Off The Richter Scale

2010-03-29T23:45:00.001-04:00

Can't disagree with Syracuse being #1

2010-03-02T22:53:00.002-05:00

Syracuse has really been playing well as of late, and are well deserving of the #1 ranking. However, they beat an overrated Villanova team, but it was so convincing that it doesn't matter. As of now, they are playing like the best team in the NCAA. Purdue's injury to Robbie Hummel and Kansas's loss made Syracuse a pretty obvious choice. While I still like Kentucky, Duke, among others heading into the tournament, Syracuse is probably going to end up being in the Final Four, so if you want to win it all, you're gonna have to go through Syracuse.

2010-02-22T20:16:00.001-05:00

Tiger Woods is at it again

2010-02-18T13:48:00.002-05:00

Once again, Tiger Woods has shown that he is selfish and inconsiderate by having his press conference take place at 11:00 AM on Friday. Hello? There is a golf tournament going on then, the Accenture Match Play Chamionship. He is trying to upstage the tournament, the golfers, and the sponsors by having his press conference that will be filled with nothing but ambiguous information. He won't even be answering questions at the press conference, so what valuable information will he really be saying? And the golf media out in Arizona won't be interested in the tournament, they will only be interested in Tiger Woods. Sure, Woods is easily the most popular athlete in golf and one of the most popular golfers on the planet, but he is acting like he is above his peers by doing this. Every golfer works hard, takes extra practice, and competes week in and week out. Why should Tiger's attempt at damage control upstage the hard work that all the other PGA golfers are putting in to their sport. Tiger doesn't care about that; again acting like he is above his peers. I admire Ernie Els for coming out publicly criticizing Woods, and it is good to see that some other PGA golfers are standing up for themselves and the sport of golf.

2010-02-15T20:05:00.001-05:00

Kentucky is the team to beat

2010-02-14T23:30:00.002-05:00

March is fast approaching, and you know what that means. The NCAA tournament is soon approaching, and many teams are looking to make that push to the Final Four. No team is better suited to make that push than John Calipari's Kentucky Wildcats. John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, and Eric Bledsoe have teamed up to create in my opinion the best team in college hoops. Wall is the most dynamic player in the game, a definite one and done as next year he looks forward to being possibly the top pick in the NBA Draft. It will be very similar to the Carmelo Anthony situation at Syracuse. Anthony was on another level than the rest of the players, and won the National Championship in his only year in college. Look for more of the same as John Wall adds to his legacy by winning the national title with the Kentucky Wildcats.

A Golden Era: Watch Out For Them

2010-02-11T00:01:00.003-05:00

Well, while this blog primarily focuses on sports, sometimes there are things in other areas that get my attention. Most notably, music. Last Wednesday, I saw A Golden Era perform at Crocodile Rock in Allentown, and this is surely a band to keep track of in the near future. Their self released album, Life: As Played By People, is a catchy, infectious record that you just can't help but sing along to. A Golden Era is a top notch local band, and I highly recommend seeing them in concert when they play a show in your area. It was a great concert, and the venue definitely should have let them play a few more songs. Check out their album on iTunes, and make sure to check out the songs "Denver: The Sunshine State" and "The Cold War."

Episode 3 Download Link

2010-02-08T21:12:00.001-05:00

http://kiwi6.com/file?id=7e4v45wv8o

Podcast Episode 3!

2010-02-08T21:02:00.002-05:00

Lane Kiffin really has been doing his homework on those Middle School Quarterbacks

2010-02-06T21:23:00.002-05:00

Ok...NCAA football perplexes me so much, I'm not gonna try and comprehend everything that is going on with it. Some things they do are questionable, and it's sad to see that the college game is just as corporate as the pro game. 13 year old David Sills, a USC commit. How crazy does that sound? It's one of the craziest things I've ever seen. In my opinion, 13 years old is too young to figure out where you want to go to play college football. There are a lot of variables involved in the college selection process, including the possibly of NCAA sanctions on USC from the Pete Carroll era. Sills still has to develop physically and as a player in the next four years. He might not be as good as advertised by the time he gets to USC. There is always the risk of injury. It just perplexes me that things like this happen. While this is obviously a good business move for Sills now, who knows if it will be a good football move a few years down the road?

