Pat White and Justin Feagin: Can We Compare Them?

Ask and ye shall receive. Following the first edition of our Michigan Football Roundtable, reader Mikey asked if we could compare incoming freshman Justin Feagin to West Virginia demi-god Pat White. Although it is entirely unrealistic to expect Feagin to turn out as well as White, comparisons between the two aren't as far-fetched as one would initially think.

LSU Wideout, or WVU Heisman-caliber Quarterback? Methinks White made the right choice.

First, let me give a rundown of the similarities between the two quarterbacks. Both were recruited as three-star athletes. Pat White very nearly committed to LSU as a wide receiver, and Feagin was recruited as a wideout by LSU as well (and also as a defensive back by Miami). While recruiting rankings are admittedly somewhat of a crapshoot, Feagin is actually rated slightly higher by Rivals (5.7 out of a possible 6.1) than White was in 2004 (5.5). Pat White had a 4.45 40-yard dash time in the books before entering college, and although Feagin's isn't listed, that LSU offer means SEC Speed Yaaaah Git 'Er Dun (I think that translates to somewhere in the 4.5 range). Pat White measured in at 6'1", 180 lbs.; Feagin at 6'0", 190. On the surface, these guys looked pretty similar coming out of high school.

LSU Wideout, or Future Michigan Starting Quarterback? The jury is very much still out.

However, not every three-star-athlete-turned-quarterback becomes a bona-fide Heisman candidate. In fact, Pat White is the only one I can think of in recent memory, and there are a lot of three-stars out there. For those who hope Feagin can contribute immediately, there is not a whole lot of hope out there. White had a redshirt season under his belt before leading West Virginia to an 11-1 record in 2005, and his numbers that season (65-114 for 828 yards, 8 TD, 5 INT; 952 yards and 7 TD rushing) didn't exactly set the world on fire, at least when it came to putting the ball in the air. Yes, everyone remembers White and Steve Slaton running all over Georgia in their Sugar Bowl upset victory that season, but West Virginia barely escaped at home against East Carolina earlier in the season, and cruised through a weak Big East Conference.

Taking a look at their respective highlight reels, there a couple noticeable differences in their games. Let's take a look.

Pat White:

Justin Feagin:

First of all, White seems to be a lot faster, although that may be a product of having three-plus years of Barwis-izing under his belt (his tape is from the 2007 season, his redshirt junior year). White also appears to be a lot better at changing direction on a dime, making defenders look like they're still playing high school ball while he's playing at a much higher level. Feagin tends to just push defenders off of him while switching direction, something he probably won't be able to do in the Big Ten. When Feagin realizes that he is not faster and stronger than anyone else on the field, he will have to switch up his running style so he doesn't get carted off the field after cutting right into whatever Penn State linebacker gets wildly overhyped this year.

As for throwing the ball (you know, what quarterbacks are supposed to do) neither are exactly Tom Brady in arm strength or accuracy. As stated earlier, White was a pretty terrible passer when he was a freshman, and he really had to rely on his feet to generate any offense. Feagin, from the looks of the tape, has the ability to throw on the run and is fairly accurate. However, it is hard to take much away from a high school highlight tape, especially when that tape makes a 6'0", 190 lbs. quarterback look like the next coming of Bo Jackson. Feagin is clearly a run-first, pass-second quarterback, which is fine for Rich Rodriguez's system until the defense completely ignores the pass and beheads the quarterback on a zone read. That's when you hope Feagin has the shiftiness of White, is able to sidestep the linebacker/guillotine, and proceed to dash past the opponent's stunned secondary.

Feagin comes into Michigan with every chance to start, being the only quarterback on the roster who anyone with the ability to feel pity wants to see run the spread option. However, he has a steep hill to climb if he wants to start for Michigan in his freshman year: learning a new and complicated playbook while starting way behind Steven Threet, who already has a full spring to build on. Can he be Pat White II? I wouldn't bet on it, but stranger things have happened.

Pat White Statistics (ESPN)

Pat White - Football Recruiting (Rivals) ($)
Justin Feagin - Football Recruiting (Rivals) ($)
2005 West Virginia Mountaineers Football Team (Wikipedia)

Dr. Sheedlove or: How I Learned to Stop Being Blind and Dislike Sheed

What’s up Ace of Sports readers, I’m Joe, the new guy on the blog. Thanks to Ace for having me. Let’s get started.

I know this may seem a little late, as well as a sore subject for everybody involved, but I need to talk about the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

Now, I have to let you know right away that I am writing this for very selfish reasons. This is going to be very therapeutic for me, a big step in getting over what has turned into the Pistons Tragedy.

There were a lot of reasons why the Pistons lost in the Eastern Conference Finals for the third year in a row: they were arrogant, inconsistent, and didn’t play any help defense in the post. However, I think I must point out the elephant in the room, the person nobody wants to hold accountable because we all love him so much: Sheed.

Like I said before, he was not the only reason the Pistons lost, but if you had to point the finger, he is the guy.

