Posted March 22, 2010

You know it’s a quiet week in free agency when a trade involving a third string quarterback and third round draft pick is the hot topic on everyone’s mouth. However, the Seattle Seahawks move to sign Charlie Whitehurst has bigger implications than one might think.

Whitehurst has only played a grand total of four NFL snaps and hasn’t thrown a pass in a regular season game despite being in the NFL for five seasons. He sat behind Phillip Rivers in San Diego and will now more than likely sit as the backup to 34-year-old Matt Hassleback in Seattle.

The Seahawks consulted an interview with former Cleveland Browns quarterback Derek Anderson earlier this week, but plans fell through as Anderson ended up signing with Arizona. More than likely, Seattle decided against signing Anderson because he wasn’t up to new Cleveland game manager Mike Holmgren, the former Seahawks coach who was an organization favorite.

Hassleback has been a Band-Aid the past few seasons, spending nearly as much time in the locker room as he has on the field. With the loss of longtime Holmgren project and backup quarterback Seneca Wallace to (go figure) Holmgren and the Browns, the Seahawks were left with an open roster spot for a viable player similar to Hassleback.

I still believe the Seahawks will still move to draft Colt McCoy in the second round if he falls that low, but that looks to be a stretch at this point. Although Whitehurst has the abilities to be a game manager in the NFL, I don’t believe he has the complete talent new coach Pete Carroll is looking for. On top of that, he’s 27 – and Hassleback probably has two or three solid years left if he can stay healthy. That means Whitehurst won’t be starting until he’s nearly 30 -– and that’s not the time to see if that’s your guy.

In other news, Ben Roethlisberger isn’t out of the woods yet. Despite the fact that investigators say the investigation should be wrapped up within the next few weeks, most people around the NFL and in the media world haven’t been paying complete attention to this headline story because the last time Roethlisberger was accused of…rape…the case was dropped.

Apparently no one sees the fact he has been accused of rape twice. That seems like a big deal to me. If any non-celebrity was accused of rape twice, the community would be crying for some kind of extended attention. But because Roethlisberger is known for doing stupid things (like riding a motorcycle without a helmet and getting in an accident), there seems to be a special exception.

Give Tiger a chance

posted 3/6/10

Have you ever read the scientific study of frogs in hot water? If you put a frog in completely normal water and warm it it up one degree every few minutes, the frog will get used to it and not think it’s in danger. Eventually the frog dies. I’d like to think it will explode.

Tiger Woods is still in the melting pot. Despite the fact he’s not only admitted to infidelity with multiple women, gone to family counseling and taken an indefinite leave from the golf world, the water’s only going to get hotter.

Jack Nicklaus thinks that Tiger will play at the Masters. So does most of the golf world. Tiger hasn’t missed the Masters at Augusta Nationals since 1995, his amateur year. He’s won four times, and his legacy is built up on those victories. It would be the comeback story of the year -– however, for many in this country and in the golf-fandom world, he’s a villain about to re-conqueror the land like Hitler storming through Poland.

The PGA is about to be hammered by the most negative publicity it has ever seen. The sport known for gentleman and ugly jackets is about to have press storming the course, looking for answers from one man, and one man alone, while trying to coax other golfers into “uh-oh” quotes.

When someone proclaims he is guilty to any sort of immoral activity and sincerely apologizes,which I think Tiger did, than it obviously takes times to rebuild his image. Let’s at least give him a chance.

Tiger was never a complete golden boy –- he was known for anger and an ultra competitiveness that gave him an edge in everything, including fishing. However, this time around, he’s got a lot more to clean up. He better get more than a broom –- he better get a wrecking ball and hire a new construction company.

QB draft picks from Fier

posted 2/26/10

The NFL offseason is here, and for some fans, this is more exciting than the regular season games. The hottest topics right now, and perhaps the hottest it has been in years, is the 2010 Quarterbacks.

Most rank Notre Dame junior Jimmy Clausen, Oklahoma senior Sam Bradford and Cincinnati senior Tony Pike as the thoroughbreds of the crop, but all come with major downsides as well.