The Greek's Super Bowl Prediction.

2010-02-05T22:38:00.002-05:00

With Super Bowl XLIV rapidly approaching, I've finally had a chance to sit down and think about the game. Here we have 2 of the high powered offenses in the league led by great quarterbacks. However, much of the season the defenses of both the Colts and Saints have played exceptionally well. One major key to the game is the status of Dwight Freeney of the Colts. If Freeney isn't able to go, this would create the Colts defense to step down a notch. However, sources are indicating that he's resting his ankle well and that he's leaning towards playing. Also, When looking back at the Vikings-Saints game in the NFC Championship Game, I believe that the Vikings should be in Miami competing for the Super Bowl. The Saints were outgained by 218 yards in the NFC Championship Game, and they have a tougher task ahead of them facing Peyton Manning. When looking at the AFC Championship Game, it only took Peyton Manning a few drives to finally figure out the Jets Defense, which was one of the top defenses in the league. However, when looking at the other side, Drew Brees is leading a Saints team with a plethora of weapons. Also, with being in their first Super Bowl, the city of New Orleans will be expecting a lot out of their squad and ready to party like we've never seen before. This matchup is close but I'd have to give the edge to the Colts because many of the players on this team have participated in Super Bowl XLI and know what to expect. All in all, I expect a competitive game out of these two teams with a lot of points on the board. With the spread currently being at 5, I can't really pick a side on that line. I believe that the line is too sharp and I expect a great game out of these two teams. FINAL SCORE: 31-27 COLTS.

Podcast #2 Download Link

2010-02-02T20:49:00.000-05:00

http://kiwi6.com/file?id=dwf5o92g2q

Podcast #2

2010-02-02T20:43:00.001-05:00

Kurt Warner...A Hall of Famer in every sense of the word.

2010-01-30T22:06:00.003-05:00

As Kurt Warner retires, there is no doubt in my mind that this man is a Hall of Famer. I'm not even going to bore you with statistical analysis. Just look at the guy's story. Though if not for a Trent Green injury, the Kurt Warner story might never have happened. He turned around two teams that were known only for ineptitude and brought them to Super Bowls. He's a first class human being who always puts his faith, family, and teammates before himself. He left football as one of the top 5 quarterbacks in the NFL and he probably would have been one of the best quarterbacks in the league next year if he had decided to play. Honestly, they are gonna make a movie about his life and it's gonna be great. Here's to you Kurt Warner, it's been a heck of a career and you will be hearing the call to Canton.

Moneyball? Maybe Not So Much

2010-01-28T01:07:00.002-05:00

Billy Beane has been known for the conecpt of Moneyball, acquiring talented baseball players without having to open up the checkbook that much. However, over the past two years, Beane has made some questionable decisions. I know being i n that small market makes it hard to keep players long term, but look at the arms that have come through Oakland throughout the years. Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, Rich Harden, Joe Blanton, and Tim Hudson to name a few. Beane just threw $10 Million at a guy who hasn't pitched for a whole season in Ben Sheets. I was surprised he signed for $10 million; I figured he would sign in the $5 or $6 Million range. Beane really has placed a lot of trust in Sheets, who is already the ace of that young staff. The Matt Holliday trade did not work out well for the A's, as Holliday did not put up the kind of numbers he usually put up with Colorado. The Holliday and Sheets acquisitions really stumped me, and it makes me wonder what direction "Moneyball" is really going in.

2010-01-27T20:16:00.001-05:00

Episode 1

Stephen Richter's Podcast

Podcast

2010-01-27T19:56:00.004-05:00

Podcast

Steve Vs. The Greek

2010-01-23T23:06:00.002-05:00

Steve:
Colts -8 OVER (40)
Vikings +3.5 UNDER (53.5)

George:
Colts -8 UNDER (40)
Saints -3.5 OVER (53.5)

Both of us had a bad showing last week. I went 1-3, but it was enough to beat The Greek who went 0-4. We both like the Colts, but we are going head-to-head in the NFC title game which looks to be a good one.

