Martin Downes

UFC 143: Someone is Getting Slapped

2012-02-03T15:59:00.006-06:00

The day that the mixed martial arts world has been waiting for since the beginning of time is here, Nick Diaz fighting for the (interim) welterweight championship of the world. UFC 144 was originally headlined by Diaz and George St. Pierre in what would be one of my dream matches but Carlos Condit is more than an adequate fill-in.

If it’s possible I highly recommend watching the Primetime special on Diaz and Condit. It provides an in depth look at two fighters outside the Octagon. This main event needs to deliver, especially after a disappointing UFC on Fox 2 card that caused Dana White to skip the press conference.

Prediction Time:

Prediction Record:

Last week: 2-1 Year: 7-5

Ed Herman versus Clifford Starks

Herman has been in the UFC since his days on The Ultimate Fighter 3. He is someone that always narrowly avoids being cut, compiling a 6-5 record that includes two separate back to back losses. After sustaining a knee injury in 2009 against Aaron Simpson, Herman has looked like a different fighter with back to back first round stoppages.

I saw Starks make his UFC debut in person at UFC 137 and I came away less than impressed. In his defense, he took the fight two weeks after his previous fight and it was his UFC debut. Starks’ best chance in this fight is ground Herman with relentless take downs and grind out a decision.

I like Herman’s determination and experience here as he hands Starks his first loss.

Herman by Submission round 1.

Renan Barão versus Scott Jorgensen

Barão has been on an absolute tear since his pro debut in 2005 and will be looking to extend his unbeaten streak to 29. He is a training partner of Jose Aldo, last seen partying here, and has skills on the ground and on his feet. I also like the reach advantage Barão will have in this fight but the concern for Barão is that he hasn’t fought on nearly as many big fights as Jorgensen.

If it wasn’t for the main event, this match-up would be my guess for Fight of The Night. Jorgensen has been on a roll, going 7-1 in his last 8 fights with his only loss to current champion Dominick Cruz. Jorgensen has heavy hands, look at his KO from guard against Ken Stone, and tremendous wrestling. He has been on a mainstay as a top 5 bantamweight for quite some time and will be looking to prove he is not a gatekeeper for the division.

I see Jorgensen trying to get this fight to the ground and leaving an opening that Barão takes advantage of.

Barão Submission round 2

Mike Pierce versus Josh Koscheck

This fight at first glance seems like a huge mismatch. I think that is a huge disservice to Mike Pierce. His only losses are to top contenders Jon Fitch and Johny Hendricks, two guys who he almost beat, nearly finishing Fitch and a close decision to Hendricks.

Koscheck bounced from his title to GSP with a first round KO against legend Matt Hughes. I think he has shaken off the effects from his eye injury and will be using this to get back to a title shot. My one concern was that Koscheck would take this fight too lightly but based on the fact that Pierce called him out I think Koascheck will be looking to prove a point.

Koscheck Unanimous Decision 30-27

Fabricio Werdum versus Roy Nelson

Werdum hasn’t been in the octagon since a Junior dos Santos sent him to Strikeforce. He had success, going 3-1 including his 2010 upset of the year against Fedor Emalianenko. In his fight against Overeem, Werdum won some of the standup exchanges, but decided to pull guard every twenty second for some reason.

Roy Nelson is an interesting character in the MMA world. He has a great ground game but his conditioning is definitely a question mark larger than his waistline. Nelson does have a chance to end this standing. Werdum was rocked by a right hand, something Nelson has a very good one of, against Fedor before pulling off the submission.

Ultimately this fight come downs to conditioning and I see Nelson wearing down after first.

Werdum Unanimous decision 29-28

Carlos Condit versus Nick Diaz

Whenever these two fighters step in the cage it is likely they are leaving the cage with a bonus. Now, you put them against each other, guaranteed fireworks.

Condit comes from one of the best camp's in MMA so you know he will be prepared for this one. He may not be on Nick's level on the ground but he is a purple belt and has 13 submission wins so he's no slouch.

