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Thursday, July 31, 2014
How About Now?
There are only two full days left to complete the Do You Know Sports Challenge! With only one perfect score spot left, now is the time to ace this quiz and receive your prize. Don't miss this fun and engaging opportunity to share your knowledge on some great sports trivia. Take the Quiz Here
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Money Delivered and Players Dismissed: A Look at the NFL Offseason
For many sports teams in the NFL, the offseason is anything but an "off" time of year. In fact, some of the most pivotal moments of the NFL season occur during these few months. Teams change, players change, coaching staffs change, and even we as fans change. More and more you see new contracts being signed, players being traded, free agents being picked up, free agents being made, and of course, the dreaded down time of players sometimes leading to suspensions. This offseason, we have seen a player go through an identity crisis with his position, a feature back suspended, an impressive draft class, and of course all the other changes surrounding these events. Here is my take on the 2014 NFL Offseason.
First we shall start with the identity crisis of the New Orleans Saints star tight end and the primary target of future hall of fame Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham. For those not familiar with Graham, he is an absolute stud and much like the New England Patriots tight end, Rob Gronkowski, has spear headed a new impressive frontier of receiving tight ends spawned by future hall of fame Tony Gonzalez. Graham has arguably been the top tight end in the league over the last few seasons with his size, strength, and leaping ability most likely being the top contributors. It is not so bad having a great quarterback like Drew Brees barraging you with passes all the time as well. To sum up this "identity crisis", Graham took 67% of his snaps last season in the slot or wide position of the field, primarily wide receiver positions. Since the WR position is paid much more and since Graham played a majority if his snaps at this position, the star TE wanted his contract to reflect that. By reflect, I mean Jimmy wanted to be paid a handsome amount more. The debate went on for awhile whether Jimmy Graham should be paid as a wide out or a big tight end playing across the field. Here is my take on the matter. I think Graham should continue to get paid as a tight end for as long as he is a tight end. When it comes down to it, he is a tight end regardless of where he plays on the field. It is simply the Saint's current offensive packages that require Graham to play in the slot and out wide. At the same time, I do respect him and his evidence, the fact that he played a majority of his snaps at WR. As I am sure a lot of you have heard, the case ruled in favor of Graham being a TE and therefore, being paid as one. I can not speak for others, but I think it is said to see a player fight so hard for even more millions of dollars and then say after the case and arbitration case that he just wanted to play football. No, you wanted a way more money for yourself as a first priority and then you wanted to get back on the field. Even with the ruling not in his favor, Graham is expected to make more than any other tight end in NFL history, even more than the Gronk of New England. I can only hope this all behind Graham and the Saints for the upcoming season because boy, is their offense fun to watch.
Our next topic is the wide spread suspensions across the league this offseason, mainly two notable ones. These suspensions, the two game suspension of Ray Rice and the full season suspension of Josh Gordan, both carry a hefty amount of weight. In Rice's case, he got off a little to easy in a majority of people's eyes. The feature running back of the Baltimore Ravens reportedly assaulted his then fiancé, Janay Palmer and was then seen on camera dragging her out of an elevator. Rice plead not guilty and because of this being a first offense, did not stand trial and was placed into a diversion program instead. I remember first reading this a few weeks ago and simply saying Rice received what we like to call, a slap on the wrist. The NFL, specifically the suspension loving commissioner Roger Goodell, then decided that Rice's actions affected the integrity of the NFL in such a drastic way that a two game suspension would be issued. Can you sense my sarcasm? A two game suspension for a grown man hitting his now wife and then dragging her out of an elevator. Of course, the first two games of the season for the Ravens are both divisional games, one against the Bengals and the other against the Steelers, but that still does not explain what I would like to call, a slap on the other wrist. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns emerging star WR, Josh Gordon, has now received a full season suspension for failing drug tests (marijuana) and with his recent trouble with the law in the form of a DWI, things for Gordon are not looking quite well. It takes a player to know this, but one could easily presume that a year long suspension is career altering, specifically because the whole routine of playing professional ball is gone for an entire season. Who knows how his body will be when he is able to play again and how long it would take a young, rising star to return to form for a Browns team that needs him to function. For those who do not know, the expected suspension for a first time drug test fail is four games. As I said, Gordon is a repeat offender. How in the world can someone who beats their future wife, in a public place mind you, receive only a two game suspension while someone who gets caught with pot, of all drugs, could receive double that? I took years and years of PE class in school. I know that marijuana is lets just say, less dangerous and notorious than the rest. I personally think a four game suspension is fair, especially since the NFL has that no drug policy. I do have a problem though, with a man receiving an even shorter suspension for doing something so heinous as assault, specifically assault on a woman. Other people seem to share my opinion. In Huffington Post article entitled, Ray Rice's Two-Game Suspension Makes Sense To No One But The NFL, @RulingSports tweeted, "Knock a woman unconscious: 2 game suspension. Smoke marijuana: 4 game suspension." @LegalBlitz also tweeted, "Ray Rice only gets 2 games for punching his fiancé while guys are getting decked entire seasons for marijuana? Get it together NFL" (Klopman, 2014). Some have even gone on to say that this effects the NFL and their image of women. Either way, I think this is a horrible scenario for both sides, and I personally think many fans will be booing Rice this season, both home and away, for his actions.
