Lighting the Wick of Sports

Welcome back to Varsity College. Class before we begin I would like everyone to introduce themselves to our newest student, Stephan Marbury. Stephan can you please stand up and tell us a little something about yourself? “Nah, I will just sit, I really don’t do too much, and there isn’t too much to know about me. I used to play basketball but now I sit on the bench and watch the game with a foul expression on my face. You know what? I really don’t want to be here right now so I’m just going to leave.” Great, thank you Stephan you are an inspiration to all. Well on that note I would also like to notify the class that Gregg Maddux has graduated. He will most likely be attending graduate school, seeing though he was one of my best students.

A Period
Lesson: Working your way up the depth charts
Two top ten quarterbacks on the same team? That sounds odd but next season that can become a reality. Matt Cassel has filled in unexpectedly well for the injured Tom Brady and the numbers he has been posting recently have made him a star in the NFL. What makes Matt Cassel a top 10 quarterback is his ability to play a primarily pass first offense. Last year with Tom Brady, the Patriots also had an effective ground attack with Laurence Maroney. Maroney allowed the Pats passing game to flourish due to his effectiveness on the ground, especially in third down situations. With Maroney on the injured reserve, Matt Cassel doesn’t have a go to option in the running back position. With Dante Stallworth gone, Wes Welker is now the Pat’s second option behind Randy Moss, which leaves Jabar Gaffney in the slot. What I’m getting at, is Matt Cassel has two viable options to pass two as opposed to Tom Brady who had a much stronger receiving core with Stallworth. 14 weeks into the season Cassel has posted a respectable 8-5 record with 2784 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 85.5. As a first year started these numbers are impressive and should improve within the next couple of seasons. With Tom Brady returning to the starting lineup next season, Matt Cassel will be thirsty for another starting job. Expect Cassel to sign with a team that is looking for a decent passer such as Kansas City or Detroit next season. Matt Cassel passes my class this week with an A- because a comeback victory against the Seahawks is unacceptable this last in the season. The Pats can’t afford to play close games in the middle of a playoff push.

B Period
Lesson: Inspiring others
Not too many people would have been able to tell you that last week was Jimmy V week. You should be ashamed of yourself if you don’t know who Jimmy Valvano was and why there is a week celebrating his accomplishments but most importantly his battle against cancer. Jimmy V was a phenomenal coach to say the least. He had 346 wins as a head coach, complemented by a national championship in 1983 and two conference championships in 1983 and 1987. Valvano’s accomplishments as a head coach are only a fraction of what makes him such a special sports figure. IN 1992 Valvano was diagnosed with cancer that had unfortunately spread over his entire body. Shortly before Jimmy died in 1993 he had the honor of hosting the ESPYs (a sports awards show sponsored by ESPN). During his speech the cameraman had signaled Valvano to finish his speech in 30 seconds. After seeing the signal Valvano replied “I have 30 more seconds, this guy wants me to finish in 30 more seconds. I have tumors all over my body and the last thing I need to worry about is how much time I have left for my speech.” By the end of Jimmy’s though provoking speech, the crowd was in tears and gave Valvano a standing ovation as he was being helped off stage. After his tragic death Jimmy V week began. Some of the best college basketball games are scheduled to play during Jimmy V week and ESPN also raises hundreds of thousands of dollars during Jimmy V week that will be donated to the Jimmy V foundation. Jimmy V will always have “A” in everyone’s grade book.

C Period
Lesson: Never trade away a prime point guard for a “has been”
Practice? Practice… come on we are talking about practice! Practice? Are you serious, practice? These are the lovely words of the Piston’s point guard, Allen Iverson. Without Chauncey Billups the Pistons are 7-8. Why did they trade for AI? No one knows and I have no answers. Allen Iverson has never played for a winning team other than his brief time with the Denver Nuggets. Although Iverson always puts up outstanding numbers he adds nothing to team chemistry. Before Billups was traded to the Nuggets, Detroit was one of very few teams in the NBA that had solid team chemistry. Now holding a mediocre record at 11-8 the Pistons playoff picture is looking much different than it did with Chauncey running the floor. After loosing three straight games, Allen Iverson fails this week of classes.

Homework:
1. After this past weekend (if you are a URI fan) write “Safety School” over and over on loose leaf paper until there is no more paper available.
2. If you are having trouble with your stroke ask Mr. Brocato for some jump shot advice.
3. Keep a close on the hot stove, it could be very interesting to see where all of the free agent closers will end up.