Sloane Stephens Next Great Tennis Star

After Sloane Stephens defeated Serena Williams in the Quarters of the Australian Open, there were high hopes that she could pull off a miracle win over the Number One seed, Victoria Azarenka.   

Sloane Stephens after match with Serena

In the Semi against Azarenka, Stephens quickly dropped the first set but was hanging on in the second, saving 5 match points, before Azarenka took a ten minute "break" classified officially as a medical time out, then came back onto the court to finish with the match in two sets.  

Stephens was stoic about the long wait, sitting on the bench, staring at nothing, trying to keep her head in the game and her game in high gear.  But the long break in the action took a toll on her focus or energy, and she could still take a great deal of satisfaction in her overall performance.  

Nineteen-year-old Stephens was a crowd favorite against Azarenka, so there was a lot of discontent with the manner in which Azarenka took time to settle herself down and eventually advance to the Finals. 

Great things will be forthcoming for Sloane Stephens, even Serena Williams predicts that.

New Orleans Pelicans Logo Revealed

The New Orleans Hornets are now the New Orleans Pelicans.  An angry fierce group who will lay waste to invaders to their shores, fer sur.  I kind of like the Logo, which is colorful, fairly simple to interpret and should transfer easily to jackets and other promotional items.

Harbaugh vs Harbaugh should be downplayed

Everyone else is running this photo so I will jump in here too.

I watched the NFC and AFC Championship games and was surprised by the Ravens.  They figured out how to defense the Patriots.  Therefore, it follows, right?, that they should know how to defense the 49ers.  

I see the game as a toss-up.  We will wait to see how the betting line goes, but 3 points either way would be my guess.

I will predict the 49ers to win, partially because my friends and relatives would be upset if I went for an east coast team.  We westerners think we should stick together and anything (ANYTHING) east of the Mississippi River is a foreign trade area.

And I hope all the media attention to the Harbaugh vs Harbaugh angle dies down so the players and teams can be the center of attention.  I am already tired of the "Brother Bowl" talk.  

Marc Trestman named Chicago Bears Head Coach

Marc Trestman

Marc Trestman, who won two Grey Cups with the CFL Montreal Alouettes in five years, has been named the new Chicago Bears Head Coach.  If he can win with a team nicknamed the "Alouettes," he should really kick butt with 'da Bears.
(Alouette: French for lark or skylark.)

The problem in Chicago was OFFENSE, and OC Mike Tice not not effective. Trestman served as Offensive Coordinator in the NFL with the Browns, 49ers, Cardinals and Raiders.  

But some additional really good news is that he is bringing in the New Orleans Saints' Offensive Coordinator, Aaron Kromer, to be his OC. Kromer did an outstanding job filliing in for Saint's absent Sean Payton this season.  Kromer might soon have his own head coaching job offers.  Depends on the Bears' records in the next two seasons.  

Also coming on board for the Bears as Assistant Head and Special Teams Coach is Joe DeCamillis, who currently serves as the Cowboys Special Teams Coach.

I am a Bears Fan and hope the chemistry works.  I have high hopes.

Chip Kelly to NFL Eagles. Was It About The Money?

I think Chip Kelly is making a big mistake, turning his back on Oregon for a shot at the NFL.  He leaves a program, a university, a team of players, a number of recruits, and fans all over the country.  What does he stand to gain?

The NFL might pay him well, but the stress might kill him.  If he brings a "Duck-Style" offense to the Eagles he may not have the personnel there to play the kind of game we are seeing from the NFL teams who have the Quarterbacks to pull it off right now. Michael Vick is too accident-prone and, frankly, too old to pull it off. 

He needs an Offensive Coordinator with NFL experience who understands and can implement the "Duck-Style" offense. Kelly began his Oregon coaching duties as the OC, but handling the Offense and being Head Coach at the same time is too much to expect of any NFL Coach. 