Fan favorites such as Florida senior Tim Tebow, Texas senior Colt McCoy, and West Virginia senior Jarrett Brown all bring something rare to the table, but all have major question marks surrounding their abilities to play at the next level.

The following is my list of QB prospects and where I think they will end up in this year’s draft.

1. Sam Bradford, U.O. At 6-4, 214 lbs., Bradford is the standard for NFL size with the frame to add weight. Said to make all the throws, durability will be a huge question mark, as well as ability to play from under center. However, more than likely the top quarterback taken off the board if his Pro Day goes well and that makes Washington or Buffalo a good spot. Probably will look more like Matthew Stafford than Matt Ryan.
2. Jimmy Clausen, N.D. A tad under 6-2, 217 lbs, Clausen is number one on many boards. I love Clausen and the adversity he faced at Notre Dame along with the stats he put up. Even the fact he left early means nothing to me –- he started nearly every game for three years. The biggest clouds around Clausen will be his consistency on deep balls -– much like former Notre Dame standout Brady Quinn. I would even argue Clausen’s techniques are a tad sloppier than Quinn’s, and Brady nearly fell out of the first round a few years ago. However, because it’s a broad but weaker class, Clausen may very well end up a Top 5 or Top 10 selection. Likely teams: Washington, Buffalo, Miami or Denver. If the latter two teams want a chance, they better be willing to jump up. I think he’d be a good fit under Josh McDaniels, plus the team is already established on many levels.
3. Colt McCoy, UT. McCoy (6-2, 210) is predicted to fall to the third or fourth round. I don’t buy that. I think he establishes himself at the Combine and his Pro Day later on. He doesn’t have the size, the speed, or the arm strength to qualify as a first rounder, but I could see a team like the Seattle Seahawks trading back into the late second round and snagging him. He looks a lot like Matt Hassleback and could sit a season or two to grasp the offense of new coach Pete Carroll. On top of that, Carroll probably likes the idea of a big-program, successful quarterback being the face of his new franchise.

Sure, I’ll give you cred, Saints

posted 02/13/10

Sigh. It happened. Dreams of a parade through snowy Indianapolis and a fresh new tee claiming “World Champions” faded quicker than a Peyton pick six. I didn’t want to admit anything but dominance. Instead, I had to watch the lovable “Aints” come home their first Super Bowl victory in Franchise history.

Every dog has their days, and Drew Brees finally got his. I watched in pure jealousy and animosity as he held up his child and tears strolled down his face (Drew’s face that is).

Congratulations to the Saints. That’s as far as I will go. No more, no less. They won, and that’s that.

Is anyone else sick of Danica Patrick theatrics? I’m not. I think it’s a pretty amazing feat that she’s going to be racing with the big boys in NASCAR.

Despite the racy ads from GoDaddy and the dramatic women rights activist, Patrick deserves this. She may not win, she may not even get close to a top finish, but it’s bridging a big gap in a space that is dominated by mostly -– no scratch that -– all male species.

The NBA has been crawling towards the All-Star break without any major changes in whose dominating who. That said, however, it’ll be an interesting All-Star game with the usual players (Kobe for one) sitting out due to injury.

Also note, for the first time in NBA history, the lineups will have mostly boring old skin! (See http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/reillygofish) for more.

If you missed out on the Biola vs. Azusa double header this week, there are some more interesting games ahead, with homecoming coming up for the men’s team.

If you can’t go, log onto http://radio.biola.edu for live game feeds!

BCS Predictions

posted 12/7/09

For all of the crazy BCS situations the past few years, this year’s games seem relatively lax. Other than ‘Bama and Florida tomorrow and the usual upset candidates, there isn’t any situation that will put the voters or the fans in a spot to say, “This team deserves it more than this team!”

Case 1: Florida wins over Alabama in any fashion (close game or blowout), with Tim Tebow putting in a solid-great game. Also, Texas beats Nebraska. This is the most clear-cut, deserving situation. No one can argue that TCU, Cincinnati, or Boise State really deserves a shot at Florida.

