Rapid Reaction: Mean Green get throttled by Longhorns in Charlie Strong debut

Two football programs in Texas kicked off their respective football seasons as The University of North Texas took a trip down to the states capital to square off against the The University of Texas in Charlie Strong’s head coaching debut for the Longhorns.

This game was hardly a contest as the Longhorns dominated the Mean Green in every way possible. On the opening drive for the Mean Green offense, quarterback Josh Greer mishandled a shotgun snap. The woes continued as the Mean Green totaled NEGATIVE two yards rushing after their first three possessions and the only pass that did not hit the ground for quarterback Josh Greer was an interception to Dylan Haines.

Through the offensive woes, the UNT defense was stout early on, despite losing much of their front seven from last year’s squad. All of that changed on the Longhorn’s third drive when cornerback Sheldon Wade drew a personal foul penalty on a third down incomplete pass for a late hit. That ignited the first scoring drive in the Charlie Strong era, as David Ash made a masterful escape on a blitz from the Mean Green defense and connected with John Harris for a 27-yard gain down the sideline. Longhorn’s running back then exposed the Mean Green box with three straight runs that ended with a one-yard touchdown finish.

The Mean Green finally got a tone-setting productive play from defensive end Jarrian Roberts who bull rushed up the middle for a sack on David Ash. The good feeling did not last long as quarterback Josh Greer threw his second interception of the game, this time to Jordan Hicks. Greer lead Hicks right to the ball by keeping his eyes glued to the intended receiver the entire way.

David Ash turned right around and completed a pass to John Harris again deep down the right side of the field to bring them to the one. Malcolm Brown once again finished the scoring drive with a one-yard touchdown right up the middle as arguably the best Mean Green defender Derek Akunne was the last line of defense and could not make the stop.

After a quick three and out by the Mean Green offense, the Longhorns exposed the Mean Green defense again, this time Johnathan Gray taking a run 42 yards down the left sideline to the one yard line. The Mean Green defense looked like they were primed for a momentum shift as they stopped the Longhorns on three straight plays, but UT decided to go for it and Ash ran a bootleg in at the right pylon.

Mean Green head coach Dan McCarney made a quarterback change to Andrew McNulty hoping for a spark. Instead, it was much of the same as McNulty overthrew a wide-open receiver in the middle, right into the waiting hands of Longhorn safety Adrian Colbert for the interception in the waning minute of the first half.

The second half started off with both teams struggling to put up points and Coach McCarney again switching back to Greer. Arguably the best play for the Mean Green came in the fourth quarter, and it was punter Blake Macek who delivered it. Following a Greer sack, he delivered a booming punt, which was downed at the one-yard line. A couple plays later, Ash mishandled a snap from his backup center, and the Mean Green got on the board by recovering it in the end zone.

On the ensuing Mean Green possession late in the fourth quarter, the musical chairs continued at quarterback and McNulty was back in the game. On 3^rd down, he threw a touchdown…. to the other team as his pass was intercepted and taken the other way by Demarco Cobbs.

Longhorns beat the Mean Green by a final score of 38-7.

The Mean Green have their home opener next week on September 6^th at Apogee Stadium versus SMU.

NFL Owns Up to Mistake

The world today is dominated by social media. Suddenly, it isn't just the celebrities making news or starting a movement. People of any social class, no credentials and no relevance are suddenly critics. Suddenly, they are having an impact on one of the most dominant industries in the United States. 

The NFL has recently been under fire with how they have handled some off the field issues. There have been more suspensions the past few summers summer than in the past. Most of these suspensions have to do with drug abuse, or Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs). Since Roger Goodell has been the commissioner, he has cracked down on those things, as well as illegal hits. However, recently all of his positive efforts to improve the integrity of the game have been overshadowed by one miscue.

On February 15, 2014, Rice and his now-wife Janay Palmer were both arrested after a TMZ video leaked out showing Rice dragging out an unconscious Palmer from an elevator. After a ruling was made on from the court of law, it was time for the NFL to take action. On July 24, 2014, the NFL handed down a two game suspension to Ray Rice. 

Two games. Domestic Violence. 

In context, the NFL suspended Broncos kicker Matt Prater, Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick, Colts defensive end Robert Mathis, Patriots cornerback Brandon Browner, amongst many others for FOUR games for violating the league's substance abuse policy. In Mathis' case it was a honest mistake (if we take his word for it), but in all cases, they just took something to give themselves an edge during games. A suspension is completely called for in this situation to preserve the integrity of the game and keep the NFL from going down the MLB route.

Josh Gordon, a rising superstar wide receiver for the Browns was recently suspended an entire year for substance abuse. He was a many times repeat offender of weed, so again, a suspension is the right decision, but weed does not give you a competitive edge nor does it harm anybody but yourself. 

What is worse? Smoking weed, albeit a countless amount of times, or physically harming a female, even once? I think most of us would side with the latter. 

