threeandoutpodcast

Three guys, three opinions, one podcast

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Episode 9 of the Three and Out Podcast is Online

Posted by threeandoutpodcast on January 7, 2013
Posted in: Podcast. Tagged: college, Football, national championship, nfl, podcast, wild card. Leave a comment

Episode 9 of the Three and Out podcast is now online.  In this episode, Frankie, Michael and Mike discuss all football with Wild Card Weekend in the NFL plus the BCS National Championship game.  They answer the question “What would you like to see from your sports teams in 2013?”

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes:  search 3 and Out Podcast

or

you can download and listen directly at:  http://frankiecreelphoto.com/music/episode9.m4a

Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @3andoutpodcast & to like our facebook page:  www.facebook.com/ThreeandOutPodcast

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Happy Black Monday

Posted by threeandoutpodcast on December 31, 2012
Posted in: Football. Tagged: Football, nfl. Leave a comment

Happy Black Monday everyone!

The New Year brings about the fresh scent of hope. Teams that found themselves in the basement begin the process of determining what direction they want to take, and generally that means the removal of their head coach. Some of these individuals have been coaches for numerous seasons, others were barely cutting their teeth before being released. Like it or not, in the NFL, winning is everything. If you don’t win, and quickly, you can be assured your time will be up. Patience is not a virtue of most owners. The Monday after the season ends finds many coaches receiving phone calls to come in for a ‘meeting’ in which they will be told their services are no longer wanted.

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After 14 seasons coaching the Eagles, Andy Reid was fired.

Norv Turner, Chan Gaily, Lovie Smith, Andy Reid, Ken Whisenhunt, Pat Shurmur, and Romeo Crennel were all fired on Monday. Now seven NFL teams will be looking for replacements. You read that correctly, seven. This of course does not even bring into play the various GMs and coordinators that were fired. It is house cleaning time and it isn’t even spring. And most likely the list above is going to grow before the draft even takes place (I’m looking at you Jim Schwartz).

Some of these individuals will be coaching again and fairly soon.  But the question isn’t “Where will these men end up?” the real question should be “Is this is the right strategy for winning?” Is firing a coach always the best decision for the long term success of a team?

Yes, sometimes installing a new coach can mean instant success for a team. Do you remember what the 49ers were like before Jim Harbaugh? How about the Colts before the arrival of Chuck Pagano/Bruce Arians? A new coach, the right coach, can make a major difference in the direction of the team. But generally we find that teams install a new coach, the team flounders, the coach gets fired and another one is installed. This process can go on for years. How many head coaches have the Raiders chewed through recently? Success does not seem to be guaranteed even if your offensive/defense schemes got your teams to the Super Bowl in previous seasons (Tom Haley, Steve Spagnola for instance).

So then it isn’t always about who the next hot OC or DC may be. It isn’t about who is going to jump from the college ranks into the pros. The rash decisions by GMs and owners concerning who coaches their teams can set their organizations back for years. The question that has to be asked by every team is: Who or what gives us the best chance to create long term stability?

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Chuck Noll was the catalyst of the Steelers dynasty in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

What do the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers have in common? These organizations have created an environment of stability that is unrivaled in the NFL (the Packers may join these two over the next 5 seasons).They do not give in to knee jerk reactions regardless of how loud and long the media or their fans may howl. If the team does not live up to expectations they do not fire everyone wearing a coaching hat. Part of this has to do with ownership of course, but it is also because of the men they have put into the head coaching position and how these teams view themselves. They know who they are and what they are trying to achieve. Strong ownership, coaches who have an in depth understanding of the game, and a system that allows them to develop talent even when that talent is taken late in the draft; these are the pillars of teams who are successful year after year. Do you think Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger were lucky picks? Do you think Bellichick and Noll/Cowher/Tomlin just fell into the laps of their respective teams?

