|
|
| Ben's Takes | |
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
Friday, January 04, 2002
Friday Thoughts, Opinions and Notes  By Ben Maller Attention Bowl Championship Series haters: The BCS worked again this year and it's worked every year. Miami is clear and away the best team in college football no ifs ands or buts! Eric Crouch got the Heisman, Ken Dorsey got the big game and the National Title. After the game Hurricane players gave ESPN's Lee Corso a hard time. Corso picked Nebraska to pull the upset.  Nebraska should make some changes to their offense. The Option is great when playing Kansas and Texas Tech, when you play the big boys and fall behind you have a big problem. Watching Miami play, I can only wonder what would have happened had the Hurricanes lost that game against Boston College. Why do Florida and Miami look like world beaters while UCLA and USC can't beat Mountain West or Wac teams? Miami better enjoy their national championship. Oklahoma will be back and loaded next year. I've been wrong before, but I don't think Joey Harrington will be a very good NFL QB. Harrington looks to be a step slow to be a star at the next level. According to Football.com the top three picks in the NFL Draft will be: 1.) Houston - Bryant McKinnie, OT, Miami; 2.) Carolina - Julius Peppers, DE, North Carolina*; 3.) 3. Detroit - Quinton Jammer, CB, Texas. DeShaun Foster is rated the second best RB in the draft behind William Green of Boston College.  Tony Siragusa is my favorite football player. I love the Goose's personality and hope that FOX Sports is able to add him to their family of broadcasters.  Look for Chris Carter to end his career playing WR for the Baltimore Ravens next season. Star QB Rob Johnson of the Bills is expected to end up with the Houston Texans next year. The Texans' offensive coordinator is Chris Palmer who was the man in Jacksonville when Johnson played well. Ben Maller Trivia Question of the Week: What kicker has missed the most field goals in the NFL this year? Former Notre Dame coach George O'Leary could end up on Tom Coughlin's staff in Jacksonville next year. According to Pro Football Weekly, Coughlin and O'Leary coached together at Syracuse.  Its good to see that Ricky Williams and Edgerrin James are loyal to their franchises. Both reportedly want to play for the Miami Dolphins. At least these guys want something. Its been said neither player really wants to win.  Dennis Green should not be fired as coach of the Vikings. Green has done a great job over the last 10 years with a 97-62 record. The one thing that I can't understand, is the argument that after a decade players stop listening to a coach, any coach. Speculation in San Diego is if Norv Turner ends up as head coach, the Chargers will not bring back midget QB Doug Flutie. If Turner does not get the job, he'll end up with the Dolphins as offensive coordinator for Dave Wandstedt. Despite Oakland Raiders' defensive tackle Darrell Russell being suspended for a year for using the club drug Ecstasy, I'm still picking the Raiders to advance from the AFC. The Steelers and Patriots also have major problems! If the Dallas Cowboys had a real quarterback next season, they could be the surprise team in the NFL. The Boys have the NFL's second leading defense, and 3rd best rushing offense. Problem is that Quincy Carter and the passing offense is ranked 31st. Cowboys' Offensive Coordinator Jack Reilly will be fired. I wonder if the Chargers will hire a coach with Los Angeles ties considering they will be moving to Los Angeles soon. Did You Know? I, Ben Maller, played football against Falcons WR Brian Finneran in high school. Carolina will look to clean house after this year. The Panthers will say good-bye to such overpriced players as RB Tim Biakabutuka and DT Sean Gilbert. Vinny Testaverde will be playing his last game as Jets' QB Sunday against the Raiders. The Patriots have some very tough decisions to make this offseason. RB Antowain Smith; LBs Ted Bruschi, Roman Phifer and Bryan Cox; PK Adam Vinatieri; and P Ken Walter are all free-agents. I keep hearing that the Clippers are dropping Lamar Odom's name in trade talks around the league. It seems the Paper Clips have not gotten over Odom's need for a bong. Michael Jordan put on one of the greatest offensive shows I have ever seen on Monday Night. I watched the Wizards 38 year old forward score 22 straight points for Washington against New Jersey.  