This quickly made the NFL a laughing stock all over the internet. There were memes coming out saying it was better to hit a woman than to smoke weed, in accordance to how the NFL handled it via suspensions. This issue even caused prominent ESPN anchor and analyst Stephen A Smith to lose his job for a week for his misusage of words regarding the Rice incident. So this whole situation has had a profound impact in many ways. 

The NFL just yesterday addressed this issue is its proper manner. Goodell apologized for his misjudgement and came out with the new sanctions for domestic violence, six times for the first time offender, and indefinite for a second time offender. 

Well done. Next time, let's just hope the NFL can get it right the first time and not cause such a negative stir

2014 NFL Dress Rehearsal

NFL football has been "back" for a couple of weeks now, but you don't really get the true hype and excitement of the NFL season returning until Week 3 of the NFL preseason, which is typically a preview/dress rehearsal for most teams. Now that Week 3 of the preseason is under our belt, it's time to get back into full swing!

Some takes from the past weekend:

The powerhouses from last year are back...for the most part.
     Three out of the four teams in the Final Four last year look poised to make a run at the Lombardi trophy once again. The Denver Broncos offense is still elite and hasn't missed a beat transitioning from Eric Decker to Emmanuel Sanders, while Montee Ball would be facing arguably the softest box in the NFL with Manning back behind center. In addition, the Broncos get back stud Left Tackle Ryan Clady who missed all of last year to solidify protection for The Sheriff. Defensively, the Broncos have upgraded significantly with adding a true shutdown corner in Aqib Talib and a hammer at safety in TJ Ward. Near the trenches, Von Miller will return from his injury, while Demarcus Ware has looked like the healthy Ware of old. Scary.
     The Seattle Seahawks don't look like a team that is accomplished and just won it all. They still play hungry and with a chip on their shoulder. The defense needs no explaining, but Russell Wilson seems a little more accurate, Beast Mode is running touchdowns, and Percy Harvin is on the field....for now.
     The New England Patriots still seem to be without a true number once receiver for Tom Brady, but Kenbrell Thompkins has made strides to earn Brady's trust and Rob Gronkowski seems poised for a Week 1 return (we'll see how long he lasts this year). The defense has been the hype though, with the Patriots beefing up the Defensive Line with their first round pick of Dominique Easley. The secondary looks like it will be top notch, with the additions of shutdown corner Darrelle Revis and a physical specimen in Brandon Browner, who will join the team in Week 5.
     Now for the one team that seems out of whack... The San Francisco 49ers. The defense is missing Navarro Bowman and the secondary looks suspect. The offensive line hasn't gave Colin Kaepernick any time and he seems inaccurate as well. With a stacked NFC, they need to figure something out quick and flip the switch.

Manziel-mania will be put on hold. 
     This was probably one of the more exciting preseasons in recent memory, and it was largely a crdit to one player: Johnny Manziel. Manziel was arguably the most polarized player to come out of college, and he didn't lack headlines in the offseason before camp. On the field, Manziel didn't exactly impress, but neither did his primary competition, Brian Hoyer. Manziel did blow up the internet though, for reasons he probably preferred not to, such as flipping the bird to the Redskins bench and getting sacked by another polarized player in Michael Sam. In my opinion, it is great news for Johnny that he won't be starting. The first three games for the Browns are against Pittsburgh (Dick Lebeau's defense), New Orleans Saints (Rob Ryan's defense), and the Baltimore Ravens. Week 4 is their bye week, so if there is any good time for Manziel to make his first start, it would be the fourth game against the lowly Tennessee Titans.

Quarterback market
     For some players, the preseason gives them a chance to carve out a role on the team they are already on. For others, it's an audition for the other 31 teams around the league. With good quarterbacks in high demand, a few backups are brought in the spotlight. In a situation like the New York Jets, although Michael Vick could probably start for a team, we all know he will most likely stay a Jet this year. So who are quarterback needy teams like the Houston Texans and the St. Louis Rams (recently lost Sam Bradford to yet another ACL tear) looking for? Three guys are brought to the forefront. Ryan Mallett, who has had a decent preseason in New England, Mark Sanchez, who has played like a starter in Philly, and probably the guy with the most upside and looks the best, Kirk Cousins in the nations capital. There are a couple of weeks left to see if these guys will be traded, cut, or just stick on the team they are on right now.

The House That Tom Built

In the sports world of 2014, versatility is a word that is probably thrown around the most. This is probably most visible in the National Football League at arguably the most important position in team sports: Quarterback.

In the NFL, the value of a pure pocket passer is slowly dwindling, as offensive coaches seem to be leaning towards quarterbacks who present a dual threat and keep the opposing defensive coordinators up a few extra hours at night. As the Hall of Fame careers of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees come to the final chapters, the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson and others look to become the standard for quarterbacks. These are guys that not only throw the ball from within the confines of the pocket, but who escape and are a threat with their legs while still maintaining the threat to strike downfield with their arms if needed.