Head coaching is the ace in the hole, however. Think of your favorite team. How many coaches has your team gone through in the last 40 seasons? The Steelers have had only 3 coaches in that time period.  The Arizona Cardinals in that same time period? Eighteen different coaches. Bill Bellichick took over as the head coach of the Patriots in 2000. How many coaches have the Detroit Lions gone through since that time period? Seven.  With each coaching change come a change in philosophy, an emphasis on different dynamics, and a desire for certain types of players and it can take time before a team finally begins to gel. Now imagine you’re making these major changes every few years.  When that happens you get the Chiefs, Jets, Dolphins, Lions, Raiders, etc. As a fan it doesn’t give you much hope when your team begins the rebuilding process again because you know they haven’t been successful at it in the past. Picking the right man to coach your team is as important to a team as a HOF quarterback.

So then, who gives the teams who fired their coaches the best chance for long term stability and success? Would you want any of these fired coaches to join your team as head coach?

Discuss!

Michael’s Favorite Sports Moments of 2012

Posted by threeandoutpodcast on December 30, 2012
Posted in: Baseball, Football. Tagged: baseball, Football, highlights, olympics, soccer, sports. Leave a comment

As we draw to the end of 2012, we can look back at the year that was in sports.  There were a lot of great, dramatic and awesome moments.  In no particular order, here are 5 moments that really stood out to me:

1) The Summer Olympics in London.  Anytime the Olympics are involved, there are dramatic moments and highlights and this year was no exception.  Some familiar names like Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt & the US Men’s Basketball Team came back along with some new names and faces (Missy Franklin, the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team).  For two weeks, there were a lot of great moments so I would say as a whole the games themselves were a top highlight

2)Perfection in Major League Baseball:  There were 3 perfect games pitched in the MLB this season.  That is the first time in history that had ever happened (for 2 perfect games in a season had only happened once before and that was in 2010).  Seattle was on both ends of it as Philip Humber of the White Sox threw a no-hitter against them while Felix Hernandez threw one for the Mariners.  The other?  by Matt Cain of the eventual World Series Champs San Francisco Giants

3)The eventual push for a playoff in college football.  It took a team that didn’t win its conference nor its own division in Alabama to do it but it finally happened.  Sure it’s two years away and will only involve 4 teams but at least it’s something.  It’s a definite start.  And if the playoffs are in every single level of football, why not in division 1?

4) The 2012 QB Rookie class.  This collection of quarterbacks is very impressive.  From Andrew Luck to RGIII to Russell Wilson to even Ryan Tannehill & Brandon Weeden, they have come into the league on fire.  If they keep it up, they could be on par with the 2004 QB class & the 1983 QB class.

5) Euro 2012.  Yes soccer was a highlight of the year for me.  Loved watching the games and glad for Poland that helped host the event.  It made me excited for 2014 and the next World Cup

That’s five of my favorites.  What’s yours?

-Michael

College Football Bowl Preview Extravaganza

Posted by threeandoutpodcast on December 14, 2012
Posted in: Football. Tagged: bowls, college, Football. Leave a comment

It’s that time of the year.  Time to go bowling in college football.  I will agree with Pat Forde, Yahoo Sports columnist, who says that college football has the best regular season and the worst postseason in all of sports.  Bowl season is really just a bunch of exhibition games that mean really little.  Don’t get me wrong, there are some nice match ups but really only the national championship game means anything (and without a playoff system there can usually be an argument as to who should be playing in that game).

There are 35 bowl games that span nearly a month.  Some are worth watching, others not so much.  Here’s a couple that I’ll be keeping an eye on during this bowl season:

Early Bowl Games:

MAACO Bowl (Las Vegas, NV; December 22nd):  Boise State vs. Washington.  This should be an intruging match up between the Broncos & Huskies.  Washington had an up and down season (beating Stanford & Oregon St, losing to Washington State) but have an up and coming lineup.  Boise State is down from their last couple of season but still won 10 games and are ranked 19th going into this game.  Interesting side note, these two teams will play in the 2013 season opener in Seattle.  It’s rare that you have two teams play in a bowl game then play against each other again their very next game.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise, ID; December 15th):  Toledo vs. Utah State.  This is a “flying under the radar” kind of game.  Two mid-major schools that are really good and who’s combined record is 19-5.  This one should be a shootout and worth tuning in to see.