I know some people may say Tayshaun Prince was the real reason, after he only averaged 9.8 ppg in the Conference Finals. Honestly? He was guarding the best player on the other team the whole game. All his energy was used up on guarding Paul Pierce and he had nothing left on offense. We could blame Flip Saunders for that; after all, it’s not like anyone was going to stop Paul Pierce and his Magic Knee that series anyway, why not throw different looks at him?
(Quick tangent on Paul Pierce: I used to have a lot of respect for him and the way he played. He played tough, was great at drawing contact, and despite being athletically challenged, scored a lot of points and played hard every night for crappy teams. After the finals? After his flop job on his knee? After the wheelchair? 90 percent of that respect is lost. Wasn’t he openly weeping? I almost wept. I was witnessing the death of a man’s dignity for the sake of dramatizing an already over-dramatized series. God.)

Anyway, I think the loss was at least partially due to Sheed’s fatal flaw: his supposed “passion” for the game.

This “passion” I speak of was much talked about on ESPN during the series, and I even remember watching a long story by Rachel Nichols (god I hate her) on how Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace are similar players because they both share a borderline insane emotional involvement in the game.

Here’s why that is false:

Kevin Garnett is crazy. He should be in a mental hospital. I truly believe that if I looked at him dead in the eye when he’s doing one of his buggin’ out faces, one where you can see the sanity leave his body like a ghost, I would turn to stone. I mean, the man reportedly blacks out briefly during games. Need I say more?

Before games, he is like a sleeping volcano. In fact, you can almost see steam rising from his head. Once the game starts, there goes the sanity ghost and Garnett plays like there is no tomorrow. Yeah, he whoops and he screams, but he does more than that. He has gotten so good at channeling this inner rage that he can use it to do things regular humans can’t; push himself harder when his body screams uncle.  

He is better for it and so is his team. In fact, he and they would be completely lost without it.
Sheed is also crazy. I don’t think it goes to the same level as Garnett, but it’s definitely there. However, there is one major difference between Sheed’s rage and Garnett’s rage:
Garnett’s rage is used. He channels it to make it work for him.  

Sheed’s appears. Most of the time when a ref makes a bad call.  

This is a small but crucial difference. The only time I saw Sheed truly go nuts was pre game (and who wouldn’t be hype as hell after that?) and when he thought the ref made a bad call. These are not the times the Pistons need him going nuts. They need to see his passion when he is facing up a player significantly worse than him, i.e., Kendrick Perkins, i.e., the Devil’s Spawn (I mean, look at him. Especially with the pubic beard growing from his chin). Where was it when everyone was looking for it, in game six? Four points? Really?

The truth is, this has been a problem throughout his career. Look at him and tell me why he has never averaged over 20 points per game his entire career. It cannot be explained logically. He is almost seven feet tall, athletic, can shoot 3’s, and has great post moves (he is deceptively quick with his drop step). Why has he never grabbed more than nine rebounds per? Who knows?
It is a well-known fact that Sheed is a classic underachiever. The weird thing about that is, usually underachievers are talented players who care to little, or not at all, about the game. But if, like everyone I talk to says, Sheed cares deeply about the game, how is it possible for him to underachieve? He has the physical skills, the athletic ability and, apparently, the will or “passion.” How can he go wrong?

The only logical explanation is this: he really doesn’t care that much. How can you care if you have the ability to take over in an elimination game, and then don’t? How can you care when you’d rather shoot 3’s than go to work inside, when you and everybody else knows that is where you need to be? Answer these questions, and you solve Sheed.

The smart thing for the Pistons to do is have him come off the bench next year and then let him leave when his contract runs out. They could try to trade him, but odds are nobody will pony up for him.  

What Sheed needs to know is that you can have all the “passion” you want. It’s how you channel it that decides if you’re home or at a parade in June.

Fernando Rodney is Tigers' New Closer

Words cannot express the relief Tigers fans feel after Jim Leyland announced that Rodney would be taking over closing duties "for the time being" this afternoon. After two ugly outings upon his return from the disabled list in June, Rodney has an impressive 1.98 ERA with 12 strikeouts and 5 walks in 12 appearances. Opponents are only batting .146 against him over that stretch, with a woeful .491 OPS (woeful for the batters, that is). He possesses a mid-90s fastball and one of the best changeups in the game, which should make him a great fit in the closer role. Hopefully he keeps up his hot streak, and Tigers fans aren't subjected to The Todd Jones Experience any more.

Amateur photoshop comparison between Todd Jones and Fernando Rodney:

Jones:

Rodney:
I rest my case.

Rodney takes over closing duties (MLB.com)
Fernando Rodney 2008 Pitching Gamelogs (baseball-reference.com)

Michigan Football Roundtable: Impact Freshman

Another new feature around here in anticipation of the Michigan football season. The Michigan Football Roundtable will feature me and a few friends (including new Ace of Sports bloggers Joe and Webstarr) talking about our expectations for this upcoming season. And yes, I do rock at Photoshop, thank you.

First question: Which true freshman will have the biggest impact on the field this season?

Joe: Gotta be Darryl Stonum. The receivers are very suspect right now (along with quarterback and o-line, but oh well), and the guy has the ability to make an impact right away. And we'll need him.

Webstarr: Damn you, Joe. I'm going with Stonum too. Although I think McGuffie will experience the greatest impact when he tries to jump over a college safety's head, Stonum ("Stones"?) is going to be the biggest freshman difference maker. Don't forget that he came early so he's got a leg up on the other guys as far as getting up to speed. Plus, I like how Mallett might have had something to do with his coming here (he claims this, I promise), but nothing to do with his staying. As a general rule, not following Mallett is a positive. Also, there's more room for wideouts in the new system, obviously, so a freshman receiver is more likely to make an impact than a freshman running back, especially with our currently cluttered backfield.

