My First Article Is Up....CLICK HERE! (1508 hits)
Category: SportsRating: 1.32 on 52 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Thomas R. Sorrell - sorrelltr.at.hotmail.com (View user info) at 2006-08-22 08:23:14 EDT
As you may or may not have noticed, my title over there on the left side says "Writing for RealFootball365.com." Well, that's no shit. I've been assigned to the 49ers (and offered a few college teams if I so choose, but I don't think I will) and my very first article was posted this morning. You can find the article here: http://www.realfootball365.com/nfl/articles/2006/08/49ers-house-cleaning220806.html or you can just read the text wall below, as I don't want this to be totally free of content.
This is a pretty sweet gig, as RF365 seems to be a fairly well-known football site around the net. Plus I get paid for each article, which is nice. Granted, it's not much, but I can actually say that I'm being paid to cover an NFL team...good stuff.
One thing, this article was originally going to be the first part about cleaning house segued into a story about how the new players performed in their preseason game Sunday night, but there was a communication SNAFU and another writer covered the game, so I had to scramble and write the thing about Smith yesterday morning...that's why this is basically two separate articles.
One last thing, if you visit the link you'll see that I am without a byline. I'm not absolutely certain why this is (I think we have to provide our own at the end of the column), but steps have been taken to remedy the situation. If nothing else I'll have one next week. It's really not that big of a deal anyway.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the article, and as per the point of Uber, any constructive criticism would be helpful and appreciated.
Thanks,
Tom
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49ers' New Friends / Smith Should Start
When someone is greatly dissatisfied with their life, they clean house. They discard their old clothes and purchase new ones. They sever contact with friends and make a conscious effort to find new (hopefully better) friends.
"Out with the old, in with the new?"
Absolutely. Whatever it takes to get back into the right frame of mind for success must be considered...this much is obvious. However, one must not jump haphazardly into the fray at full speed. The potential for disaster is very real, and the probability of finding friends worse than the old increases exponentially as months turn to years, and years to decades. It's happened before. Just ask the Cincinnati Bengals . 14 consecutive years of bad friends? Egad! A coaching staff must take its time and carefully study and examine each detail of a potential change as one would do when contemplating the purchase of a diamond-encrusted Rolex from a New York street vendor. Thou shalt not be bamboozled by a phony!
With that in mind, Mike Nolan and his cradle of coaches have carefully selected individuals they feel will mesh with their overall philosophy. After all, the San Francisco 49ers are starting over. They have already rid themselves of many of their old friends. How many? Let's just say that if you were a starter for the 49ers last season, odds are excellent you're not wearing a gold helmet with the SF logo this year. Gone are longtime 49ers Fred Beasley (FB), Julian Peterson (LB), Andre Carter (DE/LB) and Ahmed Plummer (CB). Two young receivers (Rashaun Woods and Brandon Lloyd) were also victims of the house cleaning along with cornerback Mike Rumph. Former starting running back Kevan Barlow is gone as well.
Some of the new faces around camp are veterans Trent Dilfer (QB), Larry Allen (G), Antonio Bryant (WR), Taylor Jacobs (WR), Sammy Davis (CB) and Walt Harris (CB). Also entering the fold are highly touted draft picks Vernon Davis (TE) and Manny Lawson (LB) and a bevy of other talented players chosen last April, including one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft, RB/WR/QB Michael Robinson of Penn State. Out with the old, in with the new. Have the 49ers truly upgraded or simply restocked the shelves with more substandard players? That will be found out eventually.
Moving on, I know there is pressure in the NFL for a team to win immediately. I also realize that Dilfer is a capable quarterback and most likely gives the 49ers more of a chance to win now. The thing is, Dilfer is 34 years old and will only be around for another season or two, and to be honest, the 'Niners are not a year or two away from the Super Bowl. They're not even a year or two away from the playoffs according to many "experts" around the league.
With that in mind, it's time for Mike Nolan to put down the hook and allow Alex Smith to play every snap of every game this season to see if he can live up to his "first overall draft pick" status. It's important to see if Smith can get better from month to month in a full season as a starter. The key phrase here is, "and get better from month to month." Smith's progression is what people should focus on, not his overall numbers.