A Leave of Absence? Yeah....Right

2010-01-23T22:52:00.002-05:00

Now I am at the point where I'm really starting to question what Urban Meyer meant by his "leave of absence." It went from an outright resignation to a leave of absence, and what it really ended up being is a couple of days off. I'm not disputing the fact that Meyer was having serious health issues, but that is why you have to think over such a career altering decision. We criticize Brett Favre every single year for overthinking his retirement, but Urban Meyer is guilty of underthinking in this situation. With the way recruiting is in college football, Florida would have had to get moving in a new direction had Meyer chose to stay away from the game. Meyer is a coach, and football is his passion. He is a young man in his 40's, and has many years and championships ahead of him. While I am glad to see that he is healthy and ready to return to coaching, maybe he should have just said he was taking some time to evaluate his future instead of changing his mind three times.

Marty Schottenheimer gets a game ball from the Jets.....

2010-01-21T19:05:00.002-05:00

That's right. Rex Ryan sent a gameball to Marty Schottenheimer after the AFC Divisonal Game. That was a classy move by Rex Ryan there. Marty Schottenheimer is a great coach, who probably did not deserve to be fired in 2007. They fired a poor playoff coach with credentials and replaced him with a poor playoff coach with a less than stellar resume. Getting fired after a 14-2 season was ridiculous enough, but being replaced with Norv Turner? That has to turn some heads. You can't base it all on the coach, in the end the players have to play. But the nature of the business is that the coach is the one that's gonna get replaced. I see the Chargers' reasoning when they fired Schottenheimer, but you can't deny that he's a great coach. Look for Marty to make a return to coaching in one or two years, and believe me, he's gonna turn some heads.

Stephon Marbury and the Chinese Basketball Association

2010-01-19T22:47:00.002-05:00

Well, it seems like Stephon Marbury is playing pro basketball again. However, this time it will be over in China. As crazy as it sounds, it is a deal that will make great sense for all parties involved. The NBA is a global league, and Marbury is a famous name not only in America, but also in Europe and Asia. Marbury's popularity will boost attendance in Shanxi, and possibly repair his image as a washed up, me-first basketball player. The level of compeition is not surprisingly much lower than that of the NBA. Look for Marbury to put up some big numbers over in China. Believe me, we have not seen the last of him in the NBA, fortunately or unfortunately. Marbury has never been associated with winning basketball, and I think that he will never be associated with winning on the court.

Running up the Score? That's right Keith Brooking, give this a read.

2010-01-19T00:35:00.002-05:00

This issue regarding Keith Brooking and the Vikings "running up the score" has really fired me up recently. Brooking complained that the Vikings' late 4th Quarter score was classless. Keith, it's your job out there as starting linebacker and "emotional leader" of the Dallas defense to stop the Vikings from scoring. Don't get mad at the Vikings because you weren't doing your job. It's the NFL, and the Vikings offense was scoring because Dallas was doing nothing to stop it. What the Vikings did wasn't classless, they were just running their offense.
Classless is Ohio State doing an onside kick against New Mexico State.
Classless is USC running up the score on countless opponents throughout the years.
But do you know what is really classless? Whining about the other team being classless because you couldn't do your job. Brooking should have kept his mouth shut, and gave credit to the Vikings for being the better team.
Classless is dancing around on the sidelines like a little kid when you beat your former team. As a Falcons fan, I don't make excuses for them losing to Dallas. Dallas made more plays that day and they deserved to win. But Brooking, who only got a paltry 2 tackles (his second lowest tackling output on the year) was dancing around like he put up a Mike Singletary-esque performance. Keith, you're past your prime, and you are not ever going to be a major contributor on a Super Bowl winning team. To me, the Falcons Ring of Honor is a special place reserved for those with supreme ability and character. And Keith, quite frankly, you have neither.

