Williams

#11 Arkansas Razorbacks (3-1) vs. Texas A&M Aggies (3-1)

Saturday, October 9, 2010 3:30PM EST

Line: Arkansas -5.5

Both teams have lost their last games in a tough fashion and are looking to rebound here. The Arkansas Razorbacks nearly beat the nation’s number one team but couldn’t hold their lead; losing 24-20 to Alabama. Texas A&M lost by a late field goal to Oklahoma State in the winding seconds of the game, handing them their first loss of the season. They are fifth in the nation in passing yards per game, thanks to their leader Jerrod Johnson, who’s thrown for 1,274 passing yards so far this season.

Keys to the Game:

-          Jerrod had a hard time with OK State’s secondary last weekend, throwing for four picks. He ended up throwing for 409 yards, completing 40 of his 62 passes thrown. His receivers Jeff Fuller and Ryan Swope have done recognizable work to show why this team is among the best in passing the football. They also have a talented slot receiver in Uzoma Nwachukwu, who caught five passes for 60 yards last weekend.

-          Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett notably struggled last weekend, throwing a season-high 3 interceptions in the game. The junior quarterback has stacked up his passing yards this year though, passing for 1,438 yards this season. He’s also hasn’t had a hard time finding his targets in Joe Adams, Greg Childs and D.J. Williams.

-          Arkansas was just two quarters away from climbing sky high in the ranks last week, their disappoint loss in the end will lead to the team to come out firing against the Texas A&M Aggies. The Aggies will also do their best to keep the game in the air.

This should be an exciting matchup between these two teams. Both are talented in the passing game and have a respectable running game for the most part. The Razorbacks possess the better defensive unit and they will look to pressure Jerrod Johnson to create more turnovers. Mallett will also look to have a strong comeback after last week’s performance.

Free Pick:  Arkansas -5.5

Central Michigan Chippewas (2-3) vs. Virginia Tech Hokies (3-2)

Saturday, October 9th, 2010, 12:00PM EST

Line: Virginia Tech -22

The Virginia Tech Hokies are coming off a colorful win against North Carolina State, a team ranked 23rd heading into the game. Virginia Tech’s quarterback, Tyrod Taylor connected for 12 of 24 of his passes, for 123 yards and three touchdowns. The Hokies’ QB has been mediocre this season, with questionable performances in the team’s first two losses against Boise State and James Madison. The team has been without one of their young stars, Ryan Williams, but their second string back, Darren Evans has done a good job picking up the load. Right now Virginia Tech is surging, coming off colossal wins against East Carolina (49-27), Boston College and last week’s 41-30 win against NC State. Central Michigan has had a wild season, losing in overtime to Temple during their second week, and losing their last two games against Northwestern and Ball State.

Keys to the Game:

-          Central Michigan are 22-point underdogs, but beware; this team has shown primitive signs of reckless talent in their first five weeks of play. They’re averaging 290.8 passing yards this season behind their quarterback, Ryan Radcliff, putting them 19th in the nation.

-          Virginia Tech’s loss of their talented sophomore, Ryan Williams, has led the team to rely on their junior Evans. So far, Evans has done a great job keeping this team afloat in the running game; rushing for 324 yards and four touchdowns in 50 carries. Taylor has recently been able to find his junior receiver, Jarrett Boykin, who’s caught for 13 receptions for 290 yards and four touchdowns.

-          Central Michigan’s losses are by a combined total of 31 points. Their defense isn’t top of the line, but can hold its own. They should be able to fluster Virginia Tech’s Taylor, forcing him to scramble for yardage. They’ve got a 5’10’’ receiver in Cody Wilson, who will look to find some holes in the Hokies’ defense. Wilson has a decent 25 receptions for 460 yards and three touchdowns.

Too big of a spread here. Central Michigan doesn’t have the record to prove this but they should be able to put some competition into this one. It certainly is hard to ignore how hot the Hokies have been in the last few weeks, and they should come out as victors, but the lead won’t be as reassuring for them.

Free Pick: Central Michigan +22

As he season ended Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers assured fans and the media there would be changes coming and hose changes would be enacted rather quickly. The first item on Towers to-do list would be to name a new manager.

The fans and many of those inside the organization have campaigned to keep Kirk Gibson as manager and remove the interim tag. Towers and Gibson have met several times in the past week each expressing their eagerness to work together if given the chance.