Case 2: Bama wins out, Texas wins out. See above. It’s all about the logo. Florida has been so dominant the past three years that if Alabama can edge them out, no one in the nation will argue they don’t deserve a shot against Texas.

Case 3: In some sort of evil way, the football gods (who I believe are also known as the 12 Disciples) cause Texas to fall, Cincinnati to crumble and Boise State to crash and burn. It’s a TOTAL long shot, but if the voters liked Oregon’s victory over Oregon State on Thursday enough to put them ahead of TCU, and somehow the BCS computers have process overload, we could magically see the Quack Attack take the field versus Alabama or Florida.

Most people in the nation will argue that TCU deserves the shot because they have been ranked Top 5 for most of the season…but really, do you want to see TCU play over Oregon? I don’t. TCU has a dominant spread-zone running attack with what I think is one of the best O-Line’s in football. However Oregon boasts a dominant spread-attack with THE best O-line in the nation and a fast enough defense to recover against too many mistakes versus Florida or Bama. Helloooo ratings games.

In other news this week, the Vikings are starting to resemble the old Portland Jail Blazer days. They aren’t quite at the same level, but two vicious speeding tickets in one week? More than likely including some kind of intoxication? Farve you shoulda stayed retired!

Also, the Colts are galloping to a clash with the Titans, while the Saints are marching in for a snore against the Redskins. I think the Titans could upset the Colts, which wouldn’t be a bad thing (less pressure and the focus goes on the Saints), but I think New Orleans could fall to an inspired Redskin team as of late.

Either way, after last week’s debacle, it’s easy to see the Saint’s deserve to be called the favorites in the NFC, even over the Vikings, and that the NFC may win it’s second Super Bowl in three years.

One more thing: can anybody stop Kobe Bryant? Didn’t think so. LeBron better be careful because “The King” is no match for the deadly assassin.

End of an era

posted 11/20/09

The following statement may be a Cardinal sin, but I’m pretty positive, there are about 49.5 states that have college football fans sitting on their fannies and smiling smugly.

Thank God the USC reign is over.

As I drive around the Long Beach area, I saw seas of the faded Trojan glory flags sitting lifeless, as California provides no cool breeze to blow in the wind.

In other news, the Indianapolis Colts reached 9-0 over an improbable win over the Patriots. Everyone’s already heard about this game, but must I add, is there any doubt Manning can’t do it all? He’s playing ridiculous.

This week we are blessed to have another prime time game filled with two record setting offenses and quarterbacks. The 1-8 Detroit Lions take on the 1-8 Cleveland Browns. Did anyone else look at the schedule and laugh early and often when they saw this? I did.

Did you know that a quarterback who throws incompletion on every single pass has a quarterback rating of 39.58? Derek Anderson’s rating (Browns) sits at 36.2 Brady Quinn (also Browns) sits pretty at 51.0. God save these boys. I’m pretty sure this point in the season the Mighty Men could take down the Browns.

In the NBA, Pau Gasol is back ladies and gentlemen. He scored 24 points and had 13 rebounds last night, but even more important, those curly locks of sweaty grease still remain. Thank you Pau for showing us ugly can still be cool.

In Eagle news, the girls teams posted a strong (and perhaps surprising) fight against No. 9 Lambuth this past week. Junior Jenna French connected on six three-pointers and finished with 20 points for the Eagles (0-1). Lambuth improved to 5-0.

The boys brought home a 59-55 victory over Embry-Riddle this week as well. Behind a stellar effort of Senior Marion King (17 pts/9 assists/5 Rebounds/3 Steals) and a team effort, the Eagles took down the Division II No. 14 team.

Biola is perched nicely at the No. 17 NAIA preseason poll and looks to take its undefeated record into California Maritime tomorrow.

Big rivalries ahead

posted 11/13/09

It’s easy to see that the best game of the 2009 NFL season is this weekend with the New England Patriots visiting Lucas Oil Stadium to rekindle what is perhaps the best rivalry in sports the past 10 years.