His last three fights have been entertaining, featuring a come from behind victory against "The next GSP" Rory MacDonald, and two highlight reel knockouts against Dan Hardy and Stun Gun. The last WEC champion definitely has earned this match up…

against the last Strikeforce champion Diaz. I try my best to stay neutral when writing these previews but I am not going to try to hide my Diaz fan-boyism My walls are full of 2-0-9 scribbles and may utter the phrase "Don't be scared, home" from time to time.

Diaz is a scrapper and goes to finish fights. He fights by "Stockton rules" so you know he is not looking to win on points. His boxing is tremendous, has an iron chin and is elite on the ground. The problem with his fighting style is that he takes a lot of punishment in order to strike the way he likes. Diaz has to be concerned with Condit's finishing power.

This fight is going to be a barn burner and actually from an entertainment value I prefer this one to either one of them against GSP.

Diaz TKO 4th Round.

Hes coming for you George!
credit: MMAmania.com

I would be an awful person if I did not wish a fond farewell to the gladiator man made famous by the UFC introductions. After many years of service the gladiator is now retired in favor of a brand new, highly expensive introduction.

First the Internet people, now the Gladiator intro,
who's the next victim of Emperor Dana.

If you liked this article please leave a comment below and vote on the poll to the right. Also, as stated above, I started a weekly podcast called Split Decision on http://www.sportsgeeksusa.com/ with my friend Ryan Penney. Please follow myself and the show on Twitter. We will recap all the fights and news in the MMA world while also interviewing fighters, promoters and trainers.

UFC on Fox 2: Put up or Shut up

2012-01-28T16:02:00.000-06:00

The UFC is certainly on a roll. Every card in recent memory has delivered and their transition to their new networks has worked out tremendously. UFC on FX was a complete success by any measure. There were slick submissions, devastating knockouts, and a bantamweight scrap that everyone could appreciate. Also, it was used as a lead in to the Diaz-Condit Primetime special which I encourage everyone to check out.

This weekend is a card that I have been looking forward to for a while, UFC on Fox 2. Their inaugural card on Fox featured only one minute of fighting in the hour time slot, thanks Junior dos Santos. This time around Dana White has put together a triple header that he hopes to entertain a group of new fans.

Every fight card has its own storyline. This one is clearly trash talk. No, not the hardcore punk band from Sacramento, but due to recent card changes, fighters' verbal sparring has taken the headlines. Rashad Evans has said some things that may have crossed the line, but clearly he does not respect his opponent in Phil Davis.

In the co-main event Michael Bisping has held his own against Chael Sonnen, the pound for pound trash talk champion. If these fights can come close to matching the verbal battles, we will certainly be memorable.

Prediction time
Josh Neer spoiled my perfect predictions with his win last week but progress is being made. This week' card only features three main card fights so it shouldn't be too hard to go 3-0, right?

Demian Maia versus Chris Weidman

When Weidman was announced as the last minute opponent for Maia I was excited. He was a fighter I picked as a break out guy in 2012 on my Split Decision, my weekly MMA show, but I was surprised to see him as the Vegas favorite.

Maia has only been stopped by Mark Munoz and Nate Marquardt, two guys with better striking and more power than Weidman. I see this as a ground battle that goes on and it is hard for me to believe Weidman is in enough shape to go three rounds and get the win.

Maia by Unanimous decision.

Chael Sonnen versus Michael Bisping

Sonnen is on a mission for a rematch with Anderson Silva. He was two minutes away from the belt before Silva pulled off one of the most memorable submissions ever and Sonnen will beat up anyone who gets in his way. Saturday night that man is Michael Bisping, who is riding a 4 fight win streak.

Bisping is a huge underdog, at +325 he provides great value if you are into that whole gambling thing. While I feel that it is ridiculous there is no denying his weakness is Sonnen's greatest strength. On the feet, Bisping is superior but I doubt he will be able to keep it standing.

