Cheers & Jeers » Lots of local talent at MLS SuperDraft
POSTED January 8, 2009 | 12:00 AM
An unprecedented amount of local soccer talent will feature in next week’s 2009 Major League Soccer SuperDraft in St. Louis.
Two Montgomery County products, Rockville’s Rodney Wallace (Bullis Prep), a sophomore at Maryland, and Silver Spring’s Kevin Alston, a junior at Indiana, were among nine players announced Wednesday as part of the 2009 Generation Adidas class, a group that also includes Maryland juniors Jeremy Hall and Omar Gonzalez.
Generation Adidas players, highly-desired prospects who leave college early to enter the MLS draft, sign contracts that are exempt from the league’s salary cap, enabling them to earn more than the league minimum.
Unlike other major sports, Major League Soccer owns all its player contracts.
Ultimately, Generation Adidas is a win-win but not a guarantee. D.C. United’s most recent first-round pick, Bryan Arguez, never played a first team match after being selected 11th overall in 2007.
This year’s signees and 63 other college seniors will take part in the annual MLS Combine, which begins Friday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Wake Forest midfielder Michael Lahoud (W.T. Woodson High), George Mason forward Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe (Eleanor Roosevelt), Loyola goalkeeper Milos Kocic, Virginia defender Matt Poole (Langley), Maryland defender A.J. Delagarza (Lackey) and midfielder Graham Zusi (at left) all hope to impress coaches and potentially earn themselves a chance to get drafted or invited into a team’s preseason training camp.
“I think it’s overall better than last year’s group, a little bit deeper,” said D.C. United general manager Dave Kasper. United owns the sixth and seventh overall picks in the first round of the draft.
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Cheers & Jeers » The Ravens: A team you can bank on
POSTED January 7, 2009 | 11:55 PM
With an NFL-best 13-4 record against the spread, the Baltimore Ravens have been, excuse the expression, money.
Saturday in their AFC semifinal at Tennessee, the Purple and Black face another Vegas darling. The Titans are 12-4 against the spread. In a tough call for an oddsmaker, BetOnline.com spokesman T.J. Kendrick selects the Ravens.
“I like them beating the Chargers in the AFC title game and making it to Tampa,” Kendrick told The Examiner’s Jim Williams. “However, should Pittsburgh beat San Diego, then I [would pick] the Steelers. Pittsburgh has found a way to win against Baltimore (twice) this year and, at home with the Super Bowl on the line, I would have to make the Steelers the favorite.”
The key to the Ravens’ success this season, according to Kendrick, is ball security.
“For a rookie, Joe Flacco has been fantastic at not turning the ball over,” said Kendrick. “All in all, I think the Ravens have been underrated on offense.”
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Cheers & Jeers » Bimbo looks to rally
POSTED January 7, 2009 | 11:50 PM
Guests 14, Bimbo 11, Ties 1
Bimbo wishes to congratulate sports talk radio savants Kevin Sheehan (ESPN 980 AM), Byron Kerr (WTOP 103.5 FM) and Steve Davis (WBAL 1090). All went 3-1 last week, proving they not only can talk the talk, they can walk the walk.
As far as the team standings go in the Great Baltimore-Washington Metroplex Sports Talk Radio Playoff Challenge, Charm City (7-5) and D.C. (7-5) are in a flatfooted tie. This week the stakes are raised in the conference semifinal round of the NFL playoffs, so we expect the talkers to bring their best stuff.
Great athletes step up in the postseason. Same with elite prognosticators. So it is with great disappointment that we report Bimbo’s 2-2 performance last week. Yes, 2-2 is a push, but we’ve come to expect so much more from the Prophet of Profit who has a 158-100-1 record on the season.
After her Colts lost in overtime Saturday night, Bimbo was seen rubbing her sore, pink hiney. Maybe it will bring her good luck this week as she welcomes another sports talk radio challenger, Anita Marks of The Fan, 105.7 FM in Baltimore.