Ironically, Tom Brady’s first career start, the beginning of a career that has included two Super Bowl victories, two Super Bowl MVP awards and of course a league MVP award when he erased the record for most touchdown passes in a single season -– a record previously held by, you guessed it, Peyton Manning.

Facing him will be Peyton Manning, the Picasso of quarterbacks. If Brady is Van Gogh, someone who blends colors to perfection and uses soft lines and smooth touch to win ball games, Manning is the square fitting into a circle. He has 3 league MVP awards, a Super Bowl MVP award and of course a Super Bowl ring. Manning could very well earn his fourth MVP this season — and very well could add to his jewelry collection.

In NBA news, Greg Oden has posted two strong outings. Perhaps the rumor is true: it’s the second season after a microfracture knee surgery that the player rebounds. Also in the NBA, the Laker’s quieted the Suns. Go figure, both teams are aging, but one team has Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest and Derek Fisher in the Gentlemen’s Club. The other has a hippy (Nash) and the most over-rated player in the NBA: Amare Stoudemire.

King James and co. took down the Miami Heat last night in a showdown between stars. Many analysts from around the league believe that James could potentially wind up at Miami playing alongside Dwayne Wade and Michael Beasley. However, there’s only one basketball on the court at a time – something’s gotta give.

Entering this week, many are praising all that is holy because the MLB season is finally over. HOWEVER, Biola has their own Seattle Mariner playing basketball for the Eagles! More on that in The Chimes issue after Thanksgiving.

Onto EAGLE NEWS.

Biola senior libero Katie Stevens reached the 2,000 mark for career digs this past week, however it wasn’t enough as Azusa had the last smile grounding the Eagle’s flight through five games.

The Eagle’s men’s golf team finished a fall golf season strong with a fourth place finish at the Holy Name’s invite. Look for the Eagle’s to make a strong push for the spring season as they continually raise expectations around the good ol’ GSAC.

Today the men’s basketball team takes on Evergreen State from Washington. Let’s hope it doesn’t take them quite as long to get going as it did at Midnight Madness. The women’s team will look to find rhythm as they begin to fight through the teeth of their difficult season. (See Biola’s Athletics site for more info).

Yankees = Dark Side

posted 11/6/09

It’s official. The Yankees are apart of the Dark Side (twitter.com/darthvader). Read his recent posts. All these years I thought it was just iconic irony that George Steinbrenner and Darth Vader were very similar, and now I know it’s true.

Does this make Pete Carroll his long lost son? Only, maybe Petey is already apart of the dark side…

Speaking of which can anyone say –

QUACK ATTACK!

The Ducks rolled up on 391 yards rushing led by redshirt freshman LaMichael James with 183 yards, and Jeremiah Masoli’s 222 yards and a touchdown. Add in Masoli’s 164 yards on the ground, and you can say SEE YOU LATER sweetheart, the Trojans will NOT make the Rose Bowl.

Eat your heart out Skywalker.

As I predicted to friends last week, the Colts had their hands full with the 49ers this past week. Indy just can’t run the ball. Period. Their passing over 60 percent of the time — clearly a high mark even for NFL terms.

The St. Louis Rams have separated themselves from the rest of the pack, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have officially settled in for the worst team of 2009. There’s not much hope for them. Reminds me of Jesus’ wise words see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCTAgxsLE3Q for more.

PLAYOFFS? Who said anything about PLAYOFFS? PLAYOFFS?

The Biola men’s soccer team beat Vanguard in a penalty kick shootout this past week. You ever watch soccer on TV, waiting for SportsCenter, and the clock winds down 3…2…1…. and you’re thinking YES…it’s over. Than the clock proceeds to go…-1…-2…-3 for 5 more minutes. I swear this happened. No one can explain why! Another reason why soccer isn’t popular here: Americans can’t count that low.

Other Biola sports news, the No. 10 volleyball team also punished Vanguard by coming back and winning 3-2 yesterday. Who dey? Who dey Eagles? Woot!

The swim team also dominated in costumes last Saturday over rival Azusa (see my article in The Chimes for info).

