Graham Watson headed to The Network

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Mizzou beat writer Graham Watson will be leaving the PD next month for the greener pastures of ESPN. 

Graham is an MU journalism grad (and former soccer player) who has covered Tiger athletics for the past several years. I always respected her professionalism in maintaining a level of objectivity despite the seeming conflict of interest (being a former Mizzou athlete). 

Her blog paled in comparison to the Tribune's Dave Matter but her weekly chat sessions were must reads for Mizzou fans. Any questions as to wether or not she was ESPN material were erased in the spring of '07 when she wrote two superb pieces on the rough upbringings of Keon Lawrence and Jeremy Maclin (I looked everywhere and was unable to find links to these without paying $2.95). 

It's weird how you kind of grow attached to the writers that cover your team. Mizzou's had pretty solid coverage with the trifecta of Matter, Watson and DeArmond. I think a lot of Tiger fans will miss Graham and I look forward to seeing her on the Worldwide Leader.

Speaking of Graham, she wrote an encouraging article for Tiger fans about what the only goal is for this year's team. 

Derrick Washington vs. Jimmy Jackson: Who's gonna be The Man?

First things first. Aaron Crow. Drafted ninth by the Washington Nationals. Congratulations.

Five other Tigers. Drafted in the MLB Draft. Congratulations.

Baseball season's now over. It's finished. See ya next year. We're moving on.

And you know what that means?

IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON!

I don't mean to discount the baseball team because I really do enjoy going to Taylor Stadium on sunny Saturday afternoons and there were some very entertaining games this past season (especially when Crow was pitching). It's just....

IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON!

And I'm counting down the days to Dave Matter and Graham Watson's first practice reports and Mike DeArmond's first disturbing vlog post.

By now you've probably noticed the poll posted to your right about Mizzou's running back situation and this is something I've wanted to discuss for awhile. It's a very interesting position battle for several reasons.

First of all, the Temple of Doom is gone and that's obviously a significant loss. What made Tony great was that he saved his best performances for big games (Sun Bowl, Armageddon at Arrowhead, Cotton Bowl, etc.). Those performances built him a permanent home in the hearts of Mizzou fans. 

But while every Tiger fan admits they are going to miss Big Game Temple, I have yet to come across a True Son who thinks Mizzou's running game is really going to suffer without him. 

And that's because the Tigers have two guys coming back, Derrick Washington and Jimmy Jackson, who have also proven themselves in key spots.

Nobody really expected Jimmy Jackson to do anything more than occasionally give Temple a rest last year and maybe occasionally give the offense a change of pace. There was even some doubt in August as to whether he was going to be able to hold off Marcus Woods for the backup spot. But by the end of the year he was stealing carries from Temple. He was especially effective when used in the pistol formation in goal line packages, rushing for 7 touchdowns.

Washington, on the other hand, hit campus with the kind of expectations that were at least comparable to the hype that accompanied Temple upon his arrival to Columbia. Unlike Temple, he wasn't thrown directly into the fire delaying his maturation as a player and person by at least two years (possibly the worst decision of Pinkel's career). 

Washington's playing time gradually increased over the course of the season culminating when he caught a critical touchdown pass in the second half of Armageddon. 

Everyone tends to agree that this is a win-win situation for the MU coaching staff. Both players appear capable of handling a starting role. Jackson has experience starting and Washington has been groomed to eventually be the starter since he stepped foot in the Daniel J. Devine Pavilion.

But an overwhelming majority would prefer to see Washington as the starter. Why such apathetic feelings toward the more seasoned Jimmy Jack? 

Lets take a look at their stats from last year:

 

Jackson: 67 carries,  342 yds, 4.9 ypc, 7 TDs, 6 receptions, 30 rec. yds       

Washington: 36, carries, 199 yds, 5.1 ypc, 1 TD, 10 receptions, 70 rec. yds, 1 rec. TD   

Jackson's totals are higher because, like I said, he was used more at the beginning of the season. But at least on paper, there doesn't appear to be much difference between the two. Washington seems to be a bigger receiving threat but Jackson has proven to be a more reliable weapon in the red zone.

But ask yourself this question; Which player has a better chance at making it onto the cover of NCAA Football '10? 

Everyone is going to answer Washington. 

The point is, we don't know exactly how much potential Washington has. He's shown us flashes but his talent is mostly untapped. He could be a guy who runs for 800-900 yards, scores a half dozen touchdowns. He could be a guy who runs for 1,100 and scores a dozen. Or maybe he's an All-American. We aren't sure. 

