Roy Williams Who?

At halftime of today's Cowboys game, I notice that Miles Austin had 4 catches for 71 yards and immediately thought of my next blog: Roy Williams Who? Of course Austin goes on to collect 10 grabs for 250 yards and 2 TDs and makes some people say T.O. who?

Roy Williams was left back in Dallas along with Felix Jones after suffering a hard collision in last week's loss to the Broncos. Going into today's game there was a question of who would step up in UnoUno's absence and Miles Austin went on to surpass Williams' total yards and touchdowns for the season in today's crazy game. So now the questions are: what do you do with Williams and is he ever going to be a #1 receiver? He is averaging almost twenty yards a catch but only has 11 catches in four games. He is not a locker room distraction like T.O. but he is not a playmaker like him either.

Do you think Roy is or will be a #1 WR?

Rangers Spotlight: Adios Hank!

So I am still surprised that it is 2009 and there are still Hank Blalock fans out there among us. They could be the person sitting next to you in the movie theater, in the line at the drugstore, or your spotter at the gym. Yes, that's right these misguided Rangers fans are blinded by their feelings and emotions to see one of the worst players in MLB taking up payroll on a good team.

Good news for the logical fans: Hank is gone and is not coming back. He was on the books this past season for 6 million making him one of the highest paid players on the team....yikes! Okay, before the emotional Hank homies come running after me with pitchforks, here are Hank's stats:

Year-batting average--on base %, home runs, RBIs
2003-.300-.350-29-90
2004-.276-.355-32-110
2005-.263-.318-25-92
2006-.266-.325-16-89
2007-.293-.359-10-33--only 58 games played
2008-.287-.338-12-38--only 65 games played
2009-.234-.277-25-66

He came into the league as a guy that could hit for an incredible average to all parts of the field and had some power, but he leaves Texas as an one-dimensional player (power) that is not that good. It starts in '05 where his on-base % drops to .318 and this year his .277 was the second worst in MLB! If you don't believe me, check out Jamey Newberg's post on one of the most highly touted players to come through the Rangers farm system only to leave as a fragment of old self. This is a great article and must read for Blalock fans, but be warned...the veil will be removed from your eyes. Pandora's box will be open and you will thank your lucky stars that he is gone and Justin Smoak will be in the big leagues next year.

Let's hope that he does not turn out like Blalock...

Scotty Pods to test free agency...

After finding a resurgence with the White Sox again, Scott Podsednik is going to test the free agent waters. There is a good article on Chicago White Sox's MLB page. This is what Scott says about the offseason:

"No, we are going to wait it out and see what happens," Podsednik said concerning his foray into free agency. "If they want to try to bring me back, then we will entertain that idea and go from there. But this is all kind of a new process to me. I'm going to seek counsel from my representation and do what we feel is best."

He is coming off one of his best seasons: .304 average, 7 home runs, 48 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases, but the most important aspect is that he did not miss any extended time with an injury, which has been his problem the last several seasons.

Scott has this to say about his history with injuries:

"I've put in hard work to counter things I was having problems with in the past," Podsednik said. "I haven't felt any muscle strains, aches, pulls, anything close to some of the stuff in the past. I feel I have a good working program and can keep my body healthy for a full season."

Most teams probably see Scott as a fourth outfielder at best, so he needs to be patient and find an opportunity that provides the most playing time for him. At 33, he is not through with his playing career and this year showed he can be a vital part of any team as a LF/CF and a leadoff hitter.

What does Baylor do now?

By Cody

The last few weeks have been brutal for Baylor fans. We took UConn lightly and it showed on the field. Having a chance to still tie the game late in the fourth quarter against a solid BCS opponent showed the Bears are a talented team. However, execution, the inability to sustain drives, and the defense unable to get off the field on third down was too much to overcome.

The first offensive drive against Northwestern State could not have ended any worse. Robert Griffin was stopped for a loss on fourth down and hyper-extended his knee on the play. After wrapping his knee to stabilize the joint, he was able to return to the game and perform exceptionally. He will not be able to do that in any other game this season. He is out for the year with an isolated tear in his ACL. To make the season outlook even worse, Blake Szymanski suffered a bruised shoulder while trying to plow into the end zone. There is optimism that he can play next week, but was unable to raise his throwing arm following last nights game.

Nick Florence, a true freshman, should get the start against Kent State next weekend. RB Jay Finley is still day-to-day with an ankle injury and did not dress out for the NSU game. Jared Salubi and Terrance Ganaway are solid backs and have showed they are able to carry the load. Starting cornerback Antareis Bryan is out for six to eight weeks with a broken foot. Mikail Baker, a backup safety and cornerback and leading kick returner, is also out for the year with a knee injury. These injuries are going to force younger players to step up. A true freshman at QB, a redshirt freshman at RB, and a true freshman at CB.

Before these injuries, Baylor was already down on talent compared to the University of Texas and Texas A&M. Before the injuries, the average starter on offense for Baylor was a 3 star recruit and a 2 star on defense. A&M averages a 4 star on offense and a 3 star on defense. The Longhorns average a 4 star on offense and a 4 star on defense. Baylor needed to remain injury free and take advantage of every opportunity to reach 6 wins and be eligible for a bowl game. This Baylor Bear is extremely distraught currently. As a season ticket holder, I will not miss a home game and will be at Cowboys stadium to watch the season finale. Personally, I still see 6 wins as a possibility if the offensive and defensive lines step up and can take control of the line of scrimmage. Sic ‘Em Bears!!!

Aggie Spotlight

by Chad

I had prior engagements this past weekend, but I can now focus on some of the ins and outs of Aggie football. Ok readers, what has the latest Aggie football game taught us? Shouldn’t beating a remedial team 41-6 prove that the Aggies will systematically dominate all other teams in 2009?
I wish this were true, but I need to assess this team fairly and also provide some semblance of a respectable column. Personally, I’m just hoping for respectability. It’s been a couple of long, hot summers, without a drop of rain in Aggieland. That’s not saying that this team will be unable to win any meaningful games. I’m just not gaining any satisfaction in this temporary shade provided by the pounding of a Mountain West cellar dweller.
The team is young… very young. The depth chart lists 24 sophomores or freshmen in the Aggie two deep, of which, 7 are starting on defense. From the way the team played last year, this is not a bad thing. Head Coach Mike Sherman appears to be willing to play the best players at his disposal. Underclassmen will make mistakes, but only in these sophomores and freshmen does hope truly lie for the Aggie faithful. It is just a sad fact that the Aggies were out manned in the trenches and in the secondary over the past couple of seasons. From what I have seen in the game against New Mexico, the team looks much better in these crucial areas. I’m just not sure how much of this improvement was due to Texas A&M being superior as opposed to the Lobos just being awful.
I can’t see waves rising, or hear the winds of change blowing just yet. Until the Aggies play well against Arkansas, let’s wait on labeling this team as being good. That being said, I do think that they are much improved. The suggestion I have to my fellow Ags is to sit back and enjoy the next couple of games before this young team gets to appreciate the minefield of the Big 12 South.