Posts Tagged “Boom or Bust”

Mar 10 2011

Boom or Bust 4: Tim Tebow (I Love Lucy)

Posted by jstubler in Uncategorized, tags: , , ,

Can Tim Tebow quiet the critics? (News5 Photo)

Tim Tebow is one of the most celebrated college football players ever. His quick wit, professionalism, and incredible college career have drawn praise from multiple outlets ever since his freshman campaign in 2006 at Florida University. He also has a SMOKING hot girlfriend in Lucy Pinder.

Despite this, Tebow is often criticized as being a great college player without experience in running a pro-style offense.

Will Tebow succeed at the next level?

The Good: Tebow certainly has a lot going for him. He’s extraordinarily mature for a kid his age, a hard-working player, and has a never say die attitude that has earned him respect. He’s certainly got all the physical, mental and professional tools to succeed at the next level, and no one can ever say that he played in a weak conference or for a bad team. Tebow certainly didn’t do everything by himself, but he also took things into his own hands more than once. He can win you games. If for no other reason, you have to root for him because of Lucy.

The Bad: Tebow’s throwing mechanics and footwork have been heavily criticized over the years. Unfortunately, a quarterback not only needs these things, but heavily depends on these abilities to get ahead in the game. On top of that, Tebow is falling out of favor with the Broncos already. Plus, there’s always the significant possibility of a Lucy Pinder distraction.

The Ugly: Nothing really. Especially not Lucy Pinder.

Prediction: Bust. No, I’m not referring to Lucy Pinder here. I actually think Tebow is going to bust. Not because he doesn’t have the tools, but come on… would you rather play football or spend time with a girlfriend who looks like Pinder? In all seriousness, if Elway doesn’t give Tebow his chance in Denver, he’ll either be traded or ride the bench. The longer Tebow rides the bench, the more likely he is to bust.

BONUS PIC:

Wow. Just... wow. And there are better pics too; none of which are appropriate to post here. (Photobucket Photo)

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Mar 08 2011

Boom or Bust 3: Bryce Harper

Posted by jstubler in Uncategorized, tags: , , ,

Is Bryce Harper the next Ken Griffey Jr.?

What did you accomplish before you were 18? Whatever it was, you probably were no Bryce Harper.

He’s already been called baseball’s “Chosen One” by Sports Illustrated. He’s drawn comparisons to some of the best players that Major League Baseball has ever seen. He’s already signed a multi-million dollar professional contract.

He’s also been called the future of the Washington Nationals organization and the most talked about prospect in Major League Baseball.

Harper’s talent has been talked about since his sophomore year of high school, when Sports Illustrated revealed that Harper had hit a 570-foot home run (if you can, read that link. A LOT of good info about the home run is in there) as a fifteen year old. If true, metal bat or not, high school baseball or not, 570 feet is 570 feet. Let’s take a look at Harper’s “qualifications”:

The Good: As a baseball prospect, Harper is rock-solid on paper. After getting his high school GED at age 16, Harper spent most of his seventeenth year on Earth playing college baseball at the College of Southern Nevada, where he hit .443 with 31 bombs and 98 RBI. Oh, and a meager OPS (On Base Plus Slugging) of 1.513 (.800 is considered good). His swing is lightning quick, his arm strength is incredible and his defensive strength is improving every day.

The Bad: Almost nothing. The only possible knock against him MIGHT be that he’s too big already. Where do you have to go when you’re already 6’3″ and 225 at 18?

The Ugly: Arrogance. Harper has been often criticized for his cockiness, which is actually not an overwhelmingly bad quality as a ballplayer. As an interview candidate, however, this can be a public nuisance to the team. Just ask the Giants and Barry Bonds.

Prediction: Big boom. Unlike Stephen Strasburg, Harper is a position player. Moving Harper from catcher to the outfield will likely extend his career, and will almost certainly allow him to keep healthy for a decent number of years. I may be biased, wanting to have “baseball’s answer to LeBron James” come to fruition, but Harper’s already being praised by professionals and amateurs alike, and there’s nothing in his past to suggest he can’t succeed.

