Hot Corner

For the first time in my four years here at Concord, the Mountain Lion football team is below .500. I can say I'm surprised and I'm shocked, but I'm not disappointed. Often we forget the student in student athletes, we forget that those aren't just football players out there on the field, but our peers. We see them on a day-to-day basis but how often would you see Brian Novak or Andy Ellington around campus and be able to distinguish them as football players? Not that they don't look like they can play football, but they're human beings just as you and I are. So here’s to our team, to our seniors, one last game this year in Callaghan stadium to close it out and you can bet we’ll be right there behind you to cheer you guys on!

For those that regularly read my column you know I've talked about how bad WVU’s October could be, well it lived up to the challenge as the Mountaineers have dropped four straight games in conference and overall against teams that were all ranked. Some were in heartbreaking fashion such as the Oklahoma State game, and some were blowouts like the 30 point loss to TCU last Thursday. Many are calling for Skylar Howard’s head, but who is going to replace him? Crest? No thanks. I'll take Skylar this year and next year. I believe he will be much better next year, just as he has been this year as opposed to last year. Last year I was calling for Skylar’s head after the bowl game, but his improvement has impressed me to the point that I'm eager to watch him next season. Many people forget that during this losing streak Howard has been pitted against two of the top five teams in the nation and programs that send multiple players to the NFL year in and year out. Give me more Skylar Howard!

Was I ever wrong about my MLB postseason picks? I congratulate the Kansas City Royals on an excellent postseason run! I didn't think they could make that run without a stout staff, but their offense was stacked. I don't think you could look at their lineup and find an easy out. From top to bottom they were stacked with a core of players that were grown in their minor league system. They didn't do it with high priced free agents, but their guys, so let's give a hand to the Kansas City front office and scouts for their hours of work that brought us one of baseball’s finest shows. I know that I can't wait to watch this team contend for years to come.

On the other side of the World Series are the Mets, a team that brought in a fearsome pitching staff that they raised in their system. Personally I have never been fond of the Mets because they are a division rival for my Phillies, but they have assembled a staff that has four legitimate pitchers that can carry a team when need be. As long as they can manage those arms for years to come then they should compete year in and year out on the strength of pitching alone. Aside from allowing a few big innings the Mets played extremely well for a team that hasn't seen the playoffs in eight years, look for them to be in the fold to compete for the next five years as long as they can keep that staff rested and healthy.

Ah! The NBA season has tipped off and a couple of things I've noticed from the first week: Karl Anthony-Towns is definitely a star, hands down. In only his second game he had 28 points and 14 rebounds! Those are insane numbers from a rookie, but not to be outdone, 76ers rookie Jahlil Okafor posted 26 points in his debut. I know it's early but these guys are bright spots that fans of each franchise will enjoy for years to come!

A couple of stars that fans had their eyes on were Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant, both of whom had their seasons cut short last year due to injury. Durant is a different situation because he is in the prime of his career while Bryant is in the twilight of his. Durant had the better week, but he is younger while Kobe, after dropping 27 points on opening night, has been relatively quiet since. We all came into this year expecting this to be the Kobe Bryant farewell tour and it is a long season, but through three games it looks like it is in his best interest to hang it up in April after the Lakers ultimately miss the playoffs.

Two weeks ago I had the privilege of watching my first NFL game in person. The game I am talking about is the primetime matchup between the Panthers and Eagles in Charlotte. Typically when you go to events like that, you suspect that there are good and bad seats, well I don't believe there is a bad seat in Bank of America Stadium. It felt as though no matter where you were you could see the field and players perfectly! I encourage anybody that has the opportunity to go to a professional football game to do so! You get to see much more of what happens downfield and how plays develop much more clearly, essentially you see what the cameras can't show you immediately, it was quite the experience despite the Eagles’ loss. Charlotte is definitely a city I plan on visiting on a regular basis.

Sticking to the tune of NFL football, it seems as though if it's not one thing for the Steelers, it's another. Big Ben returns to the field and Le’veon Bell is out for the year with a torn MCL. If I own Bell in any fantasy leagues I'm dropping him for Deangelo Williams who enjoyed two good games while Bell was serving a suspension earlier this season. Sticking with the Steelers, they were the victim of the talented Bengals team that remains unbeaten. There's no shame in losing to a talented squad like that, but with Bell out for the year they took two losses on the day.

Speaking of unbeaten teams, there is one less in the NFL after today and it is surprisingly the Green Bay Packers as they fell to the Denver Broncos 29-10. I honestly picked Green Bay to win this one, but Peyton Manning looked rejuvenated after a much needed bye week. He threw for 340 yards on 21-29 passing with one interception. Another encouraging aspect of this game for the Broncos was their ability to run the ball with ease. Maybe it's been Peyton adjusting to a new offense under head coach Gary Kubiak, but wow! If the Broncos can sustain this blueprint, then why can't they beat the Patriots? Defense wins championships because it gives you the opportunity to stay in the game. I know it was just one night, but if the Broncos defense can stifle QBs as they did with Aaron Rodgers, arguably the games best, then they have just as much of a chance to be competing for a Super Bowl in February in Peyton’s final season as anybody else in the league.