The 2014 Draft was filled with a stellar amount of potential star power for multiple teams. Some of these potential stars include Blake Bortles, Sammy Watkins, Johnny Manziel, and defensive stud, Jadeveon Clowney. Of all these players, I think Clowney has the most potential. Why you may ask? For starters, the man has incredible size, speed, tenacity, and smarts at his position. He has all it takes physically and skill wise to make an impact at the end position. I also think that receiving money for playing will fix the problem that everyone has with him "not playing hard enough." Also, he is going to be playing on the same line as JJ Watt. Can you imagine having them as book ends on your team's defensive line? Not to mention, the things those two can teach each other to further their games. Throw in Brian Cushing at his linebacker position and a solid defensive backfield and the Texans are now looking like they may be ready to make a stronger push into the playoff picture in the offense can keep up. Another great player in the making made his way to Buffalo. I think the Bills made a great choice by selecting Sammy Watkins, a dynamic wide receiver both before and after the catch. Talk about a guy who can come in and immediately help EJ Manuel become comfortable in the pro game. Another person I must talk about, simply because who isn't talking about him, is Mr. Johnny Football, or in normal terms, Johnny Manziel. I know everyone says he won't pan out, he will get hurt, he will not be able to adjust to the pro level, and all things of this nature. I believe that he certainly deserves a chance to play and I think he will make extremely well of his chance. He is a winner through and through, regardless of his off field issues, or at least issues that other people seem to have with him. So what if he is arrogant, the man did great things in college, and its not his fault that his parents are filthy rich. I think with all that has been said about him, Johnny Football is going to come out swinging and will produce well. In fact, after seeing what analysts and just random people have said in the negative sense, I want him to play well and put a foot in all those people's mouths. But that is just me.
It would not be right for me, as a devoted fan of the New York Giants, to not include my two cents on Big Blue. I think a new offense and a new start is what Eli Manning needs to get back into form and keep the ball away from the opposing team. I will admit that the guy really stinks sometimes, yet other times he just so happens to win Super Bowls. I hope this new offense, and our new rookie, Odell Beckham Jr., can help this offense take off a bit. We shall see.
Best of luck to everyone's teams as the offseason leaves and the preseason begins to bloom,
Joe Goense
To read Michael Klopman's Huffington Post article about Ray Rice's suspension, follow the link below.
HuffingtonPost
First we shall start with the identity crisis of the New Orleans Saints star tight end and the primary target of future hall of fame Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham. For those not familiar with Graham, he is an absolute stud and much like the New England Patriots tight end, Rob Gronkowski, has spear headed a new impressive frontier of receiving tight ends spawned by future hall of fame Tony Gonzalez. Graham has arguably been the top tight end in the league over the last few seasons with his size, strength, and leaping ability most likely being the top contributors. It is not so bad having a great quarterback like Drew Brees barraging you with passes all the time as well. To sum up this "identity crisis", Graham took 67% of his snaps last season in the slot or wide position of the field, primarily wide receiver positions. Since the WR position is paid much more and since Graham played a majority if his snaps at this position, the star TE wanted his contract to reflect that. By reflect, I mean Jimmy wanted to be paid a handsome amount more. The debate went on for awhile whether Jimmy Graham should be paid as a wide out or a big tight end playing across the field. Here is my take on the matter. I think Graham should continue to get paid as a tight end for as long as he is a tight end. When it comes down to it, he is a tight end regardless of where he plays on the field. It is simply the Saint's current offensive packages that require Graham to play in the slot and out wide. At the same time, I do respect him and his evidence, the fact that he played a majority of his snaps at WR. As I am sure a lot of you have heard, the case ruled in favor of Graham being a TE and therefore, being paid as one. I can not speak for others, but I think it is said to see a player fight so hard for even more millions of dollars and then say after the case and arbitration case that he just wanted to play football. No, you wanted a way more money for yourself as a first priority and then you wanted to get back on the field. Even with the ruling not in his favor, Graham is expected to make more than any other tight end in NFL history, even more than the Gronk of New England. I can only hope this all behind Graham and the Saints for the upcoming season because boy, is their offense fun to watch.
