Cam Newton: The First Of A New Breed

At RealGM's football section, a look at why Cam Newton has the chance to be a transcendent player:

There have never been a quarterback quite like Cam Newton before. A generation ago, 6’5 250 players who ran a 4.5 40 didn’t exist. If they did, they were made pass rushers or linemen. Quarterbacks were almost never the best athletes on their team.

But there are several important differences between Newton and the players who came before him. Vick, at 6’0 215, doesn’t have the size to stay healthy while running the ball over a 16-game season. Tebow and Young, meanwhile, aren’t capable enough as passers to be full-time starting QB’s in the NFL.

Newton is the first player with the necessary size, athleticism and passing ability to be a dual-threat QB in the NFL. Despite the concerns about him coming out of Auburn, he didn’t need much time to prove he could play at the next level. As a rookie, he completed 60% of his passes and threw for 4,051 yards while running for 706 yards and 14 TD’s.

"The Last Shot" Book Review

At RealGM, a review of "The Last Shot", one of the best basketball books of all-time:

Grassroots basketball has changed dramatically in the 18 years since “The Last Shot” was published. Summer league teams and All-Star camps, in their infancy in 1994, are now the main avenue for even low and mid-major players to be identified by college coaches. That, in turn, has marginalized the traditional high school season depicted in the book.

However, the social factors that author Darcy Frey highlights -- the crumbling infrastructure of inner-city schools, the abject poverty in many star player’s backgrounds and the ugly underbelly of the recruiting process -- are the same as they ever were. For basketball fans who want a glimpse of players lives beyond the hardwood, “The Last Shot” is as eye-opening, heartbreaking and relevant as it was when it first came out.

The book tells the story of four high school basketball stars, teammates at Lincoln High. Located at the very end of a New York City subway line, the Coney Island school is also the last stop in the education of most of its students. Three of the book’s protagonists -- Tchaka Chipp, Corey Johnson and Russell Thomas -- are rising seniors, hoping to catch the eyes of D1 coaches. A 14-year-old Stephon Marbury is the fourth.

So What If Lance Armstrong Cheated?

At SB Nation Dallas, a shrug of the shoulders about the latest revelantions:

Lance Armstrong won the 2000 Tour de France by a margin of 6 minutes and 2 seconds. 

Jan Ullrich, who finished second, was later implicated in a doping scandal. Ditto for Joseba Beloki (third), Christophe Moureau (fourth), Roberto Heras (fifth), Richard Virenque (sixth) and Santiago Boreto (seventh). 

All six were world-class athletes who had the support of the best doctors and chemists money could buy. Yet none could catch a rider who apparently refused, merely out of principle, to give himself even the slightest edge in training. If his supporters are correct, Armstrong really must have been the greatest cyclist of all-time.

Filling Out An NBA Bench

At RealGM, a look at why teams should sign younger players to the end of their bench:

There are many more NBA-caliber players than available roster spots, so the difference between playing in the NBA and an European league often comes down not to talent but opportunity. And when filling out the end of their roster, general managers often prioritize NBA experience, but too often that means acquiring a player on the downside of their career at the expense of one whose best days are still ahead of them.

Two years ago, after using all of their salary cap room on their three superstars, the Miami Heat rounded out their bench with Mike Bibby, Jamaal Magloire, Erick Dampier, Eddie House, Juwan Howard and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. That would have been an excellent group in 2001, but they were more names than viable players in 2011, an aging and infirm bench that Erik Spoelstra couldn’t depend on in the playoffs.

At this point in the summer, aside from the notable exception of Leandro Barbosa, those are the types of choices GM’s have: older players trying to hang on or younger players trying to break in. There’s usually a reason a young player with talent isn’t on a roster by the middle of August, but in comparison to the other options available, taking a chance on a guy who knows he is running out of them isn’t necessarily a bad idea.

The Big 12 Title Race

At SB Nation Dallas, a look at why the Red River Shootout is still the most important conference game of the season:

Considering how close the Big 12 came to extinction in each of the last two off-seasons, it's pretty crazy how strong the conference looks headed into 2012. Texas A&M and Missouri may have bigger names, but TCU and West Virginia clearly have the superior football programs. The conference added two schools with a 4-1 record in BCS bowls and dropped two schools that went 0-1 (Texas A&M lost the 1998 Sugar Bowl to Ohio State).

