Your Daily J: 12/3

(Picture from www.cb-product-reviews.com)

Your team is down by 4 and there's just over a minute to go in the game. You have one timeout left and are preparing to take the kickoff as the other team has just scored to take the lead. What sort of things should be happening on the sidelines? How will you put your team in the best position to win? Over the past few weeks, we've seen several coaches put in similar situations, many of which have failed miserably. So this had us wondering, what if coaching staffs included someone tasked only with managing the end of a game? Similar to a special teams coach who only deals with punts and kicks, or a closer in baseball, who is only brought in at the end to finish out the game, what if every football team had one coach whose job was only to run the show at the end of the game?


My first thought here is related to something our good friend (by friend I mean someone we listen to on the radio and whose articles and books we read, but whom does not know we exist) Bill Simmons has brought up many a time on his B.S. Report. He has claimed that every NFL team needs some 14 year old kid that does nothing but plays Madden who can come on to the sidelines at the end of a game to tell them what to do. So who would really be better at these situations, the college coach who's been around for many a year (someone like Joe Pa), or the teenager who's played this exact situation 15-20 times in a video game?


Secondly, is this something that we really need an extra coach for, or is it something that head coaches should just be better at? I mean, most of these guys are paid several million dollars a year to be a head coach, while they have offensive coordinators calling the plays on offense and defensive coordinators calling the plays on defense and special teams coaches directing the kicking game. So shouldn't these guys be capable of directing their teams with the game on the line?

NFL Week 13 Picks

(Picture from SportsIllustrated.com)

Hello again Football fans. Another week is in the books, and the nation learned where both the Saints and the Patriots sit within the hierachy of teams this season.  So with a new week, comes new lines.  So as always, Jonah and I pick against the spread. We keep track of overall record as well as week by week. Whoever has the losing weekly record after the Super Bowl will have (what looks like Chili) dumped on him, while being video taped, WHICH WILL BE POSTED TO THE BLOG! So with that said The Manchise welcomes in Week 13, with both of our favorite teams going head to head against each other.

The Biggest Loser

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Reality TV is all the rage nowadays and earlier this week, one of the biggest names (and fupas) in college football got a little taste of reality. When Charlie Wies started with Notre Dame five years ago, there was a buzz of excitement and a feeling of hope in South Bend. Charlie rallied the troops and declared that 6-5 was just not good enough at Notre Dame. This week, the world learned that Charlie was right. 6-5 wasn't good enough then and 6-6 isn't good enough now. The Irish seemed destined for greatness once again when Weis took them to consecutive BCS games in his first two years after leaving the NFL, but since then, they have fallen to 16-21 under Weis, who leaves ND with a record of 35-27 (.565), which is worse than the two coaches (Tyrone Willingham and Bob Davie) who preceeded him (.583). Now the questions begin to poor in. The question on most people's minds is who will replace him? We, on the other hand, have a different question we've been pondering.

Your Daily J: 12/2

Today's question: What will we get from The Answer?

(courtesy of ESPN.com)

The Philadelphia 76ers and Allen Iverson have agreed to terms on a 1-year non-guaranteed contract, meaning they are under no obligation to keep The Answer, but if they find he truly is the answer to their problems, they can guarantee his contract for the remainder of the season on January 10 for $650,000 - not just a chunk of change, but a fraction of what the four-time scoring champion once made.

The past year or two have been rough for Iverson. After things got bumpy in Philly, AI went out west to the Nuggets, who just couldn't quite get it done. In an attempt to make a playoff run, the Nuggets traded Iverson to Detroit for Denver native Chauncey Billups. There, The Answer found himself coming off the bench - something that was both new and repulsive for him. At the end of last season, Iverson became a free agent and eventually signed with Memphis, where he again found himself coming off the bench. After only three games with the team, he took a leave of absence before finally retiring last week (a retirement that only beat out Brittney and K-Fed's marriage by a few days).

So, with Iverson now at 34 years old and the Sixers sitting at 5-13, there are many questions about The Answer. The one that's been on our minds: what will we see out of him?