Congratulations to Darvin Ham the forward for the Milwaukee Bucks. Ham will always be the answer to the trivia question: who was the first player arrested in 2002! Ham was busted for domestic violence on Jan 1st. The NBA is so boring, I don't know where to begin. If someone can explain what the hell my Dodgers are doing this offseason your a better man than me! The Boys in Blue are a joke right now. I wonder if Gary Sheffield knows that most Dodgers' fans hate him. Or just don't care about him. He's never gone out of his way to reach out to the fans in Los Angeles. How hard would it be to sign Pokey Reese, a gold glover middle infielder with speed who was almost traded for Gary Sheffield last season? Matt Morris, who figures to get hurt in the next few years, cashed in this week. The St. Louis Cardinals gave Morris a 3-Year $29 million dollar contract. Bob Welch was the pitching coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks last year and the team won the World Series. Welch was not asked back to coach this year.  Years ago I did some stats work for Kevin Kennedy and Charlie Steiner on their ESPN Radio Sunday night baseball package. I'm happy for Steiner, a lifelong Yankees fan, that he'll be leaving ESPN to be joining John Sterling next year in the Yankees Radio booth. Fox Sports Radio super star Jason Smith is this week's featured guest on All-Access.com's 10 Question's of the week. You have to become a member but its free! or check back here this weekend for a free copy. Keith Olberman is back broadcasting sports again... Click Here to find out where  Now a message from our sponsors... A friendly reminder to listen to my radio show this weekend on your local Fox Sports Radio station. It's me along with Bob Page at the Fox Sports Update desk from 5am till 8am(est) Saturday morning. Sunday morning from 4am till 7am I'll be back again. (Heard coast-to-coast and around the world from the Fox Network Center) Sunday night listen to my new program from 10pm till 2am along with Jason Smith on your local Fox Sports radio station. (Heard coast-to-coast and around the world from the Fox Network Center.) Ben Maller Trivia Question of the Week Answer: Kris Brown of the Steelers leads the NFL with 14 missed Field Goals in 44 attempts. Big Ben Maller's Five Star NFL Pick of the Week   San Francisco (11-4) at New Orleans Saints (7-8) The Line: 49ers -2 1/2 Ben's Pick: Niners lay the points Did You Know? WR Terrell Owens, who has 97 catches, leads NFL with 14 TD catches. He has 8 TDs in last 7 vs. Saints. Did You Know 2? San Francisco is tied for fewest fumble (6) and total giveaways (18) in NFL. Last Meeting: 49ers beat Saints 28-27 on Nov. 11, 2001, at San Francisco. Big Ben's Breakdown: The Saints have packed it in and given up on the 2001 season. You are going to have to go way back to find a team that has played as poorly as the Saints the last two weeks. The Saints have been outscored 88 to 31 to be eliminated from any playoff consideration. Last week in a game that was broadcast on ESPN, the Saints allowed the Skins to score 40 straight points! The Niners are heading into a wildcard matchup with the Bears or Packers and would like to have some momentum going into postseason. BenMaller.com Final Score: 49ers 31, Saints 14 Other NFL Picks: Green Bay - 3 at Giants, Denver -2 at Colts, Arizona + 3 1/2 at Washington, Titans -5 1/2 at Cincinnati, DALLAS -3 at Detroit, New England -6 1/2 at Carolina, Seattle -3 1/2 at Kansas City, Oakland -3 1/2 vs. Jets, Browns +6 1/2 at Steelers, Rams -14 1/2 vs. Falcons. Buffalo + 6 at Miami. permalink Thursday, January 03, 2002