30-27 win for the biggest arms in the business Chael Sonnen.

Rashad Evans versus Phil Davis

Up until this past week when the words really started flying this main event was overshadowed by Sonnen-Bisping. Evans is the clear favorite in this fight and it seems like everyone is expecting him to win to set up the Jones-Evans title fight we have all been wanting.

Phil Davis is a great athlete, and despite what Evans thinks, Davis has great wrestling. But has his striking improved enough to be able to trade with Rashad to set up the takedowns? This is a huge opportunity for Davis and I will be interested to see how he reacts to the main stage.

Despite Davis' size and reach and advantage, much like Sonnen, Evans is too focused on a Jones title fight to lose this one.

Evans TKO round 3.

If you liked this article please leave a comment below and vote on the poll to the right. Also, as stated above, I started a weekly podcast called Split Decision on http://www.sportsgeeksusa.com/ with my friend Ryan Penney. Please follow myself and the show on Twitter. We will recap all the fights and news in the MMA world while also interviewing fighters, promoters and trainers.

UFC on FX 1 Storylines and Predictions

2012-01-20T10:39:00.007-06:00

The UFC is back again with another card tonight. UFC on FX 1 marks the organization’s first venture on to the network. After a successful 142 card and stealing headlines by a feud with the mother ship, this is a card that is more important than originally thought.

Many people are looking forward to next week’s card, especially given all the recent changes, but UFC on FX 1 has a few storylines that are worth keeping an eye on.

Jon Anik and Kenny Florian Debuting as the B Announcing Team.

When people turn into a UFC broadcast they expect to see Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg. They have been working together since 2002 and have a chemistry that is hard to top in all of sports.

Luckily for the UFC, they found two guys with great chemistry as well. Florian and Anik are both Boston guys who have worked together previously on MMA Live. I have been a fan of Anik since his days at ESPN hosting weekly MMA chats and he also has experience calling fights with the Bellator promotion.

Also with Florian’s career possibly coming to an end I feel this is the right move to keep Florian within the organization. Having a former fighter on the call gives the team more credibility and avoids potential awkwardness that could have resulted with an active fighter taking the job.

Fighters Fighting for Their Job

Fighters don't want to meet
Dana's new assistant.
Credit: blipitt.com

There are a lot of past and future title contenders on it. But with all this talent under the roster there is little room for error and UFC on FX 1 is full of fighters who could be on the chopping block with a loss.

Daniel Roberts is a respectable 3-3 inside the Octagon but is riding a two fight losing streak. A loss to Charlie Brenneman will likely mean his walking papers as very few fighters survive three losses in a row.

Jorge Rivera and Eric Shaefer cap off the under card in a fight that as my old friend Vin Diesel likes to say is for "pink slips." Except in this case, neither fighter wants one. Schaefer loss his comeback fight against Aaron Simpson, while Rivera has lost been defeated in his last two trips in the Octagon. Luckily, I called up Mr. Diesel and he was willing to leave some advice for the two of them.

Pat Barry and Christian Morecraft could also be in danger. Barry is a fan favorite whose fights always deliver but like I said above any fighter who loses three in a row is at risk. Morecraft, meanwhile holds a 1-2 mark inside the Octagon and with the Strikeforce heavyweights coming over soon, he needs to impress to keep his job.

Future of the Sport on the Network

The fights scheduled on this card are great for free television, however I am most excited to see how the production goes for the event. The UFC’s debut on Fox featured 64 seconds of fighting in their hour time block.

A lot of money was invested in the company as part of their new network deal and this is a huge test. This card gives them a chance to get all the kinks out for the more important, UFC on Fox 2 card network and will also help them plan for the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Prediction Time:

How do you bet against this guy?
Credit: cagedinsider.com

UFC 142 wasn't the best card for predictions as I went 2-3. But in my defense I was robbed out of the Silva call and if I posted my predictions after the weigh in drama I would have picked Belfort instead of Johnson. But I am a man of honor, unlike someone, so I’ll stick with my record.