Our next topic is the wide spread suspensions across the league this offseason, mainly two notable ones. These suspensions, the two game suspension of Ray Rice and the full season suspension of Josh Gordan, both carry a hefty amount of weight. In Rice's case, he got off a little to easy in a majority of people's eyes. The feature running back of the Baltimore Ravens reportedly assaulted his then fiancé, Janay Palmer and was then seen on camera dragging her out of an elevator. Rice plead not guilty and because of this being a first offense, did not stand trial and was placed into a diversion program instead. I remember first reading this a few weeks ago and simply saying Rice received what we like to call, a slap on the wrist. The NFL, specifically the suspension loving commissioner Roger Goodell, then decided that Rice's actions affected the integrity of the NFL in such a drastic way that a two game suspension would be issued. Can you sense my sarcasm? A two game suspension for a grown man hitting his now wife and then dragging her out of an elevator. Of course, the first two games of the season for the Ravens are both divisional games, one against the Bengals and the other against the Steelers, but that still does not explain what I would like to call, a slap on the other wrist. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns emerging star WR, Josh Gordon, has now received a full season suspension for failing drug tests (marijuana) and with his recent trouble with the law in the form of a DWI, things for Gordon are not looking quite well. It takes a player to know this, but one could easily presume that a year long suspension is career altering, specifically because the whole routine of playing professional ball is gone for an entire season. Who knows how his body will be when he is able to play again and how long it would take a young, rising star to return to form for a Browns team that needs him to function. For those who do not know, the expected suspension for a first time drug test fail is four games. As I said, Gordon is a repeat offender. How in the world can someone who beats their future wife, in a public place mind you, receive only a two game suspension while someone who gets caught with pot, of all drugs, could receive double that? I took years and years of PE class in school. I know that marijuana is lets just say, less dangerous and notorious than the rest. I personally think a four game suspension is fair, especially since the NFL has that no drug policy. I do have a problem though, with a man receiving an even shorter suspension for doing something so heinous as assault, specifically assault on a woman. Other people seem to share my opinion. In Huffington Post article entitled, Ray Rice's Two-Game Suspension Makes Sense To No One But The NFL, @RulingSports tweeted, "Knock a woman unconscious: 2 game suspension. Smoke marijuana: 4 game suspension." @LegalBlitz also tweeted, "Ray Rice only gets 2 games for punching his fiancé while guys are getting decked entire seasons for marijuana? Get it together NFL" (Klopman, 2014). Some have even gone on to say that this effects the NFL and their image of women. Either way, I think this is a horrible scenario for both sides, and I personally think many fans will be booing Rice this season, both home and away, for his actions.
The 2014 Draft was filled with a stellar amount of potential star power for multiple teams. Some of these potential stars include Blake Bortles, Sammy Watkins, Johnny Manziel, and defensive stud, Jadeveon Clowney. Of all these players, I think Clowney has the most potential. Why you may ask? For starters, the man has incredible size, speed, tenacity, and smarts at his position. He has all it takes physically and skill wise to make an impact at the end position. I also think that receiving money for playing will fix the problem that everyone has with him "not playing hard enough." Also, he is going to be playing on the same line as JJ Watt. Can you imagine having them as book ends on your team's defensive line? Not to mention, the things those two can teach each other to further their games. Throw in Brian Cushing at his linebacker position and a solid defensive backfield and the Texans are now looking like they may be ready to make a stronger push into the playoff picture in the offense can keep up. Another great player in the making made his way to Buffalo. I think the Bills made a great choice by selecting Sammy Watkins, a dynamic wide receiver both before and after the catch. Talk about a guy who can come in and immediately help EJ Manuel become comfortable in the pro game. Another person I must talk about, simply because who isn't talking about him, is Mr. Johnny Football, or in normal terms, Johnny Manziel. I know everyone says he won't pan out, he will get hurt, he will not be able to adjust to the pro level, and all things of this nature. I believe that he certainly deserves a chance to play and I think he will make extremely well of his chance. He is a winner through and through, regardless of his off field issues, or at least issues that other people seem to have with him. So what if he is arrogant, the man did great things in college, and its not his fault that his parents are filthy rich. I think with all that has been said about him, Johnny Football is going to come out swinging and will produce well. In fact, after seeing what analysts and just random people have said in the negative sense, I want him to play well and put a foot in all those people's mouths. But that is just me.