Sam (aka Sweegor the Magnificent): Which true freshman will have the biggest impact on the season?

First, who won't: Despite astronomical hype, even Michigan homer and recruiting guru Josh Helmholdt argues that the Sam McGuffie he saw frontflipping over defenders at the Army All-American Game was not ready for an immediate impact. He is a remarkable athlete, like his teammate Michael Shaw, and a perfect fit for the spread, but neither is physically mature enough to beat out Carlos Brown, Brandon Minor, or even Kevin Grady, the former 5-Star who still possesses every tool except vision (though after seeing his mug shot, this begins to make a little more sense). The same complaint registers even stronger for rabbit chasers Roy Roundtree, Martavious Odoms and Terrence Robinson. Because such players (5'3", 125, 4.2, Hobbies include playing tag against squirrels) are new to Michigan fans, the fan base is being incredibly unrealistic about their potential for immediate impact. Little quick guys are like any other type of recruit: Only about half ever make an impact at all and those that do tend to make it in the third, fourth or fifth year in the program. We all have reason to be excited about our spanking new phalanx of punt returners (and they keep coming--welcome Jeremy Gallon), and the ways Rod will find to get them the ball, but it's unlikely that any of them individually will have a statistically impressive year.

If Dann O'Neill or Ricky Barnum get significant playing time, the most valuable freshman will be the student manager who has to keep carting Steven Threet and assorted back-ups off the field. They're offensive linemen; pray that they redshirt. BooBoo Cissoko is an enormously talented athlete but played against poor competition in high school and demonstrated his lack of technique while getting destroyed in the Army All-American Game. He'll be a stud eventually, but don't look for him to beat out Troy Woolfork this year. Darryl Stonum is a prototype outside wide out, but the position figures to play a smaller role than in past years and we already have Junior Hemingway and Greg Mathews at the position. Mike Martin is a future star but is playing behind two solid returning starters. Kevin Koger and Brandon Moore play a position that, as far as we know, no longer exists.

Justin Feagin is a logical choice, simply for the enormous need at the position. While he seems like a hard worker and a good kid, seeing anything more than a few plays a game with a dumbed-down playbook would be terrifying. True freshman quarterbacks rarely succeed and when they do, they're normally 5-Star Quarterbaclss like Chad Henne and not 3-Star Safeties like Feagin. I'll keep my expectations just above the floor until he proves me wrong.

There is one position with both a lack of experience and a wealth of incoming talent: Linebacker. Only Obi Ezeh returns as a starter--everyone else is a question mark. Marell Evans and Jonas Mouton are both talented and fast (players on the team raves about Evans and his speed anytime they're given the chance), and both should fit into the new attacking, blitzing defense. Given their lack of experience, however, we have to assume the competition will be open, and several players will get snaps at the SAM and the WILL. J.B. Fitzgerald is the best bet among the freshmen to push for playing time and eventually receive it. He has a college body already and is by all accounts a remarkable athlete. He may not end up starting but he should get plenty of snaps. While the 2008 class will eventually be remembered for beginning the transition to the spread, the most valuable true freshman of the 2008 season may very well be a nuts and bolts attacking outside linebacker, the kind of which we've seen at Michigan for the last decade.

(ed. I was going to edit down Sweegor's rant for the sake of symmetry, but that was too beautifully done. This guy really should have his own blog.)

Ace: 2008 may be the Year of the Rat in the Chinese Zodiac, but in Ann Arbor, it is the Year of the Rabbit-Chaser. While there will be a place in Michigan's offense for the traditional outside possession wideout, much more attention will be placed in the slot than years past. Rich Rodriguez likes to have a couple fast little buggers in the slot (think freshman Steve Breaston) who can turn a five-yard hitch into a 80-yard back-breaking touchdown. At West Virginia, Darius Reynaud was that fast little bugger. He was only 5'9" and looked like he should play running back, but finished his 3-year career at WVU ranked 5th in school history in receptions and 3rd in receiving touchdowns. A little Reynaud sampler:

Who is going to step in at Michigan and play that role? The Wolverines don't have any upperclassmen who have the speed or moves to play in the slot. Three freshmen have been brought in who will have the chance to play there: Martavious Odoms, Michael Shaw, and Terrence Robinson. Shaw, who played running back in high school, is caught in the unfortunate position of being caught in a logjam at RB, while not being the prototypical slot guy Odoms and Robinson are. Out of Odoms and Robinson, I expect Robinson to be the player who emerges as Michigan's starting slot receiver, and will soon be the recipient of countless WR screens, reverses, and two-yards crossing routes designed to get him in space. I also expect to see him in the mix at kick returner, a role that has been filled by a bunch of players who couldn't break their way out of a glass house since Breaston graduated.

