Food for Thought 11-15-2011

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Matt Leinart (pictured above) will start at quarterback on Sunday for the Houston Texans. Will he be able to demonstrate some of the amazing talent he showed in his college years?

By Josh Kramer

NCAA Basketball is back.  Football is out in full force.  And the MLB off-season activities are moving full force ahead.  There is so much to talk about in the wide world of sports.  Here is what has my attention.

Time Machine

-Where were you on the evening of January 4th, 2006?  If you were most Americans, you were glued to your television set watching one of the greatest National Championship Games of all time featuring two quarterbacks that were poised to become legends.  If you are still clueless to what game I am talking about, I will give you a hint.  The two quarterbacks went by the names of Leinart and Young.

-A little over five years ago, Matt Leinart and Vince Young were on top of the College Football world.  They appeared to both be on their way to becoming the next big thing.  Five years later, neither guy has become much of anything.  Now neither has been as big of a bust as Ryan Leaf, but neither guy has lived up to half of the hype.  Well come Sunday, they each should get another chance.  Due to some unique circumstances (injuries), both Matt Leinart and Vince Young appear likely to start on Sunday.  Now I realize that Michael Vick is going to do all in his power to suit up against the Giants next Sunday, but why risk it?  The “Dream Team” is now 3 and 6, and going up against a team that features one of the best pass rushers in the game.  Wouldn’t it be pretty neat to see both Matt Leinart and Vince Young out on the field on Sunday trying to lead their respective teams to victory?

Don’t look now

-I know this is very premature.  But I will admit that I am awful excited after what I got to see on Thursday night.  It appears former Cincinnati Bengal’s quarterback Carson Palmer still has a little bit left in the tank.  Palmer absolutely shredded the Chargers defense and had his best outing in a long time.

-Now I realize that many people in Cincinnati have a hatred for Palmer.  And in a way, it is warranted.  In addition, many people have given up on the former USC Trojan star ever panning out.  And they may be right.  What happened in Cincinnati to the former Heisman Trophy winner was extremely unfortunate.  Though some of the woes were his fault, much of the blame should be given to men such as Mike Brown, Bob Bratkowski, and Chad Ochocino.

-Carson Palmer is still only 31-years-old.  He appears comfortable and is starting to learn the Oakland Raiders playbook.  Remember, Mike Brown does not live on the west-coast and I do not see Chad Ochocinco walking through that door any time soon.  It is a fresh start for Palmer.  Every NFL player who has struggled dreams of getting a second chance.  Well Palmer has it, and he is going to do all in his power to take full advantage of the opportunity that has been presented to him.  Oakland currently sits in first place in the wide open AFC West and are doing it without their stud running back Darren McFadden.  Do not sleep on Oakland.  If Palmer and Denarious Moore develop a real liking for one another, this team could be awful dangerous down the stretch.

Stanford’s “Luck” ran out

-Stanford’s dream season came crashing down on Saturday evening at the hands of the same team who ruined everything last year.  Now I by no means am jumping ship on Stanford.  They are a very good team and will likely play in a BCS Bowl.  But sadly, they do not possess the athleticism to play on January 9th.

-I know many were disappointed in Luck’s performance on Saturday night.  And in all honesty, LaMichael James may have “sprinted” his way to the top of the Heisman race.  But I will not completely blame Luck for his mediocre performance on Saturday night.  It is very difficult to play against a team with the overall speed of the Ducks, with a team of  guys who look like they are standing still.  Give Andrew Luck the speed of Oregon’s skill players, and he would have a field day.  Andrew’s supporting cast is solid, but none of them are game changers.  The lack of playmaking ability showed against USC.  It smacked Stanford in the face against Oregon.  I still think Luck is going to be a great pro despite what the great Phil Simms thinks.  Sadly though, Stanford’s “Luck” ran out on Saturday night.

Just some “Food for Thought.”

Let me hear your thoughts though.  Please comment below with any questions or insights that you may have or shoot me an email at contact@thesportskraze.com.

Stay tuned for the next edition of TheSportsKraze.

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