NFL Lockout Continues But Now A Rule Changes

            
           As we are approaching the NFL draft that is in April we still have no positive signs of football being played for the 2011 season. We have heard about a lot of meetings and a lot of deadlines in the past few months, but we still have no good news. The lockout talk started out with the owners having the upper hand and having lots to say. It seemed like the players didn’t have that much to say. But now it seem like the NFL lockout has taken the back seat to all the rule changes that they just made for the 2011 season. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell took to the stand on March 23 to talk about the changes. But from someone looking from the outside how can you find time to make rule changes for next season, while we still do not know if there is going to be a season.

            The rule changes include kickoffs now being moved up to the 35-yard line. And all scoring plays will be reviewed in the booth. And now that has a few players speaking out and they do not like the change. The change that the players dislike the most is the 35-yard line change. They feel like it will limit some players talent because they will not have the opportunity to show it. The players feel that with this rule change you are taking a lot away from the game because special teams is one of the most important things on the field. And now you will lose all that with this rule change.

Jonathon Bowman
Communication Studies
Wilkes 2011

True Spit

I am a fan of western movies, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Good the Bad and the Ugly, The Magnificent Seven, and The Searchers. I've seen my far share of the genre. Sadly, the new True Grit movie, directed by the Coen brothers and starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Hailee Steinfeld, was boring.



I had high hopes for this movie. I did not see the original True Grit starring John Wayne, Kim Darby,and Glen Campbell, so I could not compare this movie to that. Having said this, the new True Grit was still boring. I say this because during no part in the movie was I at all interested in anything. The action wasn't exciting, the plot was dry, and the ending was lame. Matt Damon should never be a cowboy I thought he over acted his part as LaBoeuf, a cocky texas ranger out to get Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) for killing a texas senator. Jeff Bridges, who played the role of Rooster Cogburn, did a ok job acting like a drunken sheriff. Haliee Steinfeld, who played Mattie Ross in the movie, I thought did the best job out of all the other actors in this movie.

Hailee Steinfeld, did a great job. Her role as Mattie Ross, was the only thing I found interesting in this movie. Mattie Ross who was a 14 year old girl, trying to find some solace in the death of her father. She out smarts a rancher, hires a well known sheriff, rides a horse across a river, she does it all. I thought her role in this movie was the only real reason to see this movie.

In general this movie was mediocre at best. The acting wasn't all that special, (aside from Hailee Steinfeld), the plot needed an extra something, and they needed better action scenes. Go see this movie if you're in the mood to see a 14 year old girl act tougher then the cowboys around her.

Andrew Grandinetti
Communications Studies

Smokin' Aces

In the baseball offseason, Cliff Lee, the most coveted pitcher on the free agent market, was destined to be either a New York Yankee or a Texas Ranger.  However, a mysterious third team jumped into the mix late in the negotiations, with less money, and stole the left hander away from these teams.  The Philadelphia Phillies. 

Before the signing of Lee, the Phillies arguably had the best pitching rotation in baseball.  After the signing, there were talks of having one of the best rotations of all time.  As it stands now, the rotation looks something like this:

Roy Halladay – The two time CY Young award winner is coming off his best season of a 21-10 record and a 2.44 earned run average.  In an era where complete games are unheard of, Halladay has pitched 27 in the past three years.  He has a record of 58-31 with a combined 2.67 ERA over that span. 

Cliff Lee – The 2008 American League CY Young award winner finished the season with a 22-3 record with a 2.54 ERA.  Last season, he finished with a 14-12 record with 185 strikeouts to only 18 walks.  As impressive as he has been in the regular season, he really shines in the postseason where he has led the Phillies through the postseason in 2009 and the Rangers through the postseason in 2010. 

Roy Oswalt – Last year, Oswalt was traded from the Houston Astros to the Phillies.  Once he arrived in Philly, he had a 7-1 record with an ERA under two.  Oswalt has a career record of 150-83, which ranks him 11^th best among active pitchers in wins.  He also earned himself the National League Championship Series MVP in 2005.

Cole Hamels – Cole is best known for leading the Phillies to the World Series three years ago.  He earned World Series MVP with an incredible 1.80 ERA and four wins in the postseason.  He does not have the greatest regular season statistics but still has career numbers of 60-45.

There are a number of pitching rotations of seasons past that could compete with the title: ’98 Braves, ’54 Indians, ’88 Mets and the ’71 Orioles.  One interesting fact about all of those past rotations; they all won the World Series at the end of the year.

The biggest question mark is whether or not these guys can stay healthy.  All of them are known for being very durable over the years.  They have all put together streaks of 30 plus games pitched in previous years.  If they do stay healthy through this year, they have a great chance of adding a World Series ring just like the other great rotations of the past.

 

In today’s game, pitching longer than six innings is an abomination.  Pitchers are treated like babies.  It all has come down to pitch count and how many days rest someone should get.  Pitchers of previous generations used to pitch every single day with no pitch count and hardly a bullpen to fall back on.

In my opinion, this Phillies rotation has the look of an older pitching rotation.  All of these guys have pitched multiple complete games in previous years.  This should help them reach the World Series in the long run and save a bullpen that might not be all that good. 

If I had to pick a rotation to start the season with, this would be it.  But, until they win that World Series, they cannot be touted as anything let alone the greatest pitching rotation of all time. 

Mike Dobbs

Communications Studies

Class of 2012