Barry 1^st round TKO over Morecraft
Easton Unanimous decision over Papazian

Ludwig 3^rd round KO over Neer

Miller Split decision over Guillard

If you liked this article please leave a comment below and vote on the poll to the right. Also, I recently started a weekly podcast called Split Decision on http://www.sportsgeeksusa.com/ with my friend Ryan Penney. Please follow the show on Twitter. We talk about all the fights and news in the MMA world and plan on interviewing fighters, promoters and trainers.

UFC 142 Preview and Predictions

2012-01-13T15:47:00.004-06:00

Credit: memegenerator.net

This past year was a great one for the UFC. There were many highlights, the Maynard-Edgar wars, the official beginning of the Bones Jones era, the much publicized deals with Strikeforce and Fox and most importantly, Steven Segal revolutionizing the sport.

All that momentum leads to UFC 142, first event of the new year taking place tomorrow in Brazil. The card, as you would expect, features many Brazilians and is highlighted by Jose Aldo defending his featherweight title. The bout line up isn’t the most exciting on paper, which usually means these fights are going to shock everyone and deliver. Plus, with this many dynamic strikers and grapplers on the card there is sure to be at least one highlight that we will be talking about for the rest of the year.

On to the predictions…

Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim

This is a great fight to kick off the main card. These two fighters always look for the finish and deliver exciting fights. It’s the prototypical match up of striker, Barboza, a muay thai black belt, and a grappler in Etim, four submission of the night bonuses.

The key in this fight is whether or not Etim with his weak wrestling will be able to ground the heavy handed striker. This is my early pick for fight of the night. Etim has never been knocked out and won’t be this fight but will lose by unanimous decision.

Carlo Prater vs. Erick Silva

Prater who is his making his UFC debut is a late fill in for Siyar Bahadurzada. He clearly owns the experience edge, 40 fights compared to 14, and even has a win early in his career against Carlos Condit.

Silva is a prospect that many people are excited to see what he becomes, especially coming off his 40 second knockout of Luis Ramos.

I think the veteran Prater is able to use his experience to hang around for a little bit, until Silva strikes with a second round knockout and people start the comparisons to one of his trainers, that other Silva.

Mike Massenzio vs. Rousimar Palhares

Palhares’ fights are always interesting because you never know what he’s going to do in them. Whether he’s ending fights too soon or too late, they will leave people talking.

Massenzio is a junior college wrestling national champion and is also a black belt in jiu jitsu. Massenzio is capable of winning this fight but he has also had some pretty bad losses in his career (submitted by Brian Stann and TKOd by CB Dollaway.

The only question in this fight is which limb of Massenzio does Palhares want to walk away with it. I think instead of his customary heel hook Palhares switches things off and ends in the first round with a guillotine.

Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson

My first thought when I saw the booking of this fight was that the winner of this fight is going to get the knockout of the night bonus.

Johnson, making his middleweight debut, has won it twice, most recently with a head kick knock out on Charlie Brenneman.

Vitor Belfort’s hands don’t need an introduction. His last four wins have all been via knockout with three of them in the first round.

This is a huge fight for both of them. Johnson it seemed had gotten his weight under control** and was moving up the 170 pound division with two straight wins but could not turn down this fight. Belfort looked to be his old self in his last bout against Akiyama but needs to win this fight if ever hopes to fight Anderson again.

I think cardio plays a factor in this fight and I’ll take the younger, better wrestler Johnson with a third round knockout.

Champ Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes (for featherweight title)

The first title fight of 2012 could turn into 2010’stitle fight of the year. Of course, Mendes assumes the role of Chael Sonnen, minus the trash talking and minus laundering. Aldo has defeated wrestlers in the past but none as explosive as Mendes.