Jonah: This is hard for me, as a long-time Iverson fan. During his prime, AI was a 10-time All-Star and led the Sixers to the finals in 2001, when he was the MVP. He has averaged 27 points per game over his career, which is 5th all-time and 3rd among active players. In 71 career playoff games, he has averaged 29.7 points per game - second all-time behind only Michael Jordan (33.4). Simply put, he was a great player. But he hasn't been a starter the last two places he's been. Is it because his play has truly diminished, or because franchises are looking to develop younger players and don't want to have them sit behind a 34 year old veteran? I want to believe he still has it, that he's still a great player and has the potential to help any team that lets him play. I've always maintained that he isn't the selfish ball-hog the media has made him out to be, but rather a great penetrator who has played on some really bad teams with nobody worth passing to (see all ten seasons with the Sixers! He had guys like Dikembe Motumbo and the terrible Eric Snow as his teammates). I have always felt his true colors shined when he played with other great players (see his performances in the 2001 and 2005 NBA All-Star games, where he was the MVP). But now that he's back with a team filled with, well, not exactly the Dream Team, I wonder if he will, in fact, be the ball-hog ESPN claims he is. There is some hope with the other AI (Andre Iguodala), but I'm not sure this is going to be the fairytale I would like to see for him. I think he would have been better served on a team with another great scorer and a big man, a place were he could score, but doesn't HAVE to score. Whatever the case may be, I hope it works out for the guy and I'd like to thank him letting me get just a little more use out of one of my AI jerseys.

(courtesy of ESPN.com)

Jerry: The answer is one of the greatest players of the past 15 years. He made it out of the slums, and became one of the most terrifying players on the court during the 90's and early 2000's. His crossover was legendary, and his quickness defined him as a player. He could get in the lane and dunk on people like Marcus Camby, or hit jumper after jumper for 60 points . He could score at will, and give the opposite team's point guard fits. He was a legend from the moment he entered college at Georgetown. He single handily brought the Sixers to the finals, and even put on a show against a way better Laker team. With that being said, he's had a couple down years, Denver wasn't the best fit, and we all know the story about Detroit. Iverson is not a bench player now, nor has he ever been. He is a scorer. He needs to heat up. How does he do that? I can tell you it's not coming off the bench. He is one of those guys that needs to feel the game, feel the defense, and by the time the second half rolls around (sometimes sooner) he's got it. Sure he has lost a step or two, but I tell you that the Sixers can only benefit from this. They aren't paying him anything (even if he does play the entire season) and they are bringing back one of the most decorated players to ever where a Phili uniform. If he doesn't score 20 a night (which I think he will) he will sell tickets. He will bring a veteran presence to this young team. He will finally have the opportunity to lead a team (all the while starting and scoring). Allen Iverson is a player and a scorer, and we all have to remember that. He has something left in the tank, and I would give him a change if I were an owner. I still think that somebody like Cleveland should have at least made a few calls about Iverson, but going home to Phili is just as good. Will he turn this team around? I don't know. Would I be shocked if he did? Not a chance. So the question is, what type of Answer are we going to get? A leader and a scorer, or a grudge holding little man that wants to prove the world wrong by himself? For the NBA and Phili, I hope its the latter.

Piece of Mind: 12/2

So, we already give you a little insight into our worlds every day with our Your Daily J post, but now we are hoping to open things up for you. This is a new regular post where we want to know your thoughts. We will be posing a question and giving you a few of our thoughts, but we are really hoping this is more like a message board. Give us a piece of your mind and don't be afraid to tear down the other guy that just posted before you. Keep it family-friendly, but be sure to speak your mind as well. So here we go, our first ever Piece of Mind.

(images courtesy of http://www.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/)

Major League Baseball has been over for over a month and the major awards have now been given out. Last week, AL and NL MVPs were announced and Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins and Albert Pujols of THE St. Louis Cardinals were the proud recipients.
As a Cardinal fan, I am excited to see Pujols get the recognition I feel he deserves, but would trade it for another World Series title in a heartbeat; I’m sure Twins fans feel the same way. Both players had great years and, to this point, have had great careers. However, I do know that not everyone is a fan and everyone has their own opinion. I know there are some great players out there that I absolutely hate and hate with a passion. Some of them I cannot explain, I just get this vibe from them that drives me crazy (Tim Tebow). Others play on teams I’ve been bred to hate (Sammy Sosa circa 1998 – note: now that Sam Sosa is officially white, I am a fan). I understand that the flip side to that is that many people out there (hell many of you on here) were bred the opposite way, hating my beloved Cardinals and everyone's favorite Hawkeyes. So this got me to wondering: would I want Albert Pujols on my team if I were a Cub fan? If I were born and raised to hate Cardinal red and had to put up with this guy killing me every year, taking his team to its 10th World Series title, and getting so much praise, would I want him on my team? If so, what would I give up for him? I remember thinking when Sosa and McGwire were in the midst of their chase for 61 how much I hated Sammy Sosa and how much it would drive me nuts if he got the record. I thought to myself, “I wouldn’t trade a single one of our players for that guy.” I’m sure Cubs fans felt the same way (although we’re not here to talk about the past). So is Albert any different? As a die-hard Cards fan, I want to believe that he is the type of player that can unite baseball fans and spread interest in the game. I would like to think he is a guy that everyone (even the north-siders with new haircuts) can put their faith in and root for. I’m just not sure there’s anyone in today’s game that can do that. Despite putting up arguably the best numbers in history and doing his part off the field, there must be plenty of baseball fans out there that just don’t like the guy, that wouldn’t take him if they had the chance. So what do you think? I know some of you have to be Cubs fans, or Sox fans, or whatever. Would you want the guy on your team? What about Mauer? Who would you prefer? Why? Give us a piece of your mind!