Why do we want Terrence Robinson in space? This is why (Robinson is #7 in white):

The kid is incredibly fast, can catch the ball, and has the ability to juke while running nearly full speed. Yes, he is quite small (5'9", 170 lbs.) but if Rich Rodriguez has proven anything in his coaching career, it is that you can't hit what you can't catch. For those who don't remember, Steve Breaston also played quarterback in high school, and was so paper-thin fans worried he would snap in half when hit squarely, and he was able to transition pretty well into playing the slot and being a dynamite kick returner. I fully expect Robinson to have the same kind of impact next season. He is Darius Reynaud minus the power, but with more speed and moves. If Rodriguez could turn Reynaud, who went undrafted in 2008, into a receiving weapon at West Virginia, he should certainly be able to turn Robinson into an absolute terror in the slot this year.

[Note: If Odoms beats out Robinson as the designated slot guy/returner, just switch my vote to him. You can basically just swap "Odoms" for "Robinson" for that entire post and it would still ring true. I'm totally cheating, but you get the idea. Slot guy = big deal.]

Stay tuned for our next edition, when we figure out how much everyone should write (I'm guessing somewhere between Joe [haiku] and Sam [War and Peace]). Also, we'll be taking our stabs at which returning player will have a breakout season this year.

I Want To Get Off This Roller Coaster

Of all the positions in baseball, closer is probably the easiest to replace in-house. Although many will say that being a successful closer takes a certain mindset that few have (and maybe it does, I'm certainly not an expert on the psyche of the major league baseball player), the job description of a closer is quite simple.

• Get three outs without giving up a run (or two...or three...)
• Collect save, millions of dollars, undying affection of countless attractive women
  

A closer almost never comes in with runners on, meaning all a closer has to do is bring his best stuff for a few batters, knowing he is not pitching an extra inning. He does not have to save some tricky pitches for later in the game, or set up the batter for a later at-bat. The closer role begs for a pitcher with a couple of nasty pitches and a good arm who is best in short spurts, when he can just let it all hang out.

Todd Jones has none of these attributes. He has a laser-straight high-80's fastball (which is what Jermaine Dye crushed into the right field stands for the game-winning homer tonight, setting off this rant) and a couple of mediocre breaking balls that he can throw for strikes. He "pitches to contact" which is a kind way of saying he is unable to strike anyone out. He has a 1.526 WHIP (walks + hits per innings pitched), which is a fancy way of saying he lets way too many runners on base. Check out this page. Highlighted are the games in which Todd Jones did NOT allow a baserunner in a full inning of work. These games do not come too often, and are greeted by sarcastic cheers and sighs of relief by Tigers faithful.

I realize Joel Zumaya has not exactly pitched like Mariano Rivera since coming back from a shoulder injury this season. However, he perfectly fits the mold of what a closer should be. He touches triple digits with his fastball, which sets up his changeup to be something besides just a slow pitch destined to be cranked for another line drive hit. He has a nasty curveball that makes hitters' knees buckle when they expect the fastball. He appears to have the "closer mentality" after a couple years of acting as if every seventh-inning hold was the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series.

The Tigers are probably not making the playoffs this year, but they are certainly not out of the picture. However, they are definitely not making the playoffs with a 40-year old beach ball slinging camouflage enthusiast taking the ball in the last frame of close games. Jim Leyland has already said he is going to try out Joel Zumaya and Freddy Dolsi at closer. It's time to give one of them the role full-time.

I'm not alone.

More Michigan NCAA 09 Stuff

Picture via IGN Message Boards

I've already posted the spreadsheet for Michigan's (and every team's rosters) for the NCAA 09 video game. I decided to round up some more useful stuff for the Michigan fan who has a fair amount of free time and a social-life-crippling passion for video games (don't worry, you're not alone).

First, the in-game stadium sounds. Check out this post over at the Operation Sports boards. All you have to do is burn these songs to an audio CD (NOT an .mp3 CD, it took me a while to figure that out) and then rip them into your Xbox on the dashboard. For die-hard Michigan fans, your home game experience will be that much more authentic (there's nothing better than getting a big third- or fourth-down stop and hearing Tempation blare over your television speakers).

Michigan's official roster, complete with freshmen numbers, has been released. Check out Michigan Sports Center for the full rundown of what frosh is wearing what jersey. There's a lot of corrections to be made to the game, so if you want Boubacar Cissoko wearing #33 (instead of #12) as he shoots for the Thorpe Award in your dynasty, check out the link. For the full roster, check out Michigan's official site. Note the absence of Marques Slocum.

If you want a custom cover, check out the IGN Message Boards linked under the Jake Long pic. You can request specific covers if you link to a picture.

Detroit Shock Brawl Fallout: Sign 50-Year Old Hall of Famer

Well, the Shock sure seem determined to keep the WNBA in the news. After Detroit had five players (and assistant coach Rick Mahorn) suspended following Tuesday's brawl with the LA Sparks, they decided to sign on additional help. That help, as it turns out, comes in the form of 50-year old Hall of Fame player Nancy Lieberman, who last played in the WNBA in 1999. Liberman got a seven-day contract, and will get a shot at playing while the Shock are depleted by suspension.

"Can she still compete at this level? I don't know," [Coach Bill] Laimbeer said. "But I'm going to throw her in the fire."

Please, Coach, don't throw her. She might break a hip.

Shock sign 50-year-old Lieberman to seven-day contract

Chicago Politician Forgets Blackhawks Still Largely Irrelevant

Commission Quigley: Unaware Chicago still sucks

As we all know by now, the Chicago Blackhawks will play the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field on January 1st, in the most recent iteration of the NHL's "Winter Classic" series. I love the concept, with two Original Six teams battling it out in a chilly outdoor setting in a game that showcases the defending Stanley Cup champs in what will be the most-watched regular season game of the year.