"But wait, aren't statistics the best way to judge the effectiveness of a quarterback?"
In a way, yes. But with young quarterbacks, the most important statistic is something most people ignore: PROGRESSION.
Take Carson Palmer, for instance. He did not start a single game in 2003, his rookie season. Instead, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis chose to go with veteran quarterback Jon Kitna (who wound up winning the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year Award) so Palmer could learn the system before taking over. In 2004 Palmer was named starting quarterback during the preseason. He was Cincinnati's No. 1 pick and the franchise quarterback, and Lewis knew it was his time to play.
Palmer responded by throwing 18 touchdowns and 18 interceptions as the Bengals finished 8-8 for a second consecutive season. When you look at his overall statistics for that season, it's easy to take notice of his unimpressive 18/18 touchdown to interception ratio and say he had a poor season; however, when you look closer, his progression throughout the season is remarkable. Let's take a look.
September: two touchdowns / five interceptions.
October: three touchdowns / five interceptions.
November: eight touchdowns / six interceptions.
December: five touchdowns / two interceptions.
As you can see, Palmer continued to get better as the season went on, and anyone who watches football knows what he did in 2005 (32 TD/12 INT). Had Palmer been shuffled in and out of the lineup after a few bad games (the way Alex Smith was last season), it's quite possible he would have continued to struggle and been marked down as another Akili Smith or David Klingler by the Cincinnati fans and media. Marvin Lewis, however, did not let that happen. He showed patience and trust, and Palmer rewarded him for it.
(Something else worth mentioning is that Palmer's offense in 2004 was basically the exact same offense last season. Lining up around him was a Pro Bowl receiver, a 1,400-yard rusher, one of the best fullbacks in the league and a top-ranked offensive line...and he still didn't come flying out of the gate. The 49ers, on the other hand, have a rebuilt o-line, an unproven second-year running back and a brand new receiving corps. A premier offense they are not.)
Here's the thing, Smith needs to know his coaches have absolute faith in him. He must to be able to throw a few horrendous passes during the season and not have to anxiously glance at the sidelines to see if Dilfer is warming up. After all, the worst thing a quarterback can lose is his confidence.
At the same time, the San Francisco media and fans need to be patient and understand that he is going to struggle. Smith is not going to step into the game and morph into Joe Montana or Steve Young...or even Jeff Garcia. Those days are over. Gone.
Alex Smith, regardless of draft position, should not be asked to put an entire franchise on his back and lead it to 10 wins because, to be completely honest, the 49ers are not a 10-win team. They could be down the road, however, if Smith is given the time and patience he needs.
User Reviews
Submitted by PornstarBob (user info) at 2006-08-25 14:16:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
DIE!!!
Submitted by PornstarBob (user info) at 2006-08-25 14:15:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
FAG
Submitted by PornstarBob (user info) at 2006-08-25 14:15:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Fucking
Submitted by PornstarBob (user info) at 2006-08-25 14:15:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
A
Submitted by PornstarBob (user info) at 2006-08-25 14:15:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Are
Submitted by PornstarBob (user info) at 2006-08-25 14:15:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Sir
Submitted by PornstarBob (user info) at 2006-08-25 14:15:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
You
Submitted by JMG114 (user info) at 2006-08-23 08:35:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
That's great to hear. I'm not a football fan, but it's nice whenever a good writer is actually paid for his/her writing.
Submitted by TheSpook (user info) at 2006-08-23 06:13:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I like you somehow swing the Bungles' flashpan success in with the analysis.
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2006-08-22 18:18:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Fuck you all. "Zounds!" is the new black.
Zounds.
Submitted by apollo88 (user info) at 2006-08-22 18:01:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
don't use egads.
you can't pull it off.
the rest was meaningless to me as i don't understand american 'football'.
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2006-08-22 14:37:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
congratulations.
Submitted by Webered (user info) at 2006-08-22 13:13:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Great. Now use that money they gave you to compensate for the time I just wasted.
Oh, and articles usually tell you something. It is not unusual to see one with actual information, let alone useful information.