It therefore came as little surprise when Towers announced that Gibson would be returning to continue to manage the Diamondbacks. Gibson was given a two year deal with a club option on a third year. The timeline matches that given to Towers so these two will be married at e hip for better or for worse.

Not everything went as expected though. There was a substantial upheaval in the coaching staff. Given Towers comments to the USA Today the day after being named GM where he suggested he would like to have Greg Maddux as either bench coach or pitching coach did not bode well for the incumbent coaches on Gibson’s staff.

Current bench coach Bo Porter who took over the position when Gibson was named manager was let go by the team. Likewise hitting coach Jack Howell was also fired no doubt a reflection on the team’s poor plate discipline and extreme strikeout totals.

Third base coach Joel Youngblood who came up when Porter was named bench coach was offered another position within the organization likely working with the minor league outfielders which he did previously.

Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. was likewise relieved of duty and offered position inside the organization. Stottlemyre Jr. Became the pitching coach after Bryan Price quit when Bob Melvin was fired part way through he 2009 season.

The only two coaches to remain are on opposite ends of the experience spectrum. First Base coach Matt Williams who just completed his first season will return. He has been applauded both within the organization and by other teams for the work he has done. Shortstop Stephen Drew and third baseman Mark Reynolds both credit Williams with cutting down their errors making them better defensively.

Bullpen coach Glenn Sherlock retained his position in the coaching shuffle. Sherlock is the grand-daddy of coaches with the Diamondbacks. He was part of Buck Showalter’s staff in 1998 and has held coaching responsibilities under every manager in Diamondbacks history.

So the Diamondbacks will now begin the search for a third base coach, a pitching coach, a hitting coach, and a bench coach. During the press conference and in comments afterwards Towers explained how he would be involved in the hiring process.

He expressed that while the coaches will report to Gibson, it would be Towers decision who would be hired. Towers understands ghat for a team to be successful all of the coaches must be on the same page and have the same philosophy.

Gibson seemed to reiterate Towers comments explaining that these coaches would not only have on field duties but would be mentors to these players in teaching them the right way to play the game. It sounds as though the changes are not just on the roster but also represent changes to the culture of the team.

For the first time in a very long time I am beginning to find hope that this team has reached the bottom and will now begin to climb out of the cellar and become the franchise the once were a decade ago.

Ball State Cardinals (1-3) vs. Central Michigan Chippewas (2-2)

Saturday, October 2nd, 3:30 PM EST

Line: Central Michigan -16 1/2

Ryan Radcliff and the Chippewas look to help their even record when they face the visiting Ball State. Radcliff has had a great passing season so far, throwing for 1,142 yards and five touchdowns. Ball State has lost 3 out of their last four games. They were shut out 45-0 in their meeting against Iowa last week.

Keys to the Games

* Paris Cotton is the junior running back for the Chippewas. He’s rushed for 342 yards and five touchdowns so far this season. Look for Central Michigan to give him some more touches against Ball State. He’s had a streaky season; rushing for 209 yards and three touchdowns against Eastern Michigan before running for -1 and four carries in his following game against Northwestern.

* Eric Williams is one of the few talented players on Ball State. The running back has 232 yards and a touchdown in his 50 touches. Ball State is ranked 67th in the nation in rushing yards per game, with 148.5 yards this season.

* Central Michigan’s surprising loss to Northwestern has pushed them back to a record to 2-2. The week prior to that, their quarterback Radcliff put up a solid performance; going 15 for 23 and throwing in a touchdown.

Ball State will put up a strong effort to avoid heading into a losing season. Both MAC-Conference teams know how important this game is and will look to their running game to set up the big plays. Central Michigan will win this one but it’ll be closer than expected.

Free NCAA Football Pick: Ball State +16 1/2

There has certainly been some discussion about Porsche or Audi entering F1 after today’s announcement here. Perhaps it was just an innocent observation or maybe Porsche chairman Matthias Mueller was having fun with the media––or as SJ Skid points out, it is Oktoberfest and maybe he’d had a little too much to drink. Regardless of the motive, it has gotten us to thinking about the prospect.