It would not be right for me, as a devoted fan of the New York Giants, to not include my two cents on Big Blue. I think a new offense and a new start is what Eli Manning needs to get back into form and keep the ball away from the opposing team. I will admit that the guy really stinks sometimes, yet other times he just so happens to win Super Bowls. I hope this new offense, and our new rookie, Odell Beckham Jr., can help this offense take off a bit. We shall see.
Best of luck to everyone's teams as the offseason leaves and the preseason begins to bloom,
Joe Goense
To read Michael Klopman's Huffington Post article about Ray Rice's suspension, follow the link below.
HuffingtonPost
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Do You Know Sports Yet?
Hello everyone!
Don't miss your chance to test your knowledge and come out on top of the Joseph Goense Sports Talk Challenge, "Do You Know Sports?". Take this quick 8 question multiple choice quiz to win the prize of internet stardom in the form of shout outs and a digital trophy created by your's truly. Give yourself a chance to compete and learn about any questions you don't have the answers to and most of all, have fun. You may complete the edited quiz below of follow this link directly to the quiz. Do You Know Sports?
Also, tomorrow will include my first post on the 2014 NFL Offseason. We will be discussing new contracts, new player acquisitions, and the dreaded part of the season that always seems to reoccur, suspensions/fines.
Looking forward to hearing from all of you!
- Joe Goense
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Do You Know Sports?
Hello everyone and good afternoon!
In exactly five minutes, the Do You Know Sports quiz will become public and everyone will have a chance to challenge themselves with 8 general sports trivia questions. I hope you are all able to do your best with answering these questions, but most of all, I hope you have fun and enjoy the experience. Remember, the first five people to answer every question correctly will receive a shout out among my social media network along with a digital trophy of epic proportions. Feel free to also join me Wednesday at 2PM for a live discussion on the NFL Offseason, specifically the contracts signed and the unfortunate suspensions of several key players for their respective teams. Saturday at 3PM will mark the end of the Do You Know Sports quiz, but more will surely follow.
For Joseph Goense Sports Talk,
This is Joe Goense
May it be a great day in the world of sports.
How Well Do You All Know Sports?
Hello everyone and good afternoon!
Do you have an extended knowledge of the world of sports? Do you think you have what it takes to answer random questions about some of the major sports leagues in the world? Are a sports guru?
Join the Joseph Goense Sports Network as the Do You Know Sports? campaign begins today at 4 PM. This Campaign, including an 8 question sports related quiz, will be live until Saturday, August 2, at 3 PM. I hope you will all take your time to answer as many questions as you know. The winner(s), which will include the first five perfect scores, will receive a shout out across my social media network and will receive a digital trophy.
Thank you all for your participation and best of luck!
- Joseph Goense
Do you have an extended knowledge of the world of sports? Do you think you have what it takes to answer random questions about some of the major sports leagues in the world? Are a sports guru?
Join the Joseph Goense Sports Network as the Do You Know Sports? campaign begins today at 4 PM. This Campaign, including an 8 question sports related quiz, will be live until Saturday, August 2, at 3 PM. I hope you will all take your time to answer as many questions as you know. The winner(s), which will include the first five perfect scores, will receive a shout out across my social media network and will receive a digital trophy.
Thank you all for your participation and best of luck!
- Joseph Goense
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Talk is the Currency of Democracy
Welcome to the Joseph Goense Sports Talk blog. The whole purpose of this blog dressed in red is to promote open discussion and debate on current and past sports stories and news. Every week, I will create a post that will discuss a sports story of my choice. After reading my post, I invite anyone to discuss and talk about the story at hand, as discussion and debate will be fueling this blog. Also, once a month, I will post a video from YouTube that shows a great/controversial moment in the history of sports along with some written commentary of my thoughts and feelings on the moment. Although I am a lover of all sports, I must admit that I am biased toward some. To explain, I love football but hate all the commercials, I love baseball but it can become very boring, I love soccer but hate flops, and I love basketball yet flopping is becoming popular in that sport too. You as followers will actually decide the sports represented by the stories. There is a poll located on the blog that asks what is your favorite sport. Whatever sports are best represented on the poll will receive the most consideration for both blog posts and the monthly video. Please feel free to utilize the sharing options if any story truly catches your eye and/or you think someone else may want to join in on the suggestion. Also located on the page are links to my other content. Can't wait to talk sports with all of you.
Joe Goense
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Best Regards,Joe Goense
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