Jose Aldo was one of the fighters that made me fall in love with this sport. I loved the WEC days and Aldo personified them. He had some vicious knockouts and threw flying knees like they were going out of style. But something changed in him when he TKOd Mike brown for the belt. He fights a lot safer now and has looked vulnerable at times.

Mendes’ striking is what will decide how this fight goes. Obviously he does not want to stand and trade with Aldo but he needs if his always- improving striking can set up his take downs, he’ll be tough to beat. Unlike in 2010 I don’ the Brazilian will be able to pull off a submission and Mendes wins a unanimous decision 49-46.

Bonus prediction: Mendes’ win will be the first of three titles coming to the Team Alpha Male camp this year. I like Faber in the trilogy fight against Cruz and Benavidez to win the flyweight tournament.

We bring pies and take titles
Credit: http://fighterxfashion.com

**Edit: Written before Johnson's blown weight... Some things never change.

Its that time of the year...

2011-12-05T08:38:00.004-06:00

Christmas decorations are everywhere, everything has a peppermint flavor and people are complaining about the BCS. For many years, I have been a supporter of the BCS but this year I actually had some doubts.

Honey Badger doesn't
care who he plays

The thing that hurt the BCS this year I believe is that LSU is such a dominant number one team. Most years people have a couple teams who they argue who is the best team in the nation. But this year is a no doubter based on the Tigers’ impressive resume as well as losses by every other team in the nation. So, the next argument becomes who is the number two team.

There are many arguments to be made that Oklahoma State is the number two team in the nation. They have wins over three currently ranked teams in the BCS, #14 Oklahoma, #8 Kansas State, #12 Baylor, compared to two for Alabama, #6 Arkansas, #22 Penn State.

Another point I have a hard time getting past is that Oklahoma State lost on the road while Alabama lost at home. Granted, the caliber of opponent was much different between but champions take care of business at home.

The final sticking point for me is that the Cowboys won their conference championship while Alabama wasn’t even in the conference championship game. While Oklahoma State was making a statement against their rivals this weekend, Alabama was sitting at home, hoping voters remembers their lofty preseason rank and program prestige.

The Crimson Tide is riding mostly on preseason hype. A preseason #2 ranking and 14 previous national championships will earn a program that. But if voters look at who has the least damaging loss, that argument clearly favors the Crimson Tide. I cannot imagine a world where a football team loses to Iowa State and still plays for a national title.

Every game matters...
Except this year apparently

Based on the overwhelming support for OK State… I think the BCS ultimately got it right. If the goal of the BCS is to have the two best teams face each other then I guess, mission accomplished. Would I rather see LSU-Oklahoma State? Absolutely, Alabama had their shot at the Tigers, why not give Oklahoma State a chance?

Make sure to leave a comment below.
Vote on the new poll over on the right
and follow me on Twitter for all my daily ramblings.

Week 10 Ramblings

2011-11-14T07:38:00.005-06:00

After another gap in posts I figured it was time to post about this NFL season. After 10 weeks teams finally have their identities figured out but a couple questions remain.

Question #1: The Texans have the #1 seed in the AFC but can they overcome injuries of Andre Johnson and Mario Williams and maintain that seed?

Can Arian Foster run Houston
all the way to Indy?

I have been all-in on the Texans every year it seems and this year they might finally prove me right. They have clearly taken advantage of a Peyton Manningless AFC South. Plus, there is no runaway favorite in the AFC. The duo of Arian Foster and Ben Tate along with the return of Andre Johnson might push them to the top.

If Mario Williams was healthy they would be a no doubt Super Bowl contender but their lack of playoff experience might catch up to them. It’s critical for the Texans to gain home-field advantage because it will be very difficult for the Texans to win in New England, Pittsburgh, or Baltimore in January.

Question #2: Are the 49ers a legitimate threat to the Packers and the rest of the NFC to reach the Super bowl?

Does this look like a Super Bowl
winning quarterback?