Your Daily J: 12/1

This is championship week in college football and that means the bowl selection process is less than a week away, so it's time to start thinking about possible bowl matchups. As of now, the top three are rock solid. The top six in the BCS haven’t changed for a few weeks and likely won’t before the bowl selections are made. Cincinnati has a potential scare this weekend as they face off with #15 Pitt, #3 Texas squares off against Nebraska for the Big 12 championship this weekend as well, and Oregon has a showdown with Oregon State Thursday night. That leaves everyone else in the top ten idle and hoping for no upsets. With the current system, only one of the non-BCS teams will likely get a BCS bid. It’s possible that both TCU and Boise State could get it, but not likely. So, without doing a complete rundown of bowl scenarios (which will be coming shortly), we've been left wondering: which team is better? If TCU and Boise State were to meet on a neutral site (sounds a lot like a playoff game), who would come out on top? It’s important to note that those are certainly not the same question. It is quite feasible that the team who would win in a head to head matchup may not be the team most deserving of the BCS bid (see Ohio State vs. USC). Either way, here are the thoughts of two Hawkeye fans.

And The Winner of the 2009 Heisman Trophy is...

(Photo courtesy of moondogsports.com)

With only a week remaining in college footballs, the most decorated and storied award is still up for grabs. What The New York Times has deemed “one of the most wide-open races in the award’s 75-year history”, The Manchise wants to break down the Heisman race, giving the "Why and Why Not" cases for each individual in the running. With no clear front runner, it seems like it is anybody’s race at the moment (although some would argue that Colt McCoy might have taken a minute lead with his impressive performance over Texas A & M). Who will it be? The bruiser from the West? Superman himself? Mr. Crimson Tide? Is it finally the not so young Colt’s turn? Or can a mid major sneak up and take the pose? We hope to lay out the facts and let the numbers speak for themselves (but of course our own personal opinions will be intertwined as well). So here is a look at the top five Heisman hopefuls.


Colt McCoy:
The four year starter has been through this process before, only losing to his Big 12 rival (and friend) Sam Bradford last season. With another impressive season, Colt seems to be leading by a small margin over the other hopefuls. McCoy has 27 touchdown passes and compiled 3,328 passing yards with still a game left to go. He also leads the nation in completion percentage 310/432, which is a miraculous 71.7 percent. He was a preseason favorite, and has done nothing but prove himself week in and week out. He has 25 victories in their past 26 games, with the only loss to Texas Tech last season to a heartbreaking last second touchdown by Michael Crabtree. The only problem is that most of the other candidates have a big part in beating better teams. McCoy only has a victory at Oklahoma State, the only team ranked in the top 25 at the moment. Yet McCoy put on one hell of a show against Texas A & M with 304 passing yards, 175 rushing yards and 5 total touchdowns. The only problem is, not many people saw this performance beyond the ESPN highlights. But Mack Brown made a push for his quaterback after the game saying, "If anybody has a better Heisman moment than that, I'd like to see it." Enough said.

Tim Tebow:
We do alot of bashing of Tim Tebow on this site, some of it fair, some of it not so much (I mean he has almost 50 percent of the poll votes for "Which quaterback you would like to punch in the face"). But Tebow has had himself another great year, although his brand name might be carrying him more than his play. Tebow has the most recognizable name in the game right now. Whether it is because of his pure Christian ways, for helping kids in the off season, or because he has won two National Championships, Tebow could be one of the greatest college players of all time. He has been a part of 30 touchdowns this year, 13 on the ground and 17 through the air. He only has 4 interceptions, and 2,166 passing yards to go along with his 796 rushing yards. Tebow even has a little win streak himself, tallying 22 games, and can up his votes this weekend when his Gators take on number 2 Alabama. The only problem is that although Tebow has 30 total touchdowns, that number is significantly lower (a good 25) than the 55 touchdowns he put up when he won the trophy in 2007.