Recently, I had the honor of speaking to probably one of the more versatile humans in the sports industry: Tom House.

House came onto the map in 1967, pitching for the University of Southern California. House went 5-3 with a 1.43 ERA in 94 and 2/3 innings in his lone season at USC. Following his college success, the Atlanta Braves selected House in the third round, 48^th overall, in the draft’s secondary phase. This was a much higher pick that what the Cubs had selected him two years prior, as the 201^st overall pick in the 11^th round.

House swiftly went took care of business and made his major league debut on June 23, 1971, pitching one inning in a 6-3 loss to the Montreal Expos. House would go on to play for the Braves through the 1975 season, with his best year as a pro coming in 1974 in which he pitched 102 and 2/3 innings, in which he recorded 11 saves, good for fifth in the National League that season.

 

Tom House

However, his most memorable moment from the 1974 season but was him catching instead of pitching. On April 8, 1974, in the 4^th inning of a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, House’s teammate Hank Aaron swung for his 715^th home run, breaking Babe Ruth’s record. House caught that ball in the bullpen, and when I asked him about his favorite memory from his playing career, he simply said “Catching Hank Aaron’s #715!!!”

House concluded his playing career with the Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners, respectively.

House was not just satisfied with his talented arm, but also used his talented brain to first capture Bachelor’s degree in Management in 1971 from USC, then a Master’s degree in Marketing in 1974 (while playing in the Majors), a second Master’s degree in Sports Psychology in 1981, and finally Ph. D in psychology in 1984.

House started training athletes in the early 1980’s when he was a minor pitching coach for the Houston Astros. He just started informally, but his stature grew by word of mouth, which led to him landing with the Texas Rangers in 1985 and working with Nolan Ryan. When Ryan was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Ryan said that he “was very fortunate to have a pitching coach by the name of Tom House” and that House was a coach that “is always on the cutting edge”.

House has worked as a pitching coach for the San Diego Padres.

Just simply being a pitching coach was not enough for Tom House. From 1987 through 1996, House came out with books that he wrote that include but are not limited to “Teaching Mathematics: Numeration (1987)”, “Power Baseball (1993)”, “Fit to Pitch (1996)”, and others.

All of this led to House receiving the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from American Baseball Coaches Association.

Even after this award, House continued writing books to guide athletes on how to keep a healthy body, such as “Stronger Arms and Upper Body” (2000), “The Picture Perfect Pitcher” (2003), and others.

When I asked House what inspires him to write books, he said, "The biggest inspiration for me to start writing books was trying to disseminate, share information and instruction any way possible."

House has a new book coming out at the end of the year titled "Every Pitcher's Health and Performance Handbook".

As if being a professional athlete, coach, and writer wasn’t enough, Tom House is also the founder of the National Pitching Association (NPA) and The Rod Dedeaux Research and Baseball Institute, two intuitions known for their health and performance research. House uses 3D motion analysis, functional strength screens, mental/emotional profiles and nutritional assessments to help athletes via the NPA. 

But even with founding two institutions, writing books, getting awards, and more, House expanded his resume. House used his scientific studies of throwing to expand beyond his baseball audience. House has worked with future NFL Hall of Famers Tom Brady and Drew Brees, while also helping to rejuvenate the career of Alex Smith and Carson Palmer. House has also worked with the "new generation" quarterbacks such as Terrelle Pryor and Tim Tebow. All kinds of quarterbacks, from many different levels of football go to work with House. When I asked him how he addresses the needs for all these quarterbacks who have such different styles, he said "We have an information/instruction template that we tailor to individual needs. It's relative to issue identification and solution.

Tom House (center) working with Carson Palmer, Matt Cassell, Tom Brady, and Alex Smith (left to right)

In a time that science and research is expanding, House is on top of it all to help his clients. House is currently based in Los Angeles at USC. But in true Tom House fashion, he has said that "in the near future we will be opening NPA facilities across the country in 5 different cities. An announcement to be made by the end of summer." 

Science technology is not the only technology Tom House takes advantage of. When I asked him how he manages to keep in touch with all of his clients, he replied " Video, cell phone, Internet - taking full advantage of media technology...I am on the cell phone always!"

Recently, Tom House added Hollywood to his resume, as he was portrayed in the movie "Million Dollar Arm" by Bill Paxton. Though House conceded he is "not much of Hollywood type", it was a "humbling" experience for him.

In an age where versatility is the name of the game, no human being can compete with the versatility displayed by Tom House from the early days of his life, and all the way till now. Whether it's playing professionally, coaching, writing books, opening institutions, expanding his help, and even being on the red carpet, Tom House does it all, and does it all at the highest levels possible. Though he may not be the name that catches your eye like a Tim Tebow or a Tom Brady, House is just as crucial to the sports world, if not more.

He is building a legacy that is unmatched and is relentless in his pursuit to make a difference.That is why we should all take a step back and appreciate this "house(legacy)" that Tom [House] has built.