So we'd rather have him than a player like Jackson who could probably rush for 800 yards and score 8-10 touchdowns. We know what we've got with Jackson and what we've got is a pretty darn good running back. But he's the safe pick. It's a fan's tendency to swing for the fences, to throw the deep ball, to not rest your starters and to run up the score. 

It's really doesn't matter who the "starter" is anyways. Everyone knows both guys are going to get their opportunities to shine. But inevitably, one will emerge as the guy who gets more carries than the other. 

I think a lot of people expect Jackson to be the starter in week 1 but Washington to overtake him by midseason. I don't see the logic in that. Washington's had a year to learn and develop. What's more, he's had a season to learn from Temple about the dangers of having sky high expectations. He can start now. He doesn't have to get 30 carries against Illinois or even 20 for that matter. But if you're expecting him to be The Man, you've got to get him on the field.

And I think Pinkel knows that. He's not going to repeat the same mistake he made with Temple. He made sure of that by limiting Washington's exposure as a freshman. But he's not going to use Jackson's experience as his security blanket either. Pinkel's proven he's not afraid to take chances provided the potential reward is high. If Washington outperforms JJ this summer or even if they finish in a dead heat, I think D-Wash is The Man.

Welcome to the Big Time

This past weekend was a good one for several Tigers as 9 former weekend warriors have either landed with an NFL team or are close to doing so.

Will Franklin and Martin Rucker were drafted in the fourth round by the Chiefs and Browns respectively while Tony Temple and Darnell Terrell signed free agent contracts also with the Browns. Lorenzo Williams, Adam Spieker and and Tyler Luellen all signed free agent contracts with the Ravens while Greg Bracey signed with the Chargers and Pig Brown is reportedly close to signing with the Chiefs. Defensive lineman Charles Gaines is also reportedly trying to land with a team.

I'll pass along a few interesting draft links before doing my best Mel Kiper impression and analyzing each Tiger's chances at making at the next level:

• Dave Matter gives a great breakdown in his blog on the situation that each player will be facing heading into training camp. He also says that an inside source at ESPN told him that Kiper will be releasing a mock draft soon that will have Willy-MO ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect.

• Adam Teicher wrote a nice article on the Helicopter in Sunday's KC Star.

• Also a Q and A with Franklin from kcchiefs.com

• The Cleveland Plain Dealer explains the circumstances that led to their surprise pick of T-Ruck.

• Not a draft related story but Max Scherzer was called up to the Big Leagues on Sunday.

Now, what are the chances of these guys sticking with the teams they've signed with?

Martin Rucker: I was astonished by how many tight ends went before T-Ruck. I'll be honest, I don't know enough about football to really judge how good of a blocker he has and I know that was kind of a knock on him and I'm sure a lot of scouts attributed a large portion of his receiving stats to the system he played in. But this guy is not a product of his system. He's an hombre and anyone who saw him play much over the past four years will tell you the same thing. I'm convinced he's going to be a pro bowler. I also think he'll fit in well in Cleveland. He's in a very similar situation that he was in at Mizzou with a high octane offense and another talented tight end in Kellen Winslow, Jr. lining up across from him (the Browns also plan on using a lot of two tight end sets just like MU did). Chances of succeeding in the NFL? 80/20

William Franklin: In addition to being a Mizzou fanatic I also love the Kansas City Football Chiefs and although I'm no scout I can tell you with absolute certainty that Franklin is already a better receiver than Sammy Parker is (who the Chiefs have been starting as their No. 2 or No. 3 receiver for the past several seasons). The only guys Franklin has to beat out to be the No. 2 guy across from Dwayne Bowe are Jeff Webb and maybe Devard Darling. The Chiefs offense is still nothing to really write home about but Franklin is virtually guaranteed playing time and he has the tools to be a solid No. 2. He's got speed that's comparable to J-Mac's and, as he proved at Colorado last season, can make some spectacular catches. I think he makes a solid pro. Chances of succeeding in the NFL? 70/30