In their three losses last year, West Virginia gave up 47 points to LSU, 49 points to Syracuse and 38 points to Louisville. Archie Barberio, our NFL scouting guru, picked them to win the conference but that defense doesn't exactly inspire fear. It's hard to see Gary Patterson fielding such a mediocre defense two years in a row and Mike Stoops is back in Norman, but there are serious questions surrounding every contender in the Big 12 this year.

That's why, for all that has changed in the Big 12, I still think the conference will come down to the same game in Dallas (and I don't mean Tech/Baylor) that it always has before. Stoops will try to rattle the Texas QB's, because the Longhorns aren't equipped to play from very far behind in a game like that. But if Ash can avoid any critical turnovers and Harsin can conjure up a few trick plays to get ahead early, Texas will be able to run the ball on offense and send waves of pass rushers to tee off on Jones.

How Important Is The QB Position?

At SB Nation Dallas, the first in a four-part conversation previewing the 2012 college football season looks at whether Texas can survive their inexperienced QB's:

Now, headed into the 2012 season, UT has almost all of the pieces to get back to a 10-win baseline. They have one of the most talented defenses in the country with future first-round picks (Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat) at the ends, five-star recruits in the linebacking corps (Jordan Hicks) and stars in the secondary (Kenny Vaccarro). There might not be a more talented group of RB's anywhere than Malcolm Brown, Joe Bergeron and Johnathan Gray. 

The $64 million dollar question is at the QB position, where David Ash and Case McCoy didn't exactly light the world on fire last season. Case looked like a smaller and weaker armed version of his older brother, who was probably just big enough to succeed at the D1 level. Ash has the tools, but he looked uncomfortable and erratic in the pocket for the most part. 

Of course, that's going to happen when you have a true freshman starting on a rebuilding offense. Just by having more practice and game reps under his best, Ash should be better as a sophomore. But how much better? I think your answer to that question depends on whether you think success at QB is more nature or nurture.

Andrew Bynum Unleashed

At RealGM, a look at why Andrew Bynum should thrive in Philadelphia:

For the last several years, Bynum has been an understudy to a star who wasn’t willing to share the spotlight. From 2009-2012, his usage ratings were 20.7, 20.8, 17.6 and 23.8; Kobe’s were 32.2, 32.3, 35.1 and 35.7. And when Kobe took 33 shots without handing out a single assist in their season-ending playoff loss to Oklahoma City, the dominant storyline was whether his teammates had let him down. There’s a reason Howard was so leery of becoming a member of the Lakers.

Bynum walks into a completely different situation with Philadelphia. The 76ers have been an afterthought since Allen Iverson began to decline nearly a decade ago, while the departures of Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams have created a giant hole in their offense. Bynum instantly makes them relevant, and with a team built around him, he’s a darkhorse contender for the 12-13 MVP Award.

In his last two seasons with the Magic, Howard, who lacks both Bynum’s feel for the low post and his touch at the free-throw line, had usage ratings of 27.2 and 26.1. If Bynum receives a similar amount of touches for the 76ers, he could average 24+ points and 12+ rebounds a game next season. Even if his field goal shooting declines 2-3 points due to his increased usage, he would still be at 53-54%.

The Onion Or Rolling Stone?

Where does this quote come from?

Tom Morello: 'Paul Ryan Is The Embodiment Of The Machine Our Music Rages Against'

But Rage's music affects people in different ways. Some tune out what the band stands for and concentrate on the moshing and throwing elbows in the pit. For others, Rage has changed their minds and their lives. Many activists around the world, including organizers of the global occupy movement, were radicalized by Rage Against the Machine and work tirelessly for a more humane and just planet. Perhaps Paul Ryan was moshing when he should have been listening.

The LA Lakers: Superteam 2.0

At RealGM, a look at how the Lakers new stars will complement each other:

In the 2011 NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks, with one All-NBA player, defeated the combined star power of the Miami Heat. Dallas didn’t have a two-way player as dominant as LeBron James; instead, Dirk Nowitzki played at an MVP-level on offense and Tyson Chandler played at an MVP-level on defense. And while the rest of their core (Shawn Marion, Jason Terry, Jason Kidd) was aging fast, they perfectly complemented their two-headed 7’0 Voltron.

Over the last two years, Miami’s playoff record is 23-7 with all three of their stars in the starting lineup. They’re 21-3 against anyone besides Dallas. But with Chandler now in New York, the new-look Los Angeles Lakers are the team best equipped to copy the Mavericks formula. The Heat were beaten by a group better than the sum of their parts; what happens when those parts are Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard?