However, can we not pretend that there is any sort of current rivalry between the 'Hawks and the Wings? Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley seems to have other ideas:

When Quigley put together an official resolution Tuesday celebrating the Hawks' outdoor showdown against the Red Wings on New Year's Day at Wrigley Field, he included a secret message to the reigning Stanley Cup champions and their fans.

He used red capital letters in the last line of his resolution to spell out a favorite chant he learned while growing up a Hawks fan ''in the second balcony in Chicago Stadium.'' The letters spelled out, "DETROIT SUCKS."

Besides declaring Jan. 1 will be "Chicago Blackhawks Day" in Cook County, Quigley's resolution designates Wrigley Field and the surrounding area an "Octopus Free Zone" -- a dig at Red Wings fans' tradition of throwing octopi on the ice after their team scores.

I can't blame the man for trying to fuel the hype for the Winter Classic, and I have no problem with him celebrating the Blackhawks on New Year's Day. But, Commissioner Quigley, taking childish potshots at Detroit is not recommended. We all know how tremendous Detroit hockey has been in the last decade-plus. Shall we, for a second, go over Chicago's recent hockey history?

• The Blackhawks have not made the playoffs since the 2001-2002 season.
• The last time Chicago made it past the first round was 1996. I was eight at the time.
• Chicago's last Stanley Cup? 1961. Guess the Cubs aren't the only team in Chicago in a bit of a championship drought.
• In 2004, ESPN named the Blackhawks the worst franchise in all of sports.
  
• In April of this year, the Blackhawks announced that for the first time in team history, all of their games would be televised. Welcome to the late-20th century, Chicago.
• Late owned Bill "Dollar Bill" Wirtz instituted many fan-unfriendly policies before his death in 2007. He raised ticket prices to over $50 on average, and blacked out Blackhawks home games in the Chicago area.

I realize the Blackhawks are on the rise, and the young duo of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane should bring Chicago back into the Western Conference playoff picture. However, as Yahoo!'s Greg Wyshynski suggested, the best hope for Chicago to win on January 1st is for Quigley to ban Swedes from Wrigley Field.

Chicago Blackhawks seasons (Wikipedia)
Blackhawks Announce All Games to Be Televised (Chicago Blackhawks)

Malice in the Palace 2: This Time It's the Ladies' Turn

Well, THAT was unexpected. For those of you who missed it, the Detroit Shock (that's our WNBA team, for those who haven't noticed) got into a brawl last night with the Los Angeles Sparks. The brawl ended with one Shock player (Cheryl Ford, daughter of Karl Malone) being wheeled off the court with a knee injury, and Sparks star Lisa Leslie knocked to the floor by former Bad Boy (and hopefully peacekeeper) Rick Mahorn. Here's the video:

It's hard to tell whether Mahorn was trying to play peacekeeper or knocked Leslie down in anger, but I have to give him the benefit of the doubt, especially considering his substantial size advantage over Leslie.

I must say, though, that nothing the Shock can do will ever match this (and that's a good thing):

Where You At?: Kelly Baraka Edition

The "Where You At?" series continues with a look at former Michigan running back and Portage Northern phenom Kelly Baraka.

In college football, where 18 year-old kids are told they are destined for NFL millions before ever setting foot in a college classroom, there are bound to be some major "what-ifs". Every college football team has at least one. What if Randy Moss had not been kicked out of both Notre Dame and Florida State before ending up at Marshall? What if Jason Gwaltney could ever get his act together at West Virginia? What if Willie Williams could stay out of jail long enough to stick at Miami or Louisville? The list goes on.

For Michigan fans, Kelly Baraka is the [insert here] portion of that what if question. The Portage Northern standout was Tom Lemming's 16th ranked overall player for the recruiting class of 2001, a versatile speedster who could make an immediate impact at running back, wide receiver, defensive back, and returner. Baraka was a recruit who had reached mythical status, the sort of can't miss prospect that gets an offer from every major program in the country. In his first game of his junior season at Portage, he ran for 149 yards on 18 carries, caught 3 passes for 65 yards, made 9 tackles on defense, and returned a punt 64 yards for a touchdown...in the first half. He also ran a 10.3 100 yard dash, beating future Spartan superstar (and Lions bust) Charles Rogers for the state title.

I Am Legend

Baraka headlined a Michigan recruiting class that featured six top-100 players, including Marlin Jackson, Ernest Shazor, and Pierre Woods (as well as Pat Massey and David Underwood...oh well). However, he was arrested twice for marijuana possession before the start of his freshman campaign, and was suspended for the season by Lloyd Carr. Still, before the 2002 season, Baraka was supposed to bring lightning speed to a Michigan backfield that hadn't seen a speedster of his caliber since Tyrone Wheatley. Instead, Baraka was dismissed from the team for "undisclosed reasons" in April of 2002.

Without a Division 1-A team calling, and with the stigma of two drug arrests on his record, Baraka spent a season and a half at Joliet Junior College, a member of the NJCAA, before injuries and lost passion for the game dropped him completely off the football map.

Baraka resurfaced in 2006, showing up at a tryout for the Grand Rapids Rampage of the Arena Football League. He recorded the fastest 40-yard dash time at the tryout (4.57 seconds), but failed to latch on with the team.

