Questions in the AFC South and West training camps.

NFL

Note: We will look at all the divisions of the NFL with this same point of view over the next few issues of Fryingpansports.com.

AFC South

Texans

  1. Was last year the breakout season for QB Matt Schaub or will he go back to being just another guy under center? He had better be up to last year because there is nothing behind him. If he gets hurt or regresses, HC Gary Kubiak may want to tear up his new extension through 2012. His choices would be to start Dan Orlovsky or John David Booty.
  2. How will the D survive the 4 game suspension for LB Brian Cushing? The team has spent top draft choices on the D line but got very little pass pressure from the front 4. Cushing won the D Rookie of the Year in 08 but was hit with the 4 game suspension.
  3. Who will start at RB and can they hold onto the ball? Steve Slaton was the starter last year. He is very quick and fast but has fumbleitis. He is also coming off a season ending injury. The team drafted RB Ben Tate and expect him to get the majority of carries this year.
Read more at FryingPanSports

Niblets for June 2010

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Best comment of the month:

From Teeth whitening on Analysis: the NFL proposal for the “enhanced season”If the NFL wants more marquee matchups then change the scheduling. Who wants to see a division winner play against a 4th place team in the other conference. Let division winners play the other conference’s 4 winners.”

That is an excellent point. The schedule is based on a formula and that has not changed since the league went to 6 divisions. The NFL should revise the formula to allow more key games particularly if it does go to an 18 game season.

Updates on previous columns:

Previewing the NBA Draft

I got 7 of the 20 I projected. In addition a couple of teams traded up to get guys in front of other teams that were targeting them.

B I G News in football!

The musical chairs in college football conference switches has not stopped yet. There will be another couple of changes announced before the end of the 2010 college season. However, don’t for a minute believe that the increased power of the Big 10+2 or the PAC 10+2 will bring us closer to a playoff. Those two conferences were the … Read more at FryingPanSports

Niblets for May 2010

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Best comment of the month: A Tale of two NCAA Violations

From justbuster

Good job on listing just a few of the violations at USC. Reading the blogs and comments that USC fans have left on other sites, I hope you’re prepared for the avalanche of infantile and just plain dumb invective that the minions of Troy are about to hit you with. They talk among themselves about ‘losing a few scolies’ and/or ‘minor probation’ but they just don’t seem to get it. They’re four square against ‘punishing the kids of today for the sins of yesterday’. Keep telling it like it is.

Having the political site Fryingpanpolitics.blog.com, I am used to people taking shots at me verbally. So far no shots from a gun. I do my best to let my readers know exactly what I think and really appreciate you and everyone else that has taken the time to leave a comment.

Updates on previous columns:

First round QBs in the NFL Draft may disappear.

The Raiders have filed a grievance against former QB and top overall pick JaMarcus Russell. The team claims in the filing that he owes 9+M of the money he was paid because his … Read more at FryingPanSports

Analysis: Congress is using the right approach against the BcS

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I don’t often have good things to say about Washington D.C. or the US Congress. But in this case, they are using the right approach in challenging the BcS—Follow the money.

Sen. Hatch of Utah undoubtedly has his constituents in mind when he pushed for hearings on the BcS. I have no problem with that. The current economic problems could have been avoided had not Congress tried to force social engineering into legislation on the US financial system. At least Hatch is not trying to buy votes by giving away money!

Most major football colleges are public institutions. They get tax payer dollars to help finance their activities including many athletic departments. It is the popularity of college football that generates money for the BCS. Because the “lessor” conferences are not included in the automatic cut of the pot of gold that BcS generates, they don’t share in the bounty unless one of their teams is in one of the games. Then they split a team share and not a league share.

There are some aspects of anti-trust law that could be applied to the BcS. That however must focus on distribution of money and not forcing college presidents to … Read more at FryingPanSports

NBA Commissioner Stern is breathing again.

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The Commissioner’s wife was ready to dial 911 last night during the Laker Nugget game. Had the Nuggets won, she would have had to make the call. But when the Lakers won game 5 to take a 3 games to 2 lead in the series, she was able to go to bed without fear.

The NBA’s worst fear was that the final would not include either Lebron James and the Cavs or Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Stern and the networks can live with only one of the super stars of the league in the finals.

LA should win the series with the Nuggets in 7 games. Orlando will probably win the Cleveland series in 6 or 7 games.

Orlando is an outstanding team. They have the future of the all star center in Dwight Howard. But Howard is not a brand name yet. If he ever gets the offensive side of his game together he will become the dominant C in the league. In addition to Howard, the Magic has 4 other players scoring in double figures in the Cavs series. They are balanced and dangerous team.

Orlando will be dominant in the East for several years. As good … Read more at FryingPanSports

Niblets for 5/16/09

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Best comment of the week:

Comment on The NBA Playoffs are rounding first and staggering toward second. by Free T Shirts: Cleveland is on a mission. I like the way Lebron is taking the team on his shoulders and pushing them to sweep teams. He has help this year but he’s making sure there are no slip-ups.

There is no question that the difference between the Lakers and the Cavs is Lebron. Kobe has the better and deeper team. Lebron has the leadership that Kobe Bryant lacks. That plus home court will be the difference IF the Lakers make it past Houston and Denver.

Updates on previous columns:

NBA Playoffs—What have we learned? One of the things we have learned is that the Lakers don’t seem to be able to put a team away when they have a chance. They allowed the Rockets to tie up the series 3-3 after a lackluster 95-80 loss Thursday night. The Celtics are no better at locking up the deal as they too allowed an underdog Orlando Magic team to tie their series as well. Neither of these teams look like champions to me.

Cuban faces a tough decision about PG Jason … Read more at FryingPanSports