Howard’s defensive ability allows the Lakers to emphasize offense at the other four positions on the floor, and the Lakers will have waves of offensive-minded players who will thrive with Howard anchoring. As Dallas proved in 2011, passing and shooting are the last skills a great player loses, and the players the Lakers will put around Howard have combined for 29 All-Star appearances in their career.

The Real Reason Paul Ryan Was Picked

At PolicyMic, a look at why fiscal conservatives should be wary about the new Republican VP:

Choosing Ryan is about helping Romney govern, not getting him elected. Within the Republican Party, there’s no one with more credibility on fiscal issues than Ryan. If he had stayed in Congress, he would have been the final authority on any deal a hypothetical Romney administration would have made with the Democrats on the country’s long-term fiscal trajectory. 

Romney can’t think about 2050; he can’t even afford to look past 2014, much less 2016. By bringing Ryan into his White House, he is effectively co-opting his most powerful rival within the Republican Party, in much the same way Obama did with Hillary Clinton. As 50 Cent once said, it’s chess not checkers.

Ryan has the public image of a deficit hawk, but his voting record is more pragmatic than principled. During the Bush administration, he voted for the tax cuts, the war in Iraq, Medicare part B and TARP because he wanted to be a “team player.” If Romney is re-elected in 2016, Ryan would be first in line in 2020; for that type of power, he’ll be willing to be a team player again.

It's 1992 All Over Again

At RealGM, a look at how history is repeating (and not repeating) itself in the NBA:

With Team USA’s 107-100 victory over Spain on Sunday, LeBron James became only the second player in history to win a gold medal, NBA championship, NBA Finals MVP and NBA regular season MVP in the same year. You can probably guess who the first was.

In 1992, Michael Jordan averaged 30.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists on 50% shooting. The Chicago Bulls, who surrounded the best player in the world with two All-Star caliber players (Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant), won their second consecutive championship, as Jordan dominated the NBA’s second-best shooting guard (Clyde Drexler) in the Finals. Barcelona was icing on the cake.

In 2012, LeBron James averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists on 53% shooting. The Miami Heat, who surrounded the best player in the world with two All-Stars (Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh) won their first championship, as LeBron outplayed the NBA’s second-best small forward (Kevin Durant) in the Finals. London, too, was icing.

Mike Olt's Big Entrance

At SB Nation Dallas, a look at the first big moment of Mike Olt's career:

With two on and two out and the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Ron Washington pulled Mitch Moreland in order to get a right-handed bat up against lefty Phil Coke.

That bat just happened to be Mike Olt's, the Rangers highly-touted rookie who was called up a little over a week ago. Texas fans began hearing about Olt, a powerful 6'2 210 3B/1B, almost as soon as he was drafted out of UConn in 2010. Once he became a professional, the No. 49 overall pick wasted no time tearing through the minor leagues.

Instead of moving him for a front-of-the-line starter, Texas made Olt one of their big in-season acquisitions. As a result, expectations are sky high, but there are no guarantees in baseball. Just because a player has a sterling reputation among scouts and stellar production in the minors doesn't mean they're going to cut it in the majors.

Dwight Howard And The Mavericks Big Mistake

At SB Nation Dallas, a look at how the blockbuster Dwight Howard deal highlighted the flaw in the Mavericks plan:

Roster flexibility was supposed to be the key to Dallas building a super-team of their own. But as it turns out, all that flexibility accomplished was helping Howard's agents send him to where he wanted to be all along -- Los Angeles -- to play for a team whose bloated payroll sneers at the very idea of "dry powder".

Instead of re-signing Tyson Chandler, the Mavericks opted to jettison any title defense in order to maintain their salary cap room for the summer of 2012. Dallas has become a real-life example of the dangers of overlooking the bird in hand (Chandler) for two in the bush (Howard and Deron Williams).

Nine months later, they have neither, and the franchise's chances of returning to the NBA Finals look slimmer than ever. Howard won't sign a contract extension with the Lakers and he will enter free agency in 2013, but that's due to the CBA implications of when he opts to re-sign, not any real desire of taking his talents to North Texas.

Argentina's Golden Generation

At RealGM, a look at one of the greatest international squads of all-time before their last game against Team USA:

In the 2002 World Championships, an up-and-coming Argentina team that featured three future NBA players under the age of 26 (Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola and Andres Nocioni) stunned a complacent Team USA. It was the first defeat of the Americans in a major international tournament since NBA players began participating in 1992.