Later Bowl Games (Christmas Eve-New Year’s Eve)

Valero Alamo Bowl (San Antonio, TX; December 29th):  Texas vs. Oregon State.  The Longhorns were in contention for a while for the Big 12 Title but some embarrassing losses to Kansas State & Oklahoma derailed those plans.  When they were on, they were good but when they weren’t they were bad.  The Beavers had a huge turnaround from last season and are looking to get a bowl win to bring their total wins to 10 for the season, best since 2006.  It won’t be as high scoring a contest as last year’s match up between Baylor and Washington but should still be worth watching.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl (Atlanta, GA; December 31st):  LSU vs. Clemson.  Really tough defense (LSU) vs. high powered offense (Clemson).  Strength vs. Strength in the Georgia Dome.  Should make for an entertaining night.  The key will be LSU’s offense vs. Clemson’s defense.  That will decide who wins this contest.

New Year’s Day Games:

Capital One Bowl (Orlando, FL; January 1st):  Georgia vs. Nebraska.  The losers of the SEC and Big Ten conference championship games square off in this matchup.  Georgia, coming off a tough loss to Alabama, will look to rebound and finish strong.  Nebraska, which got shellacked by Wisconsin, will look to do the same.  Out of the New Years’ Day matchups, this one is worth watching.

BCS Game to watch (not involving the National Championship Game)

Fiesta Bowl (Tempe, AZ; January 3rd):  Kansas State vs. Oregon.  Two teams that prior to getting one loss were right in the national championship mix.  If there was a playoff, this would be the semifinal matchup for sure.  In my mind probably the best game of the bowl season not involving the National Championship.  K-State is a tough, physical team and Oregon likes to run people out of the stadium.  Should be a good game to watch.

 

Don’t forget to check out our group on College Bowl Mania on ESPN.com.  Check out our facebook page for the link to our group and details on how to join.  See how you can do against us in picking the bowl games.

-Michael

Episode 8 of the Three and Out Podcast is Online

Posted by threeandoutpodcast on December 7, 2012
Posted in: Podcast. Tagged: college, Football, nfl, podcast. Leave a comment

Episode 8 of the Three and Out podcast is now online.  In this episode, Frankie, Michael and Mike discuss Championship Saturday in College Football, the wild weekend in the NFL and discuss the tragedy in Kansas City.  Plus they answer the question “What are you thankful for as a sports fan?”

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes:  search 3 and Out Podcast

or

you can download and listen directly at:  http://frankiecreelphoto.com/music/episode8.m4a

Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @3andoutpodcast & to like our facebook page:  www.facebook.com/ThreeandOutPodcast

Walking through the Hot Stove

Posted by threeandoutpodcast on December 1, 2012
Posted in: Baseball. Tagged: baseball, Hot Stove, mlb. Leave a comment

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The winter meetings haven’t even taken place but at least one of the major free agents has found his ‘forever’ home. B.J. Upton signeda_bj_upton_atrapa_300x300
with the Atlanta Braves as a replacement for the departed (or soon to be departed) Michael Bourn. This seems to be a good fit for each party: B.J. ends up on a solid organization with measured expectations and the Braves get the speed/defense they wanted. With the trade of Hanson to the Angels for Walden, it certainly seems the Braves are following the blueprint for becoming a perennial contender in the NL East. And if they happen to get B.J’s brother Justin then I believe the Brave’s opponents are going to be having nightmares, especially if Freeman and Heyward live up to their potential.

Of course there are still some major names still available though it is quite probable we won’t see any movement until after the new year. One thing to watch for? I believe Boston will make a play for Josh Hamilton. They are in desperate need of a left handed bat that can hit with power and someone who can give the Red Sox faithful some hope. Perhaps Hamilton did quit at the end of the season and during the playoffs, but his talent is not debatable and when he is in a venue like Fenway Park, his power will look quite inviting.

