Category: football (page 1 of 2)

Pryor to Try WR?

Will Selva - Terrelle PryorTerrelle Pryor is making noise again, and not the kind of noise he made when he won the Rose Bowl and MVP in 2010 with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Terrelle Pryor, who was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals on May 10th posted videos of himself passing footballs during Bengals minicamp following his release from the team on June 18th. A very controversial move as no player ever posts video of an actual practice. Maybe perhaps he was trying to showcase what he can do as a quarterback, still a wrong move nonetheless. However, a caption to one of the video’s reads, “Going to miss QB but I will make a great WR! Already working !!”

Pryor was claimed on waivers by the Cleveland Browns and appears destined now to play wide receiver in the NFL. Pryor stands at 6’5 235 pounds. He may be a bit too heavy for the position but he has certainly displayed the speed for the position. He was clocked between 4.32 and 4.54 seconds when he ran his 40 yard dash during his Pro Day. He also holds the longest touchdown run by a quarterback in NFL history with a 93 yard run. The speed and size is certainly there, it’ll be interesting to see if he possesses the hands and route running that the position calls for. Cleveland is not necessarily deep at wide receiver with Brian Hartline and Dwayne Bowe slated to start this season. With Hartline 28 years old and Bowe 30, they’re certainly not long term solutions for the Browns. Maybe they keep Pryor as a project for a year and see if he can pick up all the necessary skills to play the position at a high level later in the season or even next.

NFL Free Agency: Best of the Rest

NFL free agency started with a splash in early March but the process has slowed down quite a bit. With many players already finding new homes, there are not all too many desirable players left to be had. Here is at some of the best talent still available.

CB Tarell Brown – Brown spent 2014 with the Oakland Raiders after spending the previous 7 with the San Francisco 49ers. With the Raiders, Brown had no interceptions and just 4 passes defensed in 14 games. He did manage to make 55 total tackles showing he can still take people down from the corner position. At age 30, he should catch on somewhere for a 1 year deal.

Will Selva - Stevie BrownS Stevie Brown – Brown spent last season with the New York Giants but it wasn’t his best year. He recorded 8 interceptions back in 2012 and Giant fans were excited for Brown’s follow up season but Brown tore his ACL during the preseason of 2013 and missed the whole season. Brown at times this year seemed rusty but teams are hoping he can return to 2012 form. The Giants are favored to bring him back.

G Dan Connolly – Connolly has been a staple in the New England Patriots offensive line since 2010. Now at age 32, he’s looking for work elsewhere. Connolly can play both center and guard and is a Super Bowl Champion. Connolly should find work elsewhere but he may not be looking at multi-year options.

TE Jermaine Gresham – Gresham was a 1st round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010, where he has played all 5 of his seasons in the NFL. The Bengals recently spent a 1st round pick on TE Tyler Eifert making Gresham expendable. While he is not a great blocking TE, Gresham figures to be a good receiving option. He’s still just 26 years old and should catch on with another team.

Good News, You Can Stream the Super Bowl this Year

Don’t worry about paying for cable this month just to watch the Super Bowl. According to a report from Tech Crunch, NBC will provide an 11-hour video stream of the game on its website. You can tune in for the pre-game coverage and  the half-time show all from your laptop or tablet, but don’ try watching on your iphone… NFL has given the rights to live-stream on smartphones to Verizon Wireless solely. For you young city dwellers who have cancelled their cable subscriptions, this means you won’t need to camp out at your friend’s apartment or a loud bar to enjoy the game. You can begin streaming around noon on game day and finish watching at 10pm.

Super_Bowl_29_Vince_Lombardi_trophy_at_49ers_Family_Day_2009

NBC’s effort to live stream the event corresponds with an ongoing attempt to encourage widespread support for “TV Everywhere” in the industry. NBC seems to be in the forefront of this campaign with the Super Bowl stream. The network is working on live streaming content across the NBC stations. For the network, offering a live stream of the Super Bowl is one way to promote and advertise this new feature on a large scale. The reach here will be enormous.

But let’s talk more about the actual Super Bowl. This year, we will witness the Patriots play against the Seahawks in Glendale, Arizona. The Patriots have been to the Superbowl 7 times and the Seahawks have made two Super Bowl appearances so far.  A few basic facts about these two teams…

Patriots 

Head Coach: Bill Belichick

Owner: Robert Kraft

Home Base: Greater Boston Area

Super Bowl Championships: 2001 (XXXVI), 2003 (XXXVIII), 2004 (XXXIX)

2008_NE_Patriots_players

Seahawks 

Head Coach: Pete Carroll

Owner: Paul Allen

Home Base: Seattle

Super Bowl Championships: 2013 (XLVIII)


World News Videos | ABC World News

Playing Sports Instills Values

Playing a sport instills values in the player. Work ethic, teamwork, respect and the ability to overcome adversity are all key qualities which playing sports teaches. Those who begin playing from a young age will ultimately learn these values more quickly. They might have grown up watching certain sports with their families and learned to embrace their competitive spirits early on. They might even be inspired to play and compete by their parents or siblings. Whichever path led the player to his or her chosen sport, the player gains immeasurable qualities and experiences learning how to thrive on a team and understanding the value of a strong work ethic. Check out the presentation below to learn more:

Screenshot 2014-12-17 18.47.06 Screenshot 2014-12-17 18.47.33 Screenshot 2014-12-17 18.47.50 Screenshot 2014-12-17 18.47.59 Screenshot 2014-12-17 18.48.28 Screenshot 2014-12-17 18.48.38 Screenshot 2014-12-17 18.48.59 Screenshot 2014-12-17 18.49.08 Screenshot 2014-12-17 18.49.26 Screenshot 2014-12-17 18.49.35

The AP Top 25 Poll: 4 Tops Teams This Week

The AP Top 25

Latest Slideshare: 10 NFL Stadiums to See!