One would think that failing to stick in the Arena League would signal the end of Kelly Baraka's tumultuous football career. However, Baraka was determined to continue playing the game he had a renewed passion for. For the past two seasons, Baraka has played for the Kalamazoo Xplosion, a member of the Continental Indoor Football League. The CIFL is a professional 7-on-7 indoor league, based in the Great Lakes area, that boasts high scoring games and an opportunity to move on to higher leagues.

An older, wiser, cornrowed Baraka.

Baraka has not put up mind-blowing numbers at Kalamazoo, but he sounds like he has landed on his feet. In a March 2008 interview with ESPN Radio's Kalamazoo affiliate, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to play professional football, as well as remorse for his past mistakes. He still holds out hope of making the NFL, but most importantly, he sounds like he has his life together, and has learned from his checkered past. I'd highly recommend listening to the entirety of the interview, which can be found here.

Whether you think Kelly Baraka is a moron who wasted his talent, or a young kid who made one too many mistakes, I hope you don't hold any ill will against him. When high school kids are handed so much, some are bound to make poor choices, and ultimately what Baraka did hurt himself more than it ever hurt the Michigan program (Chris Perry and Mike Hart did a pretty good job of covering the years Baraka would have starred for the Wolverines). It is great to see that he still loves the game of football and is making the most of the opportunities that are still available to him.

Baraka could star at RB, WR or DB (ESPN)
Tom Lemming's revised top 100 for 2001 (ESPN)
Baraka dismissed by Carr, won't return (Michigan Daily)
Kelly Baraka Junior College Statistics (NJCAA)
Former U-M Blue-Chipper at Rampage Tryout (rampagefootball.com)
High school phenom gets another chance at professional football (Kalamazoo Xplosion)
Player Profile: Kelly Baraka (CIFL)
About the CIFL (CIFL)
Podcast: ESPN 1660 Sports Report (Podango)

Bullet Points Are Handy: July 22

As you may be able to tell from the "Your Humble Bloggers" section on the left sidebar, The Ace of Sports is expanding. Please join me in welcoming Joe, a fellow Ann Arborite, Michigan student, and Michigan Daily contributor. He'll be bringing you longer opinion pieces, and we also plan on having some PTI-style throwdowns for your reading pleasure.

As for your Detroit sports updates, bring on the bullets...

• The Sacramento Bee is reporting that the Pistons are intersted in acquiring Ron Artest. If character, team chemistry, and past life-altering brawls were not a factor, Artest would be a great addition to Detroit. However, I doubt Piston fans, players, and ownership will ever forget the "Malice in the Palace". I really don't see this trade happening, barring a complete loss of sanity by Joe Dumars and Bill Davidson.
• In other Pistons news, Detroit signed rookie Walter Sharpe, as well as Summer League standout Will Bynum.
  
• The Red Wings are very close to adding a new assistant coach, ex-Wings defenseman Brad McCrimmon.
• Ken Holland was named the Hockey News Executive of the Year. Duh.
• The Tigers, riding a red-hot offense, is now only 5.5 games back of the White Sox in the AL Central after absolutely obliterating the Royals last night, 19-4. Matt Joyce and Miguel Cabera combined for 11 RBIs, and Zach Miner pitched six scoreless innings for the win.
  

Sick Day

Not feeling well today. May post later but I'm going back to bed right now.

Giant link dump in place of real content...enjoy.

Michigan football:

• The late Dave Brown, Wolverine defensive back during the early 70's, was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
• Mario Manningham signed a 4-year, $2.3 million contract with the Giants, with the potential for that contract to be worth $4.4 million with escalator clauses.
• Carson Palmer hates Ohio State fans. Hooray Carson Palmer.
• Video for Ann Arbor's TitleTown Sportscenter segment.
• Michigan Sports Center released a full list of numbers for incoming freshmen.
  

Everything Else:

• Daunte Culpepper contacts the Lions about playing next year. No word yet on whether or not the Lions are showing any interest in him.
• The Red Wings locked up their remaining free agents, bringing to a foreseeable close another tremendous Ken Holland offseason.
• Tigers first round pick Rick Porcello combined on a no-hitter for the Lakeland Flying Tigers (Class A).
• In lieu of a new Tractor Traylor update: Started at center; 1-5 for 2 points, 7 boards in 13 minutes. Things aren't looking great.

Update: Literally a minute after I post, this hits my RSS reader. If Drew Sharp is to be believed (and I am very skeptical about that) than the Pistons have a real shot at landing Josh Smith in a trade and using their mid-level on Andris Biedrins.

Tractor Traylor Watch: Game Three

In case you missed it, Robert "Tractor" Traylor has returned to the NBA, playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers summer league team. This feature will last as long as he sticks around. My guess is this feature will be short-lived.

Traylor only played 11 minutes in the Cavaliers third Summer League game, a 72-69 loss to the Wizards. However, he made the most of his minutes, crashing the boards for 8 rebounds, including 6 on the offensive end. Tractor also finished with 5 points, shooting only 1-4 from the floor and 3-6 from the line. If Traylor could convert a few more of those offensive boards into points, he'd have a shot to stick in the league somewhere.