Anywaysm a few thoughts: check out matthewfier.blogspot.com for some deeper thoughts of the week as well as twitter.com/mattfier for blurbs of the day.

It’s almost Turkey day; the day we watch the Cowboys win and the Lions lose against whoever they play. That’s why you eat turkey first, so you are inspired to nap throughout the first half of 20 punts by the Lionesses.

Welcome NBA season

posted 10/30/09

It’s finally here: The sound of squeaking shoes and whining, overgrown, bald men.

The NBA season has officially started! After two games, I think it’s safe to say that…Los Angeles is a very good team. And Ron Artest made them better…

But, despite last night’s loss, the Portland Trail Blazers could really make another job this season. Greg Oden has survived two games without fouling out, playing start to finish, and is doing just what they need: dribble, rebound, block shots, don’t turn over the ball…now if they could just hit their free throws .

In the NFL, I think I’m going to finally admit that the New Orleans Saints are for real. Every season it’s hard to not collectively hold my breath over the fragility of Reggie Bush or the lack of defense, but currently the Saints are marching at No. 11 in total team defense, which starkly contrasts their bottom feeder stats of old.

Terrell Owens, you are the biggest fantasy/fan base/player/person bust of all time. You gave those poor Buffalo fans something to cheer about, and now they probably don’t even remember you play. Thank you T.O. for being a failure at everything you do. Yes, everything.

Thanks to the Washington Redskins, I now have two families to pinpoint as scapegoats to the entire earth’s problems. Thanks to Dan Snyder (Redskins) and Al Davis (Oakland Raiders), two storied franchises have fallen to the level of “I think Duke could hang with them” or even “Could these guys keep up with Mt. Union?” or even (yeah these are getting bad I know) “I’m pretty sure Biola’s Mighty Men could beat them.” Thanks. You boys are destroying the NFL. Oh, and Cleveland Brown fans, you’re up there as well, so welcome to the “You Guys Make Life Horrible for Anyone You Ever Come Close To” list. Luckily, I root for Jim Irsay and the Indianapolis Colts.

Speaking of college football, Duke has won two ACC games in a row for the first time since…1994. Yes, 1994. They’re also 4-3. Is this because the ACC is this bad, or Duke is just this good? I’m going to go with the former…

Onto Biola sports news! It’s been an exciting week, as the men’s basketball team opened up the season sitting pretty at No. 17 in the nation, and a solid win over Holy Names this week. The women’s soccer team, sitting at a mediocre 6-6-2 managed to tie No. 6 Vanguard, and the men’s soccer team, falling from No. 11 to No. 20 this week in the NAIA polls, can relax this week after a solid win over Vanguard.

World Series, nasty quarterbacks and sweater vests

posted 10/23/09

When this blog goes up Friday, it will most likely be the case that the World Series will have the champs defending their title against one of the best franchises and teams in world history — and that goes for all sports.

I hate to say it, but when the Bronx Children make it to the Series without beloved Joe Torre, it should be looked at. Some cornerstones to this franchise are still there, but the biggest difference has been the success of A-Rod down the stretch — he hasn’t been this solid in the playoffs since joining the pinstripes.

That all said, so much for the freeway series – and so much for me buying tickets to the World Series. I was looking forward to a championship atmosphere. Portland normally doesn’t have that….

Is it even fair that Peyton Manning had a bye week to prepare for the lowly Rams? I doubt that the Greatest Show on Turf (Colts) since the Greatest Show on Turf (Rams) will put up the numbers of Tom Brady and Co., but its exciting none the less: hence I’m starting three maybe even four Colts this week in the fantasy world.

Speaking of Tom Brady, I despise him even more now. I jumped over to the ESPN Web site at least a dozen times and all I saw was the picture of him high-fiving Stalin. It was like Hitler and Stalin. Yes I went there, and yes it’s at the level in my heart.

Jeff Fisher wearing a Manning jersey at a Tony Dungy fundraiser was humorous. Even the joke about being a winner was humorous. Yet, after losing 59-0, you may want to be more careful coach!