Chargers Not Quite Ready For The Big Time

2010-01-17T19:41:00.003-05:00

The San Diego Chargers, no matter what talented rosters they put together, are yet again unable to get over the hump. 3 missed field goals by Nate Kaeding in a game, when he only missed 3 in the regular season, shows that he is not capable of being a playoff kicker. He will almost surely be released, and Norv Turner will be placed under a lot of media scrutiny this offseason. Philip Rivers did not look comfortable and it showed with his interceptions. Rex Ryan and the Jets were not intimidated about coming into a hostile environment, and rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez managed the Jets' basic offense to victory. While the Jets don't ask much of Sanchez, he is not intimidated by playing challenging road games. All the pressure next week is on the Colts, who could have eliminated the Jets in Week 16 but instead chose to put in Curtis Painter. Look for some interesting storylines to develop in the coming week. Should the Colts lose to the Jets, they will learn their lesson for benching their starters in Week 16.

Divisional Playoff Reflections

2010-01-16T23:45:00.003-05:00

Kurt Warner really came out flat today, which surprised me. The Arizona defense just continued to underperform, and the referees made sure that Arizona would not get any lucky calls today. No matter who Drew Brees threw it to, they came down with the ball, and you have to give him credit for that.

Peyton Manning, all I'm gonna say, is that he's a monster. Big, bad, tough Ray Lewis and Ed Reed had no answer as the Colts once again proved why they just own the Ravens.

I'm so ready for tomorrow's football action.

Steve vs. The Greek

2010-01-16T00:56:00.003-05:00

No, it's not Jimmy the Greek, it's George the Greek.
We go head to head on this week's NFL Playoff action.

Steve:
Colts -7
Cardinals +7
Cowboys +3
Chargers -7

George:
Ravens +7
Cardinals +7
Cowboys +3
Chargers -7

We agree on every game except Colts/Ravens. Stay tuned and see who wins the "Steve vs The Greek" Playoff Challenge.

So Wait A Second....It's Donovan McNabb's Fault that the defense couldn't stop the Cowboys?

2010-01-15T20:45:00.002-05:00

It happens every year, just as often as the Brett Favre retirement talk. Will Donovan McNabb be the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles next season? To blame McNabb for the Eagles' first round playoff exit is crazy. McNabb is developing great chemistry with young receievers Jeremy Maclin and Desean Jackson, and next season they will become even better receievers with Donovan at quarterback. The Eagles defense could not stop the Cowboys and the offensive line did not give McNabb any time to throw. The Philadelphia media is known for being tough, but in this situation it is unfair to label McNabb as the problem. While some people say Kevin Kolb is ready to take over the team, his two games this year were against the Saints in a game they were getting blown out and had no choice but to pass and against the Chiefs, who are just plain awful. Other years Donovan may not have made enough plays to get the job done, but in this case i'm siding with the Eagles' quarterback. Dealing McNabb would be an overreaction. If the Eagles brass focuses on improving their offensive line and their defense during the offseason, expect them to bring home the division crown in 2010. McNabb took the Eagles team to many winning seasons, division championships, and playoff wins. That 1999 quarterback class was filled with busts like Tim Couch, Akili Smith, Cade McNown, and the oft-injured Daunte Culpepper, so let's give the Eagles credit for choosing the All-Pro McNabb.

Your BCS National Champions: The Boise State Broncos?

2010-01-14T23:55:00.002-05:00

Yes you heard me right. Why shouldn't Boise State be named the BCS National Champions? Oh that's right, the big money BCS doesn't want to hear anything like that. No matter what anyone comes out and says, the BCS wanted to put TCU and Boise State in the same bowl so whoever won the BCS would say, 'Well you only beat that team.' Boise State can't control what conference they play in. In fact, the mighty Pac 10 would probably be scared to invite such a powerful team into the conference. They are worried that Boise State would overtake mighty Southern Cal. Boise defeated Oregon on the blue turf, which as the season wore on looked more impressive every week. Kellen Moore is a winner, going out there and just finding ways to win every single game. He only lost one game as a starting quarterback, the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl (by only 1 point nonetheless). Chris Petersen is one of the best coaches in the college game, and gets amazing production from his players. If Boise State came out and challenged Alabama, Nick Saban would be shaking in his boots. He's seen firsthand the power of undefeated teams from non-BCS conferences. It's time for the NCAA to recognize that maybe the best team doesn't have to come from a powerhouse, traditional program. Boise State won every single game they played this year, just like Alabama, so they have every right to claim that they are also the National Champions.