My Boy, Toby Gerhart:
What can you say about the Stanford running back that hasn't been said in the past few weeks. This guy hits people harder than Tiger Woods driving a Cadillac at 2:30 in the morning (or so reported). Gerhart has 26 rushing touchdowns, which leads the nation. His total yards stack up to be an astounding 1,736, which also leads the nation. He delivered a punishing blow, and a great closing performance (on national TV) against a battered and bruised Notre Dame defense. He finished that game with 205 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns, (and if you are keeping score at home) a touchdown pass. The only problem is that Gerhart is on a team that has lost four games. He wasn't a preseason favorite, hell he wasn't even on the national radar until a few weeks ago after Stanford's win over USC. But if the stats speak for themselves, Toby has said it all.

Mark Ingram:
Ingram at times has been the entire Crimson Tide offense. A bruiser himself, Ingram is averaging an amazing 6.47 yards a carry, and almost 120 yards a game. He is a complete gamer, turning on his best games against the likes of Virginia Tech (150 yards, 2 total touchdowns), Mississippi (172 yards, 1 touchdown), South Carolina (246 yards, 1 touchdown), and LSU (144 yards). We will see the real test this coming weekend against Florida, and what he can do against the number one team in the nation. Although huge in big games, Ingram has had some downers against Florida International (56 yard, 1 touchdown), Arkansas (50 yards, 1 touchdown), and Auburn (just 30 yards). It hurts that Gerhart has come out of the wood work with his amazing season, with better numbers in most categories.

Kellen Moore:
The sophomore from Boise State looks like an improbable winner considering the two huge names in front of him. But look at his stats, and he deserves the talk. Moore has 3,053 passing yards this season with a remarkable 38 touchdown passes compared to only 3 interceptions. He has a completion rating of 65 percent and has lead Boise to another undefeated season. The only problem is that he plays for the Western Athletic Conference (where it is hard enough trying to get into a BCS game, let alone a Heisman Trophy). Moore has had an incredible season, but some voters would argue that those numbers may be inflated because he is playing in the WAC. Moore still has one game left to play, which is this Saturday against New Mexico State.

So there you have it, the Heisman hopefuls (in no particular order). So with another weekend to play, this race is wide open. With three of the five potential Heisman winners in action this weekend, look for big performances that offer last minute arguments to voters. Who do you think deserves the trophy? Leave your comments below, and if we like them we will post them in a later article.
-The Manchise

Week 12 Dominance

(Picture courtesy of NFL.com)

So after another weird week in the NFL, that saw the Titans continue their win streak with a last second touchdown (from our boy Vince Young), Tampa almost beating Atlanta (but covering the spread, thank you very much), and the Eagles narrowly escaping a loss to the Redskins, it was a difficult week against the spread. Although tough, one of us had a monster week against the spread and the other looked like an average Packers team (winning with the easy picks, and choking against the hard ones). So without further adieu, here is the updated score card for the “Covered in Spread” match up.

Before tonight’s MNF game tonight, Jonah went 8-7 against the spread while Jerry went a miraculous 10-5. So no matter the outcome of tonight’s game, Jerry is up one week to none with only five more regular weeks to go. We decided that we will continue this little rivalry up and through the playoffs and Super Bowl. The person with the worst week by week record at the end of the season will have (what looks like Chili) poured all over them; which WILL be POSTED to our website.

So for tonight here is what we picked: New England Patriots (+3) at New Orleans Saints (-3):

Jonah-Saints stay undefeated at home.

Jerry-I'm having a hard time betting against Tom Brady, so I won’t. Pats cover.

And in case you missed our Week 12 Picks post, here is a little link. Be sure to vote for what "Spread" you would like to see the loser of this little bet covered in!

Ad-verse Selection

As some of you may have noticed by now, there are currently no advertisements displayed on this site.  If you have previously visited the site, you may have also noticed that there used to be a string of ads running down one side of the page, which were relevent to the content currently displayed on the site.  So where did they go?  As of November 29th, we have had our ads removed by Google due to invalid click activity.  We believe this may be due to some of our visitors clicking the ads multiple times, without showing interest in the products offered via the ads.  At this time, we would like to ask that all visitors to our site please not click any ads (if/when they show back up) on the site unless you are genuinely interested in the content offered within the ad.  Should we have our ad priviledges reinstated, any invalid click activity in the future would result in the permanent removal of ads from this site (and the revenue they generate to keep us going).  We understand that at this time, many of our visitors are friends and family that have an interest in helping us get started with our venture, but we still ask that you not click the ads unless you are interested in their content.  If you would like to help us out financially without adversely affecting the site, we would be happy to accept any donations.  For more information, please contact us at themanchise@gmail.com. 