My friend and I have a $50 dollar bet every year on whether or not the 49ers make the playoffs. For years, this was always worked as a nice holiday bonus for me, but for the first time since 2002 it looks like I am going to lose this bet.

At 8-1 the 49ers have to be taken seriously, but where do they rank on teams most likely to win the NFC? I’m not ready to crown them in the top three yet. They have a couple quality wins but I am far from sold on Alex Smith. After seven years Smith can’t just turn into a Super Bowl quarterback. The defense is legitimate but they are not an all-time great one and that’s what the 49ers need with Smith as QB.

Question #3: What is going on with the Dream team?

Ever since back up quarterback Vince Young gave the moniker “dream team” to the Philadelphia Eagles a target immediately was put on their backs. After this week’s loss to the Arizona ~~Cardinals~~ Larry Fitzgeralds, they are now 3-6.

Just kidding guys

Five of those losses include blown fourth quarter leads. The problems are abundant: receivers are skipping meetings, the linebackers are too inexperienced, they turn the ball over too much but I think the biggest problem is the absence of a running game.

This may seem crazy when you look at LeSean McCoy’s stats but the problem with the Eagles is they don’t have the ability to run a four minute offense. McCoy gets his yard bunches, he isn’t able to grind the clock down. This allows opponents to have a chance to come back and as we have seen this year, they usually do.

Quick thoughts:

Win or lose big ups to Andy Dalton this week in Pittsburgh. I was dead wrong about him in the draft.

The Lions must have watched too much UFC/Pacquiao this weekend, seemed like they were to win a fight, not a football game.

Brandon Wheedon jumped ahead of Andrew Luck on my fake Heisman ballot, but how will his age effect where he gets drafted?

The best fighter to never win a title

2011-10-06T15:31:00.002-05:00

It has been awhile since I've put a post together. Since my last post I have graduated and have started a great new job at AM 1530 here in Chicago. One thing that hasn't changed has my passion for sports, especially mixed martial arts. UFC 136 is this weekend and has a stacked card featuring two title fights.

Kenny Florian fights Jose Aldo in the co-main event for the featherweight title in only his second fight in the division. It is no secret that Florian has struggled in title fights in his past but this fight got me thinking where he ranks among the best fighters to never hold the belt.

For the record, I am talking about major promotions (UFC, Pride, Strikeforce), sorry EliteXC.

I finish fights... Unless its
one of those title fights.

His 12-4 record in the Octagon, 16-5 overall, is very impressive. The more interesting fact is that he came into the UFC on the first season of the Ultimate fighter as a middleweight and now finds himself fighting as a featherweight. His success has spanned multiple weight classes but at age 35 this could be Florian's last chance at a title.

He faces a very tough this weekend and I personally think he will come up short again but losing to the 145 pound version of Anderson Silva should not tarnish his legacy.

Another current fighter that deserves to be on everyone’s pound for pound rankings is Jon Fitch. His record of 23-1-1 includes 13 wins in the UFC. But despite all his success he has only been given one title shot and his next fight against Johny Hendricks probably isn't going to get him any closer one.

Fans are known to be very critical of Fitch's style of fighting which has known to out even the worst insomniac into a daze. But in the end the only stat that matters is W and Fitch has put plenty of those on the board.

The last fighter is a living legend of the sport and has the respect of everyone in the industry. Jeremy Horn has fought all over the world and his 88 wins prove how successful he has been. He has beaten Chael Sonnen three times in three different ways. Other notable names on his record include Dan Severn, Chuck Liddell, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Randy Couture and Anderson Silva.

He lost his only two chances at UFC title glory against Frank Shamrock at UFC 17 and seven years later against Liddell at UFC 54. Horn is also a great instructor as well. He has been an integral part of Matt Hughes and Rich Franklin each winning titles.

I hope to have another post up soon, comment below with what you think of the article and some UFC 136 predictions I'm off to Lincoln, Nebraska this weekend to hang out with my rugby guys and hopefully see Nebraska get their first Big Ten win.