USC fans, beware, I think Matt Barkley is a phony. He’s trying to be a West Coast version of Tim Tebow; only he has fewer skills, less character, and by far less heart. Next year my beloved Irish will finally overtake the Trojans, and no doubt I’ll be there representing with the luck of the Irish green t-shirts…

As much as the nation used to hate Jim Tressel and his sweater vests, we now hate the fact he’s around. The only grounds Ohio State fans have for supporting their coach is how good of a role model he is. I don’t even like USC and I know Pete Carroll does a better job of that – plus he wins. For some reason I don’t think good old sweater vests would survive in the heart of Compton. Someone’s on the hot seat, and it’s not Pryor!

No one can stop Manning

posted 10/16/09

If you watch enough of the Colts, you start to realize that no one in the league can stop Peyton Manning. There isn’t a single pass rush, secondary or coach that can out-scheme him anymore. You can slow the machine down, but you can’t stop it–and more than likely if you give him a chance he will win.

Remember the days the Patriots were able to frazzle him by blitzing and using a ton of formations? Goodbye days of old, this wily old vet is here to stay.

On the note of quarterbacks: the rules are getting pretty ridiculous. The momentum a 300-pound lineman or a 250-pound linebacker generates is too hard to stop on a dime. The Tom Brady rule? Give me a break, first the fumble now the only-touch-him-between-neck-and-waist-rule…these are technical terms of course.

The Bengals? Really? Cedric Benson can’t keep this production up all year, and it’s safe to say Carson Palmer is nothing more than a game manager who can put up decent outings.

Speaking of the AFC North, it’s probably the toughest division to play in, except the fact each team plays the Browns twice. I think I could possibly start over their quarterbacks right now. Be right back, I need to go hide my Brady Quinn jersey (and yes I have one…).

In baseball this week, the Dodgers came back and won today. I’m not from the area, but for some reason an LA vs. LA series seems very plausible and enjoyable. The problem with a subway series is that no one outside the city cares except diehard MLB fans and team fans.

Er, maybe that’s the case for the entire MLB anyways.

Has anybody heard that Biola’s soccer team is no. 20 in the nation? Pretty impressive. I’d like to see this school go all out in their sport team lore, donning the slight mystical impressions of drunken Irish fans – minus the alcohol, because it is Biola of course.

Oh and also add: there probably shouldn’t be any Irish river dancing. We might get letters here at The Chimes.

A quick tangent

posted 10/10/09

Today, I have nothing to write about in sports. I spent the week pouring through witty ideas about why the Colts are still the best NFL team, and why Tim Tebow’s injury brought down any fascination about him being … well, what some might call “Jesus,” but I have been inspired to write about something that really matters.

Take the time to sit down and really think about this.

I have a buddy, Jon Thompson, whom I’ve been honored to have in my life the past five years — someone who at the core was someone like me.

We weren’t always close, but he was the friend who was always there when I needed someone to play video games with or spend countless hours watching TV.

Thompson was a scrawny kid to say the least. Looking back over photos from the early days of high school, I’m reminded that he barely cracked the 5’3 mark, and probably didn’t way much over 100 pounds soaking wet.

Yet one day, the kid I once thought of as an awkward, acne-troubled, interesting character grew up.

He started training for something bigger, and around the time of junior year, he decided he was going to join the United States Marine Corp.

We never thought we’d see the day, but as time progressed, this once scrawny boy grew into a strong young man. He now stands just above my height physically, and far above me in stature.

I made a promise six months ago that I would do everything in my power to come see his graduation or spend time with him after he left Camp Pendleton.

God worked in some huge ways, and I was blessed to spend the past few hours of my life catching up and hearing about his life.

He has changed. For the better. In every single way possible.

The waitress came by frequently, mostly because it seemed like no one in Red Robin had seen a Marine in his daily dress, with the pressed pants and the clean cover.

The once socially inept friend of mine, the shy boy who always delayed what he wanted to say, constantly replied with quick “thank yous,” “pleases,” and above that, a smile.