The Cavs fourth summer league game is tonight at 10:30 against the New Orleans Hornets. If you are so inclined, you can watch the game streaming online at NBA.com.

Bullet Points Are Handy: July 19

Today's nuggets of interest: Arrington signed, one less Pistons free agent target, and more.

• Former Michigan WR Adrian Arrington, the star of Michigan's Capital One Bowl victory over Florida last season, was signed by the New Orleans Saints yesterday. Arrington, the Saints' seventh round pick this year, earned a three year contract after impressing the Saints' staff during offseason workouts.
• Utah Jazz guard CJ Miles, who was rumored to be one of Joe Dumars' free agent targets, signed a 4-year, $15 million contract with Oklahoma City. Cross another potential Piston off the list.
• The Pistons finished off their Summer League schedule by beating the Bobcats, 78-67. Rodney Stuckey did not play again, and Will Bynum led Detroit with 16 points, 3 assists and 2 steals. MLive's Full Court Press has a recap, as well as a complete breakdown of the Pistons' summer league performance.
  
• Via the Pride of Detroit, the Lions may be interested in signing LB Takeo Spikes, who was released by the Eagles this offseason.
• If true, this is just fucked up. What Rhodes Scholar decided it was a brilliant idea to give China the Olympics again?
  

Benzing Not Coming to Michigan

According to Rivals' Chris Balas ($), German basketball recruit Robin Benzing, who had committed to Michigan earlier this year, will not enroll at Michigan. The 6'10" forward did not qualify to play for a Division 1 team by NCAA initial eligibility requirements.

This is pretty disappointing, considering Benzing would have added depth to this years' incoming class. As a 6'10" forward with deep shooting range, Benzing fit the mold of a big man in John Beilein's offensive system. On the bright side, this does give UM an additional scholarship to use in a future class.

Luol Deng to the Pistons?

In a repeat of last summer, the Chicago Bulls have been unable to sign starters (and 2009 free agents) Luol Deng and Ben Gordon to contract extensions. Via Matt Watson of the AOL Fanhouse, HOOPSWORLD's Bill Ingram brings up the possibility of a intra-division trade if Chicago cannot get a deal done with Deng:

The Chicago Bulls would ideally love to keep Luol Deng, but with negotiations going the way they're going it's likely the Pistons get serious in talks with Chicago. Tayshaun Prince would come back in trade and he's a veteran who could make life easier for new head coach Vinny Del Negro. Prince isn't exactly a vocal leader, but he knows how to win and he's all business.

This one could work out for both teams, although I see the Pistons coming out on top if the trade actually happens. Prince is a tremendous role player and leader (he has essentially become Rasheed's on-court anger management counselor in recent years), but he has not shown that he can be a first or second option on offense for a team. Deng is only 23, five years younger than Prince, and can be a go-to guy on offense (although he wouldn't have to be on the Pistons). Deng is also a strong defender with tremendous length, so any drop off defensively from Prince would be small, if even noticeable.

The Bulls are a very young team who need leadership, as well as something in return for Deng and Gordon if they cannot keep them from hitting the open market next year. Detroit needs to shake up their lineup, get younger, and add a scoring threat. This deal seems to fulfill those needs for all parties involved. Hopefully, the Bulls and the Pistons can look past their division rivalry and try to work out a trade that could benefit both teams.

Comments Fixed

Minus-1000 points to me for not realizing that in individual posts, comments have been showing up with black font on a black background. Hopefully this explains why many posts go completely devoid of comments. Font is now white. Comment away!

Bullet Points Are Handy: July 18

Will Bynum: Soon-to-be Piston?

Today's roundup of news brings you more Pistons summer league coverage, word on why Carlos Guillen was not with the Tigers last night, and more...

• Again playing without guard Rodney Stuckey, the Pistons NBA Summer League team fell to the Dallas Mavericks last night, 79-73. Former Georgia Tech PG Will Bynum was the star for the Pistons, finishing with a line of 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and only one turnover. Bynum is pushing hard to make Detroit's final roster, and I would be happy if he made the cut. He's an athletic point guard who can score while managing the game and distributing the ball.
• Carlos Guillen was not with the Tigers during their 6-5 victory over Baltimore last night (thanks, Todd Jones, for making that one far too interesting). According to Tigers.com, Guillen few to Detroit after playing in the All-Star Game to be with his wife, Amelia, who was suffering complications during childbirth. According to Jim Leyland, Amelia is fine now, and the Guillen's are now the proud parents of a healthy baby girl, Camelia, who was born on July 7th.
• Zach Miner will be the Tigers' fifth starter for now, after Eddie Bonine was sent down to AAA Toledo. Hopefully Miner can regain his rookie form, before he started walking everyone in sight.
• Via Michigan Sports Center, the Wolverines are currently listed as 7 point favorites in their season-opening game against Utah.
• Jim Carty posted a transcript of Thursday's teleconference with now-former Wolverine Max Pacioretty. He had nothing but good things to say about Red Berenson and the Michigan hockey program, but it sounds like he was just ready to take the next step towards the NHL.
  

Where You At? Tim Biakabutuka Edition

The "Where You At" series continues with a look at former Wolverine running back Tshimanga "Tim" Biakabutuka.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Tim Biakabutuka was the greatest Wolverine ever to be born in Zaire. Biakabutuka, who was born in Kinshasa, left Zaire for Canada with his family when he was four years old, and did not start playing football until high school. During what would be his senior year of high school, he played for Vanier College, a prep school in Quebec, where he earned the moniker "Touchdown Tim" for, well, obvious reasons.