Thanks for viewing the latest Slideshare presentation by Will Selva about the Top NFL Stadiums to see and experience firsthand!

Why USA Should Feel Good vs Belgium

The U.S. Men’s National Team is playing with house money right now. This is not too say that they should feel content to just make the knockout stage of the World Cup. No, they’ve proven to be rugged, gritty and determined enough to get through the Group of Death, a reality nobody expected to come to fruition in Brazil. That’s why if the Americans fail to get past Belgium on Tuesday, it shouldn’t be seen as a failure, but rather a positive step forward to where it wants to be: an upper echelon soccer power. Now to the actual game versus the Belgians. This was a side considered to be a darkhorse to win the World Cup. A young, talented yet inexperienced bunch. They’ve started off slow in games only to crank things up later. Belgium has relied heavily on Chelsea star Eden Hazard, who has not disappointed, but he is just one player.
willselvaworldcup
Romelu Lukaku has struggled, failing to score in this World Cup. If you’re the U.S., you hope this pattern continues. The defense has been solid, but could be missing Vincent Kompany, who’s doubtful with a groin issue. Kompany is considered a world-class defender. As for the Red, White and Blue, forward Jozy Altidore could be back on the pitch for the first time since sustaining a hamstring injury early on in the win over Ghana. Boy, is his scoring punch sorely needed. Clint Dempsey is up front as the lone striker and needs the midfield to do something. So far, Michael Dempsey has not gotten the job done despite his tireless energy thus far. Even he admits that he must step up for the U.S. to have a chance to advance. Still, the outlook is bright for the USA, no matter the result on Tuesday. That’s what happens when you play with house money.

(CBS News)

Manziel Went To Vegas, So What?

So this is how it’s going to go, huh? Wait, I’m answering my own question. That would be a resounding YES. Yes, this is how it’s going to be with Johnny Manziel whose every move, frivolous or not, is getting the ultimate Tebow treatment. Did I mention that we’re barely into OTA’s? You may have heard he went to Vegas over Memorial Day weekend. Imagine that. A 21 year-old who wants to go to Sin City. Ah, but it’s not just any 21 year-old. It’s Johnny Football who’s living in his own sphere which doubles as a fish bowl.

willselvajohnnymanzielvegas

Johnny Manziel recently took a trip to Las Vegas.

 

Maybe Manziel was on to something when he was asked about being drafted by the Cowboys, “I don’t know if the world could have handled that, honestly.” He’s absolutely 100% spot-on. If he was in Dallas or New York, we would’ve been absorbed in an armageddon scenario. All city municipalities would be shut down. Meteors would crash into the Earth. Computers would malfunction. As is, he’s the Browns quarterback and that’s causing almost as much chaos. Almost. Who cares if he went to Vegas? Really. There’s reports he even sat in the middle seat on a Southwest Airlines flight.

You see, he’s slumming it like the rest of us. Of all the people, he’s put it into perspective by saying he hasn’t done anything yet to even create a buzz. Right again, Johnny! If and when his off-field antics become a distraction, then and only then, should we process his choice in pool parties he attends, but until we reach that point, let him, as he says, “live life to the fullest.” Browns head coach Mike Pettine says Manziel is studying the playbook. That’s all you can ask for right now. For what it’s worth, he took reps with both the first and second teams. Last week, he worked exclusively with the third team, so he’s making strides on the field. Let’s ease up on the Tebow-like fascination and put this in perspective. At least Manziel is.

(Youtube)

Klinsmann’s Risky Move

Calling it the toughest decision in his career, U.S. men’s manager Jurgen Klinsmann nearly tipped the earth off it’s axis by leaving beloved star Landon Donovan off the final World Cup squad of 23. Klinsmann’s move took, for lack of a better word, stones to make.

willselvaworldcup

 

It was highly unpopular among die-hard fans and a head scratcher among the fringe ones. After all, we’re talking about the U.S. men’s national team’s all-time leading scorer, but Klinsmann didn’t just wake-up and make this decision based on one week of World Cup training camp. No, it had been one that was germinating for awhile, ever since Donovan took a sabbatical during CONCACAF World Cup qualifying when a roster spot was anything but solidified. Klinsmann never got over what he perceived as Donovan’s lack of committment and fitness.

In short, the two men simply did not mesh. The painful reality is that at 32, Donovan is not the same player he once was, lacking the burst of speed that was his trademark. Consider this: He hasn’t scored a goal in any professional match since October 6th 2013. With the Donovan omission, there’s now a total of 5 players who have World Cup experience on this roster, while the rest are newbies entering the Group of Death.

However, there is talent with attacking options at Klinsmann’s disposal. Still, a player of Donovan’s ilk would’ve provided a nice spark off the bench. That’s the risky part of this. Klinsmann may have made this move and possibly others with an eye toward 2018, but let’s remember that the German may not even be around then. As the realization of a World Cup without Donovan sets in, take a moment to remember perhaps the greatest memory we have of him. The stoppage time goal against Algeria in the 2010 World Cup, a sequence that for a glorious time, stopped the planet from spinning on its axis.

Will Selva: Sports Broadcasting Photos

Will Selva: Sports Broadcasting