First, would it be Porsche or Audi to enter the series? My bet is Porsche since they have a pedigree in the sport back in the sixties as a works team and then as a supplier to McLaren in the eighties. Why not Audi? They have a terrific sports car program that has revolutionized the sport with their Diesel TDI technology. Perhaps they would like to change gears and bring TDI to F1? Who knows but that would seem a long shot as diesel fuel isn’t an FIA equation at this point and Audi have always been comfortable in their shoes in Le Mans and at arms length with F1.

No, Porsche makes more sense at some level and while there is nothing wrong with the 911 in the GT class, it’s become a bit of a one-trick pony for the marque. Why not mix things up a bit and give consumers something to think about the next time they are looking at sports cars? Yes, I can see it now, the silver Porsche’s streaming down Eau Rouge then up the hill and down the long straight as they pass a Ferrari or two…wait…actually, no I can’t see that. Why?

I think Porsche should enter F1 as a supplier and not a manufacturer…at first anyway. The reason I think this may be a better plan is that there is little secrecy to the fact that getting into F1 is damned expensive. Just ask Norbert Haug at Mercedes, or Honda, BMW or Toyota. It costs a fortune to enter at the manufacturer level and do well and Porsche has a relationship in F1 already that makes much more sense. You’ll recall that I posted this story here about Williams supplying Porsche with their KERS unit for the 911 GT car that is racing this weekend at the Petit Le Mans.

Why not work that relationship in reverse and become a strategic partner to Williams F1? KERS will be back next year and Williams F1 could use a good partner like they had in BMW. In fact, Williams F1 had the best seasons they’ve produced in decades with BMW power and some guy named Montoya. Why not wok with Sir Frank, Patrick and Sam to become a partner and lift both Williams F1 and Porsche to the spotlight?

No question in my mind that BMW entered F1 the right way. They should have stayed and it was a mistake to bow out the way they did (from a fans perspective of course and not a balance sheet perspective). They were almost there and I fear that Porsche’s longevity in the sport may meet a quicker demise, given the length of time it takes to become successful in the sport, should they try to enter as a team.

The upside is that Porsche will have had a full season of racing with the Williams flywheel design KERS unit and that will give them an edge up. Porsche know how to take that energy and lay it down in an effective way. Williams F1 knows how to build a chassis and run a team in F1 and they have FIA credentials for the media booth (which is probably the most difficult thing to get). It seems like a good match to me but then I like Williams F1 and want them to succeed. I also like Porsche although I would be remiss in not mentioning that I love Audi and would relish the idea of the four rings entering F1 against the Mercs.

Porsche or Audi could be on the Formula 1 grid soon, Porsche chairman Matthias Mueller said Friday at the Paris Motor Show.

That’s right. Porsche may return to F1 or Audi might bring the rings to battle the Prancing Horse and the bulls and… umm…. a virgin?

Here he is, via Autocar:

“With LMP1, there are two classes and two brands – Audi and Porsche. We do not like to both go into LMP1 [against each other]; that is not so funny.

“So therefore we have to discuss whether it makes better sense for one of the [two] brands to go into LMP1, and the other brand into Formula 1. So we will have a round-table to discuss the pros and cons.”

I love the “that is not so funny” quote. Paging Red Bull!

The idea seems to be — this part is obvious — that one of the brands goes to Le Mans and the other into F1. On the F1 front, Porsche likely would return as an engine supplier, and Autocar adds this:

Autocar also understands VW Group’s vice president for powertrains Wolfgang Hatz has been heavily involved in discussions with the FIA regarding the proposed new four-cylinder turbocharged engines the sport plans to introduce from 2013.

(Quick digression: I love, LOVE the “Autocar also understands” phrase. I get it, but it sounds soooo Transformers.)

OK, I’m not sure that there was a story that drove more people crazy (at least in the F1B Forum) than “Audi to F1″. But here it is, right from the brand’s mouth.

Should Cosworth be a bit worried? How does a Williams-Porsche (or BMW Sauber Ferrari Porsche) team sound? How would you go about entering the sport if you were the VW group? And why the idea that Audi might switch series? That seems strange given its success and the great battle it now has with Peugeot.

Debuting at the Geneva motor show in March, the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid raised eyebrows and dropped jaws. It’s subsequent performance at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring added even more weight to the story of a racing car using electric power. Now the hybrid racing car will make its debut on American soil this weekend at the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.