The End of Strikeforce?

2011-08-01T13:31:00.002-05:00

Strikeforce.com

A short trip back home to Chicago over the weekend provided me with some great things: a chance to see my baby cousins get baptized, food that didn’t come from a cardboard box and most importantly, a place to watch Showtime. Saturday night I was able to watch Henderson-Fedor and I came away with one thought as Herb Dean stepped in to save the "the Last Emporer"

Does Strikeforce have as much of a chance of staying relevant as Fedor does in regaining his glory?

Strikeforce always knew it was second fiddle to the UFC, which was made even more evident when Zuffa bought them. SF always had a couple things going for them though. They built up a solid heavyweight division and hoped to have a Grand Prix. They also became the go-to organization for women’s MMA. And they had the one name the UFC could never sign in Fedor.

But, the Grand Prix has lost its luster due to Fedor’s exit in the first round and recently cutting what some people think is the world’s number one heavyweight. SF has also lost their two largest names in women’s in MMA because no one wants to fight Cyborg and Gina Carano is off becoming a movie star.

Now, Fedor has lost three in a row, their best fighter has gone over to the UFC and lost their most intriguing heavyweight, what does promotion really offer?

Coker should be scared about his future, homie

Quick question, name the male Strikeforce champions…

The answer would be:

LW: Gilbert Melendez

WW: Nick Diaz

MW: Ronaldo Souza

LHW: Dan Henderson

HW: Allistair Overeem

Effectively, SF has three vacant championships. Diaz and Overeem are no longer with the organization and Henderson is a free agent after beating Fedor over the weekend. Melendez is must see and definitely could do damage in the UFC but the average fan probably doesn’t know and isn’t paying money to see Souza.

The UFC’s plan was to originally keep SF on its own until the end of 2012 but I don’t think it can last that long. I like the Challenger series because it gives up and coming fighters a showcase along with Bellator. But with champions leaving and other top competitors already crossing over to the UFC, there are far too many question marks surrounding the organization for it to remain economically viable.

Free Agency Round-up

2011-07-28T14:11:00.008-05:00

Free agency had a very late start to due to the NFL lockout so the pressure to act quickly is as great as ever. Teams don’t have OTAs, team workouts, and a shorter period in training camp to acclimate the new free agents and rookies.

Some teams have made moves already so I thought I would highlight the ones I found notable

McNabb to Minnesota

Please not Minnesota

This is interesting move by the Vikings. Ever since their surprising pick of Christian Ponder at number 8 of the draft along with the retirement (I hope) of Favre and the departure of Tavaris Jackson (to the Seahawks) it looked like Ponder was going to battle out Joe Webb for the starting spot.

Now, the Vikings give up a 6^th round pick and have found themselves a mentor for Ponder/Webb. There are two schools of thoughts with rookie quarterbacks. The first is the Aaron Rodgers strategy where the QB sits for a couple seasons and learns the offense and eventually takes over. OR the Peyton Manning strategy where the QB starts week 1.

In Ponder’s case I like the Rodgers strategy. Ponder isn’t nearly as polished as Manning coming out of college and McNabb gives the Vikings a chance to remain competitive while Ponder learns the ropes and Webb can be used in specialty packages.

Rice to Seattle

Preview of Practice?

One person McNabb won’t be throwing to in Minnesota is Sidney Rice. Rice and teammate Tavaris Jackson have taken their talents out West to Seattle. Rice is a player that oozes with talent. His 6’4 frame allows him to compete on nearly any ball and But is 5 years and $41 million ($18.5 million guaranteed) too much? He has only had one great year – 2009: 83 passes for 1,312 yards. But he’s an injury risk only playing 16 games once and is coming off hip and knee injuries.

There is potential in pairing him with Mike Williams but you have to be scared of any Seattle free agent wide receiver signing, do Deion Branch, Nate Burleson and TJ Houshmandzadeh ring any bells? Those three took in a combined 18 years worth of contract worth over $125 million and none of them are even on the Seahawks roster currently.