NFL Divisional Playoff Analysis: Baltimore @ Indianapolis

2010-01-14T19:19:00.002-05:00

On Saturday night, the Colts and the Ravens will battle at Lucas Oil Stadium for a berth in the AFC Championship game. In my opinion, this is the most intriguing matchup in the divisonal round. The Indianapolis Colts got off to a lightning 14-0 start, but then QUIT in their final two games against the Jets and Bills. It is really easy to say that resting people is a safe bet, as evidenced by Wes Welker's devastating injury in New England's last regular season game. However, the Colts earned the right to rest during the Wild Card round. The Colts haven't played a full game with all their starters in since December 17. There is bound to be some rust on some of the Colts players. The one thing they do have going for them is Peyton Manning, who is always ready to play and is never rusty.
The Ravens come into this playoff game with nothing to lose. They embarrassed the Patriots in Foxboro, and look to ride the rushing tandem of Willis McGahee and Ray Rice to victory in Indianapolis. The Ravens' two-headed rushing attack has put less pressure on young Joe Flacco, and has really helped ease the stress that a second year quarterback would usually have going into the playoffs.
Bottom Line: The homefield advantage of Lucas Oil Stadium will win out in the end, and the loud crowd will be sure to create some false start penalties as Peyton Manning and the Colts will prevail in a 31-21 victory.

Chris Johnson: Perfect Choice for Offensive Player of the Year

2010-01-13T20:13:00.002-05:00

Now you see him, and now you see him running past you into the endzone. That has been the norm for Chris Johnson during the 2009 NFL Season, running for 2,006 yards and racking up 503 receiving yards. It is very surprising to see that Johnson did not figure into the NFL MVP voting. This guy was the first player ever to get over 2,000 rushing yards and over 500 receiving yards. That's right, it hasn't been done before. He is the fastest player in the NFL (that's right I'll take him over Percy Harvin) and runs so fast it is hard to bring him down with an arm tackle. He is the reason Vince Young had some opportunities throwing the ball this year, because defenses always had to worry about the chance that Johnson would run the ball. He is just as crucial to the Titans success as Peyton Manning is to the Colts' success. While the MVP award may be biased towards quarterbacks, Chris Johnson certainly got his due with the offensive player of the year award.

Music Moment: Four Year Strong

2010-01-13T20:09:00.003-05:00

While the primary focus of this blog is sports, there are other areas of excitement for me. Something I am very excited about is the upcoming album Enemy of the World by the Massachusetts based band Four Year Strong. The first single "It Must Really Suck to be Four Year Strong Right Now" is an infectious tune and rocks really hard. The CD drops in March, and I have high expectations for it. I invite you guys to give it a listen.

Lane Kiffin: Next USC head coach

2010-01-12T21:23:00.000-05:00

When Lane Kiffin took the USC head coaching job today, my first thought was what a great hire that was for the Trojans. Kiffin is young, has a lot of enthusiasm, and isn't scared to back away from a challenge. In his first year as an NCAA head coach, he brought in the 6th best recruiting class (of which a lot of them will come with him to Los Angeles)which was actually ranked higher than USC who had the 8th ranked recruiting class. Tennessee was on the fast track to dominating the SEC in a few years, and now they have been set back years by Kiffin's departure. The only loyalty in coaching is to the almighty dollar, and Lane Kiffin used the system to his advantage to get the job. I can't fault Kiffin in this manner. Everybody else is going out and doing it, so he figured he should just get his piece of the pie. I think coaches should be forced to honor the contracts they sign and then be free agents. Coaches signing a 5 year deal and leaving after 1 year is not good for the incoming recruits. The system has to change, and my heart really goes out to all the guys that committed to Kiffin and he could not commit to them.