Thanks,
The Mancheeses

Your Daily J: 11/30

It's been a long turkey break, but we are back to it. Here is today's rendition of Your Daily J. Just another random thought we've been having, along with some of our personal opinions and analysis.

So what if LeBron went to L.A.? What if two of the league's superstars joined forces to dominate the world?

(courtesy of http://www.yougblackstudents.com/)

Jerry: First, I want to say that I think Lebron should play for the league MINIMUM this coming year.
That’s right I said it. The League Minimum! I’m sick of hearing how much he wants to be like Kobe and Jordan, and how he wants to continue to be a role model for kids etc, etc, etc. Lebron needs to realize that the contract he will sign will reach the League’s maximum and financially put whatever team he is on in a bind. If he wants a championship so bad, do it now. Take the league minimum and let whatever team you are on take the money they would have spent on you and get the likes of Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki , Joe Johnson, Joe Smith, T.J. Ford (Player Option), Rudy Gay (Restricted), Nate Robinson, Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, or Kobe Bryant (Player Option) just to name a few. I wouldn’t be saying this if Lebron wasn’t making any money on the side, but Nike alone would take care of his homeboys, his mother, his girl friend, his kid, and anyone else I’m forgetting. Start building your legacy now Lebron, while your young. You hold in your hands the ability to be the first player ever to do this, and actually show that playing the game and winning is more important than money. You could be the key player of a dynasty never seen before. You can finally get out of the Kobe and Jordan limelight!
But on to the subject of Lebron going to the Lakers. Assuming that Kobe stays in Los Angeles (which is more than likely) I see it as an instant dynasty. The Lakers would dominate not only because they have the two best players in the game, but because these guys will drive each other to no ends to guarantee a championship. We’ve all heard the story about how Kobe’s work ethic hit Lebron like a sack full of money. Kobe inspired Lebron to work harder and to develop every aspect of his game. Kobe is a freak (and the BEST all around player in the NBA) so these two together would be ridiculous. Just think of the starting line up. Derek Fisher (who is a free agent himself) at point guard, Kobe at shooting guard, Lebron at small forward, Pau Gasol at power forward, and Andrew Bynum at center (this is a “Three-Peat” type starting line-up). I don’t see on paper any team that would beat this. Now if my fantasy world came true, and Lebron took the league minimum, that means the Lakers most likely would have enough money to sign someone like Dwayne Wade as well. So again I will say “Why wouldn’t you (Lebron) take the league minimum and win yourself some championships?” I really think this will make you worth so much more, and (if this is even possible) make you more popular globally as well as here at home.

(coutesy of http://www.lowposts.com/)

Jonah: This is my chance to really get in there and play Devil's Advocate. My argument is this: LeBron certainly should take a large pay cut in an attempt to grow the best team possible (whether that be in Cleveland, L.A. or wherever), and he wouldn't even have to take the league minimum to make it work. However, because Kobe and LeBron do push each other so much, I don't think we would ever see the day when LeBron would take a pay cut to go to a Lakers team where Kobe is still making bank. If LeBron is going to seriously consider taking a pay cut to go to L.A., Kobe is going to have to be onboard and agree to do the same. These two are so competitive, I don't see any world where LeBron would agree to cut his own pay to go play for "Kobe's team." They have the opportunity to turn today's Lakers into yesterday's Bulls. The major barrier here is ego. When Chicago had Scottie and Jordan, everyone knew Jordan was the superstar and Scottie was the spectacular sidekick who would have been the star anywhere else. I think Kobe and LeBron are both too good and have much to large of egos to ever play Scottie to the other's Michael. In addition, I think it would be terribly difficult to find enough shots for both of them. Because the two play such similar games, someone would have to see limited touches. It would be a different case if one were a big man, but L.A. would still need to have a scoring big man with Kobe and LeBron if they wanted to compete (Pau Gasol is an option, but again, he takes away touches). Combinations of stars have worked in teh past, but there is generally a pairing of different talents. The Celtics were successful with a shooter, a penetrator and a big man. The Lakers were successful with Kobe and a big man. The Bulls were successful with Jordan and role players. I think LeBron would be better served to stay in Cleveland (his home town), take a pay cut, and convince the Cavs to pick up Chris Bosh and some role players (namely outside shooters who can make defenses pay for collapsing on LeBron when he penetrates). That's not to say that he won't end up in L.A. or that the Lakers wouldn't be great if he did, because I think they could have some real success. I just think it would be asking for drama in a town full of it. Not to mention what it would do for the game. Basketball needs two stars facing off against each other, not pairing up to dominate the world. But hey, what do I know? I'm just another stupid Iowa fan. So what do you think?