Team USA’s top scorers (Paul Pierce, Michael Finley, Jermaine O’Neal, Elton Brand) were more comfortable in a slow paced, isolation-heavy offense. In contrast, the way Argentina moved in unison and shared the basketball was a revelation. Everyone, even their big men, could pass and shoot, so the ball never stuck in anyone’s hands.

As a result, while Team USA was turning over its entire roster every two years, the same core of Argentine players finished second in 2002, first in 2004, fourth in 2006, third in 2008 and fifth in 2010. Now, in Friday’s Olympic semifinal, the “Golden Generation” has one final chance to defeat the Americans. It will be a much harder task in 2012: Team USA has been built in their image -- except faster, stronger and more athletic.

Colt McCoy And The Tyranny Of Inches

At SB Nation Dallas, a look at why Colt McCoy's NFL career never had much of a chance:

There were 55 players who started an NFL game at QB last year. There were only five 6'1 and under: Colt McCoy, Tyler Palko (6'1), Rex Grossman (6'1), Drew Brees (6'0) and Michael Vick (6'0).

Palko is out of the NFL and Grossman could soon be joining him. The only QB's that size who succeed in the NFL (Brees and Vick) are outliers in every sense of the word.

While most sportswriters would like to believe that the NFL's preference for tall QB's is nothing but a shallow stereotype, there's some pretty basic logic behind it. There's less room in the pocket in the NFL: offensive and defensive lineman are a lot bigger and faster than they are in college. The shorter you are, the more your vision is going to be bothered by the World War I trench warfare that is an NFL line of scrimmage.

Jonas Valanciunas And Anthony Davis

At RealGM, a look at the bright future of the two youngest basketball players at the Olympics:

Neither Anthony Davis nor Jonas Valanciunas, the two youngest basketball players in the Olympics, were much of a factor in Team USA’s narrow 99-95 victory over Lithuania. Valanciunas, despite starting for Lithuania, played nine minutes while Davis stayed on the bench in the Americans' first tight game in London.

If David Stern and Mark Cuban don’t get their way, that could be a very different story in 2016 (when Valanciunas would be 24 and Davis would be 23), 2020 and maybe even 2024, where they would both be younger than Kobe Bryant is now. Teenagers don’t aren’t generally involved in high-level international competitions, an indication of what Hubie Brown would call their “tremendous upside potential”.

But while they both wound up as top NBA lottery picks, they took radically different paths to get there. It’s very Rocky IV: Valanciunas is the Ivan Drago character, signed to a professional contract in his adolescence. Davis is the raw American, emerging essentially from nowhere as a high school junior to become the best player in the country.

The Problems With The World Cup Of Basketball

At RealGM, a look at why the World Cup of Basketball is a solution in search of a problem:

Under their proposed system, the NBA and FIBA would turn the World Championships into a more high-profile event. Olympic basketball, in turn, would be marginalized as a 23-and-under tournament. However, replacing one unethical middleman in the world of international sports with another is a solution in search of a problem.

But while the IOC isn’t paying LeBron, Bolt or Phelps, their careers have benefited immensely from participating in the Olympics. Not only are there the intrinsic benefits of representing their country and competing for something bigger than themselves, the worldwide stage the Olympics provides is a commercial bonanza.

Instead, most of the dissatisfaction is stemming from the owners. From their perspective, there wouldn’t be nearly as much interest in the players competing in the Olympics if they weren’t already in the NBA, so why should their publicity machine benefit the IOC and not themselves? Like the short-sighted businessmen they proved themselves to be during the lockout, they don’t want someone else making money off “their” players, regardless of whether it’s good for the sport as a whole.

Mike Trout Stealing Josh Hamilton's Thunder

At SB Nation Dallas, a look at the inverse trajectories of Josh Hamilton and Mike Trout in 2012:

Hamilton was becoming the face of the game. And with a once-in-a-generation talent carrying them, the Rangers looked like the best team in baseball.

Two months later, that narrative has been completely derailed. And while Hamilton tries to regain his swing after a miserable June and July, an impossibly fresh-faced 20-year old on the LA Angels has emerged as a star.

Mike Trout, an uber-athletic 6'1 210 OF who combines blinding speed with average and power at the plate, is a true five-tool player. He's one of the only players in baseball who can match Hamilton's physical gifts.

The difference? He's younger, more durable and doesn't seem to have any off-the-field issues.