Biakabutuka committed to Michigan in 1993 after his impressive senior year. Despite joining the football team during the prime of Tyrone Wheatley's career, Tim was able to push for playing time. He first showed his prodigious talent during the ninth game of his freshman season, when he rushed for 140 yards on only 26 carries in a victory over Purdue. Biakabutuka split time with Wheatley in 1994, tallying four more 100-yard games and finishing the season with 783 yards and seven touchdowns.

Finally out of Wheatley's shadow in 1995, Touchdown Tim put up one of the finest seasons in Michigan running back history. He posted 1891 yards on the year, a school record that still stands, averaged six yards per carry, and added 12 touchdowns. In the Big Ten finale against undefeated and #1 ranked Ohio State, Biakabutuka outshone eventual Heisman winner Eddie George and turned in one of the legendary performances in college football history. He rushed for 313 yards, the second-highest single game total in Michigan history, and scored a touchdown as Michigan upset the Buckeyes 31-23. Against a defense that started three future first round draft picks (Mike Vrabel, Antoine Winfield, and Shawn Springs), Biakabutuka could not be stopped:

Biakabutuka decided to leave Michigan after his junior season, and was drafted eighth overall in the 1996 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. Biakabutuka was set to be their back of the future, as the Panthers had only existed one season in the NFL before drafting him. After a lengthy holdout, Tim signed a 6-year, $12.5 million deal, and entered his rookie season as the starter. After only four games, however, he tore a knee ligament and sat out the rest of the season. The next two seasons, Biakabutuka spent much of the season either injured or playing behind Fred Lane (an undrafted free agent picked up in 1997), and ended up starting only two games.


Biakabutuka had his most productive NFL season in 1999, rushing for 718 yards and six touchdowns in 11 games, all of which he started. He showed flashes of the promise that made him the eighth pick in the draft, running for 142 yards and three touchdowns on only 12 carries in a loss to the Redskins, and averaging a solid 5.2 yards per carry on the season. He started 11 more games in 2000, picking up 627 more yards, but was far less productive than the previous year, averaging only 3.6 yards per carry.

Tim's injury-plagued NFL career would come to a gruesome end the following season, in a Week 5 game against Washington. After already racking up 121 yards and a touchdown during the game, Biakabutuka tore every ligament in his right foot while caught in a pile during a fourth-quarter run. The injury was so bad that doctors considered amputating the foot immediately, but luckily the foot was saved. His career, however, was over.

Luckily for Tim, he had taken an interest in entering the business world even before his NFL career ended. In December 2003, with NFL teammates Muhsin Muhammad, Steve Israel, Eric Davis, Anthony Johnson and Dee Brown, as well as longtime friend Velly Janvier as investors, Biakabutuka opened the Beya Jewelry store in Charlotte. He named the store after his grandfather and one of his brothers, and turned an initial $2 million investment into two stores in the Charlotte area.

Although Biakabutuka was admittedly not a very religious man growing up, he turned to faith during his trying NFL career. Beya advertises itself as the "world's premier designer of Couture
Christian Jewelry" and features their own line of Christian jewelry, as well as designer jewelry, and according to a piece in the Charlotte Business Journal, Tim is very involved in the day-to-day operations of the store. Although the stores operated at a loss after formation, Biakabutuka expected them to be profitable by the end of 2007, and was generating annual sales of over $2 million.

Touchdown Tim in front of one of his stores (Photo from Charlotte Business Journal)

Although Biakabutuka said he enjoys being a part of the business world, he is still disappointed with how his NFL career turned out.

He loves business and its challenges, but acknowledges the pain of seeing players in his draft class still active on NFL rosters. If all had gone right, Biakabutuka would only now be winding down his NFL career. Instead, he's winding watches.

Biakabutuka regrets the way his pro career was ruined by injuries. He never had a 1,000-yard season, never played in a Super Bowl. "You wonder why, but what can you do?" he says. "If I didn't have ability, it would have been easier (to leave the NFL). But injuries got in my way."

Biakabutuka was one of my favorite players at Michigan. I was at the 1995 Ohio State game, and even before then I loved to correct people as to how to properly pronounce his given name (it's Tuh-MONG-ah Bee-OCK-ah-buh-too-kuh). I always thought he would make a great pro, and there were many signs that, if not for injuries, he would have been a Pro-Bowl caliber back. Many NFL players never get over how their careers ended, and never have the financial and business savvy to prepare for a life after football. It is great to see that Touchdown Tim is not only surviving in his post-football life, but flourishing, and doing something he has a passion for.

Step in a new direction (Charlotte Business Journal)
Tim Biakabutuka Statistics (Pro-Football-Reference)
Biakabutuka makes a name for himself (Vanier College)
MGoBlue: Statistics Archive
Biakabutuka breaks foot, may miss season (CBC)
Beya Jewelry: Partners

Braylon's Bowtie Bling

From MJD's NFL photo essay of the 2008 ESPY Awards:


Wow.

I heard Michigan State's 2004 defensive backfield led the ebay auction for that bowtie, but choked away a $17,000 lead in the last seven minutes of bidding.