Also, will Charlie Whitehurst or Tavaris Jackson be able to get these guys the ball? Matt Hasslebeck had a great career but he has moved on to Tennessee. T-Jax couldn't get it to Rice in a dome in Minnesota and all we really know about Whitehurst is he has sweet hair.

Two other signings I kept an eye on was Paul Posluszny going to Jacksonville and Carolina resigning Deangelo Williams.

Posluszny was a guy who I was a huge fan of when he was at Penn State and always felt he dropped too far in the draft. After an injury shortened his rookie year “Poz” has been a beast. He was named Bills defensive MVP in 2008 and a team captain the following year. The Jaguars are a team who could use his toughness at Linebacker.

Deangelo Williams resigning was important for Carolina because of their lack of experience at quarterback. Whether it is Cam Newton or Jimmy Clausen taking snaps chances are they are going to struggle. Having a back like Williams to turn to is a major benefit for the young signal callers.

The other effect the signing has is the potential for teams to sign their own running backs. Ahmad Bradshaw is still out on the market and looking ahead to next year you can bet that class will want more than what Williams received. The Bears Matt Forte is a restricted free agent and isn’t happy with his contract now. Frank Gore is currently holding out and arguably the league’s number one running back is hitting the market in Adrian Peterson.

There is plenty of news bound to break in the next couple days, including the landing spots of Kevin Kolb (Cards?) and Kyle Orton (Dolphins?) and everyone will keep an eye on the number one free agent on the market Nnamdi Asomugha.

Where do you think they are going to land and what do you want your teams to do? Leave a comment below.

I know I hope my Bears aren’t done adding only a punter and a blocking tight ends but who knows what’s going on at Halas Hall.

World Cup Aftermath

2011-07-21T18:47:00.003-05:00

For the past couple weeks everyone has been talking about the Women’s World Cup. Abby Wambach’s header in extra time against Brazil is something everyone watching that game will remember. Did it lose some of its luster because the USA eventually lost in the finals? I think so.

But that is an issue for another day. After coming off the low of the women’s national team’s loss to Japan and the high of being in Chicago for CM Punk’s win at the Money in the Bank (side note: loudest arena I have ever been in) I found myself watching soccer late yesterday.

Watching Cristiano Ronaldo net a hat trick over Chivas of Guadalajara, a game after his fancy footwork against the Galaxy, along with Wayne Rooney’s 3 goal effort against the Seattle Sounders made me wonder when is the United States going to have a player like that.

After every Olympics or World Cup, the debate about whether or not soccer will gain popularity is a hot topic on every sports show. In my opinion, this will not happen until the US gets a star comparable to Rooney or Ronaldo.

The NFL has Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. The NBA had MJ and now have Kobe and Lebron. In order to build a sport there needs to be a face of the league. And for soccer to grow the US needs an American-born super star.

The closest thing the US has now is Landon Donovan. His goal against Algeria inspired one of the greatest YouTube videos of all-time but he’s past his prime and who knows how many years he has left or whether or not he’ll even be a large factor on the roster in 2014 in Brazil.

One option to take the torch from Donovan is Jozy Altidore. Altidore’s time with Villarreal was mainly spent not scoring on teams he was loaned out to. He most recently signed with Dutch squad AZ Alkmaar as he tries to live up to the hype. He has shown some brilliance in spurts, like his hat trick against Trinidad & Tobago or his goal against Guadeloupe. He may be a star but needs more consistent minutes with his teams.

Freddy Adu was supposed to be savior when he rose up the ranks and he has been a huge bust. Maybe it’ll be Juan Agudelo, he’s only 18 and has looked good for both the national team and the Red Bulls with his great speed.

But one thing is for sure, soccer can’t prosper in this country when the most recognized faces are Hope Solo and Alex Morgan, despite how pretty those faces are.