The 480 horsepower car includes two 60-kilowatt electric motors supplied by Williams Hybrid Power for the Kinetic Energy Recovery System. Yes, this is the KERS that never saw the light of day in Formula 1 in 2009 but Williams have had success with their commercial arm by developing a flywheel technology that Porsche has adopted for their hybrid program. While the unit is still within the FIA regulations, Formula 1 has chosen not to use the technology this year but are looking to 2011 for its return. Williams will have plenty of development data to deploy their technology with the help of Porsche’s aggressive position of marrying internal combustion engines with electric power.

Mike Rockenfeller will team with co-drivers Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas this weekend:

“It’s great to be back in a Porsche 911 race car and be reminded of the traction you get as a driver, but the added four-wheel-drive and torque of the Hybrid system will be a big advantage in the wet.  But we are still working on the dry track set-up for the car as well, so I hope we can get some dry laps in today as well,”

The system works in a unique way in which the electric power generated via the Williams Flywheel KERS unit is delivered to the front wheels while the internal combustion engine is applying the fruits of its labor to the rear wheels. The on and off nature of the rain this week has allowed the team to test the car in the wet for the first time.

The two 60-kilowatt electric motors provide an extra 160 horsepower to the front wheels on demand. When accelerating or overtaking, the driver presses a steering wheel-mounted button that provides additional power for 6-8 seconds.

The Williams flywheel system creates energy every time the driver brakes. The math at Road Atlanta means a 1:25 lap generates 0:20 of boost. Each front wheel has its own electric motor that can help control traction out of the corners and provide additional speed.

This weekend should mark a momentous occasion for Porsche and hybrid racing in general. The car will race in it’s own class but perhaps that class will become much larger if the hybrid success that Williams and Porsche have created prove the skeptics wrong.

 

A handful of players have been fortunate enough to enjoy a storybook ending to their career: ending with a bang.

None have done it with as much mystique as Ted Williams.

The Splendid Splinter played his last major league game against the Baltimore Orioles on Sept. 28th, 1960. A dreary affair, with nothing on the line.

The Orioles finished eight games behind the Yankees, while the Sox were mired in seventh place at 65-89.

To go into the situation further would be to embarrass myself because no one told the story better than John Updike in his classic essay, “Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu.” The piece originally appeared in the Oct. 22 issue of The New Yorker.

This year, it was republished by The Library of America, and includes a new preface by the author, written shortly before he died in January 2009. There’s also a tribute to Williams by Updike, written after the Hall of Famer’s death.

Both essays contain “mild” annotations, explaining a few issues to the readers, both of the boomer generation and since.

Charles McGrath, a former editor of The New York Times Book Review section, wrote about the anniversary of Williams' career walk-off and Updike’s literary contribution last week, calling it “probably the most celebrated baseball essay ever.”

It’s not too much to say that “Hub Fans” changed sports writing. Affectionately mocking the tradition of sports clichés (as in the title, which didn’t actually appear in any of Boston’s seven dailies at the time, but easily could have), the essay demonstrated that you could write about baseball, of all things, in a way that was personal, intelligent, even lyrical. Updike compares Williams to Achilles, to a Calder mobile, to Donatello’s David, standing on third base as if the bag were the head of Goliath.

Deeper into the tribute to the tribute, McGrath writes:

Most of all, Updike identified with the artist in Williams: his focus and perfectionism, his single-mindedness in mastering the difficult craft of hitting, the way that, proud and a little aloof, he would not kowtow to the Boston press or court the fans’ affection, refusing to the very end to tip his cap in acknowledgment of their applause. He embraced and understood Williams’s isolation, writing: “It is an essentially lonely game. No other player visible to my generation has concentrated within himself so much of the sport’s poignance, has so assiduously refined his natural skills, has so constantly brought to the plate that intensity of competence that crowds the throat with joy.”

More interesting to me was the fact that Updike edited the original for a 1965 anthology, changing his masterpiece ever so slightly. Why mess with perfection, I wondered?

McGrath concludes:

In the tiny differences between the two versions, the refinements of phrasing, the crucial addition of that “little death,” there is something very like the “tissue-thin difference” Updike so admired in Williams’s career: the difference in this case not between a thing done well and a thing done ill, but between a thing done well and a thing done even better. Like Williams, Updike never coasted. He knew that over the long season, as he writes earlier in the essay, what holds our interest is not occasional heroics but “players who always care; who care, that is to say, about themselves and their art.”