BenMaller.com Rose Bowl Preview   (4) Nebraska (11-1) vs. (1) Miami (11-0)  By Ben Maller Game Time: 5pm (Pacific) Tonight Line: Miami -8 1/2 Location: Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA (Natural Grass) Last Meeting: Nebraska won the 1995 Orange Bowl (24-17). Did you know? The Cornhuskers will play in an NCAA-record 33rd consecutive bowl game and 40th overall (fourth most in NCAA history). This year, NU will participate in the Rose Bowl, the site of the team's first bowl appearance, following the 1940 season. Did you know2 ? Miami's four other national titles came in the Orange Bowl (1983, 1987 and 1991) and the Sugar Bowl (1989). Three things to watch for Nebraska:  1.) Heisman Crouch: Eric Crouch is the leader of the Big Red option. Crouch won the Heisman Trophy this year despite passing for just 1,510 yards and seven touchdowns, it was because he was able to run for 1,115 yards and 18 TD's. Crouch averaged 92.9 yards per game rushing and wasn't even the team's leading rusher. I-back Dahrran Diedrick gets that title. Diedrick ran for 1,299 yards this season (118.1 ypg), on 5.6 yards per carry. He finished just behind Crouch in terms of rushing scores with 15. As a team the Huskers averaged 314.7 yards per game on the ground. 2.) The Black Shirts: Nebraska has a special name for a special defense. The Cornhuskers had a great year this season even with the mistake in Boulder. The Cornhuskers allowed just 15.8 points per game and 287.2 yards of total offense. The rush defense was solid, allowing just 116.9 yards per game, but it didn't come close to the team's pass defense. Nebraska ranked second nationally in pass efficiency defense (83.81) and ninth in pass defense (170.3 ypg). In addition, the team ranked seventh nationally in interceptions, with 19 on the year. The leader of the defense is senior middle linebacker, Jamie Burrow, who was a monster as the defensive leader on the field. He paced the Cornhuskers in tackles (84), while adding 12 TFLs, 3.5 sacks and one fumble recovery on the season. The secondary was highlighted by veteran free safety Dion Booker (62 tackles, one interception) and cornerbacks Keyuo Craver (60 tackles, three interceptions). 3.) Confidence: The Cornhuskers are playing their first game since that 62-36 nightmare against Colorado. Many feel that Nebraska should not even be in this game because they lost out on the Big 12 title. The most important thing that the Huskers are going to have to prove is that they can play with confidence and not fall behind early and then give up. Three things to watch for Miami:  1.) Balanced offense: The Hurricanes were among the leaders in the nation in scoring (43.2 ppg), while averaging 454.8 yards of total offense. Where Miami has a real advantage over Nebraska is in its balanced attack. The Hurricanes are not one-dimensional in the least bit, collecting large chunks of real estate on the ground (204.6 ypg) and through the air (250.2 ypg). Ken Dorsey didn't win the Heisman but still put up monster numbers. Dorsey completed 57.9 percent of his passes this year, for 2,652 yards and 23 TDs, compared to just nine interceptions. 2.) Bryant McKinnie and Friends: The Hurricanes have the country's best offensive line. Offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie leads the way. The 6-9, 330 pounder won the Outland Trophy this season and was named a First-Team All-American. The Line allowed just four sacks all season long. The line of scrimmage will be the key in this one. The Miami running game is led by tailback Clinton Portis, who emerged as a real stud this season, carrying 220 times, for 1,200 yards and 10 scores. Frank Gore came on down the stretch as well for Miami, finishing with 562 yards and five TDs, on an eye-popping 9.1 yards per carry. 3.) Reed the Defense: The Hurricanes defense allowed just 9.4 points per game this year, and while the team did allow 132.1 yards per game rushing, it was on only 3.1 yards per carry. Throwing the ball is not an option against this defense, as the team allowed an anemic 138.2 yards passing per game in 2001. Safety Ed Reed was the best player on the defensive side of the ball for the Hurricanes (if not the nation) in 2001. A first-team All-American and Thorpe Award finalist, Reed finished the year with nine interceptions, for 202 yards in returns and two TDs. Reed should be able to play up near the line considering Nebraska's inability to pass. Why Nebraska will lose and cover: I believe that the Cornhuskers loss to Colorado was an anomaly. The Cornhuskers have the size and athletic ability to play with Miami. The Hurricanes played their best football in the Orange Bowl. The Huskers, for the most part were good at home and on the road. Nebraska's offensive line must have its best game of the season. The Huskers were able to score against just about everyone this year, this figures to be a very physical game. In the end, Miami has too many weapons for Big Red. Ben's Final Score: Miami 34, Nebraska 28 (Miami by 6) permalink Wednesday, January 02, 2002
