It's almost to the point where I don't want Cardale to win #QBGeddon. Because if he does, he might have an off game against the likes of Maryland, and I would incinerate a commenter for calling for the Iron King's benching. Then I'd have to get a real job, and as we all know by now, I'm not cut from that kind of cloth.
This week's NSFW ANTI-WORK #BANGERS:
- True Detective's six-minute tracking shot.
- Compilation of Rust Cohle philosophy.
- Documentary: The Widespread Popularity of Cats in the Western World.
CARDALE"S GOT THE BOMB, Y'ALL. It's been over three months since Ohio State waxed Alabama, and I haven't tired of reading about it.
James A. Light of JamesLightFootball.com had an excellent deep-dive into that game, and some thoughts on what Cardale brings to the table.
Jones performance throwing the ball and the effect he has on defensive coverages was impressive in and of itself. What may have been even more impressive is how much more efficient the run game was with Jones at the helm. Ezekiel Elliott had his three best performances of the year with Jones at QB, rushing for 220, 230 & 246 yards in three postseason games. With the the threat of the vertical game now looming with Jones as the trigger man, Elliott had better looks to run the ball against. As the late great Al Davis used to say about the deep passing game and how it changes the way defensive players and coaches think, “It’s like having a bomb and being willing to drop it at any time.” Having this type of balance for the 2015 season is going to make Ohio State even scarier on offense than they were last year.
Scarier on offense last year, you say?
*Thinks about it*
Yeah, it could happen.
FROM PATIENT ZERO TO GROUND ZERO. So, Ohio State will definitely be, uh, new-look next year.
Ohio State Offseason Losses: - 66.6% of minutes. - 64.9% of points. - 60.7% of rebounds. - 87.4% of assists. - 70.7% of blocks.
— Thomas Beindit (@tbeindit) April 23, 2015
Doug Lesmerises of cleveland.com gave us a look at what we could be working with:
C - Trevor Thompson, David Bell
PF - Marc Loving, Daniel Giddens
SF - Jae'Sean Tate, Keita Bates-Diop, Mickey Mitchell
SG - Austin Grandstaff, Kam Williams
PG - JaQuan Lyle, A.J. Harris
I'm actually excited for next basketball season. If Ohio State doesn't contend for a B1G title, then so be it. I think there's a lot of talent on that roster, and the best part is that none of it should be hopping ship to the NBA after next year.
SPIELMAN TALKS CHALK. Is anybody here turning down an opportunity to hear Chris Spielman talk football? I didn't think so.
ENJOYING MIKE CONLEY. I mentioned yesterday that I still enjoy watching Mike Conley despite the fact he only stayed at Ohio State for a year.
Conley's Memphis Grizzlies (up 2-0 on the Portland Trailblazers), play tomorrow. If you're a fan of basketball, you won't regret tuning in.
From Mike Prada of SBNation.com:
Mike Conley has been described as underrated and overlooked so many times that it's become a cliche. It's customary for your average NBA observer to rattle off a list of great lead guards, only for their friend to jump in to say Don't forget about Mike Conley. It's basketball boilerplate at this point. Everybody knows Mike Conley is good. People are rating, people are looking.
What we're all seeing is trickier to describe. Conley doesn't have the six-second bursts of Vine brilliance that define his peers. His command of a team isn't as obvious as Chris Paul. He's not the lights-out shooter that Stephen Curry is. His ball-handling, while superb, doesn't jump out at you like Kyrie Irving. He's not as speedy as John Wall. His explosiveness isn't in the same league as Russell Westbrook's. It's hard to process why and how Mike Conley is good, relative to those stars.
But in the context of his team, Conley's brilliance makes sense. His fingerprints are all over the Grizzlies, particularly as they've zipped to a 2-0 series lead over the Blazers. Many top point guards are stars because they can do everything. Conley is a star because he could do everything, yet only does what's necessary.
And who would have thought Mike Conley would have a better career than Greg Oden? Not me.
SO CLOSE, E.T. Last night Evan Turner played the best game I've seen him play in years (19 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, among other things), but it wasn't enough down the stretch:
Jared Sullinger finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds.
The Cavaliers won, 103-95, and are up 3-0 on E.T. and Sully's Celtics. No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit.
Aaron Craft, meanwhile, is one victory closer to an NBA D-League title:
Aaron Craft finishes with 15 points, 3/3 from 3, 5/5 from the floor, 2/2 from the line in Santa Cruz's 119-115 win
— Mark Kunz (@MarkKunz44) April 24, 2015
THOSE WMDs. R.I.P. Rosie the Riveter... Banana mogul sentenced in fatal, drug-fueled sex romp... Mayweather is about to get dumped... Via @EricCoffman1: UC 'Drugging study' offers $40 to drink spikers... Get well soon, Jeni's Ice Cream... Income gap between reporters and PR people.