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Mar 08 2011

Boom or Bust 2: Ryan Mallett

Posted by jstubler in Uncategorized, tags: , , ,

Ryan Mallett's Draft Stock has fallen for some off-the-field issues (AP Photo)

Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett has very little left to prove on a college football field. The Razorbacks‘ starting quarterback for the last three years, Mallett completed 63.6% of his passes last season. This is considered to be an elite completion percentage, and his other numbers are right along those lines across the board.

But are his off-the-field issues enough to curtail his draft stock?

The Good: There’s very little not to like about Mallett the quarterback. His size (6’6″, 238), arm strength (after a great Combine) and accuracy have drawn almost universal from NFL scouts. The physical tools are there for Mallett to have an extremely successful career at the professional level, and he’s also drawn comparisons to Joe Flacco for his command of an offense and big-time arm.

The Bad: The only real knock against Mallett’s playing abilities would be his questionable footwork. Scouts have pointed to his lack of mobility, which caused a lot of issues during the Razorbacks’ 2009 campaign. No one seems to be overly concerned about this, however, because footwork is a teachable fundamental.

The Ugly: This is where Mallett’s draft stock has taken an enormous hit. Widespread reports of Mallet’s drug use have cause several teams to be turned off by the young star. Even worse was his NFL Combine interview. Mallett frequently offered a “no comment” response, and hardly appeared professional in an interview setting. This has caused a number of teams to be fearful of potential baggage that Mallett will bring in the event that he is drafted.

DRAFT PREDICTION: Late first/Early second round. Mallett is almost certainly not going to fall further than the fourth overall pick in the second round to the Cincinnati Bengals, who have to find a new quarterback with Carson Palmer getting serious about his retirement threat. That being said, Mallett’s tools and potential could make him an enormous steal at this spot. My guess is he’ll find his way onto a team that trades up into the latter part of the first round to grab him.

PREDICTION: Boom. This kid is no joke. No matter what his off-the-field issues are, they typically can get corrected by the right people and the right situation. My feeling on this is that if a team is going to invest a tremendous amount of money in Mallett, they’re going to do their part to make sure Mallett doesn’t screw up their commitment.

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Feb 17 2011

Boom or Bust 1: Cam Newton

Posted by jstubler in Uncategorized, tags: , , ,

Cam Newton at an Auburn Tigers practice

Cam Newton is one of the most talked about prospects in this year’s NFL Draft. He’s widely heralded as one of the best college players in recent memory, and is one of the primary reasons that the Auburn Tigers‘ football team captured their third national championship in the 2010 season.

But is he really everything he’s cracked up to be?

The Good: There’s absolutely no questioning Newton’s talent. The 2010 Heisman trophy winner threw for 2,854 yards while completing 66.1% of his passes. He also gained an astounding 1,473 yards on the ground, giving him a total of 4,327 all-purpose yards in 14 games (a 309 yard per game average). Newton’s athleticism, arm strength, and potential make him a top ten pick to the majority of NFL scouts.

The Bad: Newton’s experience is fairly limited. After transferring from Florida to Blinn College (a junior college in Texas) to Auburn, Newton has now declared for the 2011 NFL Draft. He sat behind Tim Tebow in his time with Florida, but has lead each of his last two teams to championship games. Auburn’s shotgun offense has scouts questioning whether he has the ability to read NFL defenses from under center, and a lot of scouts therefore question his decision-making abilities.

The Ugly: Of course, with every athlete that has a ton of talent, comes the off-the-field antics. While Newton isn’t necessarily guilty of any really bad decisions, a lot of scouts and NFL teams could be turned off by his father, Cecil Newton, and his previous “influences” in Cam’s life. Newton is not the first or only player with off-the-field issues, but he is certainly the most prominent.

DRAFT PREDICTION: Much like Tim Tebow, some team will fall enough in love with Cam Newton to make him their first round pick. The majority of mock drafters have him in the top ten, but a lot can happen between now and draft day. My guess at this point would be that most of the mock drafters are right and he will go to some team with a high pick. The really interesting aspect is whether a team lower in the draft will like what they see enough to trade up for him (see: Mark Sanchez).

PREDICTION: Boom. As much as this kid has to learn, he’s going to be taught it by professional coaches. No matter what team he goes to, there are people who are paid to make sure prospects like Newton shape the franchise for years. His athleticism and strength will give him a distinct advantage in this department.

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