"Gross" Mistake  By Ben Maller Florida Gators QB Rex Grossman dropped the ball this week. The Gator QB showed up an hour late for curfew and was benched for tonight's Orange Bowl game against Maryland. Hats off to Gators coach Steve Spurrier did the right thing in punishing his star signal caller. Spurrier had warned his team the day before that this was a very important week and that the curfew was for everyone. Their is nothing I hate more than the star treatment that goes on in most big time college programs. Spurrier sends a message to all his players that its a team not a bunch of stars and then scrubs.  Brock Berlin will get the start and here is hoping that the Berlin tosses three touchdowns and then transfers to Miami! The Gators play the Hurricains on the road in 2003. How great would a Grossman vs. Berlin battle be! permalink Sunday, December 30, 2001
Big Ben's Weekend Wrap
By Ben Maller One of the great things about the NFL is how teams almost never pack it in. The Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals all have long been eliminated from playoff consideration, yet they all played well and pulled upsets on Sunday.  The Jets have nobody to blame except Vinny Testaverde if they don't make the playoffs. The old Miami QB was horrible on the final drive against the Bills. Testaverde tossed a screen pass to Curtis Martin with :20 second left and no timeouts then had the balls to rip offensive coordinator Paul Hackett after the game.  Congratulations to the Philadelphia Eagles who won their first NFC East Title since 1988 with a win against the Giants. Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk continue to rip through the NFL. The Rams blew out the Colts as Warner tossed three TD passes and Faulk had four touchdowns. If I had a vote for the MVP Award, I would give it to Kurt Warner of the Rams. Warner has 4,550 yards passing and 33 touchdowns with a game to go. Kordell Stewart has 14 TD passes and 9 Interceptions. Tom Brady has 17 TD passes and 10 interceptions. Attention NFL GM's in San Diego, New York and Baltimor: Trent Dilfer who has won his last 14 starts will be a free agent after the season.  Mike Riley coached his last game as coach of the Chargers. Riley has been trying to get a college coaching job for sometime. He almost got the USC and San Diego State jobs. I think Notre Dame could do worse than hire Riley. The New York Giants history continued with the loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants have failed to make the playoffs in each of the three seasons following their Super Bowl appearances! Speaking of the Giants, DE Michael Strahan had 3 1/2 sacks in the first half against Philadelphia, breaking Lawrence Taylor's team record for sacks in a season. Strahan has 21 1/2 sacks - a half-sack from Mark Gastineau's NFL mark. Brett Favre improved to 30-0 at home in temperatures of 34 or below with Green Bay's 24-13 victory over Minnesota. The game-time temperature was 19 degrees. I wonder what Farve's record is when its 75 Degrees or warmer. How far has Eddie George fallen off the map. George had 130 yards on 26 carries and two touchdowns in Tennessee's 41-38 loss to Cleveland. It was his first 100-yard game of the season and 30th of his career. BenMaller.com NFL Trivia Question of the Week: Who holds the NFL Record for pass attempts?? History could be made this weekend in the NFL, if Detroit loses to Dallas and Carolina loses to New England next week, it will be the first time two teams have finished 1-15. Carolina tied the NFL record for consecutive losses with their 14th straight after a season opening victory. If the Panthers lose this weekend they set the record. Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson broke Lance Alworth's team record for total yards from scrimmage with 1,603. Alworth had 1,590 in 14 games in 1965.  