Throwback Saturday Part III

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. A year ago today, I gave a preview for Super Bowl XLV predicting that the Steelers would come out victorious. I was wrong.

By Josh Kramer

A wise man once told me, “There is no present or future, only the past, happening over and over again.”  Though, I am not in full agreement with that statement, it does set the stage for the third edition of “Throwback Saturday.”  What was happening on February 4, 2010 in sports?  How about on February 4, 2009?  Let’s find out.

One year ago..

Super Bowl XLV

Here is a snippet from the end..

My X-Factor in this game goes to the coaching staff.  Yes I said it.  I feel like Dick LeBeau’s amazing defensive mentality will give Rodgers just enough fits to lead the Steelers to a victory.  In addition, I think that the Steelers will get more production from Mendenhall than the Packers will get from Starks.  But the difference in the game will come down to coaching.  I give the Steelers and D-Coordinator Dick LeBeau the edge.

I got the Steelers winning an absolute thrilling game 24 to 21.  It should be fun.  Big Ben will join some elite company with his 3rd Super Bowl Title.  Do not sleep on the Packers though.  Aaron Rodgers and the Cheeseheads will be back (To finish reading the post, click this link).

Present Thoughts:

Super Bowl XLV was centered around “Tradition.”  Two of the NFL’s most elite and historic franchises squaring off in the big game for all of the marbles.  Now obviously looking back, I was incorrect with my prediction.  I picked the Pittsburgh Steelers to win.  And as you are all well-aware, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers brought the Lombardi Trophy back home to Green Bay, after defeating the Steelers 31 to 25.

Now I was correct in saying that Mendenhall would have a more productive game than then Packers rookie running back, James Starks.  Mendenhall finished the game with 63 yards on the ground, while Starks finished with 52.  In addition, I was correct in that it was a thrilling game. Pittsburgh was driving at the end to regain the lead, but unfortunately Roethlisberger was unable to connect with Mike Wallace on consecutive plays.  Lastly, I finished this post a year ago saying, “Do not sleep on the Packers though.  Aaron Rodgers and the Cheeseheads will be back.”  After a remarkable 15 and 1 season in which Rodgers and Co. flirted with perfection, they came up short in the postseason.  So they were not back.  But I will go out on a limb and say that they will be a major contender next year.

Two years ago..

Here is a snippet from the end of the post..

So lets take a further look into all that is Dominique Jones.  Jones is a 6 foot 4 inch, 205 pound shooting guard.  He is a junior and has been South Florida’s best all around player since he stepped foot on the campus.  Each year he has made steady improvements to his game and is now averaging an amazing 22.4 points a game in the rugged Big East.  Lets not also forget that he is getting 6 rebounds and 4 assists a  game showing that he is not just a scorer.

Now if you ever get to watch Jones play, he will get a lot of shots up.  Probably too many at times to be honest.  But boy can he fly and score from anywhere on the floor.  He is extremely strong and looks to have an NBA shooting guard type body.  One of the only things that was holding this guy back was his lack of a supporting cast.  And though the supporting group is not great, it has been enough to get his team to where they are at now in a position to possibly attend March Madness.

Jones unfortunately does have a bit of an attitude and this is shown often throughout almost every game.  He jaws at opposing players, the crowd, and just demonstrates immature mannerisms at times.  If Jones can mature and start to understand that the antics are not helping his or the team’s cause, he could very well be playing in the League in a couple of years.

So if you had no idea who Dominique Jones was, now you do.  So are there any other big time players out there that are getting no love?  If so please share them with me (To finish reading this post, click this link).

Present Thoughts:

South Florida was most definitely rolling on this date two years ago.  Just before this post had been written, the Bulls had won four consecutive games over Big East foes (Providence, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, and Georgetown).  Unfortunately, after I gave this team mad props, they lost two games in a row to unranked foes.  In addition, this team did not go dancing in March.  Georgetown exacted revenge in the 2^nd round of the Big East tournament and laid a 20 point smack down on the Bulls.  South Florida did however earn a bid to the NIT, where they lost a heartbreaker in the first round to North Carolina State.

And as for Dominique Jones, he ended up finishing the year as the conference leader in points per game, earning him a spot to the 1^st team All-Big East team.  Following the season, Jones decided to nix his senior season and take his talents to the next level.  Jones was taken 25^th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies, and then immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks.  In his rookie season, he only had the opportunity to play in 18 games for the Mavericks, also spending time in the Developmental League playing for the Texas Legends.  This year, the 23-year-old former South Florida star has appeared in 13 games and is averaging 1.8 points per game.  So I guess I was wrong in a way two years ago when I was hyping up Dominique Jones.  His South Florida team did not go dancing.  And he has hardly made his presence felt in the NBA.

Stay tuned for the next edition of TheSportsKraze.

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