Kelly Clarkson - Since you been Gone Live HQ

Kelly Clarkson - Since you been Gone Live HQ LIVE FROM FEDEX ORANGE BOWL



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9_aZgqI6Ko&hl=en

Mumford and Sons - Dust Bowl Dance

Mumford & Sons at Bunkers Hill, Nottingham - October 14th 2008. Check out this music blog: superwhosparade.wordpress.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ4COGXU5B0&hl=en

This Line is Offensive

How does a true football fan distinguish himself from the legions of pretenders? In the old days it was simple; you were considered a football expert if you discussed wide receivers. But that was then. The passing game (and the world) has changed. Now, when stats, drive charts, and other data is but a click away, how does the true fan showcase his knowledge at the water cooler? Talking about quarterbacks, running backs, or members of the other so-called "skill positions," is old school. The new-millennium expert discusses... Offensive Linemen.

Why offensive lines? Football, more than any of the other American sports, is a team game. Even a team possessing a brilliant quarterback is stuck if they lack a strong offensive line, good receiving corps, and a solid running back. Unlike baseball, which is often viewed as a series of one-on-one matchups, every player must be present for every play on the gridiron. Rarely in football do you see players who carry a sub-par team; this stands in stark contrast to basketball, where such an occurrence is commonplace. (Garnett's Timberwolves, Jordan's Wizards, and Wade's Heat come to mind.)

Offensive linemen must do their job correctly on every play in order for their team to succeed. Whether by stopping the pass-rush, or blocking on a running play, every down depends on the actions of the O-line.

However, the line is only as strong as its weakest link. This is why we cannot grade individual linesmen, but rather assess an entire team.

Looking over the stat sheets on Pro Football Reference (an invaluable resource), one might think that no stats exist to measure the contributions of the offensive line. However, this is not the case.

Think about it; what are the duties of an offensive linesmen?

1) To block for the running backs
2) Prevent the quarterback from getting sacked.

Therefore, we can grade offensive lines by how well they accomplish each of these two feats. We can rank each team with only two stats: Rushing Yards Per Attempt and Sacks Per Attempt.

As part of their seminal work The Hidden Game of Football, Bob Carroll, John Thorn, and Pete Palmer created a grading system for each facet of the offensive line.

Rush Grade = 120*(RYA / 5.75)
Sack Grade = 1.20*(100 - (4*(Sk% - 1.7)))
Total Grade = (Rush Att / Total Att) * Rush Grade + (Pass Att / Total Att) * Pass Grade

This grade makes it easier to compare run-protection and pass-protection. Also, it gives us a simple score that we can use to easily answer the age-old question "Who is the best?"

Let's take a second to learn the names of the players on the five best O-lines of 2009:

#1 Tennessee Titans:
C Kevin Mawae
G Eugene Amano*
G Jake Scott*
T Michael Roos*
T David Stewart*
*On the roster for 2010

Notes: Look for Chris Johnson to have another huge year rushing behind 2009's best line.

#2 New Orleans Saints:
C Jonathan Goodwin*
G Carl Nicks*
G Jahri Evans*
T Jermon Bushrod*
T Jon Stinchcomb*

Notes: Every piece of the Super Bowl winning line returns for what should make a fascinating 2010 season. Drew Brees should receive some excellent protection next year.

#3 New England Patriots
C Dan Koppen*
G Logan Mankins*^
G Stephen Neal*
T Matt Light*
T Sebastien Vollmer*
^ Pro Bowl Selection

Notes: It's a Belichick team, what do you expect? Unless you live in New England, you probably won't recognize any of these names, but this group made sure Tom Brady was one of the most protected quarterbacks of 2009.

#4 Indianapolis Colts
C Jeff Saturday*
G Mike Pollack*
G Kyle DeVan*
T Charlie Johnson*
T Ryan Diem*

Notes: In his record third MVP season, Peyton Manning was the best protected quarterback of 2009.

#5 Dallas Cowboys
C Andre Gurode*
G Kyle Kosier*
G Leonard Davis*^
T Doug Free*
T Marc Columbo*

Notes: Only the Titans and Cowboys had a grade of 100+ in both categories, rushing and passing.
Full data can be found here.

Si
http://nobiassportscenter.blogspot.com/