Dallas QB Quincy Carter threw two touchdown passes and was 15-of-25 for 241 yards, the most for any of the Cowboys' four quarterbacks this season, in a 27-21 victory over San Francisco. The Miami Dolphins get my vote as the most average team in the NFL. The Fish have made the playoffs each of the last five seasons, yet have not been good enough any of these years to make a Super Bowl run. Speaking of the Dolphins, with 191 yards in the win over Atlanta, Jay Fiedler became the second Miami quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in a season. Dan Marino did it an NFL-record 13 times. Colts WR Marvin Harrison caught five passes for 96 yards against the Rams, giving him 100 for the year. He's only the third player in NFL history, joining Herman Moore and Jerry Rice, to have three straight 100-catch years. Big Ben's Three Game Balls: 3.) Marshall Faulk, Rams, scored four touchdowns and totaled 165 yards rushing and receiving in St. Louis' 42-17 rout of Indianapolis. 2.) Trent Dilfer, Seahawks, threw three touchdown passes in his first appearance in seven weeks and won his 14th straight start, 25-22 over San Diego. 1.) Jon Kitna, Bengals, threw for 411 yards and two touchdowns in Cincinnati's 26-23 overtime victory over Pittsburgh, which hadn't allowed 400 yards passing in a game since 1988. Big Ben's Three Bums: 3.)Ty Detmer, Detroit QB, who had seven interceptions in his first start this season, had two interceptions and three fumbles, one of which was lost, in a 24-0 loss to Chicago. 2.) Vinny Testaverde, Jets QB threw two interceptions, and the New York Jets had to settle for field goals on their three trips inside the 20 in a 14-9 loss to last-place Buffalo. 1.) Kordell Stewart, Steelers QB, Threw four interceptions, and helped Pittsburgh blow a 23-10 lead in the 4th Quarter. BenMaller.com NFL Trivia Question of the Week Answer: The record for passing attempts in an NFL game is 70 by Drew Bledsoe in 1994. On Sunday, Cincinnati's Jon Kitna threw 68 passes and Carolina's Chris Weinke attempted a franchise-record 63. NFL Stat of the Week: The Indianapolis Colts have allowed 476 points this season, five more than St. Louis gave up in 2000. Random Weekend Thoughts... The Oakland Athletics signed Scott Hatteberg to a contract and then talked about how he'll replace Jason Giambi at first base for the Athletics. I wonder how hard Jason was laughing when he heard that! David Wells did the old FU to Jerry Colangelo and the Diamondbacks by agreeing to a deal with the Snakes and then at the last minute signing with Wells beloved Yankees.  Bill Cartwright won his Bulls' coaching debut and the odds are that it's going to be down from there on. We Get E mail... My Favorite Hate E mail of late comes from my friend in Atlanta. From: Pugum@aol.com | Date: Mon, 31 Dec 2001 01:13:51 EST Subject: HEY BEN !!! WHY DON'T YOU SHOVE YOUR MIKE UP YOUR RACIST ASS ??? To: bigbenonfox@yahoo.com You are the absolute worst sports radio host I've ever heard in my life !!! Why don't you tape the professionals at ESPN radio and steal some intelligence, manners, insight and couth from any of them. Your partners are fairly good but you are truly pathetic and have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO CONTRIBUTE !!! Jim Jamison, Atlanta Some of the other e mail's of the weekend. Ben, While I don't always agree with sports takes, I want to be the first to thank you on calling out the Pittsburg Steelers. You exposed them for the fraud that they are. I thought that they may have been the real thing,but then I see Kordell and Chris Brown revert to their old form. To all of those people who were bashing Ben last week and to all of those Kordell Stewart lap dogs, your superbowl hopes are going to be SLASHed. As a fan, I am just waiting for the moment in the playoffs when Brown misses that game winning field goal, or when Kordell throws a 4th quarter interception. And one more thing, remind Jason that his Jets suck... Hari from Anaheim Ben, Not only do you hate the Pittsburgh Steelers, you hate the St. Louis Cardinals! I don't see their logo on your site! You are a bitter, bitter man. Its the holidays dude! Luis.  Just for you Luis... NFL Week 16 in Pictures permalink |
 |
|