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-08-22 13:04:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Oh, and you all are absolutely right about the transitional phrases. WAAAY overused. Thanks.
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-08-22 13:01:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
But if I said "Doh" I'd be ripping off Homer Simpson. If I said "Ye Gods" I'd be ripping off Gregg Easterbrook (who ripped off Hunter Thompson).
I'm fairly certain no one uses "Egad" to express shock/disbelief.
FYI: I am now doing two articles a week. One game recap that will be posted on Monday mornings (with my own personal slant...no straight journalism here) and one preview/opinion piece that will be published on Wednesdays.
Submitted by Coleslaw_Murphy (user info) at 2006-08-22 12:52:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
1.5
Submitted by Coleslaw_Murphy (user info) at 2006-08-22 12:52:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
This is a solid article. I'm not sure that you needed parentheses around that one whole paragraph, and I would agree with O-man about the transitional phrases becoming a bit distracting.
Also, Doh! is the new Egad!
Submitted by goferforhire (user info) at 2006-08-22 12:44:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Congratulations and good luck
Submitted by professorfuckface (user info) at 2006-08-22 11:17:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
This is how you write porn
*grunt grunt mmmmmyeah grun*
*oh oh ohh oh*
*grunt mmmmmmmm*
"Did you cum inside?!"
"............"
"You fucking asshole now I won't be able to go to europe"
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-08-22 11:08:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I wouldn't mind writing porn articles. In fact, I'd kind of like to be a porn writer period. Talk about easy. Boy meets girl. Boy licks girl's woman parts. Boy receives head from girl. Boy fucks girl. Boy jacks off on girl's chest/stomach/eyes.
Submitted by Method (user info) at 2006-08-22 11:07:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
hahahahahahaha
Submitted by professorfuckface (user info) at 2006-08-22 11:06:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
fag below walked right into that one
Submitted by UnderOathMeal (user info) at 2006-08-22 11:04:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-08-22 09:40:57 (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by UnderOathMeal (user info) at 2006-08-22 09:24:47 (#)
Ranking: -1
Hey look, I'm happy for you that you're getting published and everything, but this simply isn't very entertaining content.
I don't care if Jesus wrote it. It's boring.
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Fair enough. What can I do to make it more interesting?
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Well, if you changed the topic entirely from football to say, Medieval witch hunting or that'd be a start.
Or, if you just deleted all of it and posted porn that'd work, too.
Submitted by professorfuckface (user info) at 2006-08-22 10:59:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
fag above
Submitted by Method (user info) at 2006-08-22 10:40:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Secretary below
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-08-22 10:28:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Emerson...ha!
I like Zounds. I'm also particularly fond of "yikes."
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2006-08-22 10:26:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Patroclus the Bottom Boy below.
Submitted by Method (user info) at 2006-08-22 10:25:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Ralph Waldo Emoson below
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2006-08-22 10:22:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Dude, "Zounds!" is totally where it's at.
As in "Zounds, father, why is thy bare back pressed firmly against this large headed Greek's naked chest? And why do I hear the squicking of lubéd dick in your old ass? Is that tzatziki sauce I smell?"
Submitted by BobLobla (user info) at 2006-08-22 10:21:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Congrats Tom, getting paid to talk about sports, regardless of how much it is, really kicks ass.
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-08-22 10:21:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Thanks for the feedback, Orgaz. The only thing I disagree with is the "Egad" thing. I know no one says it anymore...which is why I tend to say it. I like it. I feel it expresses shock very well.
Submitted by Method (user info) at 2006-08-22 10:20:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
art fag below
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2006-08-22 10:09:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
There are some little things here that, for me, don't work. Granted, this is because of what I bring to the table as a reader, so it's as much to do with me as anything.
Still, I'll share them:
- "Egad!" It reads like you're trying too hard to express witty disbelief. No one really uses "Egad!" anymore, and while I'm sure that's the point it contrasts with the more modern take on cleaning house/new friends.