The following video from the MLB Network makes a nice mention of Updike’s paean at about the seven-minute mark, with excerpts read by Sports Illustrated‘s Tom Verducci and Bob Costas.

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For the second consecutive year the Arizona Diamondbacks planned a post-game activity for their loyal season ticket holders. It was yet another way for the team to thank those fans who have stood by them during this difficult season.

The activity would begin shortly after the “Shirts Off Our D-backs” on-field presentation. The “Shirts Off Our D-Backs” promotion has been going on all weekend allowing fans the ability to purchase scratch-off tickets to win a jersey from one of the players or coaches.

The proceeds from these scratch-off tickets go towards the United Way. The Diamondbacks augmented the donations with a check for $100,000 to the Valley of the Sun United Way. In a sign of karma, Diamondbacks super fan Frank Gennario who has not missed a game since 1998 won the Matt Williams jersey. It could not have gone to a more deserving fan.

The season ticket on-field activity had a carnival feel to it. Around the left and right field walls stations were set up where Diamondbacks players posed for pictures with the Season Ticket Holders.

Wristbands were given out that color matched player stations so everyone had an opportunity to get their picture taken with 3-4 players. The lines to these photo stations were fairly short and the Diamondbacks did a great job keeping the lines moving.

Besides the players, the racing Legends were also out in force as was D. Baxter and musical mascot Bobby Freeman (an awesome guy and great organ player).

For the kids there were whiffleball stations set up with Diamondbacks employees throwing literally hundreds of pitches for the fans.

In the Ride Now swimming pool there was a question and answer session with Diamondbacks President/CEO Derrick Hall, interim manager Kirk Gibson, and first base coach and legend Matt Williams.

Hall, Gibson, and Williams fielded questions some rather pointed from the fans. They listened to the fans and provided answers that left everyone with a feeling of optimism for next season and beyond.

While the season has not had many positives, this activity was a great way to end the year. The post-game party was like a mini FanFest and yet another great benefit to being an Arizona Diamondbacks Season Ticket Holder.

September 20, 2010

Buffs plan Blackout for Georgia game

It’s not exactly a night game, but it’ll have to do …

For the third time in four years, Colorado fans are being asked to wear black. The first Blackout came in 2007, when the Buffs fell to Florida State, 16-6. In 2008, Colorado defeated No. 21 West Virginia, 17-14.

There was no Blackout game in 2009, simply because the Buffs, on their way to a 3-9 season, did not merit a night game.

The Georgia game will mark only the second time in school history in which a member of the Southeastern Conference has visited Boulder. In 1979, LSU came to face the Buffs, with the Tigers thumping Chuck Fairbanks’ team, 44-0. Overall, Colorado is 2-9-1 against teams from the SEC, with the wins coming in a 47-33 Liberty Bowl win in 1969, and a 1971 regular season victory over LSU in Baton Rouge, 31-21. The tie, of course, came in the 1990 season-opening Pigskin Classic against Tennessee, when the Buffs fought the Volunteers to a 31-31 draw. The last time Colorado played a team from the SEC, it was the 2007 Independence Bowl, with Colorado falling to Alabama, 30-24.

Nickel back trauma

Last Friday night, in a speech to the team before the Hawai’i’ game, College Hall of Fame inductee Alfred Williams challenged the Buffs to be great. As senior captain Scotty McKnight put it, “He said if you’re a starter, you need to work harder than anyone on the team. If you’re a backup, make it your goal not to be a backup next week.

Apparently, if you want to be a starter at Colorado, all you need to do is to volunteer to be a backup nickel back.

For the third week running, Colorado had a new starter at nickel back. For the third week running, the starter went down with a long-term injury. In week one, Parker Orms was lost for the season with a torn knee ligament. Against Cal in week two, replacement starter Travis Sandersfeld broke a bone in his leg. Then, against Hawai’i, Sandersfeld’s replacement, Paul Vigo, suffered what was described as a lower leg injury, which will keep the redshirt freshman out for four-to-six weeks. Vigo’s replacement, junior Jonathan Hawkins, had five tackles against Hawai’i, and had the Buffs’ lone interception.

Here’s to keeping Hawkins healthy against Georgia …