He carried conversations with my dad, a former United States Navy machinist mate, as they bantered against one another in military humor and rivalry.

Above all that however, was how the lunch began and ended. He approached me, gave me the biggest hug of my life, and left me with the same approach. He added, “Keep texting me if you want. I want to keep up.”

What he’s gone through, and will go through, will stand far above any earthly things that I ever accomplish. I just want to say thanks to Jon and every serviceman and woman of this country.

If it wasn’t for people like you, people like me (an adopted Korean) wouldn’t be here today. Thank you Jon.

For the record, a Marine doesn’t cry – but sometimes a journalist does.

Semper-Fi!

I used to hate you, Vick

posted 9/25/09

The day has arrived.

Welcome back Michael Vick. We’ve awaited your presence. We can’t wait to see what you will do in the Eagles version of the Wildcat. Last week was a nice treat, watching Ronnie Brown run up and down Indianapolis, but now we want to see someone who can run and throw, and win.

I used to hate you Vick; with such spite and anger because your arrogance led you too commit such awful animal cruelty. This last summer, however, I watched a judicial court rule that Dante Stallworth only deserved 30 days of jail for killing a man while driving drunk.

I find myself supporting Vick now — not to be a winner, not to do the things he once did, but now to grace the field with the story of a man who was unfairly punished compared to his peers. Welcome back Michael Vick. Welcome home.

In other news:

In the world of baseball, Boston looks like a secure lock for the Wildcard spot. The MLB featured a lot less parody this year, with the typical front runners leading the pack and the Central falling apart early, like expected. The National League, to its credit, boasts a lot of good teams from both the East and the West.

Today I opened up my ESPN magazine and found the whole thing to be about the NHL. We don’t have hockey where I come from. As far as I’m concerned, the only reason people know where the Ducks are is because of the Mighty Ducks. Which isn’t true I know, but let me believe that.

College football is the save-all to sports. There’s no tougher environment to play in than some of these college venues. Top 10 teams are dropping off faster than Janet Jackson’s clothes in the Super Bowl, and every game matters. Name a sport where every game matters.

I used to support the case for a Football Ball Subdivision playoff system, but I’m really enjoying the new era of college football. The spread offense has radically changed not only the way the game is played, but the balance of talent as well. No longer are running backs needed who weigh in at 225 and can carry the rock 30 times a game. I hope this spreads to the NFL in some facet.

On a totally serious note — and one that is dear to my heart — I hope the NFL straight down to the peewee leagues does something about concussions. As an athlete who suffered through three that I reported and two more than I regret not telling my trainer and doctor about, it’s a problem that’s growing into a pandemic that needs to be solved.

In our own world, Biola volleyball fell to Azusa. I haven’t been here long enough to sense the intensity of the rivalry, but I get these drifts that Azusa people must be heathens or something. Just saying.

Boring week of sports. So I’ll rant.

posted 9/19/09

For a busy weekend of college football, it was a rather quiet week in the realm of sports the past few days.

Notre Dame threw three all-but-valiant incomplete passes to allow Michigan to drive down the field to win, and good ol’ Jim Tressel’s sweater vest nearly lost its threads after a poor choice of conservative play after conservative play. Hey guys, welcome to the hot seat!

The biggest stories this week have to include Michael Jordan’s pathetic attempt at a thank you speech during the NBA Hall of Fame ceremonies. Once again, Jordan gave us a taste of his inner-soul, only this time it was more than we ever bargained for. Thanks for being a great role model to all stuck-up athletes everywhere. (See Rick Reilly’s column from espn.com for more.)

Does anybody really care about the American League playoff race? The past few post-seasons have been rather snoreful, especially since the Red Sox broke the curse. In fact, can anyone remember a World Series where people actually watched every game other than the Red Sox? The steroids asterisk era will have a larger effect in the next five years of sports than anyone previously thought. Bud better do something quick, or people’s mouths will start running, and no one’s reputation is safe then.

