmet and pads pretty much pass for a license to abuse an opponent. Don't believe me? Try facewashing the guy who budded in line at the bar and see what happens to you. Yet if a defenceman employs similar treatment to a forward deemed too close to the goalie, it doesn't even constitute a penalty in hockey. Or perhaps you want to pancake the dude holding an empty parking spot on a busy street while his pal pulls a u-turn to grab it. An assault charge in real life is a great block on a weak side toss.
The point is that pro sports already permit their players to cross lines that exist in the real world, so it's hard to gauge how these athletes will react in times of heightened agression. A guy makes a crude remark about your 10 year old daughter? You run him so hard into the boards that you take a 2 minute charging penalty. Try that on Granville street and you'd better call a lawyer. Is it any wonder that players who've been coached to physically impose themselves on one another end up pushing past the level of accepted violence on occasion?
That doesn't mean I condone Zidane ramming his noggin into Materazzi's chest. I'd like to think that an adult can shrug off any verbal ammunition fired his way. But I'm a realist, not an idealist. Sports is no different than any other walk of life. You've got your even-keeled folks mixed in with an element of hot-tempered individuals. So if you want to wave your finger at Zidane for his unforgettable melon-missile on Materazzi, go ahead. Just wipe the shocked expression off your face.
Monday, July 03, 2006
Getting That Quarter Back
Two wins in three games is nothing to hang your head about. But if you're anything like me, you're a little bit concerned about the BC Lions these days.
Some people will tell you that a win is a win. And I know that it's early in the season. But the Lions' lack of finish late in the game has me watching this team very closely. The fourth quarter collapse in Saskatchewan raised a few eyebrows. The near folding-of-the-tent against the Argos last Friday was nearly as disastrous. And though the Leos escaped with the "W", you have to wonder where the team's confidence is right now.
Don't get me wrong. When the Lions have been on, they've looked like the class of the CFL. Dave Dickenson is slashing up secondaries like an Enron exec shredding documents. Geroy Simon catching passes like Paris Hilton at Naval base in Siberia. And BC's D has gone through stretches where they've been stingier than the woman who works the media meal at BC Place (she treats each cookie on the tray like a child you're to trying adopt... good luck getting more than one).
But the lack of killer instinct in the fourth quarter is concerning. Sure it's early in the season and you want to be playing your best football after Labour Day, but the foundation for winning starts early in the year. Bad habits are tough to break. Let a team comeback and beat you once, and you start to wonder if it's going to happen again. Players need to feel that somehow they will find a way to get the victory, not the alternative. Athletes will tell you that winning is all about making plays. But really it's about confidence. When you've got it, those game-changing plays somehow get made. When you don't, they don't. It's that simple.
When the Lions travel to Edmonton this week, I guarantee that someone drops the "we need to play a full 60 minutes" when asked the monotonous question regarding the key to beating the Eskimos. But I'm more interested in seeing how they play the final 15.
Some people will tell you that a win is a win. And I know that it's early in the season. But the Lions' lack of finish late in the game has me watching this team very closely. The fourth quarter collapse in Saskatchewan raised a few eyebrows. The near folding-of-the-tent against the Argos last Friday was nearly as disastrous. And though the Leos escaped with the "W", you have to wonder where the team's confidence is right now.
Don't get me wrong. When the Lions have been on, they've looked like the class of the CFL. Dave Dickenson is slashing up secondaries like an Enron exec shredding documents. Geroy Simon catching passes like Paris Hilton at Naval base in Siberia. And BC's D has gone through stretches where they've been stingier than the woman who works the media meal at BC Place (she treats each cookie on the tray like a child you're to trying adopt... good luck getting more than one).
But the lack of killer instinct in the fourth quarter is concerning. Sure it's early in the season and you want to be playing your best football after Labour Day, but the foundation for winning starts early in the year. Bad habits are tough to break. Let a team comeback and beat you once, and you start to wonder if it's going to happen again. Players need to feel that somehow they will find a way to get the victory, not the alternative. Athletes will tell you that winning is all about making plays. But really it's about confidence. When you've got it, those game-changing plays somehow get made. When you don't, they don't. It's that simple.
When the Lions travel to Edmonton this week, I guarantee that someone drops the "we need to play a full 60 minutes" when asked the monotonous question regarding the key to beating the Eskimos. But I'm more interested in seeing how they play the final 15.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