Every banana helps Bimbo
Bimbo would love to hear from you. If you would like to send a letter or a care package, she loves papayas, apples, grapes, grilled cheese sandwiches and french fries and warm, snugly blankets. Please send all items to Colleen Layton-Robbins at Frisky’s Wildlife & Primate Sanctuary, 10790 Old Frederick Road, Woodstock, MD 21163.
| The games | Ravens at Titians |
Chargers at Steelers |
Eagles at Giants |
Cardinals at Panthers |
| Bimbo’s picks Drew Forrester’s picks Steve Davis’ picks Anita Marks’ picks Bob Haynie’s picks Al Galdi’s picks Kevin Sheehan’s picks Jerry Coleman’s picks Byron Kerr’s picks |
Ravens Ravens Ravens Ravens Ravens Ravens Titans Ravens Ravens |
Steelers Steelers Steelers Steelers Chargers Steelers Steelers Steelers Steelers |
Eagles Giants Giants Giants Giants Eagles Giants Giants Giants |
Panthers Panthers Panthers Panthers Panthers Panthers Panthers Panthers Panthers |
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Cheers & Jeers » Haden challenges Oklahoma
POSTED January 7, 2009 | 12:45 AM
Thursday’s BCS National Championship is a dream matchup of high-powered offenses and Heisman Trophy quarterbacks — Tim Tebow of No. 1 Florida vs. Sam Bradford of No. 2 Oklahoma.
But of the players who have descended on South Florida this week, one of the most conspicuous has been Florida cornerback Joe Haden, a product of Friendly High in Fort Washington.
When the Gators landed in Fort Lauderdale Sunday, the sophomore had a Mohawk haircut. Razor cut into the left side of his head was “BCS 1,” on the right side, a star and his jersey number, 5.
Haden has been conspicuous in print as well, questioning a frenetic Oklahoma offense that scored more points (702) than any team since 1904, and is working on a string of five straight games in which it has scored at least 60.
“They haven’t played against us. Nobody puts 60 points up on us,” said Haden on Dec. 16. “It’s a challenge for them to come against us, honestly, because they haven’t seen a defense like us, with the speed and the physical play and just knowing our assignments and just flying around.”
With that Haden provided bulletin board material for the Sooners and became the target of Internet jibes from their rabid fans.
Haden has the stuff to back up his words. A physical marvel at 5-11, 190, he has a sculpted frame with 2.2 percent body fat. He can bench press 385 pounds, squat 400, and has a 40-inch vertical leap.
Playing quarterback at Friendly, Haden threw for a state-record 7,371 career yards. When he ran off the field for the last time, after leading the Patriots past River Hill in the 2006 Maryland 2A state final, he did the Gator Chomp.
When Haden arrived at Florida a month later as a four-star recruit, he was in a class that included 10 five-star players. But Haden quickly emerged, becoming the first true freshman to start for the Gators at cornerback. This year he had three interceptions and 77 tackles.
“It’s definitely not guaranteeing victory,” said Haden of his haircut. “It’s not like that. We made it to the championship game. It’s the No. 1 game. I just wanted to do something different.”
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Cheers & Jeers » Not much clear in bowl season
POSTED January 7, 2009 | 12:39 AM
The bowl season often brings bold pronouncements on which conferences have the best football. This season things aren’t so clear.
The Biggest Winner: Pac 10 (5-0) » Yes, the Pac 10 was undefeated this bowl season. But isn’t this is the same conference that went 1-6 against the Mountain West? Part of the Pac 10’s success can be attributed to weak bowl alliances. For example, why is the No. 2 team in the conference, Oregon, playing the No. 4 team in the Big 12 South, Oklahoma State? In the Emerald Bowl, California (9-4), the fourth-place team in the Pac 10, beat Miami (7-6), which was No. 4 in the ACC Coastal.
The Biggest Loser: Big Ten (1-6) » The conference’s annual exercise in frustration has hit rock bottom with Iowa producing this year’s only win. The Big Ten is 9-20 in bowl games the last four years and has lost six straight BCS bowl games, always looking a step slow and years behind the times. Spread offense? Hello? Hello? Is this thing working?
The Most Mediocre: ACC (4-6) » Unparalleled mediocrity got the ACC into 10 bowl games. But the conference blew an opportunity for redemption. Consider that the ACC’s wins came over the undistinguished foursome of Cincinnati, Navy, Nevada and Wisconsin and it’s clear the postseason was as lackluster as the regular season.
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