For crying out loud, can the NBA and the NFL figure out labor disputes? The last thing I want to see is some underpaid small ball referee trying to call a foul on LeBron James; the 6 foot million inches king towering him over with a foul stench of ego and pride screaming back. Also, no one wants to see a cap-less NFL season. Why? Because it sets the league up for failure. The second they reinstate the cap, teams that aren’t afraid to spend money (Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys) will be torn apart by cap-hits. Teams like the Patriots will excel because they will be able to afford high-profile athletes (think Anquan Boldin) and teams in small markets (Buffalo, Indianapolis) won’t be able to compete. I like parody in the NFL. Give me a break!

Finally, a side note in the other reality: Kayne West, your “new workout plan” sucks, and you’ve officially made my list of “people that should disappear and probably never return” list. Congrats, you’re in good company: Al Davis, Paris Hilton, Tom Brady, and Steve McNair are all with you. Oh wait, one of them is already gone…

Finally point 2: I like McNair and all he did, but an affair? Really? That said Vince Young has earned kudos for taking out the McNair kids this week for “Father Breakfast Day” at their school. That was a truly awesome moment.

Finally point 3: I’m really excited for the NBA season to start, just so I can rip all the LA fans down here. Greg Oden for president!

Hello sports fans!

posted 9/14/09

I’m Matthew Fier, a freshman here at Biola University. I was a two year varsity football player at Sam Barlow High School in Gresham, Ore. I played football for 10 seasons, including stints at every position. I’m an AVID Colts fan and Peyton Manning fan, and I know my stuff about the NFL. By the way, the Blazers are going to be champions…in a few years…forget Kobe!

Ah, the smell of late summer. The sound of volleyballs being thumped, soccer balls being kicked, and in the deep distance, I hear the faint whistles of a Biola football team that has never lost a game.

Let’s take a quick look at news from all the realms of sports, from professional to collegiate…

If I’m Josh McDaniels, I’d sure be missing Tom Brady, or Matt Cassel, or even Jay Cutler at this point…no one believes Kyle Orton can do anything worthwhile, and my best receiver, Brandon Marshall, wants out…great rookie season coach!

Is anyone else sick of everyone hating the Colts? Sure they’re always predicted to win the division, but no one ever gives them credit for getting past Big Ben (no means no!) and Tom Brady (are you guys married yet?)– but I’d like to differ. They’re bigger, meaner, and a lot more aggressive. Plus, Manning is still Manning…

For some reason, tennis is always a big deal on ESPN and USA today, but it hasn’t caught on in the mainstream TV yet. Perhaps its too repetitive for the easily bored minds of Americans. But I sure enjoy watching the Williams sisters or Andy Roddick, not to mention super-star teen Melanie Oudin, who at 17 actually realizes there’s more to life than boys and hair.

Speaking of college football (insert awkward sitcom laughs), I remember back in 2005 when everyone predicted Notre Dame would falter to 0-6 before Brady Quinn took off and led the Irish to a great season ending with horrible losses (as usual). This season looks a lot different. There is a new theme around South Bend, and its SPEED baby! Somewhere, Lou Holtz and his stroke-like speech is mumbling…and Knute Rockne is rolling in his grave about my jokes.

I laugh at Oklahoma’s luck. So is Tim Tebow. Who can stop the Gators now, oh Boise State where arrrreee you? BSU is loaded too. In a few years redshirt freshman Joey Paul and Malcolm Johnson (remember the names!) will be running past defenses.

Congratulations to Natasha Miller, Biola’s own winner. She received two silver medals in the Canada games this past August for success in the 100m hurdles and the high jump.

The Eagles volleyball team is back on track, despite reloading its roster with the missing faces of two NAIA All-Americans, and trying to continue its winning record (the team has gone 63-12 in the past two seasons). They are making the transition look easy with a recent win over Hope International.

Biola men’s soccer continues to kick grass…errr turf, with a win over Whittier 4-0. The women’s team also showed up with a win over the Urban Knights from the Academy of Art in San Francisco.

Something tells me this is the start of a beautiful season Biola fans. If this was Facebook, I would click “like.”