*Apr 14 - 00:05*Another story that has slowly been coming out is that the Yankees might ready to start using the dreaded ‘r’ word. That’s right, rebuilding. With many of the current stars at the end of their careers, injuries mounting, and even rumors of the  owners wanting to sell the team, this isn’t the Yankees we’ve become accustomed to. And in reality there seems to be very little that the Yankees can do. Their farm teams aren’t exactly churning out the stars of tomorrow (quick, name one prospect in the Yankees system) and free agents are becoming less willing to sign with a team in which every action will be scrutinized. There has been a slight but significant shift to the west in regards to popular teams to sign with. The LA Dodgers apparently have more money than many small countries, the Angels also fell into a vat of gold at the end of the rainbow, and the Giants who for many years were the well loved underdog have won 2 World Series in three seasons. Good weather, lots of money to offer, and fan bases starved for consistent success. So the advice being given by agents is: Go west young man! Not that NY can’t overcome this but I think it will be harder than normal and let’s be honest Yankees fans aren’t exactly used to losing. This could make the 2013 season very interesting.

As much as I love watching my Steelers I am very much looking forward to the baseball season starting again. More to come!

Merry Go Round Conferences

Posted by threeandoutpodcast on November 29, 2012
Posted in: Basketball, Football. Tagged: college, conferences, Football, merry go round, realignment. Leave a comment

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It seems that it is the time of the year once again for universities and conferences to get together and choose sides.  In the process, long standing rivalries are thrown aside in the name of television contracts and revenue sharing.  It started about two years ago with the beginning of the concept now dubbed (by me) the “merry go round conferences”.

Then, we saw Nebraska move to the Big Ten, Colorado & Utah to the newly dubbed Pac-12.  At first, this seemed to be isolated incidents…but then came last year.  Last year saw the following moves:  Missouri & Texas A&M to SEC, West Virginia & TCU to Big 12 along with other ancillary moves.  There was a huge uproar that came from these moves and because of that it seemed that there might be a break from the merry go round.

That has proven not to be the case.  As of now (given how fluid this has been it could change shortly), we also have Syracuse, Pittsburgh & (recently) Louisville to the ACC, Maryland & Rutgers to the Big Ten (which will now be 14 teams), Tulane & East Carolina to the Big East & Middle Tennessee State to Conference USA.  Now you can see why I dubbed it #MerryGoRoundConferences on twitter.

Like I mentioned earlier, in this new era of college football, it’s more about television contracts & money than about tradition and long standing rivalries.  In the past year, we’ve seen several long standing rivalries (as in nearly a century) ended because of universities seeking the money and switching conferences.

Conferences that were known for regions are not any more.  The SEC has teams not in the southeast (Missouri & Texas A&M).  The Big East will have teams as far west as Idaho (if Boise State still goes along with joining the league & doesn’t bail).  The Atlantic Coast Conference will have a school in a state that doesn’t border the Atlantic Ocean (Louisville).  Even the numerical conferences don’t make sense.  The Big Ten right now has 12 teams (and will become 14 teams) and the Big Twelve has 10 teams.

With all of these television deals for new networks (Big Ten Network, Pac-12 Network, even the Longhorn Network) and more on the way, schools are scrambling to jump on the merry go round and get on the right “horse” and not be left behind.  This  will lead to “super conferences” and even more a disparity between the “haves” and the “have-nots”.  It also has an impact on other sports not just on college football.  Volleyball, softball, soccer and baseball teams will have to travel long distances to play conference games which will put a burden on athletic budgets.  This is due to athletic directors and presidents of the schools chasing the money of conference realignment.

I haven’t been a fan of all these changes.  It’s sad to see but it’s a given now with college athletics (particularly college football) making the money that it does.  Though there are some good changes on the horizon in college football (playoffs), unfortunately there will continue to be merry go round conferences which will detract from the history and tradition that is college sports.

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