- Asking yourself a question in an article as if someone else were asking it. If you want to argue against why statistics aren't the best means of judging a quarterback's effectiveness, I don't see why you couldn't just tackle the subject head on instead of prompting it with a question that no one really asked you.
- You transition a lot. "With that in mind," "Moving on," "With that in mind," "As you can see," "Here's the thing," "At the same time." As a reader I don't need to be reminded of what's "in mind" because I just read it a paragraph earlier, nor do I need to be told that we're "moving on" because that should be obvious.
Beyond that, congrats on getting your first article out. That's great, and good on ya.
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-08-22 09:51:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Ok, who's the wise guy?
"Thomas Sorrell is a convicted rapist, he's on three different online sex offender databases, jesus christ, don't prospective employers do background checks on employees anymore. I'll be writing a formal complaint as well as starting a petition. Jesus."
- sandra.q55.at.yahoo.co.ca
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2006-08-22 09:50:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Fuck the 49ers.
Submitted by iddqd (user info) at 2006-08-22 09:49:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
congrats on getting published. im also sending stuff off to magazines in the hope of actually DOING something useful, instead of writing here for people who could care less.
however, NFL sucks balls.
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-08-22 09:40:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by UnderOathMeal (user info) at 2006-08-22 09:24:47 (#)
Ranking: -1
Hey look, I'm happy for you that you're getting published and everything, but this simply isn't very entertaining content.
I don't care if Jesus wrote it. It's boring.
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Fair enough. What can I do to make it more interesting?
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-08-22 09:37:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Well, if it was a "OMG, YOU ARE SO GAY! THE 49ERS ARE TEH BITCHINGEST TEAM EVAR!! 13-3 THIS SEASON WITH DILFER, YOU FAG!" or a lame personal attack, then I obviously wouldn't put it on there. That's not what the site is for. But if it was a well-written negative comment about the article, then I absolutely would post it on there.
Submitted by UnderOathMeal (user info) at 2006-08-22 09:24:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
Hey look, I'm happy for you that you're getting published and everything, but this simply isn't very entertaining content.
I don't care if Jesus wrote it. It's boring.
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2006-08-22 09:02:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Method (user info) at 2006-08-22 09:00:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
My work here is done, move along children, nothing to see here.
Submitted by Method (user info) at 2006-08-22 08:59:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
IM SO PROUD OF YOU!
Really, I am.
The sad thing is that besides the goatse comments that you'll delete, you'll probably also delete any negative feedback to your articles, as well as anyone that even remotely argues with you. The only comments you'll see are fabricated ones of Tom kissing his own ass or his friends telling him what a "great job" he's doing
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2006-08-22 08:57:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I didn't actually post that there. I'm just funnin.
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-08-22 08:55:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Ha ha ha ha ha. I fell for that one time when I didn't know what it was. I was at work, and some fucknugget posted, "When life gives you lemons: lemonparty.org" on the Uberboard. I, being the curious type, clicked the link...yea, that was pretty awful.
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2006-08-22 08:52:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Crap...it's moderated.
So I'll just post my intended comment here:
"For more important and up to date information on the San Francisco 49ers, go to http://www.lemonparty.com "
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-08-22 08:51:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2006-08-22 08:43:22 (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm happy for you, but you do realize that by posting this on uber, you're going to get 25 comments of "HAR HAR PEENER" on the sports site.
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That's good in theory, but in reality all comments are moderated...by me. Ha ha ha.
Submitted by DudeThatsBOSH (user info) at 2006-08-22 08:49:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
cool man
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2006-08-22 08:43:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm happy for you, but you do realize that by posting this on uber, you're going to get 25 comments of "HAR HAR PEENER" on the sports site.
Submitted by w_t_a_y_s_t_r_m (user info) at 2006-08-22 08:38:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I don't like American Football, so I'm not going to read, but it seems to be a big deal to you, so well done. Hope you enjoy it
Submitted by ubetidid (user info) at 2006-08-22 08:33:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
GREAT, TOM!
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-08-22 08:32:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
That sounds about right, yea.
Submitted by professorfuckface (user info) at 2006-08-22 08:28:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Only in america could a pisstard like you make actual money from talking out of your asshole about a sport