Tony Temple: Another guy who's going to be extremely undersized. And as great as Tony was in the Cotton and Sun Bowls and against Kansas and A&M last year, he was still inconsistent throughout his career and has a long history of injuries. He did land on a Baltimore team that doesn't have much depth behind Jamal Lewis. I think the consensus is that if T. Temple is going to make it in the NFL it's going to be as a third down back. In his final two seasons at MU, after injuries had robbed him of a lot of his physical skills that he displayed in high school, I thought he began to resemble Priest Holmes a bit in the fact that he's a very patient runner that waits for his blockers and has excellent field vision. I think he has a decent chance of being a serviceable backup for 5+ years. Chances of succeeding in the NFL? 50/50

Lorenzo Williams: I'm not so sure about Zo. He was a very good Big 12 d-lineman but I don't think he's a starter at the next level. He's got all the intangibles but is going to be undersized when going up against guys like Olin Kreutz and Steve Hutchinson. He is VERY strong though despite his lack of size. Regardless, I don't see him lasting more than 5 years. Chances of succeeding in the NFL? 40/60

Darnell Terrell: Terrell worked out at receiver for scouts so he has a lot of athleticism but Terrell really struggled last year. There's a reason Castine Bridges overtook Terrell's starting position toward the end of the season. I remember reading that in the Big 12 Championship Sam Bradford was specifically targeting Terrell. He might be better suited to play safety at the next level but I still don't like his chances. Chances of succeeding in the NFL? 20/80

Pig Brown: I don't see Pig being a star in the NFL but with his heart and determination I can't imagine him not sticking around for several years. He may not make a team this season but you know he's not going to quit. And who doesn't think Pig could make a phenomenal special teams player if nothing else? Chances of succeeding in the NFL? 60/40

Greg Bracey: I have to admit, being one of the founders of the Greg Bracey Fan Club, I'm a little biased on this one, but I think Bracey's got a better chance of making it than a lot of people think. He was the second fastest guy on the team behind J-Mac (fastest according to him) and made a couple very tough catches during his career despite limited opportunities. That said, you can't like the odds of someone making an NFL roster who caught less than 10 passes in his career. Chances of succeeding in the NFL? 20/80

Adam Spieker/Tyler Luellen: As I said in my analysis on T-Ruck, I don't know enough about the game to really tell how good guys are at blocking but for what it's worth our offensive line has been really good the past couple years. Chase has rarely been pressured and I don't recall too many bad snaps by Spieker. Chances of succeeding in the NFL? ???

Fulmer Cup Crap

The past few months the Fulmer Cup standings (which Mizzou is currently sitting comfortably on top of) have been circulating through various blogs and message boards. For those of you unfamiliar with the Fulmer Cup here is the description from their website:

"The Fulmer Cup is an award given to the NCAA or NAIA institution whose exemplary efforts to recruit the most capable Football players results in the most frequent embarrassing and illegal mishaps off or on the field. Players can earn points for their University or College by engaging in illegal or stupid activities off the field and committing penalties on the field that invite legal prosecution. Institutions and Boosters can earn points by illegally recruiting or providing an environment where their Student-Athlete's illegal activities are either encouraged or ignored. The Fulmer Cup recognizes the difference between NCAA penalties and criminal penalties, but all types of infractions and occurances accumulate points toward a final Cup total."

Well in the past week this "story" has been picked up by the Associated Press. Lets clarify what the Fulmer Cup actually is. It's a sarcastic web blog. The website says as much. It is very satirical in tone and nature. There doesn't appear to be a way to verify the accuracy of their standings and we don't know what qualifications the author has to be putting this thing together. For all we know it is put together by a group of rabid Beaker fans. 

The Fulmer Cup should not under any circumstances be considered a serious journalistic website. 

But Alan Scher Zagier, the writer of last week's AP article, uses the site as a source without giving his readers any sort of context as to what the Fulmer Cup actually is. Instead he offers this frustratingly vague description:

"A Web site that tracks player arrests and other forms of misconduct by college athletes has the Tigers sitting at No. 1, thanks to the arrests of six reserve football players in separate incidents since September and the arrests of five men's basketball players – and the shooting of a sixth – in the past 14 months."

Decent journalism that is not. 

If Big MO Sports determines, by measuring student-athletes' physical appearances and personal hygiene over the past 15 1/3 months, that Kansas has the sickliest athletic program in the NCAA will Mike DeArmond quote that in a story? Dave Matter? How about you Mr. Zagier? Feel free to "report" on that. Moron. 

Unfortunately, I'm also going to have to give some props to the KU fan that put together this Mizzou "One Shining Moment" parody. This is pretty painful to watch but I have to admit, it's hilarious.