Perhaps he has had NFL ambitions for years and years.  Maybe he always thought of the college ranks as merely his stepping stone to the big time.  I don't really understand this move, but I wish him luck.  I still don't believe it is about the money.

And, by the way, the Eagles uniforms could use some updating.

It Shouldn't Always Be About The Money

Notre Dame's Head Coach, Brian Kelly, will enter the 2013 season with a team that should be even better than this year's, which is why he may be under even more pressure to deliver the National Championship.  The Fighting Irish met a team that was bigger, more experienced and more determined to prove themselves the better team.  And they were.  And they might be so again in 2013.

Chip Kelly decided to keep his job at Oregon, passing up the NFL and the Big Paydays and Big Headaches that come with the Big Time.  He makes plenty of money where he is, so there is no need to take a crappy job with a crappy NFL team.  Because the NFL is interested in him, and because he interviews with the Pros, his value and stature at Oregon only increases.  His job there is secure.  Perhaps some year a great NFL job will open up but he really doesn't have to worry about that.

  

BCS Championship. Who Will Be Number One?

If Alabama wins the BCS Championship, Notre Dame will probably be ranked Number Two.  

If Notre Dame wins, then, with two defeats Alabama will likely fall to Number Three.  

I suggest that Oregon, Stanford and even Texas A&M have a claim to the Number Two spot if Alabama falls. Since Oregon lost to Stanford, I think Stanford deserves the Three spot. Outside of the BCS, Ohio State is likely to be ranked Number Two in the AP Poll.  

What wouldn't we give for a decent playoff system?  Watching the Florida Gators embarrass themselves is further evidence that meaningless Bowl Games following a month of inactivity are not worth the money that the networks and fans put into them.

The FCS Championship, in which North Dakota State beat Sam Houston State was the culmination of a four week playoff bracket that resulted in an undisputed champion.  

NFL Coaches and Swinging Doors

Seven NFL Head Coaches were canned at the end of the 2012 regular season. But if one thing can be said about fired NFL coaches it is that they almost always land on their feet, regardless of whether they have a losing record, personality clashes, or behavioral indiscretions. 

Usually, a winning season is all a Head Coach needs to keep his job, at least for one more year.  Ask Lovie Smith how that goes in Chicago.  10-6 and out the door.  

Lovie Smith is a good Head Coach, mentor, people manager and DEFENSE guy.  What he needs to find for his next Head Coaching job is a great Offensive Coordinator. 

Andy Reid at Philadelphia is already interviewing.  Horrible season with the Eagles, which was so unexpected that it cost him his job.  Philadelphia was his only Head Coaching position.  His Offense didn't work with existing personnel.  He will find employment and make lots of money.

Norv Turner at San Diego.  Fortunate to have lasted the entire season.  Black Monday came as no surprise.  Twenty-seven years coaching in the NFL, fifteen as a Head Coach.  I imagine he will find employment, but maybe not for the 2013 season.  What Norv needs for his next job is a great Defensive Coordinator.  He should find one.

Ken Whisenhunt at Arizona.  Great start to the season but fizzled out and he caught a lot of the blame.  There are jobs out there that he should be invited to interview, although he may not find a good fit this year.  He has many years of NFL experience that should not go to waste.

Pat Shurmer at Cleveland.  Short tenure with the Browns and they will be looking for someone to turn the team into a winner for a change.  Shurmer may end up as somebody else's O Assistant again.  Cleveland was his first job as an NFL Head Coach.  Perhaps he wasn't quite ready.

Romeo Crennel at Kansas City.  Having the distinction of earning the number one pick in the draft is not a good line item for a resume, nor is being sacked after a single season.  I don't know where he might go.  He was never a college head coach. 

Chan Gailey at Buffalo.  Another short tenure and out the door.  Maybe he can find a job as an Assistant again, or back to the NCAA.  He has bounced between Head and Assistant, between NFL and NCAA.